Unexpected Destinies Chapter 65
Title: Unexpected Destinies
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,447
Summary: Dean and the angels put their plan into action.
PAST
Castiel stood by, completely invisible and undetectable to human senses, and watched Claire Novak play with her friends. He found that he infinitely preferred to watch Claire instead of Amelia as Claire seemed happier. There was an air of sadness around Amelia, especially when she wasn't doing anything, that was difficult for him to bear. He had done his best to witness some of it as he felt that it was his penance for the way he had treated Jimmy, but it kept reminding him of what his mate was experiencing right now and he knew he was in danger of revealing himself if he stayed around Amelia for too long.
Although Castiel knew that his knowledge of human customs was still woefully lacking, he did know enough to know better then to reveal himself to Amelia. Yes, he should probably inform her of her husband's death and the circumstances thereof, but simply appearing out of thin air to do so was not the right approach to the matter. Again, it was an issue on which he would need to wait until he was able to speak with his mate. It was amazing how much he relied on Dean these days and how he had failed to notice this before now. His hunter had managed to intertwine their lives even well before they had first mated.
Afraid of where his thoughts might lead him next, Castiel forced his attention back to Claire. He had been trying to determine what her age was as he was sorry to realize that though he'd had her as his vessel, he simply didn't know. His knowledge of human childhood and growth was not sufficient for him to figure it out. That she was no longer a mere child he knew for sure, but that she was not yet an adult was apparent by her immature behavior and that of her friends. He believed that she was now what Sam had once called a teenager. He was happy to note, though, that she seemed far happier and more carefree than her mother, even if he could detect a deep well of sorrow within her that was no doubt due to her father's abrupt and unexplained departure from her life. He wondered if the knowledge she and her mother had gained all those months later had been helpful or if it had merely served to make things worse.
As Castiel watched her, he couldn't help but remember what he had said to her upon first taking Jimmy as his vessel.
"I am not your father."
That had not been an appropriate statement to make to his vessel's daughter, Castiel understood that now. It seemed that the longer he pondered this issue, the more faults he found regarding his past behavior. It was a wonder to him that his mate had ever started seeing him as anything other than the dick with wings most other angels were to Dean. He could only thank his Father for it and wonder, once more, exactly what his Father's plans were. Although he had lost his faith for a while, it had since become more then clear to him that his Father did have a plan, even if he couldn't see it, let alone understand it at present. It pained him to think that his Father had intended for his mate to experience as much pain and suffering as he had and he could only imagine that it had been necessary for a reason he couldn't see as of yet.
Even that knowledge was hardly more then a cold comfort whenever Castiel saw proof of Dean's hard life crop up, but he also knew that his mate wouldn't be who he was if he hadn't experienced all of that hardship and suffering. He also doubted that his little hunter would take kindly to anyone trying to alter that life, difficult as it may have been as Dean would only view that as someone interfering where they had no right to do so. It had taken him a very long time to understand why his mate would chose a life full of pain to Paradise on Earth, but he had come to know a lot about free will since then and even if he knew his knowledge was still minute compared to that of most humans, he treasured it greatly. What was more, he believed that his Father approved of him having learned this lesson from His Righteous Man.
Castiel had to admit to himself that he was tempted to return to Heaven even if he knew that all was running well there. He had gone back home after first leaving his mate and his brother and it had been to find things in a bit of an uproar. As he should have expected, the Virtues had detected the moment that Dean had decided to say yes to Michael and it had resulted in many major ripples. The only reason that Xarael hadn't come rushing to his side with the news had been because the Virtues had seen his presence and apparently his own decisions in the matter had been of no small importance either.
In the end, Castiel had left Heaven as he'd known that were he to remain there, he would have sought out the Virtues for any information and insight the ripples to the life energy had given them. While that was a valid strategy and one he definitely planned on pursuing later, he knew only all too well that the Virtues needed time to fully process all of the ripples and the ramifications thereof to the best of their abilities. Not only was it considered rude to try and rush the process, but it could be dangerous as well. What the Virtues did was a painstaking process, compiling limitless information from the significant impacts to the life energy and thus every tiny detail could be of vital importance. Rushing them could not only lead to things being missed, but also to risk not obtaining vital information that they would only uncover later, when inspecting the remaining ripples. No, it was best to leave them to their work and then question them for information and insight when they were done.
And to remember that what they saw was by no means immutable. In the end, it could only be used as a guide to what may come next. Despite that, Castiel believed it to be important to have as much information at his disposal as possible on which to base his decisions. There was too much at stake here for him to do anything less.
"Castiel, Raphael."
The moment Michael's voice sounded in his head, Castiel abandoned his vigil and thoughts, and flew straight for his brother. He had purposefully been trying not to think about how long it had been since he'd left his mate and Michael alone as he had become far too acquainted with the human experience of finding that time moved slower when you wanted it to pass quickly. It had been a most disconcerting experience the first time it had transpired, as he was used to centuries passing by with hardly any notice before so to have minutes and seconds take so long was difficult to process.
As soon as he arrived and laid eyes on Dean and his brother, Castiel knew that he had made a mistake in not taking a few moments to prepare himself for the sight of his mate as a vessel. It was just so jarring and wrong. Though he had often wished for Dean to be able to see and sense his wings, he had never thought of his mate with wings, which was a little odd seeing as he was an angel, but Dean had always been just perfect as he was and he had never wanted more. Never had the desire to experience wing interlocking risen within him when they'd mated, nor had he ever found himself reaching out to touch wings that simply weren't there. He wanted them gone even if his mate looked exquisite with them.
"Is Dean alright?" Castiel asked, stepping closer.
/
"Yes, Brother, your mate is fine," Michael replied.
Although he knew exactly what Castiel looked like in his current vessel, Michael let his eyes track his younger brother so that his own vessel could take in what his mate truly looked like while on Earth. The fascination and wonder that were rippling off of Dean's soul warmed him in a way he hadn't expected but which he found surprisingly enjoyable. The feel of an awake and active soul nestled in his Grace was far different from the sensation of a dormant one and it was a difference that he liked immensely. The entire experience of being in his true vessel was so unbelievable that he knew going back to Deirdre Winchester would be difficult at best, but he had no intention of breaking his promise. Even as it was rewarding, he knew this new awareness could quickly turn into a source of vexation if he were ever to do anything against Dean's will. He'd had enough experience with the human to know that he would fight with all that he had despite the situation and the knowledge that he couldn't win. It was just how he was.
"Michael?" Raphael inquired.
Automatically, Michael's eyes shifted to his other brother and he felt a little flash of displeasure from within him.
"Mike!" Dean protested.
"Hush, Little One," Michael replied, looking back at Castiel only to find his brother giving him an odd look. "Yes, Raphael?" First things first.
"Are you alright, Brother?" Raphael questioned. "You are behaving oddly."
"There is nothing wrong with me. Dean is just fascinated with Castiel's wings and I am merely indulging him."
The fact that his choice of wording drew no protested told Michael much about how absorbed his vessel was with the sight of his mate. It made him feel a twinge of the jealousy he'd felt before today at the thought that Castiel had held Dean's soul within his Grace when he himself hadn't. That experience was proving to be better then he had ever thought possible and now that he had it, he didn't understand why he continued to feel this way. His vessel had been awed upon seeing his own wings, surely that should be enough for him.
His words seemed to startle his brothers for a moment.
"You are letting him see everything now?" Castiel asked.
"Yes."
His response made his brother straighten and Michael recognized the way Castiel's wings puffed up and extended as being the exact same reaction he'd had earlier to Dean's examination of them. The laughter from his vessel proved that he wasn't the only one who'd noticed that similarity.
"You guys are like a bunch of damn peacocks strutting your stuff." A pause. "Though what the hell that says about me, I don't think I want to examine too closely."
Michael felt a small ripple of indignation. "We are not birds."
"No, of course not. You're just down with the whole preening your feathers thing."
His vessel could be extremely vexing when he wished to be.
"What is it like, to have a vessel interacting with you the entire time?" Raphael questioned.
"Different, but in a pleasant manner. It will be hard to return to Deirdre Winchester's body and not have a soul vibrating within me."
"Way to make that sound dirty," Dean muttered.
"I do not understand."
"No, of course not," Dean sounded far too amused for Michael's liking and he knew that he was missing something his vessel considered important. "But trust me, you really don't want to understand this either."
Given some of what the hunter liked, Michael was easily willing to believe that. Humans were such odd creatures at times.
"Though you might enjoy the quiet," Raphael continued. "I assume he speaks as much now and is just as liable to share his opinions as he normally is."
"Yes."
"Dick."
"Little One."
Instead of replying, his vessel concentrated hard on a mental image of himself showing his tongue. It was a mannerism that Michael had seen him display before though he was no closer to understanding its meaning then before. Perhaps he should ask Castiel about it later, his brother would probably know.
"Now, as for the Rite of Contressa, we need to begin collecting the ingredients," Michael said.
"I have already gone to the Hidden Valley and it will be the full moon there three nights hence," Raphael stated.
"Overachiever," Dean muttered.
"Dean."
"What? He is. You told him to go and wait a bit and he runs off to do stuff with the Rite anyway."
"Now you are merely looking for things to complain about with him. Raphael can be very focused but that is normally a good thing."
"Yeah, except when he's on your ass, trying to capture or kill you."
"I know he has apologized to you for that."
"He's still a dick."
"Why can you not give him a chance, Little One? I hurt you too and yet you have permitted me to prove that I have changed."
"You actually made an effort."
"Raphael is too in his own way. You must believe me when I say that he would not be here otherwise."
"I don't like him."
"After what he did to your mate, that does not surprise me, but it does not mean that you cannot be civil to him. He is on our side and we need all the help we can get if we want to avert the Apocalypse."
"You know, if you were so unsure of winning, then why did you start it in the first place?"
"If it were a simple matter of ending the Apocalypse, it would not be a problem. Averting it is another issue altogether," Michael stated before speaking aloud. "Good. That means we can perform the Rite in four days, let us aim for that. Raphael, since you have already been to the Hidden Valley, will you return there to collect the blossom at the appointed time?"
"Yes," Raphael replied.
"How do we best divide the list, Castiel?"
"Well, there is the blessing from a pure soul, which you will need to collect personally of course. You will also need to be the one to get the willing blood donation of a repentant sinner. The rest I believe can safely be divided among us."
With that, Castiel began assigning the remaining ingredients between them.
"What, no need to write any of this down?" Dean asked.
"No, we have perfect memories."
"Of course you do."
A.N.: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, guys, but it kicked my ass three ways from Sunday. It just didn't want to be written and was a struggle the whole way.
Chapter 66
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,447
Summary: Dean and the angels put their plan into action.
PAST
Castiel stood by, completely invisible and undetectable to human senses, and watched Claire Novak play with her friends. He found that he infinitely preferred to watch Claire instead of Amelia as Claire seemed happier. There was an air of sadness around Amelia, especially when she wasn't doing anything, that was difficult for him to bear. He had done his best to witness some of it as he felt that it was his penance for the way he had treated Jimmy, but it kept reminding him of what his mate was experiencing right now and he knew he was in danger of revealing himself if he stayed around Amelia for too long.
Although Castiel knew that his knowledge of human customs was still woefully lacking, he did know enough to know better then to reveal himself to Amelia. Yes, he should probably inform her of her husband's death and the circumstances thereof, but simply appearing out of thin air to do so was not the right approach to the matter. Again, it was an issue on which he would need to wait until he was able to speak with his mate. It was amazing how much he relied on Dean these days and how he had failed to notice this before now. His hunter had managed to intertwine their lives even well before they had first mated.
Afraid of where his thoughts might lead him next, Castiel forced his attention back to Claire. He had been trying to determine what her age was as he was sorry to realize that though he'd had her as his vessel, he simply didn't know. His knowledge of human childhood and growth was not sufficient for him to figure it out. That she was no longer a mere child he knew for sure, but that she was not yet an adult was apparent by her immature behavior and that of her friends. He believed that she was now what Sam had once called a teenager. He was happy to note, though, that she seemed far happier and more carefree than her mother, even if he could detect a deep well of sorrow within her that was no doubt due to her father's abrupt and unexplained departure from her life. He wondered if the knowledge she and her mother had gained all those months later had been helpful or if it had merely served to make things worse.
As Castiel watched her, he couldn't help but remember what he had said to her upon first taking Jimmy as his vessel.
"I am not your father."
That had not been an appropriate statement to make to his vessel's daughter, Castiel understood that now. It seemed that the longer he pondered this issue, the more faults he found regarding his past behavior. It was a wonder to him that his mate had ever started seeing him as anything other than the dick with wings most other angels were to Dean. He could only thank his Father for it and wonder, once more, exactly what his Father's plans were. Although he had lost his faith for a while, it had since become more then clear to him that his Father did have a plan, even if he couldn't see it, let alone understand it at present. It pained him to think that his Father had intended for his mate to experience as much pain and suffering as he had and he could only imagine that it had been necessary for a reason he couldn't see as of yet.
Even that knowledge was hardly more then a cold comfort whenever Castiel saw proof of Dean's hard life crop up, but he also knew that his mate wouldn't be who he was if he hadn't experienced all of that hardship and suffering. He also doubted that his little hunter would take kindly to anyone trying to alter that life, difficult as it may have been as Dean would only view that as someone interfering where they had no right to do so. It had taken him a very long time to understand why his mate would chose a life full of pain to Paradise on Earth, but he had come to know a lot about free will since then and even if he knew his knowledge was still minute compared to that of most humans, he treasured it greatly. What was more, he believed that his Father approved of him having learned this lesson from His Righteous Man.
Castiel had to admit to himself that he was tempted to return to Heaven even if he knew that all was running well there. He had gone back home after first leaving his mate and his brother and it had been to find things in a bit of an uproar. As he should have expected, the Virtues had detected the moment that Dean had decided to say yes to Michael and it had resulted in many major ripples. The only reason that Xarael hadn't come rushing to his side with the news had been because the Virtues had seen his presence and apparently his own decisions in the matter had been of no small importance either.
In the end, Castiel had left Heaven as he'd known that were he to remain there, he would have sought out the Virtues for any information and insight the ripples to the life energy had given them. While that was a valid strategy and one he definitely planned on pursuing later, he knew only all too well that the Virtues needed time to fully process all of the ripples and the ramifications thereof to the best of their abilities. Not only was it considered rude to try and rush the process, but it could be dangerous as well. What the Virtues did was a painstaking process, compiling limitless information from the significant impacts to the life energy and thus every tiny detail could be of vital importance. Rushing them could not only lead to things being missed, but also to risk not obtaining vital information that they would only uncover later, when inspecting the remaining ripples. No, it was best to leave them to their work and then question them for information and insight when they were done.
And to remember that what they saw was by no means immutable. In the end, it could only be used as a guide to what may come next. Despite that, Castiel believed it to be important to have as much information at his disposal as possible on which to base his decisions. There was too much at stake here for him to do anything less.
"Castiel, Raphael."
The moment Michael's voice sounded in his head, Castiel abandoned his vigil and thoughts, and flew straight for his brother. He had purposefully been trying not to think about how long it had been since he'd left his mate and Michael alone as he had become far too acquainted with the human experience of finding that time moved slower when you wanted it to pass quickly. It had been a most disconcerting experience the first time it had transpired, as he was used to centuries passing by with hardly any notice before so to have minutes and seconds take so long was difficult to process.
As soon as he arrived and laid eyes on Dean and his brother, Castiel knew that he had made a mistake in not taking a few moments to prepare himself for the sight of his mate as a vessel. It was just so jarring and wrong. Though he had often wished for Dean to be able to see and sense his wings, he had never thought of his mate with wings, which was a little odd seeing as he was an angel, but Dean had always been just perfect as he was and he had never wanted more. Never had the desire to experience wing interlocking risen within him when they'd mated, nor had he ever found himself reaching out to touch wings that simply weren't there. He wanted them gone even if his mate looked exquisite with them.
"Is Dean alright?" Castiel asked, stepping closer.
/
"Yes, Brother, your mate is fine," Michael replied.
Although he knew exactly what Castiel looked like in his current vessel, Michael let his eyes track his younger brother so that his own vessel could take in what his mate truly looked like while on Earth. The fascination and wonder that were rippling off of Dean's soul warmed him in a way he hadn't expected but which he found surprisingly enjoyable. The feel of an awake and active soul nestled in his Grace was far different from the sensation of a dormant one and it was a difference that he liked immensely. The entire experience of being in his true vessel was so unbelievable that he knew going back to Deirdre Winchester would be difficult at best, but he had no intention of breaking his promise. Even as it was rewarding, he knew this new awareness could quickly turn into a source of vexation if he were ever to do anything against Dean's will. He'd had enough experience with the human to know that he would fight with all that he had despite the situation and the knowledge that he couldn't win. It was just how he was.
"Michael?" Raphael inquired.
Automatically, Michael's eyes shifted to his other brother and he felt a little flash of displeasure from within him.
"Mike!" Dean protested.
"Hush, Little One," Michael replied, looking back at Castiel only to find his brother giving him an odd look. "Yes, Raphael?" First things first.
"Are you alright, Brother?" Raphael questioned. "You are behaving oddly."
"There is nothing wrong with me. Dean is just fascinated with Castiel's wings and I am merely indulging him."
The fact that his choice of wording drew no protested told Michael much about how absorbed his vessel was with the sight of his mate. It made him feel a twinge of the jealousy he'd felt before today at the thought that Castiel had held Dean's soul within his Grace when he himself hadn't. That experience was proving to be better then he had ever thought possible and now that he had it, he didn't understand why he continued to feel this way. His vessel had been awed upon seeing his own wings, surely that should be enough for him.
His words seemed to startle his brothers for a moment.
"You are letting him see everything now?" Castiel asked.
"Yes."
His response made his brother straighten and Michael recognized the way Castiel's wings puffed up and extended as being the exact same reaction he'd had earlier to Dean's examination of them. The laughter from his vessel proved that he wasn't the only one who'd noticed that similarity.
"You guys are like a bunch of damn peacocks strutting your stuff." A pause. "Though what the hell that says about me, I don't think I want to examine too closely."
Michael felt a small ripple of indignation. "We are not birds."
"No, of course not. You're just down with the whole preening your feathers thing."
His vessel could be extremely vexing when he wished to be.
"What is it like, to have a vessel interacting with you the entire time?" Raphael questioned.
"Different, but in a pleasant manner. It will be hard to return to Deirdre Winchester's body and not have a soul vibrating within me."
"Way to make that sound dirty," Dean muttered.
"I do not understand."
"No, of course not," Dean sounded far too amused for Michael's liking and he knew that he was missing something his vessel considered important. "But trust me, you really don't want to understand this either."
Given some of what the hunter liked, Michael was easily willing to believe that. Humans were such odd creatures at times.
"Though you might enjoy the quiet," Raphael continued. "I assume he speaks as much now and is just as liable to share his opinions as he normally is."
"Yes."
"Dick."
"Little One."
Instead of replying, his vessel concentrated hard on a mental image of himself showing his tongue. It was a mannerism that Michael had seen him display before though he was no closer to understanding its meaning then before. Perhaps he should ask Castiel about it later, his brother would probably know.
"Now, as for the Rite of Contressa, we need to begin collecting the ingredients," Michael said.
"I have already gone to the Hidden Valley and it will be the full moon there three nights hence," Raphael stated.
"Overachiever," Dean muttered.
"Dean."
"What? He is. You told him to go and wait a bit and he runs off to do stuff with the Rite anyway."
"Now you are merely looking for things to complain about with him. Raphael can be very focused but that is normally a good thing."
"Yeah, except when he's on your ass, trying to capture or kill you."
"I know he has apologized to you for that."
"He's still a dick."
"Why can you not give him a chance, Little One? I hurt you too and yet you have permitted me to prove that I have changed."
"You actually made an effort."
"Raphael is too in his own way. You must believe me when I say that he would not be here otherwise."
"I don't like him."
"After what he did to your mate, that does not surprise me, but it does not mean that you cannot be civil to him. He is on our side and we need all the help we can get if we want to avert the Apocalypse."
"You know, if you were so unsure of winning, then why did you start it in the first place?"
"If it were a simple matter of ending the Apocalypse, it would not be a problem. Averting it is another issue altogether," Michael stated before speaking aloud. "Good. That means we can perform the Rite in four days, let us aim for that. Raphael, since you have already been to the Hidden Valley, will you return there to collect the blossom at the appointed time?"
"Yes," Raphael replied.
"How do we best divide the list, Castiel?"
"Well, there is the blessing from a pure soul, which you will need to collect personally of course. You will also need to be the one to get the willing blood donation of a repentant sinner. The rest I believe can safely be divided among us."
With that, Castiel began assigning the remaining ingredients between them.
"What, no need to write any of this down?" Dean asked.
"No, we have perfect memories."
"Of course you do."
A.N.: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, guys, but it kicked my ass three ways from Sunday. It just didn't want to be written and was a struggle the whole way.
Chapter 66