Unexpected Destinies Chapter 141
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: 3,231
Summary: Raphael welcomes Dean to the family in his own special way.
PAST
For the second time in a relatively short period of time, Raphael had found himself reacting instinctively with Dean Winchester, not that he'd come to regret either instance thereof. Far from it, in fact, especially now, but still the fact remained and would require some thought at some point to see if he couldn't figure out the cause of his strange behavior. But that was for later and not now.
Not when he had far more amusing things to focus his attentions on.
"Not funny, Raph," Dean growled. "Knock it off!"
Raphael paused for a moment, as if to consider it, before reaching out with his Grace to poke it once more. His brother's new bond mate yelped and jumped and he was no longer able to contain his amusement, laughing aloud.
"Dude, not cool!" Dean protested, scowling and backing up a few paces.
As if that would prevent him from being able to do it again, but Raphael chose to keep that particular detail to himself for the moment. "Or else what?"
"Huh?"
"Well you normally back things like that up with some colorful, if impossible, threat of bodily harm."
"I hate you."
The tone told Raphael that Dean was not being truthful. "No, you do not."
"Yes I do. I totally and completely hate you," the hunter insisted, crossing his arms across his chest.
As much as he had learned about humans, Raphael still failed to understand why it was that they insisted on uttering lies such as this though he was content enough with the knowledge that he could now tell that Dean was being dishonest in this manner. Instead he tried to decide if he wished to prod his new bond brother's bond again. It had been pure curiosity and instinct that had led him to doing it the first time, having done the same after Raziel and Jophiel had first bonded and being terribly amused by the reaction that had evoked back then. Just like his brother, Dean had responded far too well to not do it again, and again. So, really, there was no decision to make.
With more glee than he knew he should be experiencing with this, Raphael reached out with his Grace once more.
"Raph!" Dean yelped, unable to prevent himself from jumping at the feeling of it.
Castiel would be annoyed with him for teasing his new bond mate this way, but Raphael really couldn't help himself. Not when Dean's soul sputtered and sparked along with the human's more physical reactions to the teasing. Like how his new bond brother's eyes narrowed at him now even as Dean pointed a finger at him.
"So help me, Raph, if you don't cut that out right now, I'll... I'll... I'll pluck you bald and use the feathers for a new pillow!"
Well, Raphael had to admit that was a new threat. Only- "I have more feathers that any human pillow could hold."
"So it'll be a matching set along with a comforter. You'll still be bald."
He really could see why Michael had thought his vessel precious once his brother had gotten to know Dean. All it took was one little-
"Raphael!"
It was nearly as if his thoughts had summoned his brother as Michael arrived just in time to hear Dean's latest protest and his brother frowned, looking between them. Before he could even begin to think of what to say, Castiel arrived as well and wariness filled him at the glare his younger brother aimed his way.
"You would do well to cease while you are ahead," Castiel stated dryly. "If you have not already gone too far."
Michael frowned. "What has he done?"
"He has been teasing Dean by toying with the bond as it settles."
"Ah," Michael replied, looking at him. "Like you did with Raziel."
Raphael opened his mouth to reply but instead of speaking he yelped and jumped as some of his feathers were suddenly tugged sharply. In turning his attention towards his brothers, he'd completely lost track of where Dean was, which had clearly been a mistake. Turning his head, he found that his new bond brother had used the opportunity to get close and grasp hold of one of his wings with both hands.
"Not so funny anymore now, is it?" Dean questioned with another good tug.
Despite the fact that he'd known it was coming, Raphael couldn't quite stifle his response and Dean smiled at it. A quick glance at his brothers proved that neither Michael nor Castiel was at all inclined to help him.
"You must now lie in the bed," Castiel merely stated, though his brother sounded a little unsure of himself.
"What bed?"
Dean snorted. "The one you made."
"I did not make a bed," Raphael stated, confused.
"It's an expression. You made your bed and now you must lie in it, or something like that. Means it's your own fault so deal with the consequences."
Humans were strange. Raphael already knew this but it still surprised him sometimes just how strange they could be. "That makes no sense. Besides I have no need to lie in a bed."
"I didn't make it up. Now, if I let go will you stop?"
"For now."
His words made Dean's eyes narrow, but Raphael met the gaze head on. There was absolutely no way was he giving up on it entirely, not when the human's soul was still sparking from it.
"Do not worry, Little One, he will not be able to do it for long," Michael said, making him scowl. "It only works while the bond is new."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Dean considered this for a moment, looking at him. "I should make you give it up entirely."
"Afraid, Brother?" Raphael baited.
The words visibly affected Dean, not how Raphael had intended them too, though it did get his wing released and he instantly drew it back, out of reach. Absently he noted that he'd been right about how a human touch would affect them even if this kind of contact definitely hadn't been what he'd thought it would be.
"Brother?" Dean repeated, shocked, his eyes widening before they sought out Castiel. "Oh, right, of course."
"Hadn't thought about that?" Castiel asked, appearing behind his bond mate and soothing him.
"No, I'd just forgotten about it, 's all."
Raphael was about to comment, not able to let that go when Dean suddenly blanched and he stepped closer, alarmed. "Dean?"
"Crap, that means Lucifer," Dean stated. "And Simiel, and Zachariah, and Uriel, and-"
Though his friend cut off, Raphael saw the way Dean's eyes flickered upwards, towards Heaven, and he could only assume that his new bond brother meant Father. Given some of what he had heard Dean say about Father, he was glad the human had cut off instead of repeating any one of those. The fact that Dean felt the need to put Father in the same group as Zachariah, Uriel and Simiel, let alone Lucifer was already too much as far as he was concerned, but he couldn't think of anything to say either. He'd already tried to change his new bond brother's mind and not only hadn't that worked, but he'd found himself unable to successfully counter some of the things that Dean had to say. The message that his friend had received from Joshua bothered him as much as it did all of his other siblings who knew about it. If Father knew what was going on, then why did He do so little?
Why didn't He intervene or tell them what to do?
It was a line of questioning that Raphael was not comfortable with and one he would have deemed blasphemous if Castiel had not done so and not only been resurrected, but elevated to the status of archangel as well. He'd never have thought that Father would want them to question Him, it just went against every natural instinct he'd been created with.
"Dean?" Castiel inquired worriedly, turning his hunter around to face him.
"It's okay, I'm okay, really," Dean replied. "I just- I knew this already, I mean I did, I just, you know, kinda forgot."
"You? Forget family?" Michael teased lightly.
"Shut up, it's new to me. I mean, I'm used to being the big brother. Even when we discovered Adam's existence, I was still the oldest. And now-"
"And now you have thousands of older siblings."
"Oh shit, thousands."
With a moan, Dean buried his face into Castiel's chest and Raphael felt his lips twitch again. He was not used to seeing his new bond brother being so emotional and it was amusing. Especially since he knew that even now Dean had little concept of how many angels there actually were.
"Hush, Beloved," Castiel soothed, stroking the back of Dean's head. "Come, I believe it is time for us to go. Your brother and Bobby should be arriving at your chosen location soon."
That seemed to be the right thing to say as Raphael could see Dean pulling himself together when he stepped back.
"Yeah, you're right," Dean stated. "We should go, but we need to take the Impala as well."
"Why?" Raphael asked as they had no need for the car.
"Because they'll expect to see it. Neither Sam nor Bobby knows about you or Mike and they think that Cas is up in Heaven for good now. If the Impala's not there then they'll get suspicious, not to mention the fact that it will reveal more than we want them to know at the moment. They still think that I travel all over the place, hunting, and it's best for them to keep thinking that rather than to have them try and find where we might be staying."
"Very well, I shall get your baby," Michael said and flew off.
Normally the light teasing at the end of his brother's sentence would have been enough to make Dean pull a face at the least, but now his friend seemed to completely ignore it. Raphael didn't like that and met Castiel's worried gaze. This would be the first time that Dean saw his brother since Castiel had taken him to see Sam Winchester upon first telling Dean that his brother was out of Hell. From what he had been told by Castiel, that particular trip had not gone well at all.
"Ready?" Raphael inquired.
"No," Dean replied totally honest and voice strangely flat. "But that's not really relevant now is it? We need to get Sam started on his detox in order to protect him from Lucifer. Not to mention the fact that we need to warn the others about the fact that they can be vessels themselves, not that I'd expect any hunter worth their salt to just say yes to some unknown supernatural being requesting permission to use their meatsuit, but you never know."
"We will be there with you," Castiel promised. "You will not be alone."
Dean turned to smile at his new bond mate. "Yeah, I know, Cas."
"Give us a few minutes, Raphael," Castiel said, speaking directly to him.
With a nod, Raphael flew off to join Michael where his brother was already at Dean's chosen meeting location. When he arrived, he could immediately see why the hunter had chosen this particular spot and he hummed in approval. Not only would this put the other humans at ease, but it would make it impossible for them to try anything either.
"You should prepare yourself, Brother," Michael said. "To not react adversely when you first see Sam Winchester."
"He is that tainted?"
"Yes."
"Very well. How would you like to meet them?"
"Spread out would be best, just in case they wish to try anything. Normally I would not be so inclined to take precautions, but Sam Winchester knows many of our weaknesses and what weapons can harm us."
"But does he actually possess any of them?"
"I do not believe so, but that has never stopped Dean."
Raphael took his time checking the area as a final precaution and only returned to the car when Michael called him to say that the humans were approaching. Dean and Castiel had arrived and stood up against the Impala facing the approaching vehicles, so he stood a ways behind the car. He was the only one who had not yet met even one of the approaching humans and thus he didn't expect to interact with them in any significant manner. He would leave the talking to the others who were less likely to cause offence and anger Sam Winchester and his companions. Besides, it would not be a bad strategic move to keep his exact identity a secret for now.
The moment that Sam Winchester stepped out of the car, Raphael understood why Michael had warned him. The human's soul was severely tainted both by Hell and the demon blood that Sam had voluntarily consumed. He'd known about it, sure, but to actually see it was another thing entirely. For one it was far worse than he'd assumed that it would be and for another, well, this was Dean's brother and on some level he'd been expecting a soul like that of his new bond brother. Or at least for it to have been like it once, or as close as another human soul could be to it given how unique Dean's soul really was.
The combination of events resulted in Raphael being far more shocked and horrified at the state of Sam Winchester's soul than he'd expected to be, even knowing that Castiel had called his mate's brother an abomination more than once. Luckily with Michael's warning he was able to mask his emotions and appear calm and aloof. Not that he didn't think that Sam Winchester could do with knowing exactly how repulsive he'd made his own soul, but because he knew that Dean would not appreciate it. Besides, from what his friend had said, humans did not respond well to being told that they'd done something horribly wrong and could therefore do the opposite of what was necessary if you did it. He didn't understand this (surely being told you'd made mistakes would prevent you from repeating them?), but it explained why Zachariah and even Castiel had failed to get Dean and his brother to do what they'd all thought was necessary at the start.
Although he'd decided not to interfere, Raphael found himself shifting his weight when Sam Winchester made to move closer to Dean. Luckily Michael moved to intervene before he had to and so he was able to keep quiet and observe each of the others in turn. Castiel had taken the time to inform both him and Michael about who he expected to show up at this meeting and he had little difficulty identifying which human was which even without Dean's greetings to some of the people present. Normally he would have dismissed most of them outright as insignificant, but the fact that all but one of them were potential vessels for Lucifer made him give them all at least some cursory attention.
The shock they felt upon learning that they bore Lucifer's vessel bloodline was all genuine, so Raphael knew that none of them had been approached by his younger brother yet which was good. He hadn't expected them to have been because if Lucifer had been able to find them, then surely he'd have found Sam Winchester, but he still preferred to have his thoughts corroborated. Once he'd established that and their very real horror at the thought of housing the devil (the strongest of which, thankfully, came from Dean's brother), he turned his attention to the one human present who was not related to his friend. Or at least not directly via blood as Castiel had said that this one- Robert Singer- had once been viewed as a substitute father figure by Dean.
The mere idea of a substitute for a father was still a very foreign idea to Raphael, but Castiel had explained how humans sometimes created bonds like that if their original parental figures were either inadequate or dead. His brother seemed to view John Winchester as having met both of those qualifications and not just the latter. Given that Castiel knew so much more about humans and the ways in which they interacted, he was prepared to take his little brother's word on the matter, strange as he might find it all himself.
What Raphael found far more interesting were his brother's own mixed emotions towards the human. It seemed that like Dean they consisted of deep affection and cutting betrayal. Robert Singer was one of the few humans whom Castiel had considered a friend and he would have thought that this would have been enough to ensure that the hunter never strayed for who would even consider rejecting a gift as precious as an angel's goodwill? Clearly there were things he did not yet understand or still misunderstood as this human had done not only that, but he had betrayed a soul as pure as Dean's who would never have even thought about being disloyal or subversive.
Raphael had assumed the man to be simply unworthy and spiteful, but now that he was able to observe Robert Singer in person he was no longer as sure. While not as good at interpreting human emotions as either Castiel or Michael, he had been improving and he could definitely detect pain and regret in the maelstrom of feelings churning away within Robert Singer. The hurt had been most pronounced at Dean's cold greeting but hadn't diminished significantly since then either.
"Oh, God! Oh, God!"
Just like at all other times, the prayers of this unknown human female cut straight through his thoughts and Raphael was unable to do anything but hear them. He frowned, not needing to be distracted now in case his brothers needed him, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do about it.
"Oh, God! God, Raphael, I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean it, really, I never thought either of you were getting any of this. It was just a good way to vent and I know that's wrong, like totally!, but I didn't mean it. Please believe me!"
Terror. That was absolute terror Raphael heard in her voice and he felt worry begin to develop inside of himself. Despite his best efforts, this unknown human had continued to intrigue him and he now found that he disliked hearing her in this state. Yes, she was suddenly repenting for all of her earlier casual disrespect and lack of faith but, as Dean had once pointed out to him, faith born of fear was hardly worth obtaining as it was not true faith, merely a survival reaction.
"Please, Raphael, I beg you, spare us! Surely we don't deserve this for some minor disrespect and lack of faith?"
For once Raphael turned his full attention towards the human female and used her prayer to trace her back to a specific location. It was in Australia and when he probed the immediate area he stiffened as he sensed what felt suspiciously like Simiel's presence.
"Please have mercy, Raphael, greatest of the archangels, and save us from Lucifer's emissary!"
They needed to leave. Now.
"Michael, Castiel," Raphael said urgently, turning his attention to his brothers.
A.N.: Just to let you know, Easter related family obligations will keep be busy until at least this time next week, so there will be no new chapter until then. But Happy Easter everyone, eat lots of chocolate!
Chapter 142
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,231
Summary: Raphael welcomes Dean to the family in his own special way.
PAST
For the second time in a relatively short period of time, Raphael had found himself reacting instinctively with Dean Winchester, not that he'd come to regret either instance thereof. Far from it, in fact, especially now, but still the fact remained and would require some thought at some point to see if he couldn't figure out the cause of his strange behavior. But that was for later and not now.
Not when he had far more amusing things to focus his attentions on.
"Not funny, Raph," Dean growled. "Knock it off!"
Raphael paused for a moment, as if to consider it, before reaching out with his Grace to poke it once more. His brother's new bond mate yelped and jumped and he was no longer able to contain his amusement, laughing aloud.
"Dude, not cool!" Dean protested, scowling and backing up a few paces.
As if that would prevent him from being able to do it again, but Raphael chose to keep that particular detail to himself for the moment. "Or else what?"
"Huh?"
"Well you normally back things like that up with some colorful, if impossible, threat of bodily harm."
"I hate you."
The tone told Raphael that Dean was not being truthful. "No, you do not."
"Yes I do. I totally and completely hate you," the hunter insisted, crossing his arms across his chest.
As much as he had learned about humans, Raphael still failed to understand why it was that they insisted on uttering lies such as this though he was content enough with the knowledge that he could now tell that Dean was being dishonest in this manner. Instead he tried to decide if he wished to prod his new bond brother's bond again. It had been pure curiosity and instinct that had led him to doing it the first time, having done the same after Raziel and Jophiel had first bonded and being terribly amused by the reaction that had evoked back then. Just like his brother, Dean had responded far too well to not do it again, and again. So, really, there was no decision to make.
With more glee than he knew he should be experiencing with this, Raphael reached out with his Grace once more.
"Raph!" Dean yelped, unable to prevent himself from jumping at the feeling of it.
Castiel would be annoyed with him for teasing his new bond mate this way, but Raphael really couldn't help himself. Not when Dean's soul sputtered and sparked along with the human's more physical reactions to the teasing. Like how his new bond brother's eyes narrowed at him now even as Dean pointed a finger at him.
"So help me, Raph, if you don't cut that out right now, I'll... I'll... I'll pluck you bald and use the feathers for a new pillow!"
Well, Raphael had to admit that was a new threat. Only- "I have more feathers that any human pillow could hold."
"So it'll be a matching set along with a comforter. You'll still be bald."
He really could see why Michael had thought his vessel precious once his brother had gotten to know Dean. All it took was one little-
"Raphael!"
It was nearly as if his thoughts had summoned his brother as Michael arrived just in time to hear Dean's latest protest and his brother frowned, looking between them. Before he could even begin to think of what to say, Castiel arrived as well and wariness filled him at the glare his younger brother aimed his way.
"You would do well to cease while you are ahead," Castiel stated dryly. "If you have not already gone too far."
Michael frowned. "What has he done?"
"He has been teasing Dean by toying with the bond as it settles."
"Ah," Michael replied, looking at him. "Like you did with Raziel."
Raphael opened his mouth to reply but instead of speaking he yelped and jumped as some of his feathers were suddenly tugged sharply. In turning his attention towards his brothers, he'd completely lost track of where Dean was, which had clearly been a mistake. Turning his head, he found that his new bond brother had used the opportunity to get close and grasp hold of one of his wings with both hands.
"Not so funny anymore now, is it?" Dean questioned with another good tug.
Despite the fact that he'd known it was coming, Raphael couldn't quite stifle his response and Dean smiled at it. A quick glance at his brothers proved that neither Michael nor Castiel was at all inclined to help him.
"You must now lie in the bed," Castiel merely stated, though his brother sounded a little unsure of himself.
"What bed?"
Dean snorted. "The one you made."
"I did not make a bed," Raphael stated, confused.
"It's an expression. You made your bed and now you must lie in it, or something like that. Means it's your own fault so deal with the consequences."
Humans were strange. Raphael already knew this but it still surprised him sometimes just how strange they could be. "That makes no sense. Besides I have no need to lie in a bed."
"I didn't make it up. Now, if I let go will you stop?"
"For now."
His words made Dean's eyes narrow, but Raphael met the gaze head on. There was absolutely no way was he giving up on it entirely, not when the human's soul was still sparking from it.
"Do not worry, Little One, he will not be able to do it for long," Michael said, making him scowl. "It only works while the bond is new."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Dean considered this for a moment, looking at him. "I should make you give it up entirely."
"Afraid, Brother?" Raphael baited.
The words visibly affected Dean, not how Raphael had intended them too, though it did get his wing released and he instantly drew it back, out of reach. Absently he noted that he'd been right about how a human touch would affect them even if this kind of contact definitely hadn't been what he'd thought it would be.
"Brother?" Dean repeated, shocked, his eyes widening before they sought out Castiel. "Oh, right, of course."
"Hadn't thought about that?" Castiel asked, appearing behind his bond mate and soothing him.
"No, I'd just forgotten about it, 's all."
Raphael was about to comment, not able to let that go when Dean suddenly blanched and he stepped closer, alarmed. "Dean?"
"Crap, that means Lucifer," Dean stated. "And Simiel, and Zachariah, and Uriel, and-"
Though his friend cut off, Raphael saw the way Dean's eyes flickered upwards, towards Heaven, and he could only assume that his new bond brother meant Father. Given some of what he had heard Dean say about Father, he was glad the human had cut off instead of repeating any one of those. The fact that Dean felt the need to put Father in the same group as Zachariah, Uriel and Simiel, let alone Lucifer was already too much as far as he was concerned, but he couldn't think of anything to say either. He'd already tried to change his new bond brother's mind and not only hadn't that worked, but he'd found himself unable to successfully counter some of the things that Dean had to say. The message that his friend had received from Joshua bothered him as much as it did all of his other siblings who knew about it. If Father knew what was going on, then why did He do so little?
Why didn't He intervene or tell them what to do?
It was a line of questioning that Raphael was not comfortable with and one he would have deemed blasphemous if Castiel had not done so and not only been resurrected, but elevated to the status of archangel as well. He'd never have thought that Father would want them to question Him, it just went against every natural instinct he'd been created with.
"Dean?" Castiel inquired worriedly, turning his hunter around to face him.
"It's okay, I'm okay, really," Dean replied. "I just- I knew this already, I mean I did, I just, you know, kinda forgot."
"You? Forget family?" Michael teased lightly.
"Shut up, it's new to me. I mean, I'm used to being the big brother. Even when we discovered Adam's existence, I was still the oldest. And now-"
"And now you have thousands of older siblings."
"Oh shit, thousands."
With a moan, Dean buried his face into Castiel's chest and Raphael felt his lips twitch again. He was not used to seeing his new bond brother being so emotional and it was amusing. Especially since he knew that even now Dean had little concept of how many angels there actually were.
"Hush, Beloved," Castiel soothed, stroking the back of Dean's head. "Come, I believe it is time for us to go. Your brother and Bobby should be arriving at your chosen location soon."
That seemed to be the right thing to say as Raphael could see Dean pulling himself together when he stepped back.
"Yeah, you're right," Dean stated. "We should go, but we need to take the Impala as well."
"Why?" Raphael asked as they had no need for the car.
"Because they'll expect to see it. Neither Sam nor Bobby knows about you or Mike and they think that Cas is up in Heaven for good now. If the Impala's not there then they'll get suspicious, not to mention the fact that it will reveal more than we want them to know at the moment. They still think that I travel all over the place, hunting, and it's best for them to keep thinking that rather than to have them try and find where we might be staying."
"Very well, I shall get your baby," Michael said and flew off.
Normally the light teasing at the end of his brother's sentence would have been enough to make Dean pull a face at the least, but now his friend seemed to completely ignore it. Raphael didn't like that and met Castiel's worried gaze. This would be the first time that Dean saw his brother since Castiel had taken him to see Sam Winchester upon first telling Dean that his brother was out of Hell. From what he had been told by Castiel, that particular trip had not gone well at all.
"Ready?" Raphael inquired.
"No," Dean replied totally honest and voice strangely flat. "But that's not really relevant now is it? We need to get Sam started on his detox in order to protect him from Lucifer. Not to mention the fact that we need to warn the others about the fact that they can be vessels themselves, not that I'd expect any hunter worth their salt to just say yes to some unknown supernatural being requesting permission to use their meatsuit, but you never know."
"We will be there with you," Castiel promised. "You will not be alone."
Dean turned to smile at his new bond mate. "Yeah, I know, Cas."
"Give us a few minutes, Raphael," Castiel said, speaking directly to him.
With a nod, Raphael flew off to join Michael where his brother was already at Dean's chosen meeting location. When he arrived, he could immediately see why the hunter had chosen this particular spot and he hummed in approval. Not only would this put the other humans at ease, but it would make it impossible for them to try anything either.
"You should prepare yourself, Brother," Michael said. "To not react adversely when you first see Sam Winchester."
"He is that tainted?"
"Yes."
"Very well. How would you like to meet them?"
"Spread out would be best, just in case they wish to try anything. Normally I would not be so inclined to take precautions, but Sam Winchester knows many of our weaknesses and what weapons can harm us."
"But does he actually possess any of them?"
"I do not believe so, but that has never stopped Dean."
Raphael took his time checking the area as a final precaution and only returned to the car when Michael called him to say that the humans were approaching. Dean and Castiel had arrived and stood up against the Impala facing the approaching vehicles, so he stood a ways behind the car. He was the only one who had not yet met even one of the approaching humans and thus he didn't expect to interact with them in any significant manner. He would leave the talking to the others who were less likely to cause offence and anger Sam Winchester and his companions. Besides, it would not be a bad strategic move to keep his exact identity a secret for now.
The moment that Sam Winchester stepped out of the car, Raphael understood why Michael had warned him. The human's soul was severely tainted both by Hell and the demon blood that Sam had voluntarily consumed. He'd known about it, sure, but to actually see it was another thing entirely. For one it was far worse than he'd assumed that it would be and for another, well, this was Dean's brother and on some level he'd been expecting a soul like that of his new bond brother. Or at least for it to have been like it once, or as close as another human soul could be to it given how unique Dean's soul really was.
The combination of events resulted in Raphael being far more shocked and horrified at the state of Sam Winchester's soul than he'd expected to be, even knowing that Castiel had called his mate's brother an abomination more than once. Luckily with Michael's warning he was able to mask his emotions and appear calm and aloof. Not that he didn't think that Sam Winchester could do with knowing exactly how repulsive he'd made his own soul, but because he knew that Dean would not appreciate it. Besides, from what his friend had said, humans did not respond well to being told that they'd done something horribly wrong and could therefore do the opposite of what was necessary if you did it. He didn't understand this (surely being told you'd made mistakes would prevent you from repeating them?), but it explained why Zachariah and even Castiel had failed to get Dean and his brother to do what they'd all thought was necessary at the start.
Although he'd decided not to interfere, Raphael found himself shifting his weight when Sam Winchester made to move closer to Dean. Luckily Michael moved to intervene before he had to and so he was able to keep quiet and observe each of the others in turn. Castiel had taken the time to inform both him and Michael about who he expected to show up at this meeting and he had little difficulty identifying which human was which even without Dean's greetings to some of the people present. Normally he would have dismissed most of them outright as insignificant, but the fact that all but one of them were potential vessels for Lucifer made him give them all at least some cursory attention.
The shock they felt upon learning that they bore Lucifer's vessel bloodline was all genuine, so Raphael knew that none of them had been approached by his younger brother yet which was good. He hadn't expected them to have been because if Lucifer had been able to find them, then surely he'd have found Sam Winchester, but he still preferred to have his thoughts corroborated. Once he'd established that and their very real horror at the thought of housing the devil (the strongest of which, thankfully, came from Dean's brother), he turned his attention to the one human present who was not related to his friend. Or at least not directly via blood as Castiel had said that this one- Robert Singer- had once been viewed as a substitute father figure by Dean.
The mere idea of a substitute for a father was still a very foreign idea to Raphael, but Castiel had explained how humans sometimes created bonds like that if their original parental figures were either inadequate or dead. His brother seemed to view John Winchester as having met both of those qualifications and not just the latter. Given that Castiel knew so much more about humans and the ways in which they interacted, he was prepared to take his little brother's word on the matter, strange as he might find it all himself.
What Raphael found far more interesting were his brother's own mixed emotions towards the human. It seemed that like Dean they consisted of deep affection and cutting betrayal. Robert Singer was one of the few humans whom Castiel had considered a friend and he would have thought that this would have been enough to ensure that the hunter never strayed for who would even consider rejecting a gift as precious as an angel's goodwill? Clearly there were things he did not yet understand or still misunderstood as this human had done not only that, but he had betrayed a soul as pure as Dean's who would never have even thought about being disloyal or subversive.
Raphael had assumed the man to be simply unworthy and spiteful, but now that he was able to observe Robert Singer in person he was no longer as sure. While not as good at interpreting human emotions as either Castiel or Michael, he had been improving and he could definitely detect pain and regret in the maelstrom of feelings churning away within Robert Singer. The hurt had been most pronounced at Dean's cold greeting but hadn't diminished significantly since then either.
"Oh, God! Oh, God!"
Just like at all other times, the prayers of this unknown human female cut straight through his thoughts and Raphael was unable to do anything but hear them. He frowned, not needing to be distracted now in case his brothers needed him, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do about it.
"Oh, God! God, Raphael, I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean it, really, I never thought either of you were getting any of this. It was just a good way to vent and I know that's wrong, like totally!, but I didn't mean it. Please believe me!"
Terror. That was absolute terror Raphael heard in her voice and he felt worry begin to develop inside of himself. Despite his best efforts, this unknown human had continued to intrigue him and he now found that he disliked hearing her in this state. Yes, she was suddenly repenting for all of her earlier casual disrespect and lack of faith but, as Dean had once pointed out to him, faith born of fear was hardly worth obtaining as it was not true faith, merely a survival reaction.
"Please, Raphael, I beg you, spare us! Surely we don't deserve this for some minor disrespect and lack of faith?"
For once Raphael turned his full attention towards the human female and used her prayer to trace her back to a specific location. It was in Australia and when he probed the immediate area he stiffened as he sensed what felt suspiciously like Simiel's presence.
"Please have mercy, Raphael, greatest of the archangels, and save us from Lucifer's emissary!"
They needed to leave. Now.
"Michael, Castiel," Raphael said urgently, turning his attention to his brothers.
A.N.: Just to let you know, Easter related family obligations will keep be busy until at least this time next week, so there will be no new chapter until then. But Happy Easter everyone, eat lots of chocolate!
Chapter 142