Unexpected Destinies Chapter 151
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: 3,354
Summary: Thoughts on the first family dinner and the arrival of Michael and Raphael at the Campbell compound.
PRESENT
Gwen couldn't help but subtly stare even as she helped Samuel clear up the dishes from dinner. Part of her was still in shock about what she'd learned earlier and that didn't help her redirect her attention any towards more constructive or appropriate tasks. Besides, she was already helping out, wasn't she?
The problem was that it was all far too fascinating and Gwen just couldn't help herself. She'd always been a sucker for the more girly and romantic books and movies and this was far better than some fictional plot could ever be. Human sells soul to save brother and goes to Hell. Angel saves human from certain demonification. Human and angel work together to stop the Apocalypse and fall in love. If it wasn't all real and also full of pain, death and grief, she'd almost say that it was all too sugary sweet.
"I can't believe that we finished all of that sushi," Samuel stated, cleaning away the cartons the food had been in. "There was so much of it!"
Gwen laughed. "Come on, you've got two young guys here, you can't really be all that surprised."
"Christian wasn't all that much older than Dean and he didn't eat nearly so much."
"Christian also isn't as built. Dean probably works out far more and burns the excess energy that way."
Despite that Gwen had to admit that she'd been surprised at just how much her cousin had packed away. Not that she could blame him or even point fingers as she'd eaten far more than normal herself. It had been impossible not to, though. After all, how often did she get the chance to have fresh sushi straight from Japan? And she still couldn't quite believe that Castiel had actually flown all the way around the world just to get them dinner.
Apparently Bobby hadn't been trying to pull their legs when he'd said that Dean had been in France having breakfast just this morning. Gwen shook her head as she carried the stack of dishes to the kitchen. World travel, international take-out, new languages and Vatican cooperation, she wasn't sure how Dean could be so calm and blasé about it all. Many people would kill for those kinds of opportunities. She paused in loading the machine as she thought about that for a moment. From what she'd read, Dean hadn't been one of those people, so perhaps that had to do with how her cousin was handling things now?
"Every last scrap, gone," Samuel muttered to himself as he flattened the boxes.
Gwen chuckled. "Oh come on, didn't your mother ever despair over your seemingly bottomless pit growing up?"
"I didn't eat that much."
"I find that people tend to underestimate how much they actually eat."
"Mary never ate that much."
"Mary was a girl, so of course she didn't eat as much. Sam and Dean are guys and guys eat more than girls."
"Don't worry," Bobby said, entering the kitchen. "Tonight was impressive, even for Dean."
"Really?" Gwen questioned.
"Oh, yeah."
And to think that at first it hadn't even looked like Dean would like it given the face he'd pulled upon seeing what his angel had brought them. Gwen had to hand it to Castiel though, the angel had known exactly what her cousin would like, placing a specific box before him that Dean had scarfed down as soon as he'd had his first taste. The selection for the rest of them had been far more varied and exotic and they'd all found something they'd loved. Even Samuel who'd been the other one in their group not to be particularly thrilled with the idea of eating sushi.
"I'd never have thought seaweed could taste so good," Samuel admitted.
"This stuff came straight from the seaweed specialists," Bobby pointed out. "It doesn't taste nearly as good if you get the American stuff."
"Instantaneous world travel, time travel, how the hell are we even supposed to fight Lucifer if Castiel can already do all of that?"
Within an instant that question managed to completely change the atmosphere from stunned and somewhat light hearted to sober and grim. It was a valid question though and one that Gwen had no answer to. Despite having grown up as a hunter, she was a rookie when it came to angels and almost all of her knowledge was purely academic rather than practical, not a particularly good position to be in. Angels and the Apocalypse were so far above her usual pay grade that it wasn't even funny and she'd tried not to think about it too much for precisely this very reason. It was far too easy to get overwhelmed by it all.
It had made Gwen wonder how Sam, and now apparently Dean, could be so damn casual about it all. Was all of that purely down to how long they'd been dealing with all of this? She also knew that they hadn't had it all thrown at them at once like they had so it was a distinct possibility but somehow she just couldn't picture herself ever being that calm or level headed about dealing with the Apocalypse.
"Believe it or not but it's possible," Bobby finally stated. "Though only with a little divine intervention perhaps. And don't forget, this time we've not only got an angel on our side, but three, and all of them archangels no less."
"There is that," Samuel admitted. "But do they actually have a plan?"
"Not that I've been told."
That right there was probably the most worrying part of it all for Gwen. She wasn't someone who needed to be in command or even the one making the big decisions- she actually rather preferred not to be, truth be told- but she did want there to be a plan. Just something that she could look at, think about and help improve if necessary. Something that let her know what she had to do when and how it fit into the grander scheme of things so that she knew that she'd done her part.
"I can handle the rest here," Samuel said. "Why don't you two get back to the dining room before Sam is done getting changed?"
"Good idea," Gwen agreed.
Bobby muttered something under his breath as he followed and Gwen had to smile even if she didn't catch the actual words. She'd grown rather fond of the no nonsense hunter and would forever cherish the memory of him telling Christian off. It had been long overdue even if she missed her cousin. Losing Christian like that so soon after Mark's death had been hard, but no one had forced Christian to go and she hoped that he might see reason and return though she considered it highly unlikely.
At the threshold of the dining room, Gwen stopped short and Bobby only just managed to avoid walking into her. She would have apologized to him, but her eyes and attention were still glued to the two figures in the room. Although Dean and Castiel weren't kissing or anything else like that, there was still something remarkably intimate about the scene nonetheless and she practically felt like she was intruding by just seeing it.
"Well I'll be damned," Bobby whispered.
"What?" Gwen inquired, hardly able to hear herself.
"That. Them."
"Huh?"
"I never thought that I'd see Dean like that. Sure, I know that he was with Castiel, but this is the first time that I've seen them so... so..."
"Intimate?"
"Yeah, that."
/
The first thing that Michael did upon arriving was to assess both his brother and his vessel to see how stressful things were. What he found reassured him for while neither was as relaxed as he would wish them to be, they weren't visibly worried or angry either.
"Heya, Mike, Raph," Dean greeted. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes," Michael replied. "We have cleared a space in the nearby woods in preparation for tonight's part of the spell."
"Good. Sam's gone up to put on something more appropriate."
"You are one of the cousins?" Raphael asked, glancing at the door to the room where the other two humans stood.
"Yes," Castiel confirmed, stepping forward. "Michael, Raphael, meet Gwen Campbell and Bobby Singer. Gwen and Bobby, two of my older brothers."
"A pleasure," Gwen stated though Michael could tell that she was a little unsure.
"We've met," Bobby replied darkly.
It was a sentiment that Michael could empathize with. The one and only time that he'd met the human- a close acquaintance of Dean's- prior to their meeting in the desert was during that fateful meeting with Lucifer in Stull Cemetery. Though he hadn't been there to witness it, Castiel had told him that Lucifer had killed the human when Singer had dared to shoot Lucifer in defense of Dean. A stupid endeavor, but one that he could respect now that he'd gotten to know his vessel properly. Human determination and what they'd do for those that they cared about- and Castiel was sure that the bond between Singer and Dean was as close to parental as it could be for those who weren't actually related- was something he could now admire even if part of him still saw it as foolhardy.
"Okay, everything's taken care of in the kitchen. Where are we her- oh," Samuel said as he entered the room.
"Samuel Campbell," Michael stated, turning his attention to the older human. "You are the one who was pulled from Heaven."
"That's me."
"And you have no desire to return there?"
"And leave my grandsons to deal with this Apocalypse alone? Not a chance!"
"But it is not a dislike of Heaven that makes you remain here?"
"No, what I can remember was fine."
"Why are you asking? He's going back there eventually, right?" Gwen questioned.
"Unless he dramatically alters his lifestyle Samuel has nothing to worry about."
"Why do you ask? About Heaven?" Samuel asked.
"That would be my fault," Dean said. "Mike knows I couldn't stand Heaven."
"Oh, right, your little trip up there."
"You told them about that?" Raphael inquired, surprised.
Dean snorted. "No, they read the books."
"Books?" Michael asked, confused.
"Chuck Shurley," Castiel explained. "The Winchester Gospels."
"Ah, I see."
"I need chocolate," Gwen stated. "Anyone else want some?"
"I'll have some," Dean responded.
"You'll always have some if it's desert, Little One," Michael commented, amused.
"Hey!"
"He is right," Castiel said.
Dean scowled. "Like either of you can talk with your sweet tooths, teeth, whatever."
"Shall I just bring out all of the chocolate?" Gwen offered.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Samuel stated. "Not if how fast the sushi went is any indication."
"I was hungry!" Dean protested, soul sparking. "So sue me."
Footsteps on the stairs preceded the appearance of Dean's brother and Michael tuned out the conversation around him to focus on Sam Winchester's soul. Gone was the worst of the taint left behind from Lucifer and the demon blood Winchester had, mostly voluntarily, ingested. That both events had transpired was still clearly visible and always would be as neither event was of the kind that could do anything other than leave a mark on the soul in question, but it shouldn't interfere with Raziel's spell anymore either, not like this anyway.
The train of thought made Michael glance back at his own mark. Just like allowing Lucifer in had irrevocably left its mark on Sam's soul, so too had his first claiming of Dean on his vessel's soul. It was a mark he looked on with pride and no little satisfaction, but he never forgot what it had taken to earn that right or Dean's free will. It was probably the biggest difference between himself and Lucifer at present and why he was determined to win this fight. If for his human if for nothing else.
"Michael, Raphael," Sam said emotionlessly as he studied them warily.
It was a cautious and suspicious approach and one of which Michael approved. Perhaps Sam Winchester had finally learned his lesson. He hoped for Dean's sake that it was true as it was his precious hunter who would be hurt the most if Winchester damned himself forever.
"Are you ready to begin, Sam Winchester?" Raphael demanded, giving the hunter a penetrating stare and Michael had to hide his amusement.
Castiel had told the both of them how that type of behavior made humans uncomfortable so for Raphael to be using it now like this had to be deliberate.
"Raphael," Michael admonished halfheartedly.
"Dean may not be able to express his displeasure with his brother at present, but there is no reason for us not to do it for him," Raphael replied. "Let me take him to the forest."
Dean wouldn't approve, at least not verbally, but Michael had slowly come to learn that sometimes one had to simply do certain things for the hunter as Dean would never be able to ask for them himself.
"I'm ready if you are," Sam replied, voice not nearly as confident as Michael was that sure the boy had wanted for it to be.
"Good, let us go then," Raphael stated, stepping closer to Sam, more than invading his personal space.
Michael saw Dean frown and he wondered if his vessel would protest but then Dean merely turned to face his cousin.
"Gwen," Dean said, holding out his hand.
"What's it like, angel flight?" Gwen inquired, stepping closer so that Castiel could take them both.
"For us? Instantaneous and, if it's an archangel, completely flawless."
As Castiel took off with Dean and Gwen, Michael turned to face his vessel's grandfather and father figure. "Samuel, Bobby, I shall take you if you will permit me."
"If you must," Bobby replied with no little reluctance.
With a final glance at Raphael, Michael stretched his wings and flew, being extra careful of his precious passengers. Though he may not understand the type of bond that allowed a human to see another as a parental figure when there was no familial connection, he was not going to upset Dean by not respecting it. His human had more than enough to worry about at present for him to needlessly aggravate the situation. Besides, he found himself strangely desirous of making a good impression on both humans he now carried, it was quite odd.
Because Raphael had taken off slightly after him, Michael was able to watch his brother's landing and thus caught the way that Sam Winchester stumbled and looked ready to be physically ill. The moment his brother's vessel had overcome the need to be sick, Winchester sent a dark glare at Raphael.
"Completely flawless my ass!" Sam growled, still somewhat unsteady on his feet.
"Oops, my bad," Raphael replied, his expression one of total innocence.
Dean threw Raphael a knowing look but didn't say anything and Michael could detect a hint of amusement and affection in the way his vessel's soul reacted and it made him smile. Unexpectedly, Castiel and Dean's bonding had affected how easily he could read his human. Perhaps it was that their bonding simply enhanced all aspects of Dean or perhaps it was that the additional Grace strengthened their own bond as well as that between Dean and Castiel, but either way he was finding it easier to read his precious vessel and he liked that. It made him feel even closer to his new bond brother and made the instinctual need to claim Dean lessen and thus become easier to ignore. The strength of their bond more than spoke for itself and he had absolutely no desire to come between that even if some instinctual part of him still felt the need to possess such a precious soul.
Without meaning to, Michael had reached out to touch their connection and it wasn't until Dean's focus suddenly shifted to him- clearly startled- that he realized what he'd done. Once he did, surprise and shock blossomed within him. That his vessel had felt that was unheard of. While not actively a vessel, Dean should not be able to feel their connection. No, only the angel should be constantly aware of the bond with his vessel. Given the number of other angelic traits that his hunter had already displayed this one really shouldn't shock him as much as it did, but he couldn't help it. Not without knowing just what it was that it all meant.
"Sorry," Michael tried, testing just how far his vessel's awareness of their bond went.
From the way that Dean blinked, Michael knew that his hunter had heard it even before the tentative "Mike?" came back across the bond to him.
"Later," Michael replied, including Castiel in the response as he'd noticed the way his brother had turned to focus sharply on his bond mate, clearly sensing that something unexpected had taken place.
"I could take care of it," Raphael was offering Sam Winchester when Michael turned his attention back to the others, noticing the odd glance he got from Bobby Singer.
The man was clearly not someone to be underestimated as Singer paid attention to his surroundings and knew that something was going on between the three of them. Whether that was just because the hunter was always like that or because this particular incident involved Dean, Michael didn't know for sure, but he approved of it either way.
"Don't you dare touch me again!" Sam exclaimed, backing away rapidly.
"Suit yourself," Raphael replied with an odd movement of his shoulders.
It took Michael a moment to ascertain that his brother was attempting to replicate the shrugging motion that Dean often made in similar circumstances. He wondered if the humans would figure that out or merely chalk it up to strange angelic behavior. He strongly suspected that it would be the latter even for Singer and Winchester who would be most familiar with Dean's own mannerisms.
"This isn't everything," Bobby stated from where he'd gone to inspect the ingredients that he and Raphael had laid out.
"No," Michael confirmed. "We thought it best to only bring that which was necessary today. Some of the ingredients are rather difficult to obtain and we did not wish to risk them until they were required."
"Okay, let's do this," Dean said, moving forwards. "Samuel, Bobby, would you mind giving Cas a hand preparing the libation and the incense mixture needed to purify the air? Sam, step into the middle of the clearing, you'll need to kneel there while Gwen and I create the necessary sigils on the ground around you in salt and iron shavings."
Michael moved to stand next to Raphael as he watched his hunter take charge of the situation and got everyone involved. They didn't really need so many people present, but Dean had felt it best if they were all given a role. His vessel was right that it would start to give them a feel for how everyone interacted and how willing they were to listen to them. As a result he and Raphael would not need to do anything until everything was ready as this part of Raziel's spell required two archangels and Castiel had not yet learned what it was that they needed to perform here today.
"Nice imitation of human behavior, Brother," Michael said with no little sense of irony.
"Thank you," Raphael replied.
The words threw Michael for a moment and he glanced over at his brother to see if Raphael was being serious. Oddly enough he ascertained that yes, his brother was. It took him a few seconds to work out that he'd just utilized that sarcasm Dean was so fond of and which he had never quite understood before. Needlessly to say, without the human experience that he'd had, Raphael had absolutely no point of reference for what he'd just done and had therefore had taken his words at face value as he had so often done in the past with Dean's words.
Huh, apparently his precious human was rubbing off on him. How unexpected, though the thought warmed Michael in an unfamiliar way.
A.N.: *bounces* I get to see the rest of the art for my dystopic fic on Monday, I can't wait! I love getting art for fic!
Chapter 152
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,354
Summary: Thoughts on the first family dinner and the arrival of Michael and Raphael at the Campbell compound.
PRESENT
Gwen couldn't help but subtly stare even as she helped Samuel clear up the dishes from dinner. Part of her was still in shock about what she'd learned earlier and that didn't help her redirect her attention any towards more constructive or appropriate tasks. Besides, she was already helping out, wasn't she?
The problem was that it was all far too fascinating and Gwen just couldn't help herself. She'd always been a sucker for the more girly and romantic books and movies and this was far better than some fictional plot could ever be. Human sells soul to save brother and goes to Hell. Angel saves human from certain demonification. Human and angel work together to stop the Apocalypse and fall in love. If it wasn't all real and also full of pain, death and grief, she'd almost say that it was all too sugary sweet.
"I can't believe that we finished all of that sushi," Samuel stated, cleaning away the cartons the food had been in. "There was so much of it!"
Gwen laughed. "Come on, you've got two young guys here, you can't really be all that surprised."
"Christian wasn't all that much older than Dean and he didn't eat nearly so much."
"Christian also isn't as built. Dean probably works out far more and burns the excess energy that way."
Despite that Gwen had to admit that she'd been surprised at just how much her cousin had packed away. Not that she could blame him or even point fingers as she'd eaten far more than normal herself. It had been impossible not to, though. After all, how often did she get the chance to have fresh sushi straight from Japan? And she still couldn't quite believe that Castiel had actually flown all the way around the world just to get them dinner.
Apparently Bobby hadn't been trying to pull their legs when he'd said that Dean had been in France having breakfast just this morning. Gwen shook her head as she carried the stack of dishes to the kitchen. World travel, international take-out, new languages and Vatican cooperation, she wasn't sure how Dean could be so calm and blasé about it all. Many people would kill for those kinds of opportunities. She paused in loading the machine as she thought about that for a moment. From what she'd read, Dean hadn't been one of those people, so perhaps that had to do with how her cousin was handling things now?
"Every last scrap, gone," Samuel muttered to himself as he flattened the boxes.
Gwen chuckled. "Oh come on, didn't your mother ever despair over your seemingly bottomless pit growing up?"
"I didn't eat that much."
"I find that people tend to underestimate how much they actually eat."
"Mary never ate that much."
"Mary was a girl, so of course she didn't eat as much. Sam and Dean are guys and guys eat more than girls."
"Don't worry," Bobby said, entering the kitchen. "Tonight was impressive, even for Dean."
"Really?" Gwen questioned.
"Oh, yeah."
And to think that at first it hadn't even looked like Dean would like it given the face he'd pulled upon seeing what his angel had brought them. Gwen had to hand it to Castiel though, the angel had known exactly what her cousin would like, placing a specific box before him that Dean had scarfed down as soon as he'd had his first taste. The selection for the rest of them had been far more varied and exotic and they'd all found something they'd loved. Even Samuel who'd been the other one in their group not to be particularly thrilled with the idea of eating sushi.
"I'd never have thought seaweed could taste so good," Samuel admitted.
"This stuff came straight from the seaweed specialists," Bobby pointed out. "It doesn't taste nearly as good if you get the American stuff."
"Instantaneous world travel, time travel, how the hell are we even supposed to fight Lucifer if Castiel can already do all of that?"
Within an instant that question managed to completely change the atmosphere from stunned and somewhat light hearted to sober and grim. It was a valid question though and one that Gwen had no answer to. Despite having grown up as a hunter, she was a rookie when it came to angels and almost all of her knowledge was purely academic rather than practical, not a particularly good position to be in. Angels and the Apocalypse were so far above her usual pay grade that it wasn't even funny and she'd tried not to think about it too much for precisely this very reason. It was far too easy to get overwhelmed by it all.
It had made Gwen wonder how Sam, and now apparently Dean, could be so damn casual about it all. Was all of that purely down to how long they'd been dealing with all of this? She also knew that they hadn't had it all thrown at them at once like they had so it was a distinct possibility but somehow she just couldn't picture herself ever being that calm or level headed about dealing with the Apocalypse.
"Believe it or not but it's possible," Bobby finally stated. "Though only with a little divine intervention perhaps. And don't forget, this time we've not only got an angel on our side, but three, and all of them archangels no less."
"There is that," Samuel admitted. "But do they actually have a plan?"
"Not that I've been told."
That right there was probably the most worrying part of it all for Gwen. She wasn't someone who needed to be in command or even the one making the big decisions- she actually rather preferred not to be, truth be told- but she did want there to be a plan. Just something that she could look at, think about and help improve if necessary. Something that let her know what she had to do when and how it fit into the grander scheme of things so that she knew that she'd done her part.
"I can handle the rest here," Samuel said. "Why don't you two get back to the dining room before Sam is done getting changed?"
"Good idea," Gwen agreed.
Bobby muttered something under his breath as he followed and Gwen had to smile even if she didn't catch the actual words. She'd grown rather fond of the no nonsense hunter and would forever cherish the memory of him telling Christian off. It had been long overdue even if she missed her cousin. Losing Christian like that so soon after Mark's death had been hard, but no one had forced Christian to go and she hoped that he might see reason and return though she considered it highly unlikely.
At the threshold of the dining room, Gwen stopped short and Bobby only just managed to avoid walking into her. She would have apologized to him, but her eyes and attention were still glued to the two figures in the room. Although Dean and Castiel weren't kissing or anything else like that, there was still something remarkably intimate about the scene nonetheless and she practically felt like she was intruding by just seeing it.
"Well I'll be damned," Bobby whispered.
"What?" Gwen inquired, hardly able to hear herself.
"That. Them."
"Huh?"
"I never thought that I'd see Dean like that. Sure, I know that he was with Castiel, but this is the first time that I've seen them so... so..."
"Intimate?"
"Yeah, that."
/
The first thing that Michael did upon arriving was to assess both his brother and his vessel to see how stressful things were. What he found reassured him for while neither was as relaxed as he would wish them to be, they weren't visibly worried or angry either.
"Heya, Mike, Raph," Dean greeted. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes," Michael replied. "We have cleared a space in the nearby woods in preparation for tonight's part of the spell."
"Good. Sam's gone up to put on something more appropriate."
"You are one of the cousins?" Raphael asked, glancing at the door to the room where the other two humans stood.
"Yes," Castiel confirmed, stepping forward. "Michael, Raphael, meet Gwen Campbell and Bobby Singer. Gwen and Bobby, two of my older brothers."
"A pleasure," Gwen stated though Michael could tell that she was a little unsure.
"We've met," Bobby replied darkly.
It was a sentiment that Michael could empathize with. The one and only time that he'd met the human- a close acquaintance of Dean's- prior to their meeting in the desert was during that fateful meeting with Lucifer in Stull Cemetery. Though he hadn't been there to witness it, Castiel had told him that Lucifer had killed the human when Singer had dared to shoot Lucifer in defense of Dean. A stupid endeavor, but one that he could respect now that he'd gotten to know his vessel properly. Human determination and what they'd do for those that they cared about- and Castiel was sure that the bond between Singer and Dean was as close to parental as it could be for those who weren't actually related- was something he could now admire even if part of him still saw it as foolhardy.
"Okay, everything's taken care of in the kitchen. Where are we her- oh," Samuel said as he entered the room.
"Samuel Campbell," Michael stated, turning his attention to the older human. "You are the one who was pulled from Heaven."
"That's me."
"And you have no desire to return there?"
"And leave my grandsons to deal with this Apocalypse alone? Not a chance!"
"But it is not a dislike of Heaven that makes you remain here?"
"No, what I can remember was fine."
"Why are you asking? He's going back there eventually, right?" Gwen questioned.
"Unless he dramatically alters his lifestyle Samuel has nothing to worry about."
"Why do you ask? About Heaven?" Samuel asked.
"That would be my fault," Dean said. "Mike knows I couldn't stand Heaven."
"Oh, right, your little trip up there."
"You told them about that?" Raphael inquired, surprised.
Dean snorted. "No, they read the books."
"Books?" Michael asked, confused.
"Chuck Shurley," Castiel explained. "The Winchester Gospels."
"Ah, I see."
"I need chocolate," Gwen stated. "Anyone else want some?"
"I'll have some," Dean responded.
"You'll always have some if it's desert, Little One," Michael commented, amused.
"Hey!"
"He is right," Castiel said.
Dean scowled. "Like either of you can talk with your sweet tooths, teeth, whatever."
"Shall I just bring out all of the chocolate?" Gwen offered.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Samuel stated. "Not if how fast the sushi went is any indication."
"I was hungry!" Dean protested, soul sparking. "So sue me."
Footsteps on the stairs preceded the appearance of Dean's brother and Michael tuned out the conversation around him to focus on Sam Winchester's soul. Gone was the worst of the taint left behind from Lucifer and the demon blood Winchester had, mostly voluntarily, ingested. That both events had transpired was still clearly visible and always would be as neither event was of the kind that could do anything other than leave a mark on the soul in question, but it shouldn't interfere with Raziel's spell anymore either, not like this anyway.
The train of thought made Michael glance back at his own mark. Just like allowing Lucifer in had irrevocably left its mark on Sam's soul, so too had his first claiming of Dean on his vessel's soul. It was a mark he looked on with pride and no little satisfaction, but he never forgot what it had taken to earn that right or Dean's free will. It was probably the biggest difference between himself and Lucifer at present and why he was determined to win this fight. If for his human if for nothing else.
"Michael, Raphael," Sam said emotionlessly as he studied them warily.
It was a cautious and suspicious approach and one of which Michael approved. Perhaps Sam Winchester had finally learned his lesson. He hoped for Dean's sake that it was true as it was his precious hunter who would be hurt the most if Winchester damned himself forever.
"Are you ready to begin, Sam Winchester?" Raphael demanded, giving the hunter a penetrating stare and Michael had to hide his amusement.
Castiel had told the both of them how that type of behavior made humans uncomfortable so for Raphael to be using it now like this had to be deliberate.
"Raphael," Michael admonished halfheartedly.
"Dean may not be able to express his displeasure with his brother at present, but there is no reason for us not to do it for him," Raphael replied. "Let me take him to the forest."
Dean wouldn't approve, at least not verbally, but Michael had slowly come to learn that sometimes one had to simply do certain things for the hunter as Dean would never be able to ask for them himself.
"I'm ready if you are," Sam replied, voice not nearly as confident as Michael was that sure the boy had wanted for it to be.
"Good, let us go then," Raphael stated, stepping closer to Sam, more than invading his personal space.
Michael saw Dean frown and he wondered if his vessel would protest but then Dean merely turned to face his cousin.
"Gwen," Dean said, holding out his hand.
"What's it like, angel flight?" Gwen inquired, stepping closer so that Castiel could take them both.
"For us? Instantaneous and, if it's an archangel, completely flawless."
As Castiel took off with Dean and Gwen, Michael turned to face his vessel's grandfather and father figure. "Samuel, Bobby, I shall take you if you will permit me."
"If you must," Bobby replied with no little reluctance.
With a final glance at Raphael, Michael stretched his wings and flew, being extra careful of his precious passengers. Though he may not understand the type of bond that allowed a human to see another as a parental figure when there was no familial connection, he was not going to upset Dean by not respecting it. His human had more than enough to worry about at present for him to needlessly aggravate the situation. Besides, he found himself strangely desirous of making a good impression on both humans he now carried, it was quite odd.
Because Raphael had taken off slightly after him, Michael was able to watch his brother's landing and thus caught the way that Sam Winchester stumbled and looked ready to be physically ill. The moment his brother's vessel had overcome the need to be sick, Winchester sent a dark glare at Raphael.
"Completely flawless my ass!" Sam growled, still somewhat unsteady on his feet.
"Oops, my bad," Raphael replied, his expression one of total innocence.
Dean threw Raphael a knowing look but didn't say anything and Michael could detect a hint of amusement and affection in the way his vessel's soul reacted and it made him smile. Unexpectedly, Castiel and Dean's bonding had affected how easily he could read his human. Perhaps it was that their bonding simply enhanced all aspects of Dean or perhaps it was that the additional Grace strengthened their own bond as well as that between Dean and Castiel, but either way he was finding it easier to read his precious vessel and he liked that. It made him feel even closer to his new bond brother and made the instinctual need to claim Dean lessen and thus become easier to ignore. The strength of their bond more than spoke for itself and he had absolutely no desire to come between that even if some instinctual part of him still felt the need to possess such a precious soul.
Without meaning to, Michael had reached out to touch their connection and it wasn't until Dean's focus suddenly shifted to him- clearly startled- that he realized what he'd done. Once he did, surprise and shock blossomed within him. That his vessel had felt that was unheard of. While not actively a vessel, Dean should not be able to feel their connection. No, only the angel should be constantly aware of the bond with his vessel. Given the number of other angelic traits that his hunter had already displayed this one really shouldn't shock him as much as it did, but he couldn't help it. Not without knowing just what it was that it all meant.
"Sorry," Michael tried, testing just how far his vessel's awareness of their bond went.
From the way that Dean blinked, Michael knew that his hunter had heard it even before the tentative "Mike?" came back across the bond to him.
"Later," Michael replied, including Castiel in the response as he'd noticed the way his brother had turned to focus sharply on his bond mate, clearly sensing that something unexpected had taken place.
"I could take care of it," Raphael was offering Sam Winchester when Michael turned his attention back to the others, noticing the odd glance he got from Bobby Singer.
The man was clearly not someone to be underestimated as Singer paid attention to his surroundings and knew that something was going on between the three of them. Whether that was just because the hunter was always like that or because this particular incident involved Dean, Michael didn't know for sure, but he approved of it either way.
"Don't you dare touch me again!" Sam exclaimed, backing away rapidly.
"Suit yourself," Raphael replied with an odd movement of his shoulders.
It took Michael a moment to ascertain that his brother was attempting to replicate the shrugging motion that Dean often made in similar circumstances. He wondered if the humans would figure that out or merely chalk it up to strange angelic behavior. He strongly suspected that it would be the latter even for Singer and Winchester who would be most familiar with Dean's own mannerisms.
"This isn't everything," Bobby stated from where he'd gone to inspect the ingredients that he and Raphael had laid out.
"No," Michael confirmed. "We thought it best to only bring that which was necessary today. Some of the ingredients are rather difficult to obtain and we did not wish to risk them until they were required."
"Okay, let's do this," Dean said, moving forwards. "Samuel, Bobby, would you mind giving Cas a hand preparing the libation and the incense mixture needed to purify the air? Sam, step into the middle of the clearing, you'll need to kneel there while Gwen and I create the necessary sigils on the ground around you in salt and iron shavings."
Michael moved to stand next to Raphael as he watched his hunter take charge of the situation and got everyone involved. They didn't really need so many people present, but Dean had felt it best if they were all given a role. His vessel was right that it would start to give them a feel for how everyone interacted and how willing they were to listen to them. As a result he and Raphael would not need to do anything until everything was ready as this part of Raziel's spell required two archangels and Castiel had not yet learned what it was that they needed to perform here today.
"Nice imitation of human behavior, Brother," Michael said with no little sense of irony.
"Thank you," Raphael replied.
The words threw Michael for a moment and he glanced over at his brother to see if Raphael was being serious. Oddly enough he ascertained that yes, his brother was. It took him a few seconds to work out that he'd just utilized that sarcasm Dean was so fond of and which he had never quite understood before. Needlessly to say, without the human experience that he'd had, Raphael had absolutely no point of reference for what he'd just done and had therefore had taken his words at face value as he had so often done in the past with Dean's words.
Huh, apparently his precious human was rubbing off on him. How unexpected, though the thought warmed Michael in an unfamiliar way.
A.N.: *bounces* I get to see the rest of the art for my dystopic fic on Monday, I can't wait! I love getting art for fic!
Chapter 152