Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

The Keys to Destiny	By : mistresswhimsy Category: Supernatural > Slash - Male/Male Views: 2114 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Nothing about Supernatural is mine everything belongs to its rightful owners. I make no money from the series or this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Castiel hated the dark. As a child he had often taken his mother's flashlight with him to bed and laid there under the covers, staring at the comforting light. When he was five his father had appeared under the covers with him and shown him a different kind of light, one that every Angel had. He used it now as he tucked himself under the low hanging branches of a fir tree. The soft, bluish white light emanated gently from inside him, faintly outlining the vague shape of white wings. An Angel's wings were different than humans thought. They weren't something you could physically touch, though they could be felt even by the human hand. Even Amor had a difficult time attempting to describe exactly what an Angel's wings really were. "It's a kind of celestial energy," He'd told Castiel once. "Every type of Angel has a different kind."

Castiel had never actually seen another Angel besides his father but he knew that Archangels had black wings rather than the white wings Cherubs possessed. Was it the difference between love and war? The thought made him laugh a little, though there was no real humor in it. It did make a certain sense, when he thought about it. Cherub wings contained much of their power, and most of their power was entirely focused on love.

Castiel twisted his head over his shoulder, his blue eyes wandering over the pale reflection of his energy against the tree and it's shadows. No matter what kind of Angel, every one of them could use their energy to fly when in their true form. The half blood sighed wistfully; it was something he'd always wished for but never managed. There was too much human in him for it.

He knew he'd fallen asleep when the ground beneath him became softer, more comfortable, and the branches above him glistened as the sun touched them. Much better, he thought with a smile.

There came a sudden rustling sound as several branches were grasped and pulled upwards. When Dean stuck his head under them Castiel laughed aloud at the look of mixed annoyance, acceptance and maybe, if his eyes weren't deceiving him, a bit of gladness.

"Okay, I give up," Dean announced as he crawled under the branches to sit beside Castiel.

"Give up what?" Castiel asked.

"I went to sleep and told myself that I was not going to have a dream with you in it tonight," Dean replied as he leaned back against the trunk and peered curiously at the shine the tree had taken on in the sunlight. "So, I give up. I'm twenty four and I'm stuck with an imaginary friend."

Castiel laughed again, a little more quietly this time. "Who said there has to be an age limit for imaginary friends?"

Dean shrugged and grinned, just a bit. "Maybe I'm just trying to tell myself I need to go out more. I mean, if I really think about it, my brother is my only real friend."

"People don't like you?" the half blood sounded genuinely surprised. From what he'd seen, Dean was very likable. A bit rough around the edges, yes, but very likable nonetheless.

Dean punched Castiel on the shoulder and glared at him. "Lots of people like me! I...hey, you okay? Did I hit you too hard?" The man reached out and touched Castiel's shoulder, his glare morphing into something more apologetic. "Sorry, I'm used to hitting Sammy, he's like a damn rock."

It took a moment for the half blood to understand Dean's sudden concern. Then he realized he was staring at him with a wide eyed expression and that Dean had mistaken his surprise for pain. "No, I'm fine," Castiel said softly. He didn't tell Dean he was just glad, because it was the first time Dean had initiated contact between them.

Dean gave him a peculiar look but shrugged. "Okay. So do you have friends?"

Castiel smiled at this question. Dean claimed Castiel was a figment of his imagination, something he'd created, yet he asked him questions like this. Some part of Dean knew Castiel was real and no matter how small that part was, it gave Castiel hope.

"My father," Castiel replied. "I don't get to see him very often."

"Work?" Dean asked this distractedly. Castiel smiled again when he saw Dean was now watching with great fascination as the tree's glow brightened.

Instead of answering, Castiel sent out a thought that brought a burst of shining colors flaring to life to dance across the branches. Dean started, then let out a laugh and jumped up to touch the swirling lights. The action was so sweetly child-like that Castiel felt a surge of adoration well up inside him. He didn't try to stop it, there was no point. Trying to stop an emotion in a Cherub, even a half Cherub, would have been like trying to tell the sun to stop shining.

Dean seemed to realize what he'd done seconds afterwards and sat very abruptly back down, grumbling something under his breath that Castiel couldn't hear. "I won't make fun of you," Castiel assured him. Even in dreams this man felt the need to be restrained. Was it just the way he was, or had someone molded him that way?

Dean made a dismissive noise and began poking at the ground with one finger.

Castiel glanced out through the branches to where the road would have been if he had been awake. Would Dean answer him if he asked? "Dean..." Castiel trailed off, then turned so he was facing the other man. "Where do you live?"

For a moment Dean froze. He peered intently at the dirt on his finger before suddenly wiping it off on his jeans. "Kansas," He replied shortly.

"No, what city?"

For a moment Dean didn't look at him. When he did his eyes were oddly wary. "Look, dude, considering you're my imagination I like you fine, but I'm not telling you where I live 'cause...I dunno, I just get this feeling like I'll wake up and you'll actually be there."

"Maybe I will be," Castiel replied cautiously.

Something about this answer obviously angered Dean, because his eyes darkened and he leapt to his feet but before he could open his mouth to speak his head struck one of the low hanging branches. Castiel winced when he heard the dull thud of wood connecting with Dean's skull but didn't move when Dean fell back to his knees, groaning quietly as he reached up to clutch his head.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a somewhat subdued voice.

"Fine," Dean snarled. "I just want to wake up."

Even though he knew it was pointless, Castiel felt hurt. Without thinking he reached out to Dean's consciousness and pushed, hard, casting him out of the dream. Whether or not he woke up he didn't know but he felt terrible the second Dean disappeared. He was human, Castiel reminded himself harshly. A normal human, not even a Hunter, who would have had an easier time accepting this. There was no reason for him to be hurt!

When Castiel opened his eyes there were tears in them. He reached up to wipe them away with his palm as he sat up, groaning at the stiffness in his neck and back. Once more he told himself he was being ridiculous but it did no good. The sting of Dean's rejection of his very existence lingered tauntingly in the back of his mind, ignoring all rational thought.

Wasn't it partially his own fault that Dean didn't think of him as real? As he climbed to his feet and began to walk, rubbing at his neck to ease the tension there, he wondered if telling him outright would help his situation or worsen it. If he really was in Lawrence, wouldn't it be better to wait and show Dean that he was real?

Over a hundred miles. That was a long time to wait.

... * ...

Dean woke up so suddenly that he smacked into his brother, who had been lying beside him in the grass. Sam made a quiet sound of protest and rolled over, away from Dean. For a moment the older brother couldn't remember where they were, then he recalled that they had decided to sleep here, right in the open, like they had as kids. He'd gone back to the car to get his cell and call John to tell him they wouldn't be home that night after they'd gone swimming, which hadn't cleared his mind like he'd hoped it would. Speaking of his mind...Dean reached up and touched his head when he realized there was a dull ache throbbing roughly in the center...

...right where it had been struck by the branch in the dream.

"No no no!" Dean leapt to his feet and looked frantically around for a rock, or anything that could explain the ache. "You just hit something when you were rolling around," He told himself. "Or Sammy got you."

Sam suddenly shifted onto his back again and as soon as he did Dean saw the distressed expression creasing his brow. Immediately, Dean forgot about the pain and dropped to his knees beside his brother, reaching out to shake his shoulder in an attempt to wake him. "Sam?"

"Jess..." Sam jerked, as if something had startled him, and one of his hands reached out as though to grasp someone. "JESS!"

"Sam, wake up!" Dean shook him again, hard, and Sam's eyes flew open, wild and frightened.

"Dean?" Sam visibly calmed when his eyes found his older brother. "What is it?"

"You were having a nightmare," Dean said as he sat back. "Kept calling for Jessica."

"Oh." Sam sat up but turned away from Dean. "Guess we should go, huh? I'm starving."

Dean frowned as Sam stood and started to walk a little too quickly towards the Impala. It was strange for Sam to brush off a nightmare like that, he was usually so talkative. Dean had always given him grief about being 'girly' for needing to talk, even if he had always listened in the end. "Okay," He muttered to himself as he stood and followed after his little brother.

Mary was just finishing breakfast when they came in. Sam went straight for Jessica, sitting down so close to her that Dean thought he looked like an over protective puppy.

"Hey Mom," Dean greeted as he came around the table to get some coffee.

"Hi sneak." She gave him a look that was meant to be annoyed but came out amused. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Yeah, was great," Dean responded, hoping he sounded sincere. The ache in his head was gone but the oddness of it was still with him. "Where's Dad?"

"Already off to work."

Dean nodded and sat down with his coffee, across from Sam. His little brother had an odd look in his eyes, intently worried yet dismissive, as though he were trying to tell himself he was being ridiculous about something. Dean watched him subtly over his coffee cup, wondering exactly what the dream had been about. He'd ask him later, he decided.

Over breakfast Sam's expression became more normal and Dean almost forgot about his resolve. It wasn't until Jessica and Mary went into the living room, leaving the two men with their coffee and the last few strips of bacon, that he remembered.

"So what was that dream about?" Dean asked as casually as he could as he snatched two pieces of bacon off the plate. Sam tried to grab the last three, resulting in the third piece being smashed to pieces when Dean tried to take it from him.

"It was nothing," Sam replied nonchalantly. He hid the other two pieces of bacon under the table before Dean could make a grab for them. "Just a nightmare. They happen."

"Yeah, but usually you want to talk about it," Dean pointed out. "I swear you can be so gay sometimes, dude."

Sam threw a napkin at him, which only made Dean laugh as he snatched the harmless white sheet from the air. "It's...it's really weird," Sam said slowly, his eyes hesitant. "I've had it before. I come back to the dorm and find her pinned to the ceiling, and then as I watch she catches fire. This is the third time in a row."

He was right, that was weird. Dean picked at the napkin as he tried to think of something to say. "You think there's a meaning behind it or somethin'?"

Sam shook his head. "No, man. It's just a dream." His voice was confident but his eyes were unconvinced.

Yeah. Just a dream. That's what he wanted to think, too, and yet the persistent presence of Cas was making him think it was something more. What if Sam's was something more, too?

Around ten 'o clock Carmen showed up to see Sam and Jessica. Dean was so distracted he almost forgot to give her a kiss when she came over to say hi. He could tell she noticed but she didn't say anything. She knew Dean well enough to know he wasn't likely to share what was going on and if he did he wouldn't do it in front of the whole family. So she went into the living room to talk to Jess and Mary after giving Dean a look that said she would be talking to him later, whether he liked it or not.

"My turn," Sam said suddenly, and Dean groaned quietly. Damn it, he'd noticed, too. "What's got you so distracted? You're usually all over Carmen. Kind of disturbing."

"Shut up," Dean muttered. "It's nothing. Dreams too. Kind of weird, huh?" He tried to laugh but it came out strained.

"Yeah? What are yours about?" Sam looked genuinely curious, likely intrigued by the fact that they were having a similar problem.

Dean fiddled with the napkin some more; he wasn't likely to talk to most people, not even Carmen, but Sam was different, if only because he could become so annoying that Dean would do anything to shut him up. Now, though...now he just wanted someone to know. Maybe Sam with his college education would give him some psychological explanation and everything would seem just fine.

So Dean told him everything, from the first, seemingly harmless dream to the latest. Sam listened without saying a word until Dean was done. He looked thoughtful, as though trying to come up with some kind of answer for the dreams that Dean could accept.

"You know, usually I'd just say your mind is telling you to hang out more but...Castiel? That's just too creative for you." Sam laughed when Dean threw the napkin back at him. "And the details are kind of...almost creepy. It's like this guy is real."

"I know!" Dean agreed exasperatedly. "I could swear I'm talking to a real person every time."

Sam opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again and then shook his head. "I've got nothin'," He said finally, with a helpless chuckle. "Except that we're both freaks."

"No shit, Sherlock," Dean muttered, though he laughed a little, too. "Okay, I have to get to work. I'll see you tonight."

Sam nodded and went to join the girls in the living room. Dean got out to the car and then hesitated, abruptly remembering Castiel and his curiosity about the Impala. He tried to shake the image out of his mind but it persisted, refusing to leave him alone as he drove to work and mindlessly started working on an '01 Blazer. Rob seemed to notice his agitation but didn't say anything about it, just kept giving Dean more work to do even after the Blazer was fixed. Dean welcomed anything his boss gave him, anything to keep from being consumed by the memories.

By noon he was beginning to feel more normal. He'd just settled into the Impala and was reaching for the keys to go grab some lunch when he felt a sudden jolt, as though the car had been slammed into. Dean actually started to turn to check despite the lack of noise such a collision would have caused but when he looked out of the back window he didn't see the street. Instead he saw trees, so thick the sun couldn't fully penetrate the intertwined needles. The vision seemed to come towards him, or perhaps he moved towards it, and suddenly he could hear someone panting as feet pounded rapidly against the ground. For a moment he thought he could feel his own feet moving. Panic laced through him but it wasn't his own, though it distressed him nevertheless. Whoever was running was terrified of what was behind them and Dean found himself wishing they would turn so he could see.

Then, as abruptly as it had come, the vision vanished and Dean found himself staring down the familiar street. A young woman out walking her dog gave him a peculiar look and walked a little faster as she passed the car. Dean didn't blame her. He probably looked pretty strange twisted around in his seat, gawking out the back window for no apparent reason.

Straightening, Dean turned on the car and began to drive. What...the...HELL. Was he losing it? Were the dreams some kind of prelude to a mental breakdown? What would be causing something like that? He had a great life, there was no reason for him to be cracking! Instead of heading for the cafe down the street like he'd planned the turned the car towards home. He made quick call to Rob to tell him he wouldn't be back to work today and headed straight home.

The most bizarre solution came to him as he was pulling up to the house. As he parked the car and fished his keys out of his pocket he decided that he would go to bed early tonight. If Castiel was his own creation, would he tell Dean if he was going crazy? It seemed like such a weird idea and yet, compared to the last few days, it was almost logical.

Carmen was sitting on the couch when he came in, flipping through channels, and suddenly his whole day brightened. It was Carmen's night off! To hell with sleep and crazy dreams, he had better things to do!

Flopping down on the couch next to her, Dean firmly shoved all thoughts of going around the bend out of his mind. "Anything on?"

"Nope." Carmen threw down the remote. "Not a thing."

They moved almost as one, leaping off the couch and racing towards the bedroom. Dean caught her around the waist as they reached it and they fell onto the bed together, tangled up and laughing.

... * ...

Castiel had only seconds warning before it came after him.

The demon took him by complete surprise. He'd been expecting Angels to find him, been preparing to hide from them in any way he could, but a demon? He'd felt the dark energy of it only two or three seconds before he'd seen it, leaping out of an old, banged up 60s mustang in a man's body. The half blood hadn't stuck around to see more. He'd just run, as fast as he could, even going so far as to tap into some of his Angel power to make himself go all the faster.

That had been over a mile ago, and Castiel was beginning to tire. His legs were burning, the air in his lungs felt like fire. Only the adrenaline and the fear kept him moving but soon even that wasn't enough. He could feel his legs beginning to buckle when a kind of warmth, gentle and comforting, nothing like the tired burn in his legs, surged through him. For a moment his pain was forgotten, in fact he felt as if he'd only just begun running. Not far behind him he heard a sudden scream, so inhuman it sent shivers skittering across his skin. The pain in his legs flared back to life and he fell, hard, ripping skin from his palms and arms as they struck sharp rocks sticking out from beneath layers of twigs and pine needles. The fear in him screamed to get back up but all he managed was to roll onto his back and push himself up onto his elbows. He looked around for the demon and saw him standing stock still maybe ten feet away, only...no. The demon was gone. It was just the man he had possessed. The relief of it was so great he felt all traces of energy drain away, even his arms had trouble holding him up.

The man stumbled a little as he tried to take a step forward but otherwise appeared unharmed. The demon hadn't been in him long enough to cause any real damage. Even in his current state Castiel felt a surge of relief and even smiled a little. He didn't know how the demon had been driven off and he didn't care, so long as he was alive.

"Aw, hell," The man groaned suddenly. He pulled something from around his neck and threw it angrily aside. "Damn useless piece of..." He trailed off when his eyes landed on Castiel. "Hey, you okay?"

Castiel tried to stand but his legs were shaking too badly. Before he could speak the man was rushing towards him and holding out a hand. "Here. You don't look like you're in any shape to stand."

Gratefully, Castiel accepted the hand and let the man pull him to his feet. Now that the danger was gone he was able to really look at him. He was as rough as his old car but his eyes were kind and the strength Castiel could feel in his grip was good. In a way he reminded Castiel of Dean; rough around the edges but innately a good person. "Thank you."

The man let go of his hand and shrugged. "Don't suppose you know what just happened." He said it as a statement, not a question, which made Castiel wonder if this man knew he'd been possessed.

"A demon took your body," Castiel said bluntly. There was no point in dancing around the subject. "I know it was the demon that was after me, not you, if that's what you're asking."

The man looked surprised but also somewhat relieved. "Okay. Name's Bobby, by the way."

"Castiel," he replied.

Bobby's eyebrows went up a little at the name but he merely shrugged again. "What are you doing wandering around in the woods? And what does a demon want with you? You a Hunter?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. I...I ended up here suddenly, I'm trying to get to Lawrence. I don't know why the demon came after me."

"Lawrence, hm?" Bobby glanced back towards the car, over a mile away now. He looked abruptly concerned. "Better get back to my car. You want a ride? I'm going to Lawrence."

Castiel almost declined, until he realized that he knew for sure this man was not an Angel. Angel's couldn't be possessed by demons. Which made him wonder...what had the man thrown aside?

Bobby saw him looking in the general area and rolled his eyes. "Dud charm," He said irritably. "It was supposed to keep away demons. I lost my last one and I thought that was the real deal. Gonna have to pick up another."

Ah, that made sense. Many Hunters carried such charms, sometimes they even had them tatooed onto their bodies. "I could help you find a genuine charm," Castiel said as they began to walk back the way they'd come.

"Yeah? Well, no offense, but for all I know you're a nutcase. You are wandering around in the woods like an idjit."

The half blood did not take offense but he did laugh. "If you change your mind when we get there the offer stands," He said.

Bobby glanced at him as they left the trees and began to walk along the edge of the road. "Well, maybe. So if you're not a Hunter, how do you know about demons?"

Castiel considered how to answer this for some time. Bobby was obviously a Hunter and Castiel had the strangest feeling he could trust him. Besides, if he was going to tell anyone the truth, a Hunter would be the ideal person. "I'm half angel," He said finally. "That's how I know."

Bobby let out a burst of laughter; he clearly thought Castiel was joking. "That's a good one! Haven't heard that before."

Castiel smiled and said nothing more. He wasn't at all surprised that the Hunter didn't believe him. Still, it felt nice to say it outright for once. Bobby didn't question him further, apparently he'd taken Castiel's "joke" as a sign that he didn't want to discuss his knowledge of demons.

When the car came into sight Bobby let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately there wasn't much traffic, so the car parked smack in the middle of the road hadn't caused too much trouble. "Climb on in," Bobby invited as they approached the beat up vehicle.

The inside wasn't quite as bad as the outside. The seats had new covers, the radio had been replaced and it was cleaner than Castiel had expected. There was one empty fast food bag on the floor that was only a day or two old and a can of Pepsi in a drink holder. An open case of Pepsi was in the back seat. Castiel glanced at it, then at Bobby as he started the car. He seemed more like a beer drinker. Then again, maybe he was actually smart enough to not drink and drive. That wasn't always the case with Hunters, which seemed a bit strange to him. Wouldn't you want to be sober when you came up against whatever monster you happened to be chasing?

"Help yourself," Bobby said suddenly, jerking his thumb towards the back seat.

"Thank you." Castiel reached back and pulled one from the case; he was just beginning to realize how thirsty the chase had made him. Hungry, too. He hadn't eaten since yesterday but he didn't want to ask for food. Bobby was being generous enough as it was. He was pretty sure he had some money in these jeans, assuming they were the same ones he'd thrown on the table before Amor had come to get him. Topeka wasn't too far now, maybe Bobby would stop to get lunch.

"You in a hurry to get to Lawrence?" Bobby asked after a while. They had just driven into the outskirts of the city.

"No...not a huge one," Castiel replied slowly.

"Good," Bobby said simply before turning into a McDonalds parking lot.

Usually, Castiel stayed away from fast food restaurants. Not for health reasons, though he knew just how bad the food was for you, but because he loved cheeseburgers. Today he had little choice, so he allowed himself to indulge in his obsession. Bobby seemed amused by the amount he ordered rather than revolted as some others (his mother) had been.

"You're not hungry or anything," Bobby commented as he pulled away from the McDonalds.

Castiel tried to chuckle but it was muffled by his mouthful of burger.

In the end Castiel only ate half of what he ordered, though he wrapped the rest up tightly in the bag for later. He'd discovered another twenty in his pocket when he'd pulled it out to pay but that still only left him thirty dollars. It forced him to think about where he'd stay while he searched for Dean. He couldn't go home for more money, it was too dangerous.

"Got a specific place you want me to drop you off?"

Castiel was so lost in his thoughts he almost didn't hear the question. Shaking himself, he turned to face Bobby, who was glancing at him occasionally out of the corner of his eye. "No," He said finally. "I...don't really know where I'm going. I have to find someone and I'm not even sure if they are in Lawrence."

For a moment Bobby didn't say anything, just kept casting those quick glances at him. "You got a name?" He asked finally.

Castiel hesitated. Just because Bobby was himself now didn't mean he would be later, unless he did find a charm that really worked this time. Still, there was a risk and Castiel wasn't willing to take it. "Yes," He said carefully. "But I'd rather keep it to myself."

Bobby nodded. "I gotcha," He said easily. "There's an old abandoned house just outside of town, good place to stay if you're on the run."

On the run. Castiel hated to think of it that way but he really, truly was. This wasn't just about finding Dean and he wished to God he knew just a little of what the Angels were thinking, or the demons for that matter. "Thank you," He said simply.

He wanted to see Dean. The desire was so sudden and so intense that it almost seemed as though he could physically feel it in his chest, a sharp pain stabbing the need repeatedly into his heart. He wanted to apologize for pushing Dean away. He just wanted to see him, to be near him again, just to be close. It made him wonder what it would be like when he finally met him outside of their dreams. Would he be any different? Somehow he suspected he would be just the same. The real question was how would he react when he found out Castiel was real?

Bobby turned the car off the road suddenly, onto an old dirt one so obscured by pine needles and leaves it was almost impossible to make out. It went on for about a quarter of a mile before it disappeared into a stretch of golden field that rolled into the woods at the far end. A broken down house was set against those trees, looking ready to fall over if you so much as touched it. Still, it was a free place to stay while he looked for Dean. That was all that mattered.

"You walk about ten minutes and you'll be in the city," Bobby told him as Castiel climbed out of the car. "Good luck."

"Thank you." Castiel smiled gratefully and closed the door. Bobby gave him a short wave before he turned the car and took off the way they'd come, leaving Castiel standing there with nothing but his half bag of burgers and not a clue where to begin.

Sleep, he told himself. It wasn't that late but he was tired and maybe, just maybe, he could find the slightest indication of where to start.

The inside of the house was just like the outside; dirty, broken down and somewhat intimidating. Castiel eyed the roof doubtfully until he found the living room was fairly dust free and the couch was almost clean. Someone must have stayed here recently, he thought. He put his bag down on the floor beside the sofa, then fell back onto it, paying no attention to the dust that puffed up as his weight landed heavily against the cushions. All he cared about was sleep and the possible answers he might find there.

When unconsciousness finally came to him he dreamt of his home. He sat on the steps, staring out at the desolate front yard, and waited.

... * ...

Made it! lol. I was having a little difficulty with this chapter. The next one is where things really get going. ^_^. Still enjoying? Please review! :-D
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Keys to Destiny