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The Keys to Destiny	By : mistresswhimsy Category: Supernatural > Slash - Male/Male Views: 2115 -:- 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
- 4
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- 6
I'M SORRY!!! I have been trying for MONTHS to get into the edit section of my fanfiction. I've updated this five times since then on fanfiction . net, hopefully some of you caught the new chapters there. Again, sorry for the ridiculously long wait!! X_X

... * ...

"I am not your imagination. I'm real!"

Dean sat with his back against the couch, the pillow he'd used last night set in his lap as he fiddled restlessly with the tassels. Sam was in the kitchen getting them coffee. They'd woken up that morning with twin head aches from hell, which had worked out in Dean's favor, since Sam had assumed Dean's distress and oddly quiet demeanor were simply due to his hangover.

I'm real!

The words wouldn't stop echoing in his mind! He could still see the bright, white wings as they stretched from Cas's back, the desperation in his eyes as he tried to reach out to Dean even as he was returning to consciousness. I'm real, he'd said. I'm real. Was it possible? Could Castiel be real? He wasn't sure which was stranger, the idea of Cas being real...or the fact that he wanted to believe it.

Sam came back carrying two steaming cups. He sank down onto the floor beside Dean and passed one to him, which Dean took gratefully. "How's your head?" Sam asked as he took a small sip.

"Great, just great," Dean replied sarcastically. "Yours?"

"I'm probably better off than you," Sam replied with a quiet chuckle. "I didn't drink nearly as much."

"You don't have to go to work, either," Dean grumbled. He took a large gulp of coffee and barely managed to contain a yelp when the hot liquid scalded his tongue.

Sam laughed at that, then raised a hand to his head and winced when all it did was make his headache worse. "Ow. Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean responded automatically, smiling a little at the familiarity of it.

Sam eventually got up to join the rest of the family for breakfast, leaving Dean to absently turn the coffee cup around and around in his hand as he stared sightlessly out the window.

I'm real, I'm real...

With a muffled growl Dean set his cup on the floor and stood, ignoring the flare of pain behind his eyes that caused small spots of color to dance across his vision. He walked to the window and rested his forehead against it, watching as his breath fogged up the glass. I'm real, I'm real...

When Dean had awoken from the nightmare that had never changed before Castiel he'd still been able to hear his name being called out, still been able to see Cas's eyes, wide with desperation, as he tried to reach for Dean. His heart had been racing and it had nothing to do with the usual fear that followed the nightmare. It had been excitement. For a reason he couldn't grasp, Dean wanted Castiel to be real. He wanted to walk out the door and find him standing on the sidewalk, waiting for him. For a moment he thought he could feel Castiel's breath rushing warmly across his lips as he leaned in to kiss him. Why? Why did he want Castiel to be real after something like that?

At ten o'clock Dean remembered that the Impala was still parked at the bar. It would only take him thirty minutes or so to walk to work, and he didn't have to be there for an hour, but he thought maybe the fresh air would help him clear his head. He slipped out the front door quietly, without saying goodbye to anyone, walking slowly to give himself plenty of time to try and sort through his thoughts, or to attempt to banish them.

I'm real, I'm real...

It wouldn't leave him alone, no matter how many times he tried to tell himself it was just a dream.

He still had twenty minutes to kill when he arrived at the auto shop, so he walked on by to check on his car. It was right where he'd left it, safe and whole. He dug through his pocket for his keys; there was no reason not to drive it back to the shop since he was here. When Dean didn't immediately find them he began to pull out random items; a half eaten snickers bar, some old wrappers, his wallet. Where had he put them? His jeans pocket, maybe?

He was reaching in to check when he heard rapid footsteps behind him. Someone was running? Probably just someone out jogging, he told himself, yet he turned to look anyway.

I'm real, I'm real.

No. No no no no NO! He was still asleep. He hadn't actually woken up yet. Any moment Sam would reach down and shake him awake, or his Dad would hand him a cup of coffee. Yeah...that was it. He was still dreaming. To prove it to himself he tried to change something, anything, around him.

Nothing happened.

"Shit!" Dean blurted, because what else was he supposed to say? Castiel was running down the sidewalk at him...and he was wide awake!

When Castiel stumbled to a halt before him he did not say hi, or smile as he always did in the dreams. His eyes were wide with fear and adrenaline as they darted wildly around, as though certain that at any moment they would see something terrible. "I told you I was real now get your keys!" Castiel panted, speaking so quickly that it almost came out as one long, jumbled word.

Dean didn't move. He stood there, staring, his jaw hanging open in a way that might have been comical in any other situation. His hand stayed frozen in his pocket, just touching the cool metal of the keys. "Cas?" He said finally, his voice a thin, shocked whisper.

Instead of answering, Cas reached over and pulled Dean's hand from his pocket. When his hand plunged into Dean's jeans the man finally reacted. "Hey hey hey!" He yelped, whacking Castiel's hand away and taking several steps back. "What the hell?"

"Get your keys!" Castiel repeated frantically. "If you don't get your damn keys we're going to get killed!"

That made him move. Deciding he'd ask questions after they were in the car, Dean yanked his keys from his pocket and leaped into the Impala. Castiel climbed in the other side, his eyes scanning the road as he pulled the door closed. "That way!" He said shortly, waving his hand down the road that led away from the auto shop.

Dean didn't ask, he just started the car, put it in drive and slammed on the gas.

They'd been driving ten minutes or so when Cas let out a relieved sigh and leaned back in the seat, his eyes closed as his body relaxed. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't want our first meeting to go like that."

Dean's knuckles were white from gripping the wheel too hard. He stared with eyes still full of shock out the front window, hardly noticing the cars and homes as they flew by in brightly colored blurs. Questions flooded his mind and almost none of them had anything to do with the unseen danger the other man seemed so afraid of. "How long have you...how?"

"I've always known," Castiel responded to the unfinished question. He didn't open his eyes. "I've been able to feel you since I was very young. That first dream you had of me, by the river, was the first day I was able to connect with you. How? You saw how in your nightmare."

"What happened in the first dream?" Dean asked sharply. That part of him that wanted to believe was nagging at the back of his mind but a larger part doubted. He needed proof.

"I found you by the river near my house. You must have been able to feel me too, on a subconscious level, otherwise I don't think you would have found that place. You said my name was strange and I told you my Mother wanted me to seem angelic. You told me I was a stranger and I said if you got to know me I wouldn't be a stranger anymore. Before you woke up I asked if you knew me." Castiel opened his eyes. He didn't sit up but he rolled his head to the side to look at Dean, his expression deadly serious and tentatively hopeful. "You like to fish, not to catch anything, just because it's peaceful. You're twenty four years old, your favorite color is brown. You're very close to your younger brother Sam. Outside of family, this car is your life. If you turn the heater on it rattles because you stuffed legos into it when you were nine. Sam forced a G.I Joe into the back door when he was six."

For a long time Dean didn't say anything. The houses began to thin out and when he realized this he pulled the car over and turned it off, though his eyes flicked nervously towards the rear view mirror despite the fact that he had no idea what they had just run from. Slowly, he twisted around in his seat, meeting Castiel's eyes almost reluctantly.

"You don't like to fish," Dean said quietly, fearfully. "You're twenty three, your favorite color is blue, your best friend is your Dad. You spilled food coloring on the rug when you were younger, you never said what age you were. You don't know how to drive. You like to swim and you said someday maybe you'd teach me to swim better."

Dean fell silent and for several long moments neither spoke another word. They just looked at each other, Dean slowly beginning to accept and Castiel calm, so calm that Dean was almost jealous. Calm was the last thing from his mind just then.

"You're real," Dean murmured finally, softly, as though the words would solidify this fact.

Castiel smiled, just a little. "I'm real," He repeated quietly.

Slowly, Dean reached out a hand, knowing he wouldn't fully accept this as reality until he touched the other man, yet his hand froze half way. Castiel reached up and threaded their fingers together, just as he had in the dream. His hand was warm and strong and so very, painfully real.

"Shit," Dean repeated with a short, near hysterical laugh. "Wait, what do you mean I saw how in my nightmare?"

Castiel didn't say a word. Instead he began to glow, just as he had in the dream, though the light was fainter, more gentle. He could just see the outline of wings, shadows flickering against the seats, the windows...Dean tried to yank back his hand and this time Castiel let him go.

"I'm half angel, half Cherub to be precise," Castiel explained. He settled his hand in his lap and Dean thought he saw a flash of hurt before it was smothered by understanding. "Most of my powers are based around l--emotion, that's how I was able to find you. It's...also why I kissed you, before...controlling emotions in a Cherub is nearly impossible. I apologize if I startled you."

"Startled me?" Dean repeated incredulously. "Dude, what the hell? Why would you want to kiss me anyway!"

Castiel opened his mouth to answer, then seemed to think better of it. He remained silent a moment, watching Dean with thoughtful eyes, before he finally spoke. "Not yet," He said carefully. "That will take too much time to explain. We don't have that time now. Where is Sam?"

The mention of his brother's name banished all other thoughts from Dean's mind as easily as an eraser cutting through words. "What about Sam?" he asked quickly.

"He's in danger," Castiel answered. "So is his girlfriend, for that matter. Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, but what's going on?" Dean's eyes narrowed at the other man suspiciously.

"I'll explain when we see Sam," Castiel assured him. "That way I can explain it to you both. I promise, I am not the one you have to fear, Dean."

Dean relaxed almost immediately and felt ridiculous the moment he did. Why did he believe him so easily?

"Anything even starts to happen to Sam and I swear I'll kill you," Dean promised quietly as he started the car.

Castiel sat up a little straighter, as though the words had startled him. An unreadable expression clouded his blue eyes as they studied Dean's serious face.

"I believe you."

... * ...

Look away.

Castiel told himself this, over and over, as they drove down the street, as buildings and people flew by the window unnoticed, yet no matter how many times he thought it he had eyes only for Dean. What if you're making him uncomfortable? What if he doesn't want you to look at him? Cas tried to listen, he really did, but it didn't make a difference. He couldn't look away. He was here. He was sitting right beside him, real, physical...and he wasn't flinging Castiel out of the car. Occasionally a smile would flit across the half blood's face and it always seemed that Dean would glance at him at that exact moment. Once Castiel thought he saw a smile start on Dean's lips but it was gone before he could confirm it.

When Dean finally pulled off the road a curiously surprised expression abruptly clouded his eyes. "Is that...?"

"What is it?" Castiel asked, the first words he'd spoken since they began driving again.

Dean grinned. "It is!" He shouted. He burst out of the car without answering, not even looking back to see if Cas was following as he raced towards the house.

More slowly, Castiel climbed out of the car. There was another car parked a few feet before them, an old mustang that looked familiar. Was it Bobby's? If it was than his possesion...what if that had nothing to do with himself? What if it had been about Sam and Cas had simply been a unexpected find along the way? If that was the case...how did a Hunter know a family like this?

Too many questions...it seemed the last few days had been built from them.

The front door had been left open, though whether that was from excitement or because Dean was letting him know he could follow him inside he didn't know. He sighed a little to himself as he approached the door slowly; what had he expected? For Dean to be happy to see him? Dean was a regular man, he was right to be shocked by a dream becoming reality. He tried to grasp the feeling he'd had seconds before Dean had pulled up to the house but it was already lost.

As he passed the threshold he heard laughter, the warm, happy laughter of friends being reunited. A doorway that led into a spacious living room revealed a small group of people, most of them crowded together, though two young women stood off to the side. Whether or not Bobby was one of them he couldn't tell, they were too close together. Castiel stood still as he stared through that doorway, for the first time feeling the sharp, cold stab that told him he was still a stranger, still an outsider. Dean knew him and yet he didn't. He accepted the reality of him but he hadn't really accepted his presence. The half-blood told himself he knew this was how it would be, at least for a while, but the sting of it remained, a constant reminder at the back of his mind.

A tall young man Castiel recognized as Sam abruptly looked up from the group, as though he had sensed the eyes watching them. He peered at Cas curiously for a moment, then broke away from the others and approached him with a smile so friendly that Cas felt some of the cold ease away from him.

"Hi, are you a friend of Dean's?" Sam asked when he reached the other man.

Castiel had no idea how to answer the question. He wanted to say yes but knew it wasn't true. "I'm...not yet," He finally replied haltingly. "You're Sam, aren't you?"

Sam nodded. "Don't believe a word my brother tells you, it's all lies!" He said loudly. Cas saw Dean abruptly turn and glare at him, then seemed to start when he saw Cas standing there. So he had forgotten him. Castiel bit back a sigh as their eyes met; had their meeting really meant so little to him?

When Dean turned to walk towards them Castiel saw it was indeed Bobby at the center of the group. He looked up too as Dean walked away, his eyes widening briefly with surprise, then almost immediately narrowing with intrigue. Castiel nodded to him and, after a pause, Bobby nodded back before returning to his conversation with the others in the room.

"You just keep telling yourself that, Sammy," Dean said with a chuckle, though Castiel thought it sounded strained. His eyes flicked up to the half blood's, then towards the door. Castiel nodded once, silently acknowledging Dean.

"We need to talk for a minute," Dean said quietly to Sam. He put a hand on Sam's arm and led his unresisting younger brother towards the door. Castiel saw confusion in his eyes but also trust, allowing him to follow Dean with ease despite his curiosity.

"What's up?" he asked once they were all standing outside.

Castiel flicked his eyes towards the still open door but decided it was unlikely their conversation would reach through to the living room. "You should explain this first, Dean," He murmured, gesturing between them.

The other man gave a single nod. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and shuffled his feet uncomfortably as Sam glanced curiously at Cas, then back to Dean. "Remember the dreams I told you about, Sammy?" Dean said finally. When Sam nodded he continued. "That's...ah hell, that's Cas."

"Cas...wait, you mean the Castiel you were dreaming about?" Sam said incredulously, his gaze flicking to the half blood once again. A half smile began to form on his face. "Oh ha ha, very funny Dean," He chuckled. "How guillible do you think I am?"

"He's telling the truth," Castiel said quickly, before Sam could delude himself into thinking it was just a prank. "Dean and I share a...a connection, that's why we were able to share dreams."

Sam's smile faded. He glanced at Dean again as a skeptical look began to form in his eyes. "Okay...let's say I believe you. Why did you need to talk to me?"

Dean had lifted his eyes from his feet and was now watching Castiel intently. He took a side step closer to his brother, an unconsciously protective gesture. Castiel watched this with a distant sense of jealousy; what would it have been like to have a sibling? To have that connection of blood and mind, that closeness? He felt again the cold stab of being left on the outside, a sharp edged knife driving reality into him with the freezing harshness of ice. Focus, he told himself. Do what must be done before worrying about anything personal.

"Because you're in danger," Castiel said finally, bluntly, deciding it would be better to get straight to the heart of the matter. "As is Jessica."

At this Sam rolled his eyes and reached over to cuff Dean on the back of the head. The man started at the sudden contact and smacked his brother back. "Hey! The hell was that for?" He barked.

"Isn't this going a little far even for you?" Sam asked with a chuckle.

"This isn't a joke, Sam!" Dean cried. Castiel started at the resigned and almost angry tone in his voice. "How do you think I felt this morning when I turned around and saw a dream running towards me? When I found out not only is he real but I kind of know him, and he knows me! It was...it's..." Suddenly, Dean turned towards Cas, his expression narrow and dark. "Invasive," He finished quietly.

The half blood felt a near physical pain lance through him at these words, even as he tried to tell himself he should have expected something like this. Dean was afraid, and he wasn't the type of man to take fear easily, so he was building himself a wall of anger to hide behind. Castiel looked away, a little afraid himself to meet his accusing stare. Was he right? Had he invaded Dean's mind without thinking it through first?

"Okay..." Sam said slowly, his gaze darting uncertainly between the two. "How is that even possible?"

"Later," Castiel said quickly. "Do you know where Jessica is?"

"Yeah, she's inside," Sam answered, gesturing towards the house. "Why?"

Castiel opened his mouth to answer but the words died in his throat. For a moment he floundered, unable to form any kind of sentence. It had seemed simple, until he realized he already knew about demons and angels and everything else that shared the world with humanity. Sam and Dean knew nothing about any of it. Where did he even start?

"I think we should go somewhere," Castiel said finally, daring to look over at Dean. His expression was still dark but when their eyes met he nodded once.

"We'll go to my place," Dean said. "Carmen will be here for a while, it should be fine."

Sam and Dean were moving towards the car while the name punched Castiel right in the gut. Was that..."Your girlfriend?" Castiel blurted.

"Yeah. My girlfriend." Dean stressed it so hard that Sam gave him a curious look.

"Will Jess be okay?" Sam asked as they climbed in the car.

Cas sat numbly in the back seat, his eyes vacant as they stared sightlessly at the back of Dean's head. "She should be fine for now..." he murmured vaguely.

Dean had a girlfriend. Of course he had a girlfriend! He was gorgeous, stable, had a great car...why did he keep setting himself up for these kinds of falls? He should have known that Dean wouldn't be thrilled to see him, that he would have a girlfriend...

I wish Dad was here.

The half blood remained in a daze throughout the ride. He remembered sitting down in a small, dark living room but did not remember speaking, didn't even really know he had until he realized Dean and Sam were standing in the kitchen, discussing in low voices whether or not Castiel was insane. That he had expected. Most humans had a hard time with the supernatural, particularly when it was malevolent.

"Sam," Castiel called.

The younger man looked up from the conversation that was growing rapidly more heated, looking relieved to have a distraction. "Yes?" He spoke carefully, which suggested he was leaning towards insanity rather than truth.

As soon as he was sure he had Sam's attention Castiel released his glow, just as he had with Dean. He made certain his wings were visible, more so than they had been in the car. They shone a gentle white, spreading out behind him so clealry they almost seemed physical. Dean turned away but Sam's eyes flew wide with awe. Slowly, as though in a trance, he stepped into the living room and reached out towards one of the wings, his fingers shaking as they brushed through the celestial energy. As he did Castiel felt a strange jolt, as though a powerful energy had just surged into him.

"You're a believer." Castiel's surprise was evident as he met Sam's eyes.

"Yeah," Sam agreed, nodding slowly as he threaded his fingers through the tangible energy washing warmly over his skin. "This...this is amazing. I never thought...Wow. I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."

Castiel let the glow fade almost reluctantly; he'd never felt the touch of a believer but Amor had told him stories of how it could empower an Angel, how it could strengthen them tenfold. It was one of the reasons Cherubs mingled so often with humans. They welcomed the power their joining brought, while the more powerful Angels tended to scorn it. "Don't be sorry. You're human. I'm half human, too."

Sam let his hand drop as he whirled about to face Dean, who was now standing in the doorway with a strange, unreadable expression on his face. "Dean! He's half angel!" he cried excitedly.

"Yeah. I know," Dean said quietly.

Something had changed. Castiel could sense a lessening in the anger Dean had hidden himself behind as his eyes lingered on his younger brother. The acceptance he had glimpsed before in the car was making a hesitant reappearance. For a moment Castiel wondered what had caused it, and then he realized it was Sam and his own acceptance of Cas. Watching his little brother react to the half blood had changed his own perception.

He was so preoccupied with watching Dean that he didn't see Sam tense up beside him. All he saw was the abrupt, alarmed widening of Dean's eyes as Sam let out a gasp of pain and collapsed.

... * ...

"Sammy!" Dean cried as his little brother began to convulse. Sam's arms came up to cover his head, as though seeking to protect himself from an unseen danger. "SAMMY!"

He didn't remember moving but one moment he was in the kitchen doorway and the next he was kneeling beside Sam, his hands moving frantically over his arms and back, as though the contact would snap him from his pain. Castiel knelt beside him, his eyes a contradiction of worry and calm. He, too, put a hand on Sam, right beside Dean, and left it there until Sam went suddenly limp, eyes closed, sucking in air as though he'd never get enough of it.

"Sam? What did you see?" Castiel asked gently as the other man slowly opened his eyes.

Dean's worried gaze rose from his brother's still form at Cas's words. "See?" he repeated, confusion plain in his voice. Castiel cast him a look that clearly said 'wait.'

"I...ow..." Sam slowly sat up, letting Dean support him with one arm. "I saw someone...burning. But I didn't see any fire anywhere. I mean, it didn't look like he did it to himself and there wasn't anyone else around."

"What just happened?!" Dean asked loudly, staring not at Sam but at Cas. He didn't care if Castiel wanted him to wait. He needed answers and he needed them now.

"I'd kinda like to know that, too." Sam winced and lifted a hand to his head.

"Sam has demon blood in him," Castiel said bluntly. "Azazael infected him with it when he was an infant. He infected a lot of children but Sam's special. I don't know why. For some reason he's more powerful than the others."

"Others?" Sam repeated. His eyes were growing wide with fear, kicking Dean's big brother instincts into overdrive. No one scared his little brother!

"This isn't funny, Cas," Dean fairly growled, leaning protectively over Sam as he faced Castiel with dangerous eyes.

"Of course it isn't funny!" Castiel snapped. "Sam is a good man! He should never have been faced with something like this. But he is faced with it, and you need to accept that if you want to help him!"

Almost immediately, Dean relaxed. It was strange. Normally if someone had spoken to him like that he would have fought back, or been angry. Instead he felt a sudden flare of respect for Cas and at the same time, he felt more at ease. Some of the anger he'd been feeling towards the half blood began to recede as he sat back, away from Sammy, and nodded once, letting Castiel know he was listening.

The half blood's expression softened and he smiled apologetically. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

Dean shrugged, his way of saying it was alright. "Okay, Cas. Tell us what's going on."

So Castiel did. Unlike the first time, when he'd told them of all the supernatural creatures, he was fully aware as he explained the war between angels and demons, Azazael and the children he had infected with his blood. By the time he was done Dean felt as though he had entirely abandoned reality, as though he'd leapt into an alternate universe where this sort of thing was just a part of every day life.

And then he realized, with sharp, sickening clarity, that it would be from now on. There was no escaping knowledge like this.

Sam had realized it, too. They stared at each other a long moment, each knowing that their lives had just been altered in a way they could never take back but not knowing what to say to that. So they just looked at each other, let the reality of it sink in, until they both felt they could keep going.

"So, what kind of Angel are you?" Sam asked suddenly. There was a need in his eyes for a distraction, as well as a very intent curiosity. "I mean, there are different types, aren't there?"

Castiel nodded. "Guardian angels, archangels, just plain angels, cherubs. They all have different tasks. I'm half Cherub. Cherubs are what human myth has mistaken for Cupid. All their power is focused on and comes from love." He turned to Dean suddenly, nervously. "That's how I was able to find you. Because my soul loves yours."

What? Dean stared at Castiel as though he'd just spoken another language. The hell did that mean? "That doesn't make any sense," Dean muttered too quickly. He felt the irrational fear that had begun after he'd accepted Cas as real spike in him, prodding at the anger he'd only just begun to get rid of. "So, this vision, what do we do about it?"

The half blood sighed slightly but let Dean change the subject. "Unless Sam can tell us where this vision took place, nothing."

"I have no idea," Sam answered with a helpless shake of his head. "It was dark. It looked like a city street, maybe. But I didn't see any signs or anything that would help."

Before Dean could ask what the hell visions were for if you couldn't do anything about them there came a sudden knock at the door. It was a strange knock, soft and hesitant, as though the knocker wasn't sure if it was being done correctly. Instantly, Castiel was off the floor and running for the door, which struck Dean as a little strange. It was his place, he should be answering the damn door!

"Cas!" Dean yelled, picking himself up from the floor and helping Sam up as well.

Castiel either ignored him or didn't hear him. He practically ripped the door off it's hinges and made wild gestures at whoever was outside to come in. It was a man who looked very much like Cas, especially his eyes. He was dressed in jeans and a black tee, though he kept pulling at the clothing as though unused to it's presence.

"What is it?" Castiel asked quickly, as soon as he had the door closed.

"It's the...OH! DEAN!" Without warning the man flung himself across the room and threw his arms around Dean's neck, hugging him so tightly that Dean's immediate reaction was to get away. The man was stronger than he looked, though, because no matter how much Dean squirmed he couldn't escape the hug.

"Dad!" Castiel came up behind the man, laughing as he pulled him back from Dean. "He's not that comfortable with closeness." He looked a little sad as he said this and Dean felt a ridiculous urge to reach over and touch Cas, just to reassure him. It snuck up on him abruptly and he dismissed it with the same swiftness that he had Castiel's comment about souls.

"Dad?" Dean repeated suddenly. "Wait wait...are you the angel?"

The man nodded exuberantly. "My name's Amor. I'm so happy to meet you! Castiel has told me all about you, I just hope you aren't being too human about this situation. Oh, but if you are he'll help you sort it out. I'm talking to much. Sam!" With that he bolted passed Dean and into the living room, where Sam stood staring with wide eyes at the bouncy angel.

"Too human?" Dean repeated quietly to Cas.

Cas smiled, though the expression was decidedly sad. "He knows you're straight."

Dean started to say something, then closed his mouth. What was he supposed to say to that? That it was true?

"I think we need to rescue Sam," Dean muttered. He turned, prepared to be amused by his brother's plight, only to be struck with a very different emotion instead. Amor had pulled Sam down so that his head rested against one shoulder, one hand around his back and the other stroking his hair. It struck him as completely bizzare at first, until he saw that Sam was shaking, that Amor was holding Sam the way someone might hold another they care about while they comforted them.

"It's because Sam is a believer," Castiel explained quietly. "Angels have a more profound effect on those who truly believe in them. It wasn't as powerful with me because I'm only half. His power probably made Sam feel any fear he was concealing from us before, as well."

"Sam's not as jumpy about being touched, too," Dean added just as quietly. "What exactly does believer mean, anyway? He's not religious."

"He doesn't have to be," Cas replied. "It just means he believes in some kind of a Creator and that he has faith in beings like us." The half blood sighed suddenly, almost angrily. "A lot of Angels take that for granted. They don't understand that mingling makes them stronger."

That made about as much sense as the one soul loving another to Dean, so he said nothing about it. He made a jerky gesture towards the living room and Cas gave a nod of understanding. Softly, the two walked into the room and stood behind Sam and Amor, until Sam opened his eyes and seemed to become suddenly embarrassed by their presence. Amor let him go easily but left a hand on Sam's shoulder as he turned to face the other two.

"It's not just Sam," Amor said. "The other children's powers are manifesting as well. I think Sam's vision was of one of those children. A man who can bend fire lives a few miles from here."

"Wait, how do you know about Sam's vision?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"I let him look," Sam said before Amor could respond. "He touched my head and just...knew!"

Amor smiled and suddenly leaned over to rest his head on Sam's shoulder. "I haven't been around a believer in so long!" He said with a happy sigh. Then he suddenly straightened and smiled sheepishly. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, I'm okay," Sam said quickly, with a reassuring smile.

Amor stood still for maybe two seconds before he suddenly flung his arms around Sam again. "If you were a puppy I'd ask if I could keep you!"

Almost as one, Castiel and Dean glanced at each other with twin looks of amusement. Dean saw a rush of pleasant surprise flood the other man's blue eyes and almost immediately looked away. Though his hostility towards Cas had eased he still felt on edge, too on edge to allow even the briefest connection, no matter how simple.

Amor seemed to have realized what he'd just said. He stepped back, his hands held up in a gesture of peace as he stared up at Sam with a horrified expression. "No, I didn't mean...you look very much like a human, and a very handsome human at that! What I meant...that is, I meant to say...Cas! Save me!" Wide eyes turned to stare at his son pleadingly.

Castiel's low chuckle was fondly amused as he watched his Father. "It's okay, I think Sam knows what you meant."

"Oh good." Amor breathed a sigh of relief before his eyes abruptly widened. "Oh, I almost forgot! I...ah...overheard some information."

The way the Cherub said overheard made Dean think that hadn't been quite the right term. By the way Castiel's eyebrows rose he didn't think so either. "Overheard?" Cas repeated dubiously.

"Overheard," Amor said stubbornly. "I knew already that Azazael had allies among the demons but...but...some of us are on his side!" Amor waved a hand wildly between himself and Cas, giving Dean the impression that 'us' meant Angels. "They're not directly helping but they aren't stopping things, either. Sam's infection could have been prevented, as well as several others. They just...turned away."

This information struck Castiel harder than a well placed punch. Dean could see it in the in the way his shoulders tensed and his gaze grew tight with disbelief. "No. No, that can't be. You must have heard wrong," Castiel said with a shake of his head.

"I wish I had," Amor replied sadly.

Sam reached out and put a hand on Amor's shoulder, which seemed to considerably brighten the Cherub's mood. "I'm not the only one in danger here, right?" Sam looked at both Amor and Cas as he spoke, as though unsure which one held the most information. "There are other people who need help?"

"That's true," Amor replied. "But you're the most important. I have no idea why, I just know you're the one both sides wants."

"But is someone going to help the others?" Sam pressed. Dean felt a flare of pride towards his brother for thinking of others in this situation even as his protective streak doubled in size.

"He has a point," Castiel pointed out. "We can't just leave everyone else."

Amor nodded and released a heavy sigh. "I know. I...I might have gathered up a few Cherubs...pulled them off duty to help out..."

Dean almost asked what off duty meant but decided his capacity for information was already overloaded for one day. In fact, everything felt overloaded. He began to realize he was tired, that he was distancing himself from the conversation. He wanted to see Carmen, he thought vaguely as he turned and began to make his way towards the bedroom. He wanted to curl around her soft, feminine form and pretend this was all a bad dream. An extention of his ever recurring nightmare, he decided as he crawled into bed, clothes and all. Yeah. That's all it was.

He slept dreamlessly, waking only when Carmen came home to tell him she was going to work. She told him Sam and his friend had gone back to his parents house and that Sam would call him later. Dean nodded sleepily to let her know he'd heard her before leaning up for a kiss. This time it felt right, as it always had before Cas, and when he slipped back to sleep his dreams were peaceful and solitary.
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The Keys to Destiny