Haunted Retreat

[mugenginga]

Dean's eyes widened in surprise, his anger and frustration at the situation replaced by... well, hell. Angel or not the guy looked human enough. More than the other one had, and he had helped them. Nothing wrong with admitting a bit of worry for the guy based on that scream. His hands had shot up and clamped over his ears, and one eye was open. It was all he could get open considering. Sam got out the words before he could. Was probably better in the long run, Sam had put it nicer then he probably would have managed.

He probably would have grabbed Sam had Castiel not let out a one word plea. In the kind of true unity the two managed only when the shit really hit the fan, both brothers had managed forward at the same instant. Dean could swear he heard something like air crackling as the two reached the hole in the wall. He dared to look back once, but his vision was swarmed in black from the insensified light. His foot hit air as he stepped through the hole in the side of the castle, but the damn fool's words weren't about his own. He managed to get out a single world before he dropped and hit the muddy ground.

"JUMP!"

[Jilak]

Sam heard Dean's exclamation as the two reached through the hole. Right, in all the commotion he'd almost forgotten about the moat. He aimed his body downward, going into a roll before landing at the bottom. He managed to avoid damaging himself, for the first time since he and Dean had awoken in this strange place. Seriously, it was like walking down the street would get the guy killed here.

In any case, Samuel covered his eyes as the light surged, destroying a minor part of the building. And with a building this old, it wasn't like anyone would just come along and fix it as if the accident never happened between now and the next time someone stumbled across this place. But I fear we've leaned on the fourth wall a bit too much, so, let's move along, shall we?

In any case, Sam waited a good few seconds before opening his eyes. The light had faded, being replaced by an odd lack of light associated with this time of night. All was silent, as if a man hadn't just practically EXPLODED. Sam looked around, finding his brother not too far away. From Sam's viewpoint, he could see that Dean seemed to still be breathing. Good, they'd both gotten out alive. But what about...

"CASTIEL!" Sam screamed, trying to push himself to his feet. He was a bit light-headed and had to drop down to one knee for a moment, only able to gape at the rubble. In the middle of it all, the angel that had saved their lives.

"Oh, Cas..." Sam began, as the angel lay there, unmoving.

[mugenginga]

Dean had hit the ground and rolled, managing to get up with help from the opposite bank. He put a hand to his face, pulling it back and grimacing at the mud now smeared all over his face. His eyes widened and he looked towards Sam just as the younger Winchester was trying to get to his feet. He jerked his head towards where Sam was looking and noted the man in the middle of the rubble. Well, crap. Angel or not, he hadn't put it on his schedule to get anyone killed today!

"Sammy, stay there," Dean ordered.

He pulled his hand off the bank and walked over. He didn't pick his footing any more carefully then usual. He got a foot in a puddle for the trouble. He came up to the side of the bank and looked around before putting his palms on the bank, digging his fingers again, and hoisting himself up. Halfway up he kicked his foot into the soft bank to create a sort of step, using it to pull himself the rest of the way up. He took a few steps over the rubble before leaning down. He put a muddy hand on Castiel's shoulder and shook him.

"Hey, wake up."

He actually sounded quite concerned.

[Jilak]

Sam obliged to Dean's order. At this moment, the elder Winchester was most likely the most emotionally stable. Samuel had recently had to watch a demon possess his father and nearly kill his brother, and now he'd just watched the angel that saved them friggin' EXPLODE. He couldn't handle it, and it attributed to his head-spins.

Castiel lay there for a moment, motionless. He wasn't even breathing, not that Sam could tell. Even so, though, he wasn't sure if an angel really NEEDED to breathe. A few tense moments passed between Dean's comment and any actual reaction, during which Sam considered calling to Dean, asking if Cas was...

But then he did more than move. He did more than BREATHE. He GASPED for air, looking up, eyes swimming. He looked... different. Something about him, the air with which he carried himself, the panic in his eyes as he looked from Dean, to the rubble, to Sam... he wasn't himself at this moment.

"Listen to me! You have to help me! I-I'm Jimmy Novak, I have... I have a wife, and a daughter, I... oh God, don't make me go back, I know what I said, but it's different now, I... Castiel, please! I know what I promised, but my daughter, I... I just need to see her! I promise, you can have my body back, just let me... oh God... oh..." He trailed off, eyes slamming shut. And then, it stopped. The shaking, the screaming, it stopped.

"Something's wrong." Castiel stated, face once again expressionless, looking to Dean.

"I should've teleported, I should've been able to get back to heaven. Something stopped me."

[mugenginga]

Dean managed to hope back in surprise as the man jolted awake. A man, Dean was telling himself. He sure as hell didn't act the same way as the guy before. He gave another surprised jerk as the man grabbed his sleeve and looked straight at him, beginning a series of pleading rambles. The older Winchester's eyes widened as he sorted through the mess of fast words and near tears. He couldn't understand a lot of it, but he understood enough.

This angel guy was using some guy's body and keeping him away from his family. That was the key part. Keeping him away from his family. He didn't know what this "promise" was about, but one could see in his expression that his opinion of angels had just dropped into the negative values.

Dean jerked his hand free of Castiel, who hadn't released him when he came to. He seemed... rather pissed with Castiel. He pushed himself to his feet and there seemed to almost be a point of not offering Castiel an arm up.

"I don't know about that bullshit, but I can tell you what's really wrong," Dean stated, "What gives you the right to take over some man's body? How the hell is that better than what happened to dad!?"

[Jilak]

Castiel sported a rather confused look for a moment. He'd known about what had happened from the moment he realized he wasn't the dominant soul in Jimmy's body. What he hadn't known was that Dean would react the way he did. He'd heard stories from the other angels, about what had happened to John, being possessed by a Demon Lord. What he hadn't expected was that Dean would compare the two. It filled Castiel with a feeling he hadn't felt in quite a while. A feeling of absolute outrage.

"This man, Jimmy Novak, prayed for this. For a way to help the Father. I assure you I inhabit his body purely on his terms. It was our promise." Castiel responded, getting to his feet, yet again deciding to invade Dean's space. However, the rage Castiel was currently feeling was very evident in his eyes.

"Do you know how the other angels responded when I mentioned that your lives were in danger? They scoffed. When I requested they send an Archangel to save you, they laughed. They only allowed me to come save you because I was the only one who cared enough. Because I believed I was doing God's will. And now I'm STUCK HERE because I've presumably angered Him, so a little compassion would be appreciated." Castiel stated, adding emphasis where necessary.

[mugenginga]

Dean glared back. One could all but see the electricity sparking between them. The guy before had mentioned a promise, huh? A promise he clearly wanted out of. He didn't know how much communication this angel was having with his... his puppet, but he clearly wasn't listening very well. And what was that nonsense about caring enough? Dean lifted up a hand and pointed it at Castiel despite the close distance. He punctuated key points of his words with a firm tap to Castiel's central upper chest.

"Well someone isn't listening to their puppet very well, are they?" Dean growled, "And what's this bullshit about caring? We were saved earlier from a far more lethal situation by Gabriel. Funny, I've never heard of a Castiel. Gabriel's pretty big though, isn't he?"

Things were headed south very quickly in their little... discussion. It was probable Sam should do something.

[Jilak]

Castiel had to pause for a moment at Dean's comment. There was that name again, Gabriel. He'd mentioned earlier that Gabriel had saved them, but... it didn't make sense. By this time Sam had pulled himself up, preparing to speak up, to stop the argument. But then, Castiel seemed to... calm down. His outrage disappeared, replaced by a look of urgency. He leaned in closer to Dean, nearly bumping the man's forehead, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I sense you don't trust me, Dean. I can understand why, I'm inhabiting a vessel and not a day ago your father was possessed. But there's one thing I need you to understand, if you don't believe anything else I say, believe this. God has not been seen, for years, by anyone but the higher angels. But with the way things have been going since then, I don't believe some of them to be going on God's orders. So believe me when I say this: If Gabriel saved you, you may be in more danger than ever before." Castiel finished, removing his hand, backing away from Dean.

"Why?" Sam asked, receiving no response from Castiel at first. "Castiel! What puts us in danger?!"

"...tell me, boys. Have you ever thought about why out of all the people in the world, all 6 billion humans on your planet... the demon chose your mother?"

[mugenginga]

By this point the older Winchester had to wonder if angels got moodswings. Cause Castiel was calm again, and grabbing him again. Dean was too confused at the shift to really argue. When he spoke, his voice sounded very urgent, enough so that it got Dean's full attention. He frowned at the mention of God. He'd never believed in "God", even if he was maybe willing to possibly accept the existance of angels. Logically one wouldn't go without the other, he supposed, but it all was a bit much.

He looked over at Sam when he voiced what they both were thinking. With where things lay, he was more ready to listen to Castiel then Gabriel. Really, he'd just said what he said to make a point. He looked back over at the angel with an impatient expression... that shifted to an angry calm at his comment.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not trusting any demon here, but I got the impression it was after Sammy during that little speech it gave. Hurry up and explain what the hell you're talking about," Dean stated.

[Jilak]

Castiel looked towards Sam for a moment, before addressing Dean again. Unknown to Dean, in his very statement, in their very predicament, he'd found the one flaw in the assumption they'd been operating on. Castiel wasn't entirely sure, not being high enough in the ranks for the big talks, but at the same time, he'd heard things. Stories, circulating through heaven. And they all led him to believe that maybe the demons didn't need Samuel Winchester as bad as it seemed.

"Yes, Dean. Yes. The demon stated that it was after Samuel, true. But if it was after Sam, why did it deposit you both here? Why did it send you to another dimension?" Castiel questioned, smiling for the first time since they'd met him. "And even if they needed Sam dead, it doesn't explain why they couldn't have just killed you, all of you, while you were out. The extra effort almost makes it feel like they were trying to... trying to hide you. From the angels. I don't know why, angels don't tell me much, I'm not high enough in the ranks, but... what if in the end you're not that important in the grand scheme of things? What if that demon, all those years ago, killed your mother because it thought it needed you... and then dropped you here when it realized it didn't?"

Sam looked off for a moment, not answering Castiel's question. The truth was, he couldn't. He didn't have an answer. What if the demon had just killed Mary for the sake of killing Mary?

"The only way any of us are going to get any answers is by finding God. And as it seems that we are all trapped here, I need you to trust me."

[mugenginga]

Dean looked greatly agitated at the speech. He operated on the same assumption his father did, the same one he was pretty sure Sam did. That there had been a reason for everything. That one kid who'd shot himself, didn't that imply they needed people with powers? Wasn't that demon after Sam cause it was pissy about Sam getting away? Well, Castiel had even admitted he wasn't positive. Didn't get told a bunch cause of rank? So Heaven was a red tape beauracracy?

Dean winced and grabbed his head, "Look, even if I were inclined to believe all this, it doesn't explain why Gabriel saved our lives," he looked up, "And I never said I believed in God. We still have to find dad."

[Jilak]

Castiel looked momentarily crestfallen. Right. His theories were just that, theories. And they were borderline blasphemous, at that. An angel was to have no doubts, no fears, and no anxieties. That's what Castiel had always believed, what he'd always known. Just because he was momentarily cut off from Heaven didn't mean he had any reason to believe the higher-ups of any wrongdoings, and maybe his fading faith was the reason he'd been exiled here. For thinking. For revelations.

"Right... you're right." Castiel stated, looking away, off into the forest. Right, the two were cut off from their father. It should have been an easy task, really, just open his senses and allow his Father to guide him to their... well, father. But the only problem was, if it was supposed to be so easy, so simplistic, so quick... why wasn't it?

Castiel closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to sense out John, but he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, it just wouldn't seem to WORK. Perhaps more was happening to the angel than a simple exile...

"I seem... unable to detect your father. That's never happened to me before." Castiel stated, looking at Sam and Dean but at the same time... not. As if he were looking past them.

[mugenginga]

Dean frowned a bit at the way Castiel's shoulders drooped. It wasn't an angry frown, and actually seemed a sincere expression of almost pity. It was a bit of a gut punch with Castiel's tone of voice and averted gaze when he confirmed what Dean had said. The man gave a glance at Sam with almost a questioning look. Hell, a bit of it seemed almost to be asking for help. Dean wasn't sure what the hell to do with the guy.

It wasn't to say he wasn't still pissed about the whole vessel thing, but everything he seemed to be doing was giving him results as if he were kicking a dog. A dog that seemed happy that it was getting any attention, even if it was abusive. He noticed Castiel close his eyes out of the corner of his eye and mouthed a question to Sam.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with this?"

Castiel answered before Sam would have a chance to respond. Dean's eyes widened and he let out a very long sigh. He put his hand on Castiel's shoulder and shook the man a bit.

"Hey, Cas, hold it together," Dean said, continuing whether Cas' eyes came back into focus or not, "I don't know about this 'angel' business, but knowin' dad he's probably got himself hidden from that kind of thing anyways."

[Jilak]

"...you're right. Yes... your father was rather resourceful." Castiel's eyes came back into focus, and with them, every sense of emotion slowly faded from the angel, his face slipping back into the expressionless expression it first was. He didn't know why he'd been so unsettled there. Perhaps the resurfacing of his vessel's personality had had more of an effect on him than he thought, but now he was back.

"Knowing dad," Sam began, speaking up for the first time in a bit, "he'd probably have found a place with things he could use. Salt, iron... chalk, stuff like that. Maybe we should start somewhere that has all of those, like... a grocery store. You could probably use your angel mojo to find one, Cas."

This was met by an incredulous look from Castiel. Sam had just asked him for help, if a bit indirectly. Clearly there were a few misunderstandings here.

"My apologies, Samuel, I seem to have given you the wrong idea. I serve heaven. I don't serve man, and I definitely don't serve you. I'm here because God has work for me to do, and that work doesn't seem to involve finding your father. I'll be in touch." And with a blink from Sam, Castiel was gone.

"...I think he just ditched us."

[mugenginga]

Dean gave an affirmative nod towards Sam as he suggested a place their father might be. A grocery store seemed a bit... obvious, but it was likely he was holed up in a place with access to the stuff. Years of hunting had made him well aware there were places close enough to a town to use, and their father was nothing if not cautious. He could have been to the same store ten times and no one would recognize them.

Of course, then Castiel spoke again. Dean paused with what he had been about to stay and gave Castiel an incredulous stare. The man had seen it as important enough to save them, and now he was going to go on about serving God? The God that he'd just been showing doubt about, right? He didn't get to object before Castiel was gone. He frowned at the empty space for quite a few beats after Sam spoke. He gave a scowl and pulled off his jacket, using his free hand to support himself as he hopped down from where he was standing.

"Looks like we're sleeping in the woods tonight, Sammy," Dean said. He seemed quite irritated despite his lack of words about the situation.