Castiel is a prisoner in his own mind. After being tormented for 5 years straight, his caretaker was arrested for the kidnapping of Castiel Novak, and Gabriel Winchester. The caretaker, Mr. Roman, had just abducted Gabriel two days before his arrest. Castiel was kept hidden in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. He had tried to escape numerous times, only to get himself lost in the forest. Now, Castiel is 18, and somehow rescued. But he's not falling for the trick. At least that's what he thinks it is. Will Agent Dean Winchester be able to help Castiel come out of his shell?

A/N: O/C's are Ryan, Blake, Shawn, and Percy.

•~•~•~•~•~•

*Castiel's POV*

~5 years earlier~

"Bye, Cassie!" Garth, my best friend, says as I walk away from his house. I wave goodbye and continue on my way home.

I'm 13 years old, just turned it yesterday. I was celebrating with him and his family. Even though I'm still young, my parents trusted me to walk home alone. Well, it's more like they didn't care if anything happened to me. It's only a short stroll through the park, and then I'm home.

As I walk through the park, a man, probably mid-20's, approaches me. I stop, looking up at him. He has a dog leash in his hands, but there's no sign of the dog.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but have you seen a dog nearby? I've lost mine and I've been looking for two hours."

"No, I don't think so," I reply.

"It's gonna take forever for me to find him," he sighs. "I can't believe I let him get away."

"It's okay, mister. Do you need help looking?" I ask him.

"Really? You'd do that?" He asks. "Thank you so much."

"Yeah, let me just text my dad," I tell him.

He seems reluctant, but says nothing. After getting an 'OK' from my dad, we start searching. Somehow, we end up by the parking lot.

"I can't believe we didn't find him," the man says. "What if we drove around, calling out his name?"

"I'd rather not..." I reply, getting a bad vibe.

I start to back away from the man, who suddenly seems enraged. He grips my arm tightly and opens the back of his van. A lady is sitting in the back of the van, just staring at me with admiration. It stuns me into silence. I don't realize it, until it's too late. The man hits me on the back side of my head. I feel the aching pain and become extremely weak. And then I'm out like a light.

~Present~

"Mr. Roman, open up!" A man yells, banging on the wooden door. I jump, making the silverware drop to the floor. I grunt, knowing I had just cleaned it. The banging continues, instantly silencing me. "FBI, open up! We know you're in there!"

Quickly, I look around for a hiding place. There's not many places to hide a 17-year old boy. Luckily, Mr. Roman isn't here. He'd hurt me and make me pass out before hiding me, so I wouldn't call out. Even though I wouldn't ever do that. Nobody cares about me. They'd make me stay.

I find a hiding spot in the hallway, conveniently placed where I can see the whole living room. The closet doors have rows of space in them, looking like blinds, but are in fact just parts of the door. (A/N: Picture of the closet doors are above.)

The front door is knocked off its hinges and multiple people file into the room, all with guns. They have blue vests, with 'FBI' written on each of them. All except one spread out and search the house.

"Winchester," a man says, walking back into the living room. The man who was keeping guard by the door looks over to him.

"Yes?" Winchester asks.

"Whole house is empty. In the kitchen there's dropped utensils. Maybe he left in a hurry? Found out we were coming somehow?"

"Highly unlikely," a redheaded girl says, walking into the room. She has my picture frame in her hands. That's mine! Why'd she take it? "There's a photo of a young boy, probably 13, with Mr. Roman."

"Is it Gabriel?" Winchester asks.

"No, but it was taken a long time ago, judging by the background. It was taken in front of The Roadhouse which burned down over four years ago," the girl replies, handing him the photo.

"So, what? He has a son?" The unnamed man asks.

"Unlikely. If he already had a kid of his own, he wouldn't take Gabriel. If this kid was his son, why take five years to abduct a teenager?"

"Right," he sighs. "Why didn't anyone find out he was missing?"

"Maybe they assumed he was a runaway. Most abducted children, and teens, don't tend to live with them for five years after taking them. They'd usually turn up dead," Winchester replies.

I move closer to the doors, trying to get a better look at the three people. I curse under my breath as the suitcase next to me falls over. They draw their guns, which were holstered, and look around the room.

"Search for hiding places," Winchester says. "He could still be here."

"Consider it done," the man replies.

The unnamed pair go separate directions as Winchester looks around the room. He opens up a huge cabinet, and the coffee table – which is surprisingly large enough to hold me, since Mr. Roman would lock me in there from time to time – that rests on the ground, before stopping in front of the closet. I curl up in the corner and hope he doesn't find me.

He opens the door and scans the closet with his gun. His eyes stop on me. As he holsters his gun, I move closer to the wall.

"Hey there," he says softly, bending down to my eye level. He's still taller, though, so it's not exactly eye level. "My name's Dean." Wow, can't even trust me with his name. I roll my eyes. Clearly, he doesn't care at all. "What's your name?" I stare at him in confusion.

"Winchester," the girl says.

"Yes, Bradbury?" Winchester asks, turning to the redhead but still on his knees.

"The kids' name is Ryan. He's had to be held here for at least five, if not six years," Bradbury tells him.

I panic at the name 'Ryan'. He got to them. They're the same as him. I pull the suitcase closer, as if shielding them from my eyes will make them disappear.

"Hey, hey," Winchester says softly. "We're not gonna hurt you, Ryan."

"Wait, have you found him?" the unnamed man asks.

"Balthazar, his name is Ryan," Bradbury says sarcastically.

I have to run. I need to escape one last time. Maybe he won't find me. I shove the suitcase at Winchester, knocking him down. I sprint out of the house and into the forest. I'm tackled to the ground and I let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Don't resist!" Balthazar hisses. He grabs my wrists and puts them in cuffs. He stands me on my feet and turns me to face him. Bradbury and Winchester are walking over.

"Take the cuffs off him," Winchester orders. I flinch at the tone.

"He tried to run, Winchester. He could do it again," Balthazar counters.

"He got spooked by something. First, he looked at me in confusion when I asked his name. When I told him my name, he had rolled his eyes. When Bradbury said 'Ryan', he freaked out and hid himself with the suitcase. Can't you see his battered up arms? He's scared."

"By his own name?" Balthazar asks.

"Maybe it's not his name," Winchester replies.

"Why would his name be in his room then?" Bradbury asks.

"Let's take him into his room. Let him tell us who he is by that."

They lead me back inside and into my room. Balthazar takes off my cuffs and I run to my dresser, pulling out the picture I had taken 5 years ago. I sigh in relief when I see it's still there. It was taken in Garth's house, with his family. On the back was his address and name, along with the date. I had kept track of photos in that way for as long as I remember. It was a way for me to remind myself of the important days and memories.

I run my hand across the picture, taking a deep breath. Garth was the only good thing I had in my life. He was always there for me. I'm completely convinced everyone except for him didn't care about me. He was my best friend, and we got along so well.

Winchester walks over to me and looks at the photo. "Who's that?" He asks softly. He doesn't care. He's pretending. I look up at him in confusion. "May I?" He holds his hand out and I hand him the photo. He turns it around and reads the writing. "Hey, come look at this. 'Garth Fitzgerald. September 19th, 2014. 5901 Coverdale Way, Alexandria, VA 22310'."

Bradbury looks at the photo and furrows her eyebrows. "'Happy Birthday, Castiel'? They're all crowding around Ryan."

I back away at the use of the name. "Hey, it's okay," Winchester says softly. "Is your name Castiel?" I look down to the floor, not responding. If I tried to convince Mr. Roman my name wasn't Ryan, my punishment would be awful. "Does he think it's Ryan?"

I look up at him in confusion. How does he know that? "Great, Mr. Roman is delusional," Balthazar says sarcastically.

"You're safe now, okay?" Winchester says, trying to reassure me.

I back away. He's lying. I can't trust him. Winchester looks around the same age as Mr. Roman when I met him. "How old are you?" I ask him. Mr. Roman was 37 when I met him.

He looks at me with confusion and shock, probably because that's the first thing I've said since he met me. "Twenty-four," Winchester says. "Why?"

Well I guess he looks his age then. Not like Mr. Roman, who looked ten years younger. I look at Winchester in shock. "I thought you'd be in your thirties."

Balthazar laughs at that, and Bradbury tries to hold hers in. Winchester looks hurt. "Why'd you ask my age, anyway?"

I stay quiet, not wanting to talk about that day. "Was this the day he took you?" Bradbury asks, holding up the photo. She seemed to understand my reluctance. I look to the ground. She seems to know the answer, and sighs.  "How old were you then?"

"13," I reply. "What day is today?"

"September 20th," Winchester replies.

I look at him in shock. "Are you serious?" That means I'm 18, not 17. I thought I was 17. Maybe I can finally leave.

"Was your birthday yesterday?" Bradbury asks.

"The 18th," I tell her.

"Thats when Gabriel went missing," Winchester says.

I flinch. He must be another boy. Nobody should have to go through what I went through. He must have someone like Garth. A best friend. I feel awful for leaving Garth like that. "How old are you?" Balthazar asks.

"Eighteen," I reply. I look around the room, my eyes stopping on the ground where my bed is bolted down. There's scuff marks around the legs of the bed, from when it wasn't bolted.

I stare at the marks for a little while. I shriek when a hand touches my shoulder. I fall backwards and start to cry. "Hey, hey. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Bradbury says.

"I think we should take him out of here now," Winchester says. "It's probably bringing up some bad memories."

So we leave.

•••

It's now 6AM. I just woke up after falling asleep on a couch in the police station. They had tried to get me to talk about my past, but I wouldn't say anything. I stayed silent and fumbled with my hands instead.

I look around the room, eyes stopping on Winchester. "Sorry I woke you," he says. I shrug in reply. "You don't talk much, do you?" I shake my head, making him sigh. "We found Garth. He's in college nearby. He's on his way."

"Do my parents know? Or Garth's?" I ask.

"I thought he was your brother," Winchester says.

"Best friend. I'm an only child," I reply quietly.

"I don't think he told anyone. We just said we needed to talk to him. Said we had some questions to ask him that needed to be done in person. He didn't ask any questions," Winchester says.

"When is he coming?" I ask.

"Any minute now," he says.

We sit in silence for the next couple minutes. I use that time to take in my surroundings. When someone walks into the police station, I gasp. He looks a lot older, but still the same person. I roll my eyes at my stupidity. Of course he looks like that. Everyone does.

"I'm here to speak to Agent Winchester," Garth says.

Winchester gets up and exits the room. They sit in a corner next to the room, not entering. I can still see and hear everything perfectly, though. I don't question it, because he obviously had a reason for choosing that spot.

"I found this photo of you yesterday. I was wondering if you recognized it." Winchester hands the photo to Garth.

Garth tears up, looking at the photo. He turns it over and gasps. "This is Cassie's. Where did you get this?"

"What's his last name?" Winchester asks.

"Novak. Castiel Novak," Garth says. "What's this about? Did you find him?"

"Was there a missing persons report filed?"

"Of course!" He retorts. "Is he okay? He's dead, isn't he?" Garth tears up. "Please tell me he isn't. I won't be able to handle it if he is."

"He's alive," Winchester tells him. Garth sighs in relief. "Yesterday, we found him in the home of a preferential kidnapper. We don't know what happened to him. We didn't even know who he was. We were looking for another kid."

"Why does that kid get special treatment?! He's been missing for five years! You can't just let that go!"

I try to hold back tears. I was right. He does care about me. "Because he's my brother!" Winchester replies harshly. My jaw drops. Gabriel is his brother? And Mr. Roman has him? Oh no...

"I'm sorry," Garth sighs. "It's just...he was my best friend. Then one day on his walk home from my house, he disappeared out of thin air."

"How far was the walk?" Winchester asks.

"Short. Only about five minutes. He had a shortcut through a park to get home," Garth replies. "He didn't come home on time, his parents went to bed and left the doors unlocked. They were tired because it was like eleven at night."

"Why'd they go to sleep if he was missing?"

"He told them he was helping someone look for his dog," Garth says. "I hoped he'd be found eventually. A lot of information about him was memorized since that day. I wanted the police to get him back home. Every time I'd talk about him, the words were engraved in my head." Winchester looks at Garth with a frown. "Can I see him?"

"I have to warn you. He doesn't talk much. He doesn't like physical contact and he's pretty scarred. Emotionally and physically. I can't imagine what he went through the past five years. He won't tell us anything about the time with him or anything." Garth looks to the ground before sighing. Winchester stands up and walks into the room I'm in. Garth follows. I curl up as Winchester gets closer. He takes a seat in the chair across from me as Garth sits down next to me.

"Cassie, is that you?" Garth asks softly.

"Garth," I whimper. "I missed you."

A small smile appears on his face before disappearing. "I missed you too."

"Have you seen my parents?" I ask.

"I can call them if you want," Garth offers.

I scatter off of the couch before backing up into a corner. I curl into a ball in the corner. I was 13. They shouldn't have let me go off with a stranger. I should've just went home. If I see them now, they'll be pissed I was gone for so long.

Garth stares at me with shock and confusion as Winchester frowns. "I don't need your pity, Winchester. I know you don't care about me," I say harshly.

They both become confused. "Of course I care," Winchester replies.

"After you get your brother back, you'll forget about me. You'll want to forget about me. Everything that happened to me is probably happening to him and I'm just a constant reminder. You should be looking for him instead of wasting your time here."

"I'm not 'wasting' my time anywhere. Figuring out what happened to you could help us find Mr. Roman," he says.

"I'm not talking about it," I whisper. "I don't even want to think about it let alone relive it."

"Cassie," Garth sighs. "Talk to us, please."

"No, Garth!" I say sternly.

I flinch, hiding my face behind my hands. Winchester will tell Mr. Roman and he'll beat me. I'm not allowed to talk back, or raise my voice. I'm not allowed to talk about it either. This could all be a test from him, to see if I obeyed or defied.

"Castiel," Winchester says softly. "We're not going to hurt you."

"It's all a test," I tell myself. "Just obey and you'll pass the test."

"What test?" Garth asks.

"It's all a test," I repeat. "Just obey and you won't get your punishment."

"What's he talking about?" Garth asks Winchester.

"Shh!" He shushes.

"Pass the test. Pass the test. They don't care. Nobody does." I pause. "Garth does." I have a battle with myself, voicing my thoughts aloud. "Garth cares. I can trust him. Winchester is the test."

I pull my hands away from my face and see them both sitting there, along with the two agents from yesterday. They're all staring at me expectedly.

"What was that all about?" Bradbury asks.

"Nothing. I was talking to myself," I reply.

"Can you tell us what the test is?" Garth asks.

I sigh. "Winchester, may I?" I ask, thinking he's part of the ruse. He nods, although he seems confused. "Every time I would try to escape, besides the first time, I'd get lost in the woods. Each time, he would send one of his friends after me. They'd tell me some sort of excuse as to why they were in the forest. Then they'd ask me why I was all alone out there and why I was out of breath. Which was from running, by the way. They'd somehow get me back to the cabin, and because I had no sense of direction, I didn't know where they were taking me. I was so desperate to leave that I trusted them, even if I knew not to. There was always a chance it was real, so I went with it."

They all frown. "Is that all?" Balthazar asks.

"Well, depending on if I tried to tell the person, the punishment would be worse. If I told, something would happen. I don't remember exactly. Since you're all clearly part of the test, you know this. So I guess that's why you're not trying to whisk me back to the cabin already."

"You think we're in on it?" Bradbury asks.

"How else would you know that...name?" I ask rhetorically.

"Because it was written above your bed," she replies.

"But it's not my bed. I just sleep there," I retort.

"Castiel, what did he do to you?" Garth asks.

I wrap my arms around my legs tightly and bury my face into my knees. "Even if you're in on it, I'm not talking about it. You know, you tell Garth."

"We don't know, Castiel," Winchester says. "We don't know anything."

I look at him with fear. "I disobeyed then," I whisper. "Please tell me you're joking. The one time I let him win, it's not his doing. Please, be joking."

"I can't," Winchester sighs.

I mutter multiple profanities under my breath. "I'm such an idiot," I mutter to myself. "He was right. I'm stupid."

"You're not stupid, Castiel," Winchester says.

"Yes I am!" I yell. "I could've ran when I saw the woman! Instead I stood there like an idiot and let myself get kidnapped in a park! And now I disobeyed him! What's she gonna do, huh?!"

"The woman?" Bradbury asks.

I freeze. I slipped up. Her voice was soft, but still scared me. I stare at Bradbury in fear. "I think you should go," Balthazar says. "Send in Ketch, if you see him."

Then she leaves. I release a breath I was holding. "What woman, Castiel?" Winchester asks.

"I don't want to talk about it," I reply, shifting uncomfortably. I scrunch my eyes shut as memories come back from what she did. I shudder at the memory.

"You don't have to tell us. Just, please, is there anywhere else he would take you?" Winchester asks.

"Not him," I whisper.

"How about the woman?" Balthazar asks.

I stay silent. I rock back and forth, muttering random things under my breath. My eyes squeeze shut as I shake my head feverishly.

"No, no, no. Get away from me. I don't want you like that," I whisper. I screech when she gets closer to me. "Get away from me! I hate you!"

"Castiel!"

"That's not my name!" I cry out. "My name's Ryan!"

"Your name is Castiel!"

"No!" I yell, shaking my head. "It's Ryan! He said so! Castiel doesn't exist anymore! He's dead!"

"Castiel!"

"It's Ryan!" I yell. "Don't hit me! No, no! Get away! I don't want you!"

"Castiel!" Winchester says, snapping me out of my daze.

I breathe heavily, staring up at them. Everyone in the department is staring at me. Garth is being held back, outside the room. Tears stream down his face, along with Winchester's and Bradbury's.

"I–I'm sorry..." I whisper, voice cracking. I take a deep breath, thinking about Gabriel. He could be going through this right now. "I'll talk. Whatever you need. Gabriel cannot go through what I went through."

"Alright, come with me," Sheriff Mills says softly.

I shake my head, curling up into the corner. "I'll only talk to Winchester."

"Me?" He asks. "Why me?"

"Because you found me. He's also your brother. By talking to me about it you'll help him when he gets out," I tell him.

"He's smart," Bradbury says.

I chuckle softly. A smile lights up on everyone's faces. I stare at them all, confused.

"Come on, Castiel," Winchester says, standing up. He holds his hand out for me to grab. Hesitantly, I reach out and grasp onto his. He pulls me onto my feet carefully and leads me out into the big room. "I want you to be comfortable. Anywhere special you want to go?"

"A room that's warm and comfy," I tell him quietly.

He chuckles, leading me into the staff room. I sit on the couch as he gets a blanket and hands it to me. I smile, wrapping it around me.

"You should do that more often," he tells me.

"What?" I ask, looking over at him.

"Smile, and laugh. It looks good on you," he admits.

My face flushes. I bite my lip, looking down at the ground. I won't lie, Winchester is hot. Luckily for me, I'm gay, and Mr. Roman is ugly.

"Where should I start?" I ask softly.

"The day he took you," he says.

"Well, I had just left Garth's. It was late at night, so I was taking the shortcut through the park. If it was daylight, or a nice day out, I'd take the long way and go around. When I was walking through, a man approached me. He had a dog leash, but no dog."

"So it was a ruse?" He asks. I nod. "How did he take you, then?"

"Somehow we ended up at his van. He asked if I would ride with him to find his dog. I got skeptical and went to leave," I tell him. I take a shuddering breath, squeezing my eyes closed. I let out a soft cry before sighing. "He grabbed me, and opened the van. There was a woman, just sitting there. Staring at me with admiration."

"Was she doing anything else?" He asks.

"No, she was just sitting there," I reply. "I was so stunned that I didn't call out for help or anything. He hit me on the back of the head and I passed out."

"Did you make any stops on the way there, that you know of?" He asks. I shake my head. "Was there anywhere else they'd take you?"

I cover my face with the blanket in shame. "N-no," I lie.

"Castiel, I need you to be honest with me," Winchester says.

"I don't see how being raped has anything to do with finding Gabriel!" I shout. His face drops. I hide myself under the covers, crying. "That's the only time I'd be taken somewhere else. That didn't happen for years after they had me, though. That isn't happening to him."

"You were..?" He asks. "By who?"

"The woman," I admit.

"Do you know her name?" He asks.

"I–I can't..."

"What's her name?" He repeats. "If you tell me, you won't have to tell me anything more. Don't you want that?"

"Meg Masters," I whisper. Winchester pulls his phone out, typing something. "You're not going to leave?"

"Director isn't allowing me to leave the station. I'm allowed to do my work from here, but not allowed to leave. He was already upset that I went to the cabin. Don't want to be fired. I have to take care of Sammy."

"Sammy?" I ask.

"My other brother," he sighs. "He's on his way here. I had my cousin Jo watching over him last night. He's been a mess since Gabriel was taken."

"How old is he?" I ask, smiling softly.

"21," Winchester replies. He tucks his phone away and looks up at me. He chuckles. "Nice to see you smiling again."

I bite my lip, looking away as my face heats up. He laughs softly. I sigh, looking back over to him. "Where am I going to go?"

"Your parents?" He asks.

My eyes open wide and I move further down on the couch, away from him. "No, not them. Please, not them," I plead.

"Castiel, what's wrong with your parents?" Winchester asks.

"They hate me," I admit. "They only celebrated my birthday with me so Garth wouldn't get suspicious. They're extremely religious."

"Religious? What does that have to do with anything?" He asks.

"I'm gay," I tell him. "They hate me for it."

I pull the blanket over me again, not wanting to see his reaction. "Then I guess they'd hate me too," he chuckles. I pull it down enough for my eyes to pop out over it. My face shows my confusion. "Yes, I'm gay too. Is it that shocking?"

"You're...you. Yes, it's shocking," I tell him.

"What's wrong with me?" He asks.

"You're hot. No way you'd be gay," I tell him. My face heats up as he smirks. "I didn't say that."

Winchester laughs. "Well, thank you. You are, too, whether you believe it or not."

I furrow my brows in annoyance. "Don't lie."

"I'm not," he says. "Why do you think I am?"

"Because I know I'm worthless," I sigh, looking down at the ground.

"You're not," he tells me.

"Winchester, stop lying. Please," I tell him.

"Why do you call me Winchester?" He asks. "I told you, my name is Dean."

"I doubt it," I say, rolling my eyes.

"My name is Dean Winchester. Dean is my first name, like yours is Castiel," he tells me.

I stare at him, eyes furrowed. "You weren't lying?" I ask.

"No," he says. "Call me Dean, please."

"Well, Dean. My question still stands. Where am I going to go? I'm 18, so I can't be put in foster care. I don't want to live on the streets, either."

"How about Garth's?"

"He's in college. Won't work," I sigh.

"There's gotta be somebody," Dean says.

"Guess I'm living on the streets," I sigh, leaning back on the couch.

"Live with me," he says.

I look at him like he's crazy. "What?" I ask. "Isn't that against some sort of rule?"

"I dunno," he shrugs.

I sigh. "Did everyone already leave?" I ask.

"Yeah, they found a couple places under her name and are out searching," he says. His phone buzzes, so he pulls it out. "Sammy is here, along with Jo. Do you want to come say hi?"

I smile, making him chuckle. I nod, so we leave. We walk into the large room and see a couple officers still at their desks. Sam and Jo enter the room and I see their faces have dried up tears. It's my fault they haven't found Gabriel yet. I wrap the blanket around me tighter as I squeeze my eyes shut, stopping in my tracks while Dean walks over to them. I sit on the ground, leaning against the side of a desk.

"It's my fault. All my fault," I whisper. "It's my fault. Why didn't he kill me? Why is he being so nice? He should hate me!"

"Castiel?"

I shake my head. "My name's Ryan, I told you this!"

"Castiel, you're safe! Listen to me!"

"No! My name is Ryan! Stop lying to me!" I cry out. She pops up in my head and I screech. "No! No! Leave me alone!"

"Cass!" Garth yells.

"No!" I shout.

"Castiel!"

I snap out of it. For the second time, Dean helped me. I look around, seeing the officers, along with Garth, Sam, Jo, and Dean looking at me. Officers had to hold Garth back, again. Dean walks over, crouching down in front of me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"You spent five years with them, Castiel. Don't blame yourself," he tells me. "What were you blaming yourself for?"

"I'm the reason you haven't found Gabriel by now. I was too traumatized to tell you anything. Yet you still act like you care."

"It's not an act," Dean says.

"Dean, who is this?" Sam asks, walking over to me.

I curl up closer to the desk. I look at Jo with fear. She backs up. "Jo, go wait in the other room," Dean says.

"What? No!" She says. "You're my cousin!"

"Jo, now!" Dean says sternly. I cry out at his voice. "Shit, I'm sorry. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

"I'll be in the other room," Jo mutters.

I hear retreating footsteps. I look up, sighing in relief now that she's away.

"Dean, who is this?" Sam repeats.

"This is Castiel Novak," Dean says, standing up. "He was taken five years ago, by the same person who took Gabriel."

"I thought it was his first time taking someone? He was just a creep with a record before you accused him," Sam says.

"Yeah, that's what we thought too," Dean sighs. "I found him in the cabin we raided."

"Wait. He was taken five years ago?" Sam asks.

"Age thirteen," Dean sighs. "Just like Gabe."

"Dean, if he's this messed up, what's happening to Gabriel?" Sam asks.

"Thanks," I retort, scrunching up my face. I flinch, not wanting to get hurt.

"Castiel, you're safe," Dean repeats.

I shake my head. "He's gonna find me. If not him, then one of his friends."

"You're safe," he says softly.

"No," I tell him.

"Castiel," Dean sighs. I look up at him. "As long as I'm around, you're safe."

A small smile places itself on my face at that. He smiles in response. "Do you promise?"

"I promise," he says. He sits back on the ground, leaning against the desk across from me. I chuckle as his brother stares at him with confusion. "There you are again, laughing and smiling. Glad to see you're taking my advice."

"Oh, shut up, Winchester," I chuckle. I bite my lip as his smile grows.

"You're so gay, Dean," Sam chuckles.

I let out a loud laugh, unable to hold it in when I see Dean's shocked reaction. Everyone in the room smiles at me. I shift uncomfortably after noticing.

"There you go," Dean says happily. I look over to him and see a huge smile on his face. Probably the happiest I've seen him. If smiling and laughing allows me to see him happy, I'll do it.

•••

Three hours pass by. Sam and Jo are seated in the Sheriff's office as Dean and I are in the staff room. Garth went back to college after promising he would check up on me, and keep the news of me coming back to himself.

"Cass, I'm gonna go check up on Sam and Jo," Dean says, standing up.

"Wait," I plead. He looks over at me with confusion. "Don't go, please. You said as long as you're around I'm safe."

"I'm just gonna be in the other room, okay?" He asks softly.

"I..." my voice trails off, not knowing what to say.

"I'll be back in a couple minutes," he tells me.

I sigh, nodding. "Fine," I tell him.

Dean smiles at me before walking out of the room. I start to get paranoid as soon as the door shuts. My eyes dance over everything in the room, finding a table in the corner. Quickly, I make my over to it and hide underneath. I'm out of eyesight, so if anyone tries to get me, they can't see me.

The door opens a couple minutes later. Multiple footsteps are heard. I curl up closer, thinking it's Mr. Roman, and/or his friends.

"Cass?" Dean asks loudly. "Where'd you go?"

"Dean?" I ask softly. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Where are you?" He asks.

"Corner," I whisper.

I see him walk behind the couch and glance around the room. I peek my head out, noticing Sam and Jo standing by the doorway. Dean looks over and his face turns to confusion.

"What are you doing under there?" He chuckles, walking over to me and crouching down.

I lean back against the wall again, fully underneath the table. "You weren't here to protect me. I had to hide."

"I was in the other room, Castiel. I didn't leave. I still would've protected you," he says.

"You were gone. What if a friend of his came and tried to take me?" I ask.

"Then they'd have to go through a screening process, Castiel," Dean informs me. "Nobody is getting to you." His phone rings, making him sigh. He takes a seat on the ground before pulling it out and answering it. "Winchester."

Dean clicks a button and it goes on speaker. "Is Sam with you?" Bradbury asks.

"Right here, Charlie," Sam says, walking over. I whimper, curling closer to myself. Sam and Jo sit down next to Dean. I hug my blanket closer.

"I have someone who wants to talk to you," Bradbury says.

"Dean?" A boy asks. "Sam? Are you there?"

"I'm here, buddy," Dean says softly. "Are you okay now? You on your way back?"

"Yeah, I'm in the car with Agent Bradbury," he replies.

"Gabe, did anything happen to you?" Sam asks.

"No, they just kept talking about someone named Ryan the whole time," Gabe says.

I flinch and whimper at the name. The three of them look over to me. "What were they saying?" Dean asks.

"Something like 'he's getting what's coming to him' and 'we need to hide the body'," Gabe whispers.

I screech at that, whimpering and squeezing my eyes shut. They were going to kill me. "Hey, hey. You're okay," Dean says softly.

"Who was that? Who are you talking to?" Gabe asks.

"His name is Castiel, but they called him Ryan," Dean replies.

"Is he another boy?" Gabe asks softly.

"Yes, he is," Dean sighs. "I'm glad you're okay."

"So am I," Sam says.

"Me too," Gabe replies.

A door slams, making me jump and hit my head. "Ow..." I whine.

Dean chuckles softly. "Are you okay?" He asks.

"No, I hit my head!" I complain.

"Then don't hide under a table," Sam chuckles.

"Not my fault Dean left," I whine.

"Well I'm back now. You can get out," Dean says. I look over to Jo, seeing her stare at me. "Jo."

"I'm going," she sighs, getting up and leaving.

I crawl out from underneath the table before leaning against the back of the couch.

"We're outside," Bradbury says, then hangs up.

"I'll go say hi to him. You stay with Castiel," Sam tells Dean.

"Let him know what I told you," Dean says.

"Will do," Sam replies. Then he leaves.

"What did you tell him?" I ask.

"Same thing I told Garth," Dean says.

"I'm not going to break if you touch me," I retort.

"Every time someone touches you, you freak out," he points out.

"Not you," I whisper. "When you grabbed my hand, I felt safe. Everyone else scares me, but not you."

I watch as a smile forms on his face. He moves over so he's leaning against the back of the couch, like I am, sitting next to me.

"This okay?" He asks softly. I nod. I lean my head on his shoulder and sigh, hugging the blanket tighter around me. "You're safe, Castiel."

"As long as I have you," I reply. Dean lets out a breathy laugh in response. "Don't leave me."

"I have a job, Cass," he sighs. "Sammy knows to protect you when I'm gone."

"He's gonna come back, Dean," I cry. "Especially if Gabriel and I are in the same household, and he wants to kill me."

"I can have an Agent outside, Cass," Dean says.

"You're an Agent!" I say, pulling away from him. I scowl at the ground, not wanting to look Dean in the eye.

"Cass," he sighs. I shake my head, hiding under the table again. "Don't be like this, please."

"You promised to keep me safe! I knew you didn't care!" I cry. "You're just like the rest of them!"

"Please, don't be like that," Dean says, his voice cracking. "I do care. I made you a promise. I don't break my promises."

"Just leave," I cry. "Please."

Dean sighs, standing up and exiting the room. I lean my head against the wall, sobbing quietly. By the time I'm done crying, I'm exhausted. I fall asleep under the table.

•••

"Cass, you need to wake up."

"Is he okay?"

"He's not waking up."

"No, I bet he's just tired."

"Dean, what's wrong with him?"

"He probably hasn't slept in awhile, besides the day we found him. Even then, he fell asleep late."

"Well we were questioning him all night."

"Be quiet Charlie. Cass, come on. Wake up."

"Let me sleep," I whine, curling closer to myself.

"See, I told you he's okay," Dean chuckles. His voice sounds a little hoarse, but I don't know why. He grabs the blanket, pulling it onto me properly. "Better?"

"Don't go," I whine.

"Cass, I have to. I can't just lay with you all night," he chuckles.

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because I've gotta take my brothers home and have some rest," he replies.

"Have that girl take them home," I mutter.

"'That girl'? Thanks," Jo says.

I hum, not really processing her words. "You're welcome."

"Just lay with him, Dean. He seems to be better when you're around," Bradbury says.

"I'm not sleeping on the floor," Dean protests.

"Then get him to a bed," Balthazar says.

Dean groans. He picks me up, making me squeal. "Dean, no! I was comfy! And warm! Put me down!"

"Shush, you big baby. Let's go," he chuckles.

I frown, digging my head into his neck. He tenses at the gesture before walking. "It's bright," I whine.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Sam asks.

"Let's go," Dean says. "Gabe, come on!"

"Coming!" He replies.

I hear footsteps catching up to us. All of a sudden, a cold breeze hits me. I squeal, hugging onto Dean tighter. Multiple people laugh.

"Don't laugh at me," I whine. "He's the one who made me cold."

"You wanted me to lay with you. I'm not sleeping on the ground," Dean says.

A car door opens and I'm shifted. Dean puts me on someone's lap, making me curl closer to them. I hum as they wrap their arms around me. "You're warm too."

The door shuts and two more open. Then they both shut. "Why is he so cuddly?" Sam complains. I poke his neck, in response. "Ow!"

"What?" Dean asks.

"That was my neck!" Sam says.

"Be nice," I reply. Dean and Gabriel chuckle as Sam grunts. The car starts and I hear the engine. "Pretty car."

"You didn't even see it," Gabe points out.

"Engine is nice," I mutter.

"Just go back to sleep, Cass," Dean sighs.

"Okay," I whisper, cuddling closer to Sam.

•••

I don't know how long it took to get back, but the next thing I know is I'm being lifted again.

"Sam, no," I whine. "Let me sleep."

"It's not Sam," Dean whispers.

"Hi," I whisper softly.

Dean chuckles. "Hi," he says. He walks until I feel the temperature change. I hum, the warmth making me comfortable. A little while later, I'm laid down on a soft surface.

Dean pulls away, but I grab his arm. "Don't go," I tell him.

"I'm need to change, Cass," he replies.

I grunt, letting go and rolling onto my other side. The bed dips a few moments later. Covers are pulled up over the both of us. I move closer so I'm pressed up against him.

"You're warm," I hum.

"Do you really need the third blanket? You've also been wearing those clothes the past two days."

I huff, sitting up reluctantly. I toss the blanket lazily onto the ground and start stripping off my clothes. They form a small pile next to the bed. I stop at my boxers, leaving them on. Then, I lay back down and press myself against him again.

"Happy now?" I mutter.

"Y–yeah," Dean says, voice cracking.

"You okay?" I ask softly.

He clears his throat. "Yeah. Just go back to sleep."

"Goodnight," I whisper.

"Goodnight, Castiel," he replies.

•••

I wake up the next morning to shifting on the bed. I squeal, backing up against the headboard. My eyes glance over the room in fear.

"Hey, hey. You're safe, it's just me," Dean says softly.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry for scaring you," I tell him.

"You? I should be the one apologizing," he says.

"Why? I was the one who fell asleep at the station," I tell him.

"That isn't relevant," Dean replies.

"Just go to work," I tell him.

"I don't have to," he says. I look at him with confusion. "I asked to use a couple of my vacation days. It wasn't questioned, since we just got Gabriel back."

"Thank you," I whisper, laying back down in bed. "Who's room is this?"

"Mine," Dean says. "You barely let me leave you. I had to give you to Sam so you wouldn't distract my driving."

"You two are comfy," I admit, curling into the blankets. "Come back to bed if you don't have work."

"Cass, it's eight, it's time to get up," he tells me.

"It's eight?!" I screech, falling out of bed. "I was supposed to be up two hours ago, Dean!"

"Hey! Hey!" He says, trying to get my attention.

"Dean, why didn't you tell me?!"

"You don't have to do this anymore!" Dean says. I stare at him in confusion, still sitting on the floor. "You don't have to get up that early anymore. You're not with him anymore."

"I..." my voice trails off. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Dean replies. "Gabe is at school, just so you know. Have you been taking schooling?"

"Online. They wanted me to be caught up and get my GED," I admit. "I haven't started senior year yet, though."

Dean sighs. "I'll enroll you later. Public or homeschooled?"

"I'm tired of homeschooling," I admit.

"Will you be okay with public school?" He asks.

"Well, yeah. I've got a hot ass federal agent protecting me if anyone wants to start some shit," I retort.

My face flushes as he smirks. "Thanks, Cass," he chuckles.

"Sorry," I mutter.

"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong," he says.

•••

The whole day was spent getting school supplies and enrolling me into classes. Dean had to pull some strings, so that I'd be ready for school the next day. He also bought me clothes, since I didn't have any.

I wake up the next morning at 6AM. "Cass, turn off the damn alarm!" Dean grunts.

"I've got school," I tell him. "Am I taking the bus?"

"Damn right, you're taking the bus," he mutters. I chuckle at his sleepiness. "It comes at 6:45, just so you know."

"Thanks," I sigh.

Quickly, I get ready. I sling the backpack onto my shoulder before leaving the house. As I shut the door, I say goodbye to Gabriel, who is eating breakfast in the kitchen. The bus stop is in front of the house, so it's not a far walk.

I hop onto the bus, avoiding all of the stares. There's no more free seats, so I take one closest to the front.

"Hey, name's Jack."

"Castiel," I reply.

"First day?" He asks.

"Yeah," I sigh.

"You ever been to public school? You seem more nervous than usual," he points out.

"I haven't ever since I was thirteen," I admit. "Well, twelve."

"Wow," Jack chuckles.

Something buzzes from inside my backpack. I open each pocket until I find a lighting up phone. I look at it curiously.

Dean: Have a good day

I chuckle at the message on my screen. "Uh, do you know how to reply to this?" I ask Jack.

He looks at me skeptically. "You don't know how?" He asks.

"I've lived in a cabin for the past five years, in complete isolation. No electronics besides laptop for schoolwork," I tell him.

"You went from a cabin to that huge ass house?" Jack asks.

I nod, biting my lip. "Yeah, I'm living with someone else now."

"Is Dean your uncle or something?" He asks.

"Uh, no," I reply. "An Agent."

"Like, a foster care agent?" Jack asks.

I chuckle, shaking my head. "No, FBI Agent," I tell him.

He looks at me in shock. "How'd you score that sweet deal?" He jokes.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I admit.

"Sorry for asking," he says.

"It's okay," I reply.

The bus pulls up to school and we hop off. I hand him my locker and class information. "We'll figure that stuff out at lunch, okay? Just carry your bag with you until then."

"Okay," I reply. I follow Jack through the halls of the school, tightly packed. Every time someone bumps into me, I flinch. Maybe this is worse than I thought.

Finally, we stop at a locker. Jack opens it and I sigh in relief. He looks over at me with raised eyebrows. "Not a fan of crowds?"

"No," I sigh. "Or physical contact. Or conversation. Or the past."

"Damn, you must got it bad in your life," he says, looking back to his locker.

"You have no idea," I sigh.

I notice three guys standing there, pushing another guy against the lockers. Jack notices my stare. "Those are Shawn, Ryan, and Percy. Real douchebags. Football jocks."

I tense. "Did you say 'Ryan'?" I ask.

I must've looked terrified because Jack immediately ushers me to follow him through the halls once again. We stop in front of a classroom and I sigh.

"Guessing that's not a good name for you, huh?" He asks.

"No," I sigh. "Ryan is a terrible name. I hate it. Anyone who has it are awful."

I flinch when I'm shoved into the lockers. "What'd you say about me, huh?" A guy from earlier asks, presumably Ryan.

"Go ahead, hit me. Have fun in jail," I retort.

"You even think about going to the police and your problems are going to be a hell of a lot worse," he threatens.

"Leave any sort of mark on me, you'll get yourself in trouble," I tell him. I shove him off of me and enter the classroom, realizing that's my first period.

Jack takes a seat next to me, chuckling and smiling. "Holy hell, that was awesome!"

"Perks of having Dean, I guess," I chuckle.

My phone buzzes, making me sigh.

Dean: How's it going so far?

"Need help?" He asks. I nod. He shows me how to reply, so I do.

Me: School hasn't even officially started yet

Dean: You woke me up with all of that moving in the morning

Me: I had to get ready, Dean

Dean: Are the halls okay so far?

Me: There's some douchebag jocks, but that's nothing new. It was like that even five years ago

Dean: What happened?

Me: Nothing. I told him he should think twice about hurting me and shoved him off

Dean: Why'd he go after you anyway?

Me: I insulted his name. Called it awful and terrible. Along with that I hated it

Dean: Why'd you say that??

Me: His name is Ryan. Just my luck, huh?

Dean: Shit, are you okay?

Me: Yeah, Jack took me away from him in the first place

Dean: Jack?

Me: Sits with me on the bus. He's pretty cool

Dean: Glad you made a friend

Me: I'm not in kindergarten, Dean

Dean: Whatever lol I'll pick you up after school, okay?

Dean: Btw you have money in your lunch account for food

Me: Okay, and okay. I'll see you then, Dean

Dean: See you then

•••

As I exit the back of the school, Ryan catches up to me. I see Dean in a parking spot, leaning against a black car, definitely not government issued. There's not many cars in the parking lot, only about three. There's no staff nearby anymore, either. It's almost completely deserted.

"Hey, wait up!" Ryan calls out.

I swiftly turn around, putting my hands on my hips. "What do you want now?"

"Just wanted to say a little something," he says, walking closer to me. He shoves me backwards, so I stumble a bit. "What gives you the right to insult me without even knowing me?"

"Well considering how you're acting right now, I'd say I made a pretty good assumption," I retort.

He grabs onto my shirt and pulls me closer. I flinch, squeezing my eyes shut. "Hey!" Dean says sternly.

Ryan lets go of me as Dean walks up the steps. "Dean," I whimper.

"You're okay, Castiel," he whispers. "Just let me talk to this kid real quick, then we'll go home."

I nod in response. "What makes you think I want to listen to anything you have to say, old man? What's to stop me from taking you down too?"

"I believe this is," Dean says, pulling his jacket to the side. His badge and gun are holstered, as usual. "Unless you want to go to prison for attacking a federal agent, I suggest you back off Castiel, and me."

Ryan stumbles over his words, making me snort. "I–I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know."

"Clearly," Dean retorts. "You ready, Cass?"

"Waiting on you, Winchester," I reply, chuckling. I walk down the steps, Dean following in tow. Glancing backwards, I see Ryan still standing in the same position with a stunned face.

When we get into the car, Dean sighs. He drives off down the road. "On your first day, Cass. Seriously?" He sighs.

I look down at my lap in shame, biting my lip. "I'm sorry, Dean," I whisper.

"Hey, I'm not upset with you," Dean points out. "I just can't believe you were shoved on your first day by some dumb jock."

"I'm okay, Dean," I sigh.

•••

The next month passes by. It all goes by smoothly, for the most part. Let's just say everyone knows my name now, and to steer clear of any fights with me. I've also became friends with Blake, another friend of Jack's.

Dean drove me to school, on a random day. He headed to the office as I went to my locker.

The first couple periods go by quickly. By the time it's lunch, I'm bored out of my mind.

Jack, Blake, and I quickly exit the classroom, walking to the cafeteria. We notice a big hoard of girls crowding by the door. I roll my eyes, sharing the same tired look with Jack and Blake.

"Stupid jocks," Blake mutters.

I manage to weave myself, Blake, and Jack through the crowd. Maneuvering to get inside the cafeteria required going through. I stop in my tracks when I realize who's in the middle. Jack plows into me and I fall forwards. Blake just stops altogether and laughs at us.

"Ow!" I whine. Luckily, I don't hit the ground. Jack isn't so lucky.

"You were the one who stopped!" Jack whines.

"Hey, Cass," Dean smirks.

"You knocked over my friend," I complain, helping Jack onto his feet.

"I think that was you," Dean retorts.

"What are you even doing here, Dean?" I ask.

"How do you two know each other?" A girl asks.

"I'm here because of 'Ryan'," he says, referring to the case.

I flinch. "What does Ryan have to do with this?" A jock asks.

"Not your Ryan!" Dean sighs.

"Dean, you better not have your gun inside a school," I hiss.

"Nobody is coming near me, Cass. You see this circle? That's as close as I'll let them be," he says.

"This is the Agent?" Jack asks.

"Agent?" Blake asks.

"You told him about me?" Dean asks.

"Not much," Jack says.

"No," Blake sighs.

"Who are you?" Another jock asks. "I'm gonna get the principal!"

"I'm a federal agent! The principal knows of my presence!" Dean says loudly. He turns to me before whispering. "We need to talk about 'Ryan'."

"What's Ryan have to do with this?" Jack asks.

"Let's go," I tell them. "Make a line!" The crowd stares at me in confusion.

"He said: make a line!" Dean says sternly. People comply quickly.

"Suck ups," I scoff. "Dean, watch your gun. Jack, Blake, follow us."

"He has a gun?" Someone asks.

"I'm a federal agent, of course I have a gun!" Dean retorts.

The four of us walk until we're out of the line. I lead them to a nearby classroom, where my teacher likes me.

"Hey, Mr. Crowley, can we have this room for the lunch period?" I ask. "We have to talk about some stuff and there's a big crowd following this schmuck around."

Like I thought, people were trailing behind us. "Sure, Castiel." He tosses the keys to Dean, who catches it one handed. "Nice catch."

"Nice throw," Dean counters.

Mr. Crowley exits the room and Dean locks it. Swiftly, I take the teachers desk. Everyone groans in response.

"So, is 'Ryan' a code name or something?" Jack asks.

I flinch, covering my face with my hands and sighing. "Dean, can I tell them?" I ask.

"It's your backstory," Dean says.

"It's a federal case, Dean," I retort. "Now am I allowed to tell them or not?"

"Go ahead," Dean sighs, walking over to me and making me stand up. I scowl at him as he sits down.

"Assbutt," I whine. He chuckles. I crawl onto his lap and lean my back against his chest.

"You're so clingy," Dean whines, wrapping his arms around me.

"I think I have a right to be clingy with you," I retort.

"Are you two dating?" Jack asks.

My breathing hitches and I feel Dean tense. "Wha–? No!"

Blake just laughs at us. "Okay, okay. So what is so important we had to skip lunch and why do you know a federal agent?"

"I'm living with said federal agent," I retort. Blake looks at me with shock. "'Ryan' is a case name, according to Dean, anyway. My case name."

"Your case?" Blake asks.

I take a deep breath. "Jack, first day of school. I told you I lived in a cabin for five years and I haven't been to public school since I was twelve. Correct?"

"Yeah..?" Jack asks hesitantly. "What does that have to do with anything?"

I take a shuddering breath. Dean takes that as his cue to continue. "He was kidnapped five years ago, on a walk home from school. He lived in that cabin for five years, until someone else went missing. We found the cabin and didn't even know Castiel was missing. I found him hiding in a closet. We thought his name was Ryan."

"And that's what got a suitcase shoved in your face," I retort.

"And that's what got you in handcuffs," he counters.

"Actually, me running away from three federal agents made me get handcuffed. You didn't want me to be handcuffed even though I knocked you over with a suitcase," I say.

"Wait so you ran from three federal agents and shoved a suitcase at one of them?" Jack asks.

"Basically," I shrug.

Jack and Blake burst into laughter. Dean huffs at their response. I lean to the side, patting Dean's cheek gently. He slaps my hand away softly, making me chuckle.

"Then what happened?" Jack asks.

"Well Dean made Balthazar, another agent, take off the cuffs and lead me to my room. Stuff happened in there, not gonna say what, but eventually we got back to the police station," I tell them.

"Agent Bradbury interrogated him until like 2AM. Cass slept in till 6AM," Dean says.

"With you watching me as I slept," I add. "You creep."

"Excuse me?" Dean scoffs. My friends laugh.

"Or was that because they wouldn't take you off of station-arrest?" I ask.

"Station-arrest?" Blake asks.

"Dean searched the cabin. Director wasn't happy with him so he wasn't allowed to leave the station," I tell them.

"Why?" Jack asks.

"The missing child, after Cass, was my brother," Dean sighs.

I look down at my lap, leaning back to hopefully give him some comfort. He chuckles softly, wrapping his arms a little tighter.

"He's back, right?" Jack asks.

"Thanks to Cass, yeah," Dean says.

"It was my fault you didn't find him earlier," I whine.

"You were traumatized, Castiel. We still found him before anything happened," Dean sighs.

"They wanted to kill me, Dean!" I protest. I struggle to get off Dean's lap, but he holds onto me. "Let me go!"

"You're safe!" Dean says.

"I need to hide!" I cry.

"What happened to being safe with me?!" Dean asks.

"You're back on your job, Dean!" I whine. "You can't protect me 24/7!"

"But I'm here right now!" Dean points out. "Stop freaking out and I'll let you go!"

I struggle for a couple more seconds before giving up. He lets go of me, so I'm free to do whatever. I huff, curling myself onto his lap and burying my face into his chest. He wraps his arms around me again and softly shushes me.

"I–I'm sorry, Dean," I whisper. "I just remember what Gabe said and then what they did..."

"You've never told me what they did, Cass," Dean points out.

"You already know what she did, Dean," I cry. "Isn't that enough?"

"No, now that they're back," he sighs.

My breathing hitches and I pull away. "Where's Gabriel? If they wanted him before, losing him only makes their need for him worsen."

"I know, Cass," Dean sighs. "I have three agents with him."

"What about Sam?" I ask.

"What about him?" He asks.

"Bargaining chip," I point out.

"Shit," he mutters, pulling out his phone.

"Good job," I scoff, getting up and walking over to Blake and Jack.

"Cass, come back," Dean whines.

"Why?" I ask, turning back around.

"I'm cold now," he complains. "Come back."

"Focus on Sam!" I demand.

"Bossy!" Dean says in shock.

"Dean!" I say sternly.

"I'm going!" He sighs.

I sit on the desk that combines my two friends' chairs. They look over at me as I sigh. "He is so complicated sometimes."

"You have a federal agent wrapped around your finger," Blake points out, whispering. "That's awesome."

"He's a pain in the ass!" I say, raising my voice.

"Yeah, yeah! So are you!" Dean retorts.

"You told me to live with you!" I counter. Dean stays silent. I smirk at my friends. "Got him."

They laugh, making me do the same. A couple minutes of silence pass by. "He's safe," Dean says.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," I reply. "Dean, how did you know they're back?"

"He...left something on the front porch," Dean admits.

I jump off of the desk and walk over to him. "What was it?"

"A picture...of you. At your locker," Dean says.

I share a look with my best friends. We all have the same scared expression on our faces. "What do you mean, Dean? They have someone inside this school working for them? Watching me?"

I walk backwards, but Dean grabs onto me. He stands up and puts his hands on my shoulders. "You're going to be safe, Castiel. That's why I'm here. There's also an Agent at every exit. They won't get to you, or Gabriel. You're safe."

"Why do you even care?!" I say, ripping his hands from my shoulders and backing up. "You didn't even know me, Dean! If I leave, they'll take me and focus on me for awhile, not Gabriel!"

"You weren't enough last time!" Dean yells.

I flinch backwards, falling on my ass. I hit the wall and push myself up against it. "I'm never enough," I whimper.

"That's not what I meant, Castiel," Dean says.

"I wasn't good enough for anyone. My parents, Mr. Roman, Meg, Ryan," I say. The next part comes out quiet and barely audible. "You."

Dean scoffs in disbelief. "Of course you're good enough for me. Listen, your mind is playing tricks on you. I need you to tell me what happened when you were there. Was there some sort of pattern or schedule? Was there some sort of rule you guys had?"

"No," I plead. "I can't tell you. Dean, no."

"Should I call your therapist, Cass? Will you tell him?" He asks.

"No!" I screech, covering my ears. "I won't tell anyone!"

"Why not?!"

"Because you'd hate me! I can't lose you too!" I reply.

"What's so bad that you'd lose me?!"

I squeeze my eyes shut, rocking back and forth. "Jack, Blake, please leave. I don't want you to see this," I plead.

"'See'? Why can't you tell me?" Dean asks, while Jack and Blake leave the room. Dean locks the door and kneels in front of me. "Cass, what's going on?"

"Don't–don't hate me, Dean," I plead. I open my eyes, looking to the ground as I lift up my shirt. His eyes drift to my chest and he gasps.

"'D-E-A', Cass, why is this carved on your chest?"

"I–it...each letter was written as a punishment. He–he made me do it. I hate even thinking about it. You're the first person besides them who's seen it," I admit.

"Oh, god. Does my name remind you of it?" Dean asks, standing up and backing away. "I mean, it's basically my name carved on your fucking chest!"

I pull my shirt back down, sighing. "Dean, no!" I say sternly. "Don't even think that. Your name might be close to it, but he was spelling 'DEAD'. I think he was going to kill me after I finished it, or forcefully make me go too deep. But your name isn't a reminder of it."

"Why did he do this?!" Dean yells.

"Because I already tried to kill myself, Dean!" I admit.

His head snaps to face me. He walks over, kneeling down and pulling up my sleeves. I watch as tears flow down his face.

"Cass–"

"I never wanted you to find out. Trust me on that," I whisper.

"What happened?" He asks softly.

"I–it was after the first time," I start. "I couldn't deal with my first time being with someone I didn't even want. I–I was forced into it. I'm gay, for God's sake. I didn't want her. She got pissed and..."

"And?" Dean asks.

"No," I plead. "I don't want to tell you. I hate it."

"Cass," Dean sighs. "Please. It'll help to get it off your chest."

"No," I plead, shaking my head. "No, no. I–I don't want it!" The visions come back to me and I picture myself back on that bed. She's on top of me, holding pills out for me to take. "Get off of me! I don't want it!" She gets angered, hitting me on the side of the head with something. I become dizzy and she forces them into my mouth. She holds my mouth shut until I swallow them. "Why..? I don't want this..."

"Castiel!" Dean yells.

I snap out of it, looking around in confusion. "Dean?" I ask, my voice hoarse from crying and screaming. I wrap my arms around him tightly and sob into his chest. "I–I couldn't get it up. She thought I was insane or something and it pissed her off. She came back with some pills for it. I'm gay, that's why it wouldn't work." Dean shushes me, but I continue. "I'm gay, Dean. Why do I have to be gay? It only brings me problems. First, I'm bullied. Then, I have to take pills. And finally, I have this stupid crush on someone I know I can't have and it won't go away."

Dean perks up at the last sentence. My eyes open wide and my face flushes. I sigh and bite my lip. "Who? Anybody would be lucky to have you, Castiel. Is it Jack? Blake? Please tell me it's not Sam or Gabriel."

I scrunch up my face in disgust. "No!" I reply sternly. "Definitely not them. It's none of your concern, Dean."

"I won't tell them, I swear," Dean pleads. "Please tell me. I'm curious."

I laugh dryly. "Oh, the irony." I look over at the door, not wanting to see his face when realization sinks in.

He stares at me for a couple minutes, trying to figure it out. It was dead silent the whole time I waited. "Me?" He asks hesitantly.

"Bingo," I sigh, standing up and walking away. I don't make it far, though. Suddenly, I'm spun around and lips are crashed onto mine.

I squeal, realizing it's Dean. My hands go up to his cheeks and tangle themselves in his hair. Dean swiftly pulls away and breathes heavily.

"Shit, sorry," Dean mutters.

"'Sorry'? What for?" I ask. Then I back up. "You don't actually like me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He kissed me because he knew I'd be happy.

"What the hell? Of course I do, Cass!" Dean exclaims.

I shake my head, backing up again. "No, no you don't. You're lying to me. You could never want to be with me. I'm ruined, Dean. You don't want me."

"Cass," Dean sighs. "Don't be like this. You're troubled, sure, but that doesn't stop me from liking you. I can't help it. I've tried to get over it – for your sake – but I couldn't."

"For my sake?" I ask.

"I didn't want to risk trying something that would trigger a flashback or anything," Dean admits. "I didn't even know if you liked me."

"Dean, obviously, I like you," I sigh. I walk over to him and rest my hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes. "You deserve better than me."

"Why?" He asks.

"Because you're perfect, Dean. I can't even compare to that," I whisper. "I don't want to hold you back."

Dean lifts his hand and presses it on top of mine. "I don't care, Castiel. I want you. Everybody has baggage. Some more than others. I'm willing to wait as long as you need."

A small smile plasters across my face. "Are you sure?" I ask.

"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't," he points out.

I wrap my other arm around his neck and pull him into a soft kiss. Dean smiles into the kiss, wrapping his other arm around my waist.

I pull away a few moments later, resting my forehead on his. "Thank you, Dean," I whisper.

"For?" He asks.

"Saving me," I reply. "For caring, too."

"Always," Dean replies.

I smile at that. The bell rings, making me and Dean jump apart. I groan in frustration. "God damn bell!" I sigh.

"What's your next class?" Dean asks. I look at him skeptically. "Come on, I let you hang out with your friends without me. I was always outside the classroom. I'm coming with you now."

I chuckle, shaking my head. I walk over to the door and unlock it. After walking out of the room, I see Jack and Blake already gone. The halls are crowding quickly. I turn around and see Dean right behind me. I jump, making him laugh.

"Seriously, Dean?" I ask. "Why so close?" He shrugs in response. "I have chemistry."

"Lead the way," Dean says.

"Keep ahold of your gun and badge," I tell him.

"I know," he points out.

We exit the room, Dean following close behind me. People make room for us, startling me. It's like they can't even be around me anymore. I glance back at Dean, seeing a stern look on his face. He looks through the crowd with suspicion.

"Everyone's scared of you," I point out, turning back to the front.

"Good," he replies.

"Dean, relax. Please," I sigh.

I hear Dean let out a deep breath. We walk into the classroom, which is full of students. Even with having no crowd in the halls, I was the last student to enter the classroom. Everyone stares at us.

"Mr. Novak, why are you late?" Mrs. Naomi asks.

"The bell didn't ring, I'm not late," I point out.

"Yes it did," Dean says. I turn around and glare at him. "I thought you knew!"

"Mr. Novak, who is this?" She asks.

Dean walks over to the teacher. "My name is Agent Dean Winchester. I'm going to be with Castiel for awhile."

The whole room gasps. Clearly, most of them missed the memo. Mrs. Naomi looks stunned. "I...um, okay. Mr. Novak, please take a seat next to Ryan."

"Sorry, no," Dean says.

"Excuse me?" She asks.

I chuckle, walking over to them. "I'm sitting with Dean until the situation passes over," I tell her.

"What makes you think you can tell me what to do?" Mrs. Naomi asks me.

"This is a protection detail," Dean says. "I don't want to arrest you for impeding on the assignment."

"Dean," I say sternly. "Don't arrest my teacher, please."

Dean sighs. He grabs my arm softly and leads me to an empty table. I sit down next to him and Mrs. Naomi groans. "Okay, let's just start the lesson."

•••

By the end of the day, the news had spread across the entire school. When I was packing up my stuff to go home, something falls out of my locker. Dean picks it up and goes rigid.

"Dean?" I ask. "What is it?"

"It's from them," he whispers. I bite my lip, sighing. Dean puts his hand on my shoulder and I flinch. He crouches down next to me and helps me pack up. "It might be too dangerous to go to school. At least until we catch them."

"Dean," I whine. "What about my friends? What about my education?"

"You'll be able to see them after school. We'll get your class work from your teachers," Dean says.

•••

"Cass, get up," Dean whispers, shaking me softly.

"Nooo!" I whine, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him next to me. He grunts, but I wrap my arms around him. "Just come back to bed. You're comfy."

Dean moves around a bit before wrapping his arms around me. He chuckles, kissing the top of my head. "You're comfy too, Cass. I just wanted to take you out before you go on unofficial house arrest."

"You're mean," I whine.

"For wanting to take you out or for putting you on house arrest?" He asks.

"For waking me up so early," I retort.

Dean laughs before sighing. "I wanted to take you out on a date, Cass," he admits quietly.

I pull away and look up at him. His eyes are closed and he looks upset. I give him a soft kiss before laying my head under his chin.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't know," I say softly. "Just lay here with me a couple minutes and then I'll go get ready."

"You're not mad anymore?" He asks timidly.

I snort, shaking my head. "I'm just like that when I wake up. I wasn't mad at you, Dean. And since when do you get scared?"

"I'm not scared," he defends. "I was unsure. There's a difference."

"Unsure of whether to ask me out?" I ask. "Thanks, Dean. That's nice of you."

"Cut the sass," he chuckles. "I didn't know if you wanted that. It's one thing to like someone, but you're not exactly out. I didn't want you uncomfortable."

"Thank you," I whisper. "You're too thoughtful."

•••

Dean leads me into a quaint cafe place, down the road from the house. He opens the door for me. I smile and give him a thank you.

We take a seat at a random booth. I reach over and entwine our hands. He looks at me in confusion, waiting for me to explain.

"Dean," I start. I take a deep breath, not knowing how to say it.

"Cass, it's okay. Take your time," he says softly.

A waitress comes over. I look over to her, about to order, but her eyes are fixated on Dean. Her eyes rake across his body. Dean is oblivious to the act, as he's looking for something to order.

"Dean," I say quietly, with my jaw clenched. He seems to have not heard me, so I sigh.

I glance back at the waitress, whose eyes haven't wandered away from him. I squeeze his hand tightly, making Dean look up.

"Cass, what's wrong?" Dean asks, clearly worried. I keep my gaze fixated onto her. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as Dean follows my eyes. He chuckles, squeezing my hand softly. "That's cute."

"Thank you," she says.

I glare at her. "I meant my date is cute. You know, the one sitting across from me," Dean says awkwardly.

She looks over to me in shock. Then she realizes our entwined hands are on display. She clears her throat.

"Sorry about that, gentleman. What would you like?" She asks, still flustered.

"Apple pie?" I ask Dean.

Instantly, a smile lights up his face. I can't help mirroring the same expression. "Two slices of apple pie, thanks." The waitress then walks off. "You are cute, Cass. Overprotective even on the first date."

"Well excuse me for wanting to protect you," I retort. "You've been protecting me ever since you found me. You could have let me live on the streets, but you took me in. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Dean insists. He sighs. "Was that what you were trying to say earlier?"

"No," I reply, looking down at the table. "Just forget it."

Suddenly, the slices of pie are placed onto the table. It makes a loud bang at the impact. I whimper, retracting my hand.

"Seriously?!" Dean groans, looking up at the waitress. "I hope you're not like this with all of your customers. Probably because you're not used to rejection. You probably guessed, 'two guys, let's see if I can make a better tip'. When I turned you down, you got pissy. Do that with all the guys?"

She stands there, flustered. I wrap my arms around my legs, curling into a ball in my seat. I hear the TV be turned up in the background. The news is playing. Just my luck, it's of me.

I feel all the eyes shift onto me. "That's the guy, isn't it?" Someone whispers.

"Cass," Dean sighs. "You're safe. They're not going to hurt you anymore."

"No," I whimper, shaking my head. The seat next to me dips and strong arms are wrapped around me. "Dean, don't make me go back."

"You're never going back," he whispers. "You're safe. Okay? You're safe. He can't get you."

I open my eyes, hesitantly looking over to him. I watch as someone in the background gets up to leave. Recognizing him, I pull away. My back hits the wall and my breathing speeds up.

"Dean," I whimper. "Right there. I know him."

He looks over and stands up. "FBI, don't move!" Dean says. The guy pulls a gun, making everyone take cover. The waitress climbs into the side of the booth where Dean used to be sitting. Dean draws his gun and points it at the man. "I wouldn't shoot, if I were you."

"He's delusional!" He defends. "I don't know him!"

"Then why did you draw your gun?" Dean asks.

"I thought you were going to attack me!"

"No? Where did you hear that from?" Dean asks. "I'm guessing it was one of your buddies, huh?"

"I-I don't want to go to prison!" He pleads.

"Because you know what they'd do to a guy like you," Dean says.

"I just brought him back!" He replies.

"Just let me take you in. Okay?"

The man slowly places the gun on a vacated, nearby table. Dean holsters his and cuffs the man swiftly. He walks over, placing a couple bills on the table. He looks over to me, clearly upset.

Hesitantly, I walk over to him. "Dean, it's okay. We can always do this another time."

Two boxes and a bag are placed on the table, which the waitress quickly packs our food in. The boxes are then put inside of the bag and handed to me. I thank her and we leave.

Dean puts the man in the back as I get in the passengers. He hops in the drivers seat and pulls out.

"Cass, I'm so sorry," Dean says softly.

"Don't apologize, Dean. Like I said, we can finish later. At home, possibly?" I ask.

"Hide the pie from Gabe," Dean chuckles.

•••

We dropped him off at the station before going home. After arriving, we changed and sat down on the couch. I hand him a box as I open mine.

"Dean," I sigh. "I'm sorry for what happened today."

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"If you hadn't met me, none of today would've happened," I tell him.

"Well, like you said, we could always have another date," Dean points out.

I smile, putting down my pie. I wait for Dean to do the same before entwining our hands.

"Dean," I start. He looks into my eyes, waiting for me to continue. "Earlier in the coffee shop, I was going to tell you something."

"Yeah?" Dean says, urging for me to continue.

I sigh, looking to the ground. "I never imagined being saved, let alone living with my savior. And then to date him? I'm just trying to wrap my head around it."

Dean sighs, wrapping the arm next to me around my neck and pulling me into a hug. "Cass, I never meant to rush you. That wasn't my intention."

"That's not what I meant," I sigh. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that it's real. That you actually want me. I spent 5 years holed up in that cabin. And now I have you. You rescued me, yet you still try to do everything to make me happy."

"You deserve to be happy, Cass," Dean sighs.

I smile, leaning my head on his chest. We pick up our pies and eat them in silence.

•••

Over the course of a whole month, we've gotten 25 photos. Nobody could figure out how we got them without getting caught.

Sam is off of work today, Gabriel is at school, and Dean had just left to go meet with Bradbury and Balthazar.

I'm lounging on the couch when a knock sounds throughout the house. I go to the door, looking through the peep hole. My breathing hitches and I sprint up to Sam's room.

"Sam!" I say loudly. He turns around in his swivel chair, confused. "They're here."

Instantly, Sam is by my side. He pushes me into a medium-sized container and locks it shut.

*Dean's POV*

I walk into the cafe down the road from my house. Noticing Charlie and Balthazar, I sit down in front of them.

"Make it quick, okay? I need to get home to Cass," I tell them.

Before they can say anything, my phone rings. I sigh, pulling it out. Sam? Why would he be calling? I put the phone up to my ear after answering.

"Dean!" Sam says. "Get home now!"

"Sam, what's going on?" I ask, getting up.

"They're here, Dean!" He exclaims.

"Dammit! Where are the Agents?!" I ask, running out of the building.

Charlie and Balthazar are close on my tail. We all hop into my car and I speed down the road.

"I don't know, Dean!" Sam says sternly. "Just please, hurry."

"I'm on my way. Stay on the phone with me, Sam," I tell him. "Bradbury, call the police. They're at the house."

"They won't make it in time," Balthazar points out. "We're closest."

"Call them anyway!" I order. "Sam, where's Cass?"

"Hiding," he replies. "I can't fight them off by myself, Dean."

We pull into the driveway and I park. We get out and run up the steps to the porch. I curse at the sight of the front door open.

We pull out our guns and spread out around the house. "Dick Roman, Meg Masters! FBI! Come out with your hands up!" Balthazar yells sternly.

"Oh, shit!" Sam yells. I hear a crash on the line.

I hang up the phone and race up the steps. "Sam!" I yell. Balthazar and Bradbury quickly follow me.

We enter the room and I see Sam trying to fight him off. "Dick Roman, hands up!"

He doesn't listen. Balthazar holsters his gun and grabs Roman's arms, handcuffing him swiftly. "Where's Meg Masters?" I ask.

"No!" Castiel yells.

Sam runs out of the room, towards the hiding spot. The three of us follow him. Meg had picked the lock on the container Castiel was hiding in.

"Meg Masters, hands up!" Bradbury yells.

Meg pulls a knife from her pocket, holding Castiel with one arm, while the other holds the knife to his neck.

My breathing hitches at the sight. "Don't do it," I say sternly.

"He loves me!" Meg yells.

"You don't want to hurt him, do you?" Bradbury asks. Meg shakes her head violently. "Then put down the knife."

"I have to show him my love one more time! After that, you can have him," Meg says.

I take a deep breath. My emotions are getting in the way of my work. If I'm going to get Castiel out alive, I have to think rationally.

"Let me show him first. Then you can have him," I say.

"Why would I let you do that?" She asks.

"Because it'll make yours better," I lie. "Just go into the hall with the other two and I'll get you when we're done."

Hesitantly, Meg pulls away. "Don't hurt him," she tells me. Balthazar and Bradbury go into the hall, Meg following suit. They shut the door, giving us privacy. A couple seconds later I hear yelling. "That's not part of the deal! Get these things off me!"

I rush over to Castiel, who's staring there, stunned. I put my hand on his cheek and force him to look up at me.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper. "This is all my fault. I can't believe I almost lost you."

"Dean," Cass says, voice croaky. "Did you lie to her or did you actually want to?"

I clear my throat, looking away from him. "I'm not going to pressure you into anything, Castiel. Yeah, I wanted to, but not like that. I want you to be ready for that."

Suddenly, there's arms around my neck. They pull me down and lips are pressed against mine. We kiss for awhile before Cass pulls away. "I want to," he whispers. "I didn't want to say anything in fear of them watching us. Now they're arrested, they can't hurt me anymore."

"Cass, are you sure?" I ask.

*Castiel's POV*

I press my body flush against Dean's. I watch as he bites his lip and wraps his arms around my waist. "You tell me," I challenge.

I grind against him softly, letting out a soft moan. He groans, pulling me into a hard, passionate kiss. I back up and fall backwards onto the bed. Dean grunts as he falls on top of me.

He trails kisses from my neck down to my sweet spot. I moan as he attacks my neck, making hickeys all over my skin. I run my fingers through his hair and tug on it softly.

Dean pulls away and looks down at me with lust. "Under the covers," he orders.

We get up from the bed and pull them down. After hopping back in, Dean gets on top of me and pulls the blanket up to his shoulders. Slowly, we discard our shirts.

I watch as he stares at my chest. "Don't stare, please," I tell him.

"You're beautiful, Cass," Dean whispers. I smile and pull him down for another kiss.

"Dean, the police are here. They want to talk to Casti–" Bradbury pauses. Dean quickly rolls off of me and I cover my chest. "Oh my God, you were actually doing it."

"Charlie!" Dean groans. "Can you leave?"

"The police need to question Castiel," she replies.

"Not now," I reply quietly.

She sighs, closing the door. I sit up and look at the mattress in embarrassment. I basically forced myself onto him.

"Cass?" Dean asks. I bite my lip, not responding. "Oh, God. I screwed up, didn't I?"

My head snaps over to him. "I did. Not you," I correct.

"How?" Dean asks. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I basically forced myself on you," I admit, putting my hands over my face.

Dean wraps his arms around me, sitting up and pressing a kiss to my temple. "No, you didn't. Okay? That's not how it went. We both wanted this. Not just you. Don't blame yourself for what just happened."

I lay my hands on my lap, looking up at him. "Are you sure?" I ask.

He nods. Dean climbs onto my lap, leaning forward to whisper something in my ear. "If you still want to, we can always finish that later." His voice is deep and sexy. He pulls away and smirks, looking down at my boner. "Guess that's a yes."

I huff, rolling my eyes. "I'm not the only one sporting a boner, Dean," I point out. He chuckles, pulling me into a soft kiss.

"Balthazar, don't go in there!" Bradbury yells.

Before we can pull away, the door is opened. "Oh, God!" Balthazar screeches, covering his eyes.

Dean goes to get off, but I hold him firmly against me. He looks at me in confusion. "My chest," I whisper.

Dean nods, wrapping his arms around me again. We look over to Balthazar, seeing Bradbury standing there holding in laughter.

"Next time, you should probably listen to her," I sass.

Dean chuckles, while Bradbury lets out her laugh. Balthazar removes his hands and glares at me. "Well maybe you shouldn't be having sex in a house full of people."

Sam walks into view and groans in disgust. "Seriously, put some shirts on," Sam says.

I roll my eyes, Dean does too. "What do you need, Sammy?" Dean asks.

"They won't say who dropped off the photos," he replies. "I was wondering if you had any idea who it was."

"We only got photos, Sam," I point out.

"Not true," Dean says. "There was a note. It said: 'You took them from me.'"

"Dean," I say softly. He pulls away and looks down at me.

"What's that on your chest?" Sam asks.

My eyes open widely and I push Dean off, looking for my shirt. After putting it back on, I sigh.

"It was nothing," I lie. I look over to Dean, who has his shirt on now. "Dean, what if the message isn't for you?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asks.

"What if it was meant for me?" I ask.

"You're right," Bradbury says. "The person in the school. We always profiled it would be a member of the staff or faculty. What if it was another student?"

Dean gets up from the bed and exits the room. Swiftly, I follow him. Before he can exit the hallway, I grab his arm. He pushes me away from him. I whimper as I hit the opposing wall. Instantly, Dean turns around with big eyes.

I curl into a ball on the ground. "Y-you said you would never hurt me. Why would you lie to me, Dean?"

Dean tears up and they fall down his face quickly. He bends down and sighs. "I'm so sorry, Cass. I didn't know it was you. Trust me on that. Please, I didn't mean to be so harsh."

I take a shuddering breath. "You won't do it again, will you?" I ask.

"No. Hell no. I didn't even mean to hurt you," Dean whispers.

"Okay," I sigh. "Where were you trying to go, anyway?"

"Ryan," Dean says. "First day you two met, he shoved you into lockers. All because you insulted his name? It doesn't seem practical. Unless he knew you were his replacement."

"Dean," I start. "Let me go to school tomorrow. I'll confront him. You stand close, but unnoticed."

"No," Dean says. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"It may be our only choice," Bradbury says. "Ryan has evaded us for this long. I don't think he'll let us accuse him of anything. He won't admit to it. That doesn't sound like him."

"I hate to say it, but she's right. You need to let him do it, Winchester," Balthazar says.

"We'll all be there. Nothing is going to happen to Castiel," Bradbury adds.

"Fine," Dean sighs. He takes my hand, pulling the both of us on our feet. I'm pulled into a quick kiss. Dean backs away, looking me in the eyes. "You can't let him know we're onto him. Say you figured it out on your own."

"I basically did," I point out. The three of them laugh. "I'll be fine, Dean. Trust me."

•••

Lunch starts. I enter the cafeteria, walking over to Ryan's table. Bradbury and Balthazar are at both cafeteria exits, while Dean is seated at a nearby table.

Ryan looks over to me in shock. "What are you doing here, Novak?"

"I don't think you want everybody to know, do you?" I ask.

He fakes confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I lay down copies of all 26 photos, even the one with writing. His friends scatter to take the pictures off of the table.

"'You took them from me'?" A kid asks.

"Yeah, see, that's when it clicked. Originally, I thought that was directed to Dean. Them, being me and Gabriel. But then I got to thinking. What if it wasn't directed to him, rather me? Them, would be your parents. Mr. Roman, and Meg Masters."

Ryan tenses up at the last sentence. "You don't know me, Castiel," he says harshly. "Don't even think for one second that you know what I've been through."

"Oh, actually, I do. I was kidnapped by them and was forced to be with them for five years. Would you like to know what your mom did to me, huh?"

"No," he says, voice cracking. "They left me for you. I was abandoned. All because they saw you."

"So you took these pictures to get their attention?" I ask.

"They had to see I was better than you!" Ryan yells. "You took them away. Taking those pictures, it showed how pathetic you really are."

He gets up from his table and walks over to me. He grabs onto my shirt, but he's held back. "Don't hurt him!" His friends yell.

Dean walks over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Was that enough, Dean? Got your confession?"

"Thanks, Cass," he chuckles. Dean takes Ryan and cuffs his hands behind his back.

He goes to walk off, but I call out to him. "Dean!" He turns around and watches as I walk up to him. I grab his neck and pull him into a swift kiss.

"Aw, come on! That's just gross!" Ryan complains.

"Just be lucky you didn't see anything more," Balthazar says.

I pull away, rolling my eyes. "You should've listened to her, then."

Balthazar takes Ryan from Dean. "I've got this, Winchester. Stay with Cass."

They leave the room. I let out a deep breath and pull Dean into a hug. He wraps his arms around me tightly.

"It's finally over," Bradbury sighs.

"Thankfully," Dean adds.

"Cass, you okay?" Blake asks timidly.

I pull away from Dean and face my two friends. "Thanks for not freaking out over all of this," I say softly.

"You kidding? You threw a suitcase at a federal agent with zero fucks. That's a person I'd want to meet if I didn't know you already," Blake says.

Jack smacks him upside the head. Blake glares at him. I stifle a laugh, looking back at Dean. His eyes were already placed onto me. I raise an eyebrow at him. He chuckles, walking over to me.

"Yes?" I ask, with a playful tone.

"It's nice to see you like this," he admits. "You're just so happy. I love it."

I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Better get used to it, Winchester."

"Gladly," he replies, smirking. He leans down and plants his lips onto mine.

Bradbury clears her throat. We pull away and shoot her the same glare. I chuckle at our similarity. She looks over at something behind me, making me turn around. I jump, seeing Shawn and Percy standing there.

"We just wanted to apologize for the way Ryan had treated you in school. I know it was only verbal, but that didn't excuse everything he said to you. We should've stopped him, but we had no idea what was going on. When we confronted him, he just pushed it off. And then the agent showed up. We never meant for it to go this far."

I chuckle softly. "It's okay, both of you. At least you stopped him before he hit me," I point out.

"Cass?" Dean asks. He wraps his arms around my waist from behind. "Who are they?"

"Ryan's old best friends," Percy says.

Dean's grip tightens. "Dean, ow!" I whine. "Too tight!"

He chuckles, softening his hold on me. "Sorry, Cass."

Percy and Shawn look between each other before looking at us. "You two going out or something?"

"Yeah," I chuckle. "Dean, I thought I was the clingy one."

"Well you're finally away from them. For good. Excuse me for being happy," Dean retorts.

"Sorry, guys. Winchester here doesn't know personal space apparently," I chuckle. "Dean, come on. Let go."

"And what do I get out of it?" He whines.

I turn around in his arms, grabbing his head and pulling it down to where I can whisper into his ear. "We can finish it tonight," I propose.

I pull away and watch as his jaw clenches. His eyes are fixated on the ground, zoned out. I stand there, waiting for his reply.

"Dammit, Cass," Dean growls. He keeps his arms around me and leans down to my ear. "What's stopping me from taking you home and finishing it now?"

I think he meant it as a rhetorical question, but I answer anyway. "Nothing."

He unwraps his arms from me. "Excuse us," he says lowly.

Dean picks me up bridal style. "Dean!" I gasp loudly. "Put me down! What are you doing?!" I hide my face in his chest, not wanting to see anyone's stares.

He puts me in the passengers seat of his Impala before sitting in the drivers side. Quickly, he pulls out of the parking lot.

My eyes rake over his features as we sit in silence. I snort as I realize he has a boner.

"That's your fault," he points out.

"I don't think you're complaining," I reply smugly.

•••

Two days pass by. Sam and Dean wanted to take me and Gabriel our to eat as a first official 'family' dinner. I've been living here for months, but we've never actually sat down together and ate together. Either Dean was at work, Sam was at his job or college, Gabriel was busy, or I didn't want to be around others. It was about time we did this.

We walk into The Roadhouse, a small diner a close family friend of Dean's had opened recently. As we enter the establishment, a blonde runs over and pulls Dean into a tight hug. He wraps one arm around her, the other arm has our entwined fingers.

"Dean!" She says happily. "I was wondering when you'd stop by. Mom! Dean's here!" She turns around to look at the kitchen, waiting for a response.

An older version of the woman walks out of the kitchen. "Come here, boy! Give me a damn hug already!"

Dean walks over and embraces her tightly. "Hey, Ellen. It's good to see you. You too, Jo. Where's Bobby?"

"He'll be back soon. He's picking some things up," Ellen tells him.

Jo pulls Sam and Gabe into a hug. "Nice to see you two again. It's been a little while," she says. She looks over to me and gasps. I shift uncomfortably, looking to the floor. Jo walks over, making sure to keep her distance. "I've seen you before, haven't I?"

I nod softly. "Jo, don't bring it up, please," Dean says. He wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead. "You can trust her, okay? Ellen and Bobby, too. They won't hurt you."

Slowly, I meet his gaze. "Are you sure?" I ask softly. He nods. I pull away from him and look at Jo. "My name is Castiel Novak. You probably remember me from the police station."

She clears her throat. "You look better." I chuckle softly and nod.

"Novak?" Ellen asks, walking over to us. I nod. "I know some Novak's. Naomi and Uriel, right, Jo?"

"Yeah," Jo replies.

I step backwards at the mention of their names. My eyes go wide. "Cass," Dean says softly. "Let's sit down, okay? You're safe." I nod, so he leads me to a table. Sam and Gabe follow. They sit on their own side, so Dean and I can sit together. Dean pulls me onto his lap, resting my head on his shoulder. I let him, needing some sort of comfort. "That's them, isn't it? Your parents? The ones who hate you?"

I let out a whimper, getting flashbacks of when I came out to them. I had always known I was gay. I would look at guys instead of girls. Even though I was young, I knew. I didn't know it was something to be ashamed of at the time. When they found out, they changed. I was young and they hated me because of my sexuality. It wasn't fair.

"Castiel?" Naomi asks.

I curl closer to Dean at the sound of her voice. My mind gets fuzzy as she repeats my name. I'm brought back to reality when Dean speaks. "Who are you?" He asks.

I pull away and look over. She's standing next to the table, with Uriel next to her. Just my luck, she'd show up now.

"Mom," I croak. "Dad. What are you doing here?"

"We were eating, then we noticed you," Naomi says.

"Is this who took you?" Uriel asks harshly. He walks towards Dean, who clears his throat.

"I'd back up if I were you," Dean says. Uriel clenches his fists and jaw.

"And why would I do that?" He asks.

"Because I'm the one who saved your son. The one who's cared for him since he was found. You have no right to pretend you even cared about Castiel. You hated him because of his sexuality. You aren't even the one who filed the missing persons report. So back up."

I smile softly as Uriel retreats to his previous position. "I have a better family now than I ever did when I was with you. They don't have to pretend to care about me, because it's automatic."

"You were young, Castiel. It was a phase. We gave you space so you could figure that out," Naomi says.

"It wasn't a phase!" I say sternly.

"And how would you know? You've been gone for five years," Uriel points out.

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "Because I know. It's my body," I respond. I turn to face Dean. His face contorts into a look of confusion. I lean in, my mouth beside his ear. "Just go with it."

I pull back and Dean smirks. I wrap my arms around his neck and smash my lips to his. I hear multiple grunts of disgust. Jo and Ellen squeal from across the restaurant. I smile into the kiss and Dean pulls me closer. His lips move against mine.

"Dean, come on," Sam groans. "I'm pretty sure Gabe doesn't want to see that."

"Obviously," Gabe retorts.

I pull away and chuckle, leaning my forehead against Dean's. "Sorry, Gabe. Sorry, Sam." I look over and see Naomi and Uriel gone. I roll off of Dean's lap, sitting next to him. "Who's that?"

"That's Bobby," Sam says. "He practically raised us."

"Bobby!" Gabe yells. I look at him with shock. The brothers laugh at my expression. Bobby walks over and smiles.

"Hey, boys. Who's this?" Bobby asks.

"This is Castiel," Sam says. "He lives with us."

"Really?" Bobby asks, surprised. "How'd that come about?"

I shift uncomfortably. Dean sighs, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me closer. "I don't have to tell him, Cass."

I shake my head. "You can."

Dean sighs. "You know when Gabe went missing?" He asks. Bobby nods. "Same person who took Gabe, took Cass five years prior."

Bobby stares at us in shock. "What'd you get yourself into, boy? Taking care of a kid?"

"I'm not a kid," I defend. "I'm 18, and I didn't ask for Dean to take me in. But he did. He protected me and you should be thankful he did. They could've killed Sam if I wasn't there."

"What?" The four of them ask me.

I roll my eyes, crossing my arms. "I made sure Sam was safe when Dean came to my school. I told Sam when they showed up to the house. They could've taken Sam and used him to get Gabriel back. Instead, I was there and warned him. So then Sam had enough time to call Dean before he was killed."

They stare at me in shock. "Never thought about it like that," Sam mutters. They nod in agreement.

Dean wraps me in a tight hug. "Thank you, Cass," he whispers.

"I should be thanking you," I point out. "You took me in, when I could've lived on the streets."

"Thank you for saving my boy," Bobby says. "Dean would be an idjit if he just left you."

I chuckle softly. "You're welcome."

THE END