Who Would've Thought

Reunited

"Are you clothed", Gabriel shouted from the living room. I rolled my eyes and suppressed a laugh.
"Yes dipshit", I hollered back. He and my brothers entered my room soon after. Micheal and Lucifer gave me a hug and told me to call if I needed anything or if Gabriel was being stupid. I thanked them and wished them a good trip before they all left the room again. I sighed and flopped back on the mass of pillows littering my bed. They let me leave the hospital a little after nine this morning but I hadn't got much of the rest that Nurse Mosley, who ended up insisting on being called Missouri, had told me to get. Every hour on the dot one of my brothers, if not all three, rushed in the room to see if I was in pain or in need of something. I appreciated their help but good god I wanted to sleep some more.
I listened to them converse in the living room and eventually zoned out, only kind of watching Deadpool 2. I wanted to sleep but it was 2:57 in the afternoon, and I knew Jo would be here soon. Everyone insisted I still tell her the full story and she kept saying she wanted to hear it, that she would listen. Plus she owed me the explanation of how exactly she got me to the hospital. All in all there was a long over due talk in store for us and it wouldn't happen if I was asleep. I started drifting off but thankfully a loud knock on the door startled me fully awake.
"Castiel? You awake", Jo called from outside the door. I clicked pause on the movie before telling her to come in. She entered the room slowly and crinkled her nose as she looked over at me. I frowned in return, wondering what was wrong. "Are all the pillows necessary", she asked. I shrugged.
"Ask Gabriel and the other two. They all deemed it necessary", I replied. She grinned and shook her head.
"God forgive anyone argue with that logic", she said sarcastically. She dropped her bag at the foot of my bed and sat down towards that end, leaving against the foot rest. "So", she started.
"So."
"How you feeling?"
"Okay I guess. I mean they let me go home so that's good." She nodded and we sat in silence for a few minutes.
        "You wanna go first? Keep things in order", she asked after a moment.
        "You don't want to talk first huh", I teased her.
         "Not really no", she admitted. I nodded and launched into the story I had told several times before and hoping it would be one of the last times I'd ever have to tell it. Jo flinched during several parts of it and there were moments when I had to pause. Even after telling it so many times, it was still hard to get all of it out. If anything, this was even harder than before because this had more risk. Jo was my best friend in the world before all of this. I used to tell her everything and vice versa, and we always had a faint idea of what the right thing to say was. Now it's wide open, there's no guess in what way she'll react. Even though she seemed pretty okay with me at the hospital last night.
         I told her every detail that happened until I passed out last night, every detail I could remember. When I finished she immediately started talking. "I was coming home from a party. I had gotten an invitation in my backpack on Thursday. I didn't know who put it there but I assume it was Meg. Her and that whole crew was there. I only went for the distraction. It was weird though, not having any of you there with me. Dancing wasn't as fun and getting drunk didn't feel as safe or sound as appealing. I knew mom was probably still at the Roadhouse and Ash likely was too."
        "So I called Dean. I asked him to come pick me up and take me home and he did. He was quiet in the car, we both were. He didn't have the music on and I could tell something was up with him. I guess he over heard you and mom and it was a lot to take in. I know I was overwhelmed with it all, I'm sure he is too. Anyway we were driving down the road when we heard a scream. He screeched to a stop and we gave each other a look before sitting there, waiting to hear something else. We heard another scream and some shouting. We got out of the car and walked around trying to find the source. After a few minutes, we heard you shout. Dean bolted that direction and I followed. We saw Alastair flip you off him and Dean ran to tackle him once he started kicking you."
        "After a few minutes I didn't think you were breathing anymore and you wouldn't answer me when I talked. I yelled for Dean and he left Alastair and came over", she broke off her and I could see tears running down her face. "You wouldn't even begin to imagine the look on his face when he saw you Castiel. All the times in the past when you were beaten didn't compare to this, even when you were almost drowned. This was more terrifying, probably because we hadn't known your condition before the fight. Hadn't really made up with you or talked to you. He picked you up like you were a stack of papers and got you in the car. We drove you to the hospital and once they started calling your brothers he bolted."
        I choked back a cough and had trouble swallowing. Even on bad terms, Dean still was trying to save my life. The thought broke my heart more and I started crying silently too. Jo moved forward on the bed and I leaned up to meet her in a hug. "I'm sorry Castiel", she sobbed into my shoulder. "I'm so sorry. We didn't- I didn't know what to think and you've lost everything and Dean was hurt and it's my fault. I should've gone home with you that night. I shouldn't have let you go until you talked because I knew something was wrong but-."
        "You didn't know", I wept. "How would you have? I wasn't wanting to talk and I didn't give any reasoning. It's not your fault. If anyone's it's mine. Although I vote to blame Alastair." She laughed through her tears and made the same weird noise she did last night.
        "I've missed you Cas", she whispered.
        "I've missed you too Jo", I told her. At that moment Gabriel walked in the room and jumped back, causing our hug to break apart.
        "Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt", he apologized. "I'll just come ba-."
        "No you won't. Come over here", Jo demanded with a laugh. Gabriel came over to the bed and Jo pulled us both into a hug. "It's been a messed up month", she commented.
        "No kidding. I mean we got this place and no one has come over to party or anything", Gabriel joked. Jo and I laughed, the hug been much quicker than the last.
        "Hey if you're cool with it, we can party here every night", Jo assured him.
        "Yes", Gabriel exclaimed. He jumped off the bed and bounced around the room. "This is great although I guess we should probably wait until Castiel's better." I rolled my eyes getting what he was hinting at.
        "Go call everybody. Jo wanna help me cook for the masses", I asked. She looked over and grinned before ruffling my hair.
        "Always", she promised. She helped me off the bed and we walked to the kitchen, grabbing whatever we had to feed whoever would come over. "You guys barley have chips", she laughed after we searched several cabinets.
        "Yeah we don't shop often and when we do we don't grab much. Shopping trip", I suggested.
        "Definitely. Gabriel call everyone up. Me and Castiel are grabbing food cause you guys suck and have nothing."
        "Don't blame me", he shouted. "I don't do the whole shopping thing. Oh stop by the bakery though and grab sweets. There's a bag in the cooler with my name on it that I forgot to bring home. Lucifer and Micheal are gonna be pissed that they left too soon", he said the last part to mainly himself. I laughed and shook my head before grabbing the keys and following Jo out the door.

        "Cassie", Balthazar shouted. "Your brother ate my cake ball and it was the last one." I rolled my eyes at his complaining and shoved Charlie off me. She bounced around so much she kept ended up on me.
        "Charlie hold still", I exclaimed. "Sorry Bal, nothing I can do for ya!" All of my group had come over and Gabe got a few work friends who were younger to come over. The apartment was crowded and very warm from all the movement. I'm surprised the neighbors haven't complained for the noise we've been making to be entirely honest. I got off the couch and headed to the kitchen to grab some more beers for everyone. Jo followed me and threw her arm around my shoulder and stole a beer from my hand. I looked over at her and grinned when I saw her smile up at me. "I take this to mean we're good?"
        "Oh yeah", she reassured. "We're good. I can't stay mad at you, especially when you're not at fault." She laughed and I chuckled with her.
        "It does make it more difficult that way", I pointed out. She nodded before grabbing a few more beers and helping me hand them out to the rest of the crowd. Jo ended up sitting on me, being careful to not lean on me or hurt my arm. Although even if she was hurting me, I'd muddle through it. I'm just glad to have her back, even if it took far too long. All night long Jo and the rest of the girls were taking millions of pictures, glad that everything was back in order. For the most part anyways. Before everyone left, everyone signed my cast and decorated it how they saw fit. Once the neighbors started complaining and we got a call from the cops, we decided to have everyone go home. Minus Jo because naturally she wanted to stay.
        We cleaned up the place for the most part, mainly cause clean up the day after ruined the mood. Eventually though Gabriel sent me to bed for rest since I was wanting to attempt school tomorrow. Jo followed behind me and I lent her some sweatpants and a shirt to wear to bed. We crawled into my bed and she curled up into my side. "Glad to have you back", she yawned. I grinned and yawned once myself.
        "Good to be back." It didn't take long before I fell asleep and there was no doubt in my mind that Jo quickly followed suite.