Broken!Castiel

The Bees and Niña

The angel strolled across the garden. His pristine, pressed and starched white hospital shirt and pants rustling against his skin as he walked. His strides were lacking their normal grace, and the Angel of the Lord was rather out of place. With broken wings, halo, and grace, the angel didn't have much left of him. Castiel sighed softly, but all of that was a matter for another time.

Clutched to his chest was a warm bottle of milk, a rubber nipple attached to the top of the old soda bottle it's purpose to allow the small mammal to drink the bottle's contents. The 50 lbs bag had read "Doe's Match" and sure enough, the little kid seemed to believe it to be the mother's milk. Castiel's sky blue eyes scanned the area around him. Beneath his white squeaky sneakers, blades of green summer grass grew and swayed in the gentle breeze. Insects swarmed in the air, a majority of them present due to the intensity of the evening's heat but the pests did not affect him.

He dropped his gaze and let a weak smile pull at his pink lips which were outlined with soft stubble as he came upon the pen that held Niña. The small doe bounced out of her shed and into the open section of her pen, her dark brown eyes on Castiel as she called up to him. Her voice was shrill, a loud call of hunger but to Castiel she simply sounded sweet. He sat the bottle down on the top of her shed, reaching down into the pen and scooping the kid into his arms. The doe squirmed, kicking and struggling in his arms as she searched for the red nipple that she knew supplied her dinner. But, Castiel merely held her closer.

"Hello, Niña."

The angel's voice was guff, but patient as he reached up and took the bottle back into his hands. He offered it to the kid doe who eagerly took it into her mouth, sucking contently at the much appreciated milk. Castiel gently eased the goat to the ground, letting her stand on all fours as she suckled. His rough hands stroked her small head gently, and receiving encouraged drinking from her end and a shake of her hairy tail. She pushed her muzzle against the bottle, trying to coax more milk out of it than her little mouth could at the time but upon realizing this attempt futile she resumed suckling at her normal pace.

"It is odd-,"

The Angel began, looking down at the doe.

"How goats appear to enjoy drinking with their heads tilted to the side."

Castiel mimicked Niña, tilting his head to the side as she had done. The little doe had bubbles coming from the left corner of her mouth as she downed the bottle. He straightened his own head out and with it, hers. Gently guiding the bottle until the doe's head straightened, and within moments, she had finished her meal. Air could be heard through the bottle, a sure sign that the kid had finished and Castiel gently pulled the bottle away from her.

"Here, let's wipe those off so you won't get them on me."

He twisted the bottle in his hand, taking her small head gently in his free hand and using the nipple to wipe the bubbles away from the mouth of the brown eyed mammal. He stood up, setting the bottle back on top of the shed and turned on his heel to walk towards the water valve. Began him, he heard the cry of his kid and turned to glance over his shoulder at her.

"Are you coming, Niña?"

The kid froze in her tracks, head alert as she looked at Castiel. She gave another call, softer this time before bounding up into the air and hoping towards her right. Her nose ending up in Castiel's flowers. He had set them up for the bees.

Castiel enjoyed the bees. They were hard-working, dedicated, and risked their lives to protect everything they worked for.

The doe sniffed at the brightly colored plant, not quite sure what to make of them. She had nothing but milk, pellets, alfalfa hay, and water in her diet at the moment. The flowers were an oddity and therefore something she must try. At first, Castiel thought nothing of it. He turned his head back forward and made his way to the water valve. Twisting it on, he muttered the human's common way of remembering which way was on and off.

"Righty tighty...lefty lucy..."

He turned the valve to the left, straightening up once he heard the water rushing through the hose. He turned on his heel, following the twisting hose to the end. It has been set at the base of a tree, picking it up he made his way back to Niña pen. The sound of the water sloshing into the bucket was peaceful, as was the sound of the bees buzzing in the nearby nest in the live oak tree. Once the small, clear colored bucket was filled the brim, Castiel pulled the water hose back and dropped it at the base of the tree to water it and turned his attention to his doe.

"Niña! No-! Those are for the bees!"

He cried, a bit surprised at his goat's actions. All he received was a soft grunt on her end, in her mouth, a yellow colored flower. Castiel rushed forward, pulling the petals for her mouth and gently setting them back in the pot before picking up the doe. Instead of squirming and kicked, she remained still once in his arms. Her head hung down, hungry eyes on the flowers but Castiel turned and walked towards the chairs set in the yard. He laid the doe on his lap, stroking her head as he stared out in front of him.

He could always plant more flowers. That would not be difficult. Niña has made a mistake, she was a simple animal and had no idea what she was doing. Mistakes were made all the time. Castiel blinked, his face remaining expressionless. His hand absentmindedly petting the goat, before she stood on his lap in search of milk once more. She turned, extending her neck and nipping at his chin. A weak smile pulled at his lips, as he lifted the goat away from him and stood. The chair swinging slightly whenever he exited.

"Perhaps I just made a mistake like you, Niña. But, the bees, they never make a mistake."

He muttered to the kid as he sat her back in his pen.

"I wish I were a bee."

He placed a hand on the fence the constructed her pen, looking down at the doe who was pacing back and forth trying to reach him once again.

"Come on, tree topper. Time to go back inside."

A familiar voice rang across the yard, he didn't have to glance over his shoulder to recognize it as belonging to Meg. His caretaker. He could picture the smug expression on the demon's face as she held her arms over her chest, dark brown eyes on him. Such, thorny beautiful pain.

He took the bottle that he left on top of the shed and turned around and started back across the lawn to meet her. When he reached her side, he stopped and gave her a weak smile.

"Have you met Niña, Meg?"

Meg rolled her eyes, but her head shake was gentle.

"Yes, Castiel. Many times."

The Angel let his smile widen,

"Today she ate my flowers I had planted for the bees. I wish I were a bee, Meg. I like watching them, and I think it would be enjoyable to be one as well."

Meg arched an eyebrow at the angel, before taking a hand gently on his forearm and nodding lightly.

"Well don't spoil it for me now. Tell me about it once we're inside."

Castiel nodded, following Meg inside and once they stepped inside the building he began to recount the story of The Bees and Niña.