Fallen

Chapter Twenty-Five

After our moment in the hallway, Dean seems to have forgotten the whole reason we'd ended up there in the first place. For a moment, so do I. Once we both remember, we're silent.

"Do you wanna tell me what's up now?" He carefully asks.

I never wanted to tell you at all, I think. "C-can I just tell you later? After we get this stuff with Sam figured out? I don't wanna ruin the moment."

He hesitates, but he smiles. Then he grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Sure. Whenever you're ready." He rises to his feet and pulls me up to mine.

When we get back to Sam's room, there's a man in a black jacket sitting in my chair. After some slight interrogating, he tells us that he's an angel named Ezekiel here to help Sam. That's when Dean informs me on what he really left to do earlier.

Ezekiel, or Zeke as Dean calls him, tells us that he was wounded in the fall and that he can heal Sam from the inside while he himself heals. Dean says that he'll deal with whatever needs to be done, and Zeke explains what he has to do to get Sam to unknowingly cooperate. Dean agrees.

Before Zeke enters Sam's dream, he turns to me. "Also," he says. "I can get you your grace back."

"You can? How?" I say in disbelief.

"Naomi is dead. She's no longer able to protect it," he explains. "I know where it is, but I will need some time to heal before I can get to it." A huge grin crosses my face. I'm overjoyed. I can't believe I'm actually close to getting my power back. However, I don't want to get my hopes up. Then, Zeke starts the healing process.

Shortly after, Dean's phone rings. It's Cas. He tells Dean what's happening with him, then Dean tells him not to trust any angels. That there are a few looking for him. Then before Dean finally lets me talk to him, I manage to hear him say something.

"Dean," he says just before Dean can take the phone away from his ear.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll keep her safe," Cas says.

Dean looks me in the eyes. I try my best to pretend that I have no idea what's being said. "I will," he says, not taking his eyes off me. "I promise." He hands me the phone.

"Dad? Where are you, are okay?" I say. As I talk to Cas, Dean starts angel-proofing the hospital room.

"I'm fine," Cas says. "Metatron took my grace, but I'm fine."

I can't help chuckling a little. "Not so fun, is it?"

I hear him sigh. "Celeste, I've told you that I'm sorry. If I could go back and change what I did-"

"I know, I know, chill," I say. "I was joking. I'm just glad you're okay. Please stay safe."

"I'll do my best," he says. "Don't let Sam and Dean get you into too much trouble."

I smile. "You have met the Winchesters, right?" Dean pauses in the middle of writing a sigil on the wall to give me a strange look. I swat my hand towards him to silently say "don't worry about it." He hesitantly turns back around and continues.

There's a moment of silence on the line. "Y-yes, I introduced you to them," Cas finally says.

I smile again. He's so literal. "Yes you did," I say, not even wanting to bother with trying to explain sarcasm to him. "Please be careful wherever you are."

"I will be."

I hang up the phone and hand it back to Dean just as he finishes the last sigil. I look around the room at all the markings. "You think this stuff works on me? When I have my grace?" I ask Dean.

He admires his work as well. "Only half of you," he smirks.

I smile at his joke and suddenly I'm hearing Dean's words in my head again. I love you, Celeste. I feel myself blush at the memory. He said that beautiful phrase to me, and we haven't even slept together yet. He's the first guy to ever say it to me before. Honestly, I didn't even know that that was possible...

As I remember the sound of Dean's deep voice saying the words, guilt pangs at my chest again. I so desperately hope he doesn't take back the words when he hears the truth. He said he has no room to judge anyone's past, but that doesn't mean he won't. Even if he just doesn't say anything out loud.

It only takes Zeke a few minutes after that to get Sam up on his feet. Well, sort of. It's Zeke controlling Sam's body, but nonetheless, Sam's out of the hospital. We had a run-in with a few less friendly angels, but we were able to successfully flea.

Which brings me to where we are now. In the Impala with Sam/Zeke, driving back to the bunker. I feel like I haven't been to the bunker in a month. It's been a long few days. That must be how Sam and Dean feel every day.

Zeke tells us that Sam absolutely cannot find out about his existence. He says something about Sam being able to expel him from his body, and that makes me wonder. Is that what happened to Cas's previous vessel? The one he was in when he um... created me? Maybe the guy found out about Cas using his body to accidentally impregnate a woman and expelled him out. I mean... That's what I would do.

Then I find myself wondering if my mother ever saw the vessel again. I wonder if she ever saw him and confused him for Castiel. What would the vessel's reaction have been? Or would he have even recognized her?

"Hellooo, Earth to Celeste," Dean says from the driver's seat.

I blink at his fingers snapping in front of my face. "What?" I look around to see that we've stopped.

"I said 'Are you hungry?'" Dean says.

Outside the window is a small diner. "Holy hell," I say, realizing I haven't eaten in, like, 12 hours. "Yeah."

Dean chuckles and shakes his head. The three, er four?, of us exit the car and make our way to the diner. As I walk beside Dean, I feel his fingers snake in between mine. I smile and squeeze his hand. I never pegged Dean as the hand-holding type. Not that I'm complaining. The simple gesture reminds me that he's there. It lets me know that he's right next to me and will be there for me through it all. It assures me that he isn't a dream.