Always Keep Fighting

Always Be Our Angel

     Raven stood next to Sam and Dean listening to Castiel talk. She was observing his emotions, or lack thereof. Dean glanced over at her and rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dean, do you find what I am saying annoying?" Castiel asked catching the eye-roll.

"What? No." he shook his head. "I was just noticing something, is all." He looked over at Raven straight-faced.

Sam looked between his brother and Raven.

"Did I miss something?" he asked picking up on the tension.

"Always, Sammy. Always." Dean joked. He straightened up and looked back to Castiel. "Continue."

"As far as I can tell, we're the only survivors from Earths last war." Castiel continued.

"So where were you when you woke up? Or what happened to you? You don't exactly sleep." Sam asked.

"Just because I don't sleep doesn't mean I can't get knocked out. You know this, Sam." Castiel responded clearly irritated."

"Hey hey, let's just take a second to breathe and take in everything we've learned so far." Dean interjected.

"We are breathing. If you were not, you would die." Castiel stated.

Dean laughed and shook his head at how literate Castiel can be. Being an angel, Castiel does not understand much emotion or phrases such as the one Dean just said. He mostly only knows facts. What is and is not. In all of the years Dean and Sam has known Castiel they have taught him things and he has caught on to others. He slowly started to learn emotions and feelings a while back but was quickly 'reset' by Heaven when he was yanked back and reprimanded for befriending humans. It seems sometimes that he remembers some of the emotions and definitely understands irritability. But he struggles with most human emotions.

"When I came to, like you, I was surrounded by trees. But it was different than what you described. I felt... off." He said looking away from the guys.

"What do you mean off?" Sam asked.

"I don't know how to explain it. I felt a surge of energy within me. Power. More intense than I have ever felt before. Almost like a vibration within this vessel." He described. "For a while I feared that this vessel would no longer contain me. I was afraid the battle had damaged it beyond my repair."

"How did you get it to stop?" Dean asked.

"I didn't do anything. It just eased away. I figure whatever damage it was, my Grace healed it."

"So, no one else survived?" Dean asked walking away to begin pacing. "Rowena, Crowley, Gabriel?" he looked back to Castiel, "Michael?" he said quietly.

"If anyone did, Dean, I can't feel them." Castiel answered.

"Cas, you were with Gabriel and Michael at the very end." Sam started.

"What do you mean?  How can you know for sure?"

"There's a time portal here.  We went back to try to figure out what happened.  We watched you, Gabriel, and Michael circle us, link arms and shield us with your wings." Sam explained.

"Yeah, and your wings were glowing." Dean added.

Castiel looked at the two brothers in confusion.  He stood quiet in deep thought until it was interrupted.

"Other than healing yourself from the battle, do you know if your powers even work here?" Raven asked.

Sam and Dean both considered the question and waited for Castiel to answer.

"I don't know. I haven't had a reason to use any."

"Well let's figure this out. Knowing this could be useful." Dean stated. "Read my mind."

He stared quietly at Castiel as the room went silent waiting for any sign that he still had this ability.

"I don't understand." Castiel said.

"You heard what I was thinking?" Dean asked.

"Yes and I don't understand. I haven't talked to her." Castiel stated looking from Dean to Raven.

A look of confusion appeared on Raven's face as Sam was making a comment.

"You've got to be kidding, Dean. Seriously?" Sam said.

Dean laughed and shrugged knowing that Sam understood exactly what he said to Castiel.

"So you can still read minds. That's promising, maybe you can do everything." Sam said bringing the focus back to finding out if Castiel was still full angel.

"What else do you want to know?" Castiel asked.

"Where exactly are we?" Dean answered.

"We're in the galaxy Moya on planet Talyn." Castiel answered matter of factly.

"So you know this place?" Sam asked.

"Well, yes, I know... I just don't know how I know."

"So if this galaxy is ticking, does that mean Chuck isn't dead?" Raven asked.

"No. I don't know how this place is here but Chuck is definitely gone."

"How can you be so sure?" Sam asked.

"Because, every angel has a bond with Him. He did create us after all."

"A bond?" she asked confused.

"Maybe I'm not wording it properly. Each angel is connected to him due to us being one of his first creations. That bond is how he controlled us. Angels never had free will. If something we did wasn't to his liking, he could pull us back home instantly and sort of 'reset' us to his own specific mold." He explained.

"And you don't feel this bond anymore?" she asked.

"Hot damn, Cas, your strings have been cut." Dean stated clapping his hands together once.

"I do not understand that reference." Castiel stated dryly.

"What he means is, the hold over you, or 'bond' you had with God is broken." Raven explained.

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning, you're finally free, Cas. You are now your own angel. Free to do and live as you please." Raven said smiling.

"Oh. So what you're saying is, I no longer have a home to go to." He said lowering his head as if he was sad.

"That's not what I am saying at all, Cas." Raven quickly replied.

"Your home is with us, Cas. It has been since the day you became family." Sam stated patting Castiel on his back.

Castiel looked up to the three of them and smiled.

"Thanks, guys, but this still doesn't answer why on Earth we're still here." He said.

"Why on Talyn." Dean corrected.

Castiel cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Why on Talyn. You know, because we're no longer on Earth, so that phrase is moot." Dean said laughing.

"You are still so confusing." Castiel stated.

"Yeah, well," Dean crossed his arms over his chest dramatically, "You're still an angel."

"Why would that change anything?" Castiel asked genuinely confused.

Sam, Dean, and Raven each laughed, shaking their heads in amusement.

"It doesn't, Cas. Dean is just being Dean." Raven stated. She moved closer to him, patting his shoulder and said, "You'll always be our angel."