I'll Protect You, Always (Supernatural AU/ Castiel love story )

Chapter 16

One month later

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It finally consumed me. The dread. I let it completely take over me. I didn't eat, sleep, shower, or get out of bed. I constantly had both Sam and Dean coming in updating me on the war, but it all went in one ear and out the other. They begged me to eat, but I refused. Annabeth would sometimes come in and tried to keep me company, but it always ended with her sighing in frustration and walking out. Why would I live when my only reason to live was taken away from me? I didn't have any tears left to cry. I was too empty. Every part of me was numb.

Castiel had been the only person in my life for so long and then he was just gone. I managed to convince myself that I'd never see him again. The first two weeks without him were okay. Every day we would spend hours looking for him. A different place everyday. Never even finding a trace of him.

I tried visiting heaven, but there was a strong force blocking me. It was like heaven was closed up or something. I tried getting a read on him, but he was being blocked too. I was optimistic for a while, but eventually I became hopeless. There was nothing left for me on Earth. So why live? No one would miss me if I just withered away and died.

Unfortunately today was no different. I lied in my bed just blankly staring up at the ceiling. I then heard something but I continued to lie still. I could tell by the heavy footsteps, that Sam had just walked into the room. 

"Hey Annabelle, I brought you a glass of water and some soup," he gently placed the food and water on my bedside table. I could smell the soup, and my mouth quickly started to water. I could tell it was chicken noodle soup. I was so hungry, but my strength to live was just gone. My muscles were so weak and I had no will power left to push myself up. I ignored the pain of starvation and said nothing.

I could sense Sam was watching me. He then sighed loudly and said, "Eventually you'll have to eat, Annabelle. You'll have to eat or you'll die." 

I hadn't spoke in a week and the first word to come out of my mouth was just one croaky, "Good." 

Sam's head snapped towards me, and I could feel the automatic confusion and anger rolling off him. 

"Good? How is that good? Why do you want to die? Don't you know how devastated Dean, Annabeth, and I would be if you died? Don't you know how much you mean to us? You're family, Annabelle. You're like a little sister to us," he was yelling then his voice turned soft on the very last sentence.

I cringed because I knew how much pain I was putting Dean, Annabeth, and Sam through. I knew they would hurt when I was gone, but they would eventually forget about me. They had bigger fish to fry, anyways.

Sam watched me for another second or so, shook his head in defeat, and then walked out of the room. I could hear his footsteps start to disappear down the hallway, and then the walls started to shake. Everything in my room began to shake. My survival instincts finally kicked in and I shot up into a sitting position. I watched as all of my stuff fell to the floor. I heard a loud thump come from the hallway, and then I heard someone scrambling around. 

"ANNABELLE!" Sam's voice boomed from the hallway.

Seconds later he was standing in my doorway running towards me. The shaking had become even more violent. Sam reached down and picked me up bridle style. He grabbed my bag that was always ready for me to run with, and he ran. When we got into the main room Dean and Annabeth were waiting for us. Dean had his gun and Annabeth was holding an angel blade. The lights started to rapidly flicker, and Dean dropped his gun. Then a loud ear piercing screech rang throughout the room.

Dean and Annabeth dropped to their knees. Sam was struggling to hold me, and he also dropped. Sam set me on the ground and placed his hands over his ears like Dean and Annabeth. Just as the noise started to almost become unbearable, I could hear whispering. Multiple voices were calling out my name over and over. 

"Annabelle Annabelle Annabelle," the soft vices chanted. The voices were so sweet and welcoming. They were almost angelic. Wait, angelic?

I then knew what the voices were being made by, and I was aggressively snapped out of my almost trance like state. 

"Come out you cowards!" I screamed as loud as I could. The sound immediately stopped, and a excruciatingly painful light appeared. I had to advert my eyes, but when the light died down and I looked back, I almost had a heart attack. There standing before me healthy as a horse, and in all his glory was none other than Castiel himself.

He looked extremely well put together. I could feel the power radiating off him. His hair was completely gelled down and combed. His trench coat was neatly ironed and washed. There wasn't a stain on one of his items of clothing. He didn't have any scars on him at all. But, what really made me uneasy was the way he held himself. He held himself like a solider. He was standing tall and straight. His angel blade by his side. His face was set into a scowl, and his eyebrows were knit together. He had changed. He was not the same. He was not my Castiel.

Everyone had uncovered there ears and slowly made their way up from the ground. Castiel shot them curious looks, but almost immediately turned his attention back to me. Castiel stared at me with such intensity, it was as if he was looking right into my soul. Knowing him he probably was. 

Dean gingerly made his way towards Castiel and asked," Cas?" 

Castiel shot him a glare, his lip turned up, and he waved his hand at Dean. Dean went flying back into a wall.

Sam and Annabeth immediately both straightened into fighting positions. Castiel waved his hands at them, and they too went flying into the wall. I stood there totally frozen. Castiel looked back at me and suddenly stood right in front of me. His whole aura was so intimidating I had to take a step back. 

"I'm Castiel, you're protecter. Nothing more, nothing less. I will protect you, but I will need to return to heaven from time to time. We will not become friends and you will not get close to me. I don't love you. You are my assignment and when the war is over I will leave you for my next assignment. Are we clear?" he raised an eyebrow at me waiting for my response.

I was completely taken aback. Every time he said something, I hurt more and more. He made me sound like some project that he was just working on. Four words out of that whole speech were echoing in my head though. I don't love you. He said it like it was the most normal sentence in the entire world. His speech sounded so rehearsed and robotic. It was like he had someone feeding those lines to him. They probably made him say that stuff. I really hope they did.

I was beyond hurt though. They killed him. They killed my Castiel. My baby in a trench coat was gone and it killed me knowing that I might never get him back. No, I couldn't think like that. I was going to get him back. And, when I did those freaking angels were going to wish they never messed with me.

"Well, do you understand?!" Castiel's booming voice broke me away from my train of thought. 

I quickly nodded and he said, "Good, I have to return to heaven for a while, but I'm sure these monkeys will be able to keep you protected for at least a couple more hours," he gestured towards Sam, Dean, and Annabeth. He then gave me a short curt nod and disappeared.

I turned towards them and Annabeth had a very sympathetic look plastered on her face. Sam and Dean just sat on the ground looking very confused. Dean glanced at me and saw the hurt look on my face. He was about to say something, when I turned on my heel and ran down the hallway. I kept running till I got to my room despite the people calling my name. I slammed the door shut and locked it for good measure. 

I needed to clear my head. I was hurt, but I was not sad. I was beyond enraged. I was infuriated at the angels for brainwashing Cas, but I was also angry at Cas. How could he let them do that to him? I thought he was stronger then that. Well it didn't matter because I had a reason to live. It was not love, or regret either. It was determination to get back the thing I had lost. I was getting Castiel back. He was mine, and he always would be.

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Oooooooo Annabelle is getting angry. Can't wait to see how powerful Cas acts. I'm very excited to write him. I'm ready for what is to come. Are you? I hope you guys enjoyed it. Have a wonderful day my lovelies!