Where Is Heaven

Chapter Two - Bad News and Worse News

"I'm glad you're here." Bobby shook his head slightly and winked at Sam who was standing a bit behind Dean. He had walked out to Cas standing awkwardly behind the screen door and Dean staring intently on Cas. He shrugged off all the sentiment and opened the door around Cas. "Food is ready boys."
Dean watched Cas with no indication of moving. Until Sam pushed past him and clunked to the door did Dean even begin to blink again. Cas moved listlessly to let Sam into the house. Bobby held the door for Dean but Sam grabbed his arm and pulled him farther into the house.
"Let's give them a moment." Sam whispered to Bobby as they headed to the kitchen.
Cas finally came from behind the door and stood face to face in front of Dean on the porch. "Where have you two been, hunting?"
Dean nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "We were chasing a werewolf. WHT about you?"
"Making a living. Being a normal boring guy. Gabriel visited me last night." Cas' glance left Dean's eye and triggered panic in both their minds.
"Are you in trouble?" Was the first question that came across Deans mind.
Cas shook his head once and then stopped. He shrugged with discouragement. "We are all in trouble."
"What?" Deans voice was sharp and it made Cas jump despite himself.
"Gabriel believes Lucifer is going to scale a full fledged attack on you. He is going to use all of his underworld resources to kill you."
Dean sighed deeply and stared at Cas with raised eyebrows. "What's new?"
Cas fumbled with his hands and stared into Deans eyes with fear. "He has the yellow eyes demon. They plan to posses Sam or at least draw him away from you."
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" All of Deans fears were rising to reality as he realized the lose from this one demon that had plagued thee family over a lifetime.
"I wish it wasn't so. But I have requested to rise to Grace once again. I am to have a talk with God any time now." Cas stuck his chin up proudly and took a deep breath. He tried with every once of his human soul to be strong enough for Dean.
"Cas... Why?" The hurt in Deans voice caught as offguard.
"So I can stand by you. I will protect you and everything humanity stands for if it kills me. But I can't do anything as I am now and that is ripping a tear in my chest." He looked away from Dean and out into the swaying fields that were more beautiful than any sight in heaven.
"But you fought for your human soul. You fought to be a human." Dean was beginning to realize just how much he had hurt Cas when he forced him to leave. How profoundly the loneliness had weighed on his soul.
"And look where I am. I am not worth the soul. I was better of the angel who could protect you. You are what matters. And it took me losing you to see. Your soul is worth far more than mine. And if I have to give mine, to protect yours, then so be it. I would do it in a heartbeat." A tear clawed it's way down cas' face.
"Cas-" Dean swallowed hard as the words he needed to say weren't there. He wanted to tell him how much he meant to him. How much his soul meant to Dean. But it wasn't coming out of his mouth. So he stared at him with nothing but a painful expression.
Cas nodded at the silence and wiped the tear carefully from his face. "I know that you tried to be a friend to me. I appreciate all you have done for me, but I will work in your shadow from now on. No one needs the hassle and strain this friendship takes. I won't be bothering you."
Dean watched in horror as his silence seemed unbreakable. Cas held himself together and walked past Dean without letting even their arms brush. Dean turned and wanted to reach out and grab hold of his angel, but his body was numb and it seemed weighted with asphalt. He watched silently as Castiel got into the car he had been renting and drove off out of Bobby's driveway. A knot formed in Deans throat and his heart burnt deep within his chest.
Part 2
"Yellow Eyes is back." Dean muttered as he trudged across the kitchen tile and shoved himself down in a seat opposite of Sam. The burger and fries on his plate made him nausea. Everything felt wrong as he watched Cas leave over and over again in his mind.
"Demon? THE demon?!" Sam's eyes widened and a shot of pure terror seized his entire system.
"Cas heard it through the angel grape vine." Dean felt a sudden urge to close his eyes and pray to God so He doesn't grant Cas his Grace. "That's the bad news. There is worse news."
Sam and Bobby both held their breath waiting for the drop of a majorly horrible hat.
"Cas is going to beg God for his wings back." A sour taste erupted in Dean's mouth.
Sam squinted his eyes and stared at Dean questionably. "How is that worse news?"
"He is going to be an angel again. He will be a mindless drone. He won't be our Cas anymore. When he goes back, he can't fraternize with us anymore."
"Son, Cas was made an angel. It's who he is. Sometimes you can't change those things." Bobby lifted a hand and rested in comfortably on Deans shoulder.
"You don't understand-" Dean started and then stopped. He couldn't say what he wanted to say. He couldn't admit out loud why he was so scared and angered by Cas' reunion with heaven. Not yet.
"What are we going to do about Yellow Eyes?" Bobby asked and took a seat by his boys.
Dean remembered what Cas had said about Lucifer's plan. He looked over at his younger brother and felt the warm beating heart of an older sibling. He would crawl out of hell again for Sammy. "We need to be smart. Lucifer is pulling the strings. First, we need to cut some of those strings."
Dean sat back in the kitchen chair and closed his eyes. It was still such a long road ahead. He prayed more that Cas' wishes would go unheard.