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daylight_darknightI can't believe I'm actually getting close to the end.
Title: Practically Human 17/19
Characters: Castiel, Bobby, Dean
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and a little violence and disturbing stuff in later chapters
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Drama
Word Count: ~19,000 in 19 in little chapters
Spoilers: Up to the end of season 5
Summary: Some things are a lot easier to deal with when the world is ending.
AN: This takes place in a slight AU where season 5 ends almost the exact same way except Castiel's powers are never restored and Bobby is still in a wheelchair. While Dean goes off to keep his promise to his brother, Castiel ends up left behind at Bobby's as he tries to adjust to his new life as a human.
Chapter 17
Castiel let the rock salt pour slowly through the funnel into the cartridge and began packing it in. After spending the entire morning performing the same movements over and over, his fingers moved quickly and surely. Twenty completed cartridges lay on their sides scattered across the table.
Shifting in his seat, he absentmindedly reached up to scratch at the hidden scars on his chest, but stopped before the fingertips touched his shirt. Frozen for a moment, he took a long, deep breath, then deliberately let the hand fall back down and returned his attention to his work.
The floor creaked as Bobby wheeled his way into the kitchen. “That’s bad luck, you know,” he said gesturing to the table with a folded newspaper.
“What?” questioned Castiel still concentrating on packing the salt rounds.
“Spilling salt.”
Castiel glanced at the table where the white crystals lay spread about having being spilt during his earliest attempts.
“You’re supposed to throw some over your shoulder,” Bobby explained.
Pausing in his labour, the former angel turned to frown at Bobby. “Wouldn’t that involve spilling more salt?”
Bobby shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t make this stuff up, but you’re going to need all the help you can get. Here.”
He tossed Castiel the newspaper which hit the table causing some of the bullets to start rolling towards the edge. Castiel hastily caught them before they could fall off and then sent a glare in Bobby’s direction. The old hunter stared unapologetically back and pointed at the paper.
“We’ve got a hunt. Time to saddle up.”
An article had been circled in black ink. Castiel scanned it quickly. It was about a man who had died falling down a set of stairs in his home. Apparently, the investigators were unable to determine whether or not it had been an accident. There was reason to believe the man had been pushed, but there was no evidence of any intruder in the house.
“You’re certain this is a hunt?”
“After you’ve been doing this as long as I have, you get a sixth sense about these things,” Bobby replied slightly indignantly as if Castiel was questioning his abilities as a hunter. “Plus I’ve already done the research. It only took a few phone calls. I’ll get you to do it next time if I can ever teach you to lie,” he added with a snort.
Castiel gave him his own indignant gaze, glaring deeply at him from under his eyebrows. “I am capable of lying. I simply don’t understand the human need to do it constantly.”
“Yeah, well, us humans generally don’t like knowing the truth. We’re experts at ignoring it even when it stares us in the face.”
Bobby didn’t need to tell Castiel that. The former angel already knew how good humans were at denial.
“From what I’ve found out,” continued the old hunter. “There’s been three similar deaths in the same house over the past five decades. The first one happened shortly after an eleven year-old girl had died the same way. Coroner at the time ruled it as an accident, but the girl had been living alone with her uncle and there’d been rumours of abuse.”
A look of disgust passed over Castiel’s face as he understood what Bobby was implying.
“Pretty obvious angry spirit. A simple salt and burn will take care of it. I thought I’d give you an easy one to start off with.”
Castiel gazed back down at the newspaper article. “And you believe I’m ready?”
“We’ll never know until you get out there. This is the kind of gig that requires on-the-job training. I just hope you’re good at digging.”
******
“So, you’re really going to do it?” said Dean. He didn’t seem drunk this time, but his voice sounded just as bitter as the when he had been.
“Yes,” Castiel replied sitting down on the edge of his bed and gazing over at his recently packed duffle bag. “We plan to be on the road early tomorrow. I might not be able to call you for a day or two as we will be fairly busy.”
There was silence on the line for a moment then Dean’s voice returned demanding, “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“You know,” Dean said almost accusingly. “Hunting, fighting.”
Castiel paused. The question was something he himself had pondered on several occasions. His new life had required a purpose and despite his insistence that none worthwhile or meaningful could be found in his human state, he had immediately leapt at Bobby’s suggestion to become a hunter. Something in his ‘gut’ had told him it was right which for him was an unusual and almost terrifying way to make a decision. He was still not used to choosing his own course, let alone basing those decisions on his feelings. It had taken a while for him to understand why this felt so right.
“Because there are still things that need fighting,” he told Dean.
“And there always will be. What’s the point?” There was the edge of bitter despair in Dean’s voice. “I know you’ve spent pretty much your entire existence doing this, but now you’ve got free will and you’re really going to keep fighting this unending battle? All you’re doing is the same crap job.”
“You’re wrong,” Castiel replied without hesitation. “Back in heaven, it was different. I was fighting to preserve the sanctity of heaven and maintain humanity on its true course. Now, I fight to save lives.”
Dean merely huffed in response.
“I believe it’s the right thing to do.”
“So you save a few measly lives, that’s it?” said Dean with contemptuous sarcasm.
“People are important, Dean,” Castiel said softly, his eyes sending a pleading look out across the country. “That’s what you taught me.”
Chapter 18
Title: Practically Human 17/19
Characters: Castiel, Bobby, Dean
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and a little violence and disturbing stuff in later chapters
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Drama
Word Count: ~19,000 in 19 in little chapters
Spoilers: Up to the end of season 5
Summary: Some things are a lot easier to deal with when the world is ending.
AN: This takes place in a slight AU where season 5 ends almost the exact same way except Castiel's powers are never restored and Bobby is still in a wheelchair. While Dean goes off to keep his promise to his brother, Castiel ends up left behind at Bobby's as he tries to adjust to his new life as a human.
Chapter 17
Castiel let the rock salt pour slowly through the funnel into the cartridge and began packing it in. After spending the entire morning performing the same movements over and over, his fingers moved quickly and surely. Twenty completed cartridges lay on their sides scattered across the table.
Shifting in his seat, he absentmindedly reached up to scratch at the hidden scars on his chest, but stopped before the fingertips touched his shirt. Frozen for a moment, he took a long, deep breath, then deliberately let the hand fall back down and returned his attention to his work.
The floor creaked as Bobby wheeled his way into the kitchen. “That’s bad luck, you know,” he said gesturing to the table with a folded newspaper.
“What?” questioned Castiel still concentrating on packing the salt rounds.
“Spilling salt.”
Castiel glanced at the table where the white crystals lay spread about having being spilt during his earliest attempts.
“You’re supposed to throw some over your shoulder,” Bobby explained.
Pausing in his labour, the former angel turned to frown at Bobby. “Wouldn’t that involve spilling more salt?”
Bobby shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t make this stuff up, but you’re going to need all the help you can get. Here.”
He tossed Castiel the newspaper which hit the table causing some of the bullets to start rolling towards the edge. Castiel hastily caught them before they could fall off and then sent a glare in Bobby’s direction. The old hunter stared unapologetically back and pointed at the paper.
“We’ve got a hunt. Time to saddle up.”
An article had been circled in black ink. Castiel scanned it quickly. It was about a man who had died falling down a set of stairs in his home. Apparently, the investigators were unable to determine whether or not it had been an accident. There was reason to believe the man had been pushed, but there was no evidence of any intruder in the house.
“You’re certain this is a hunt?”
“After you’ve been doing this as long as I have, you get a sixth sense about these things,” Bobby replied slightly indignantly as if Castiel was questioning his abilities as a hunter. “Plus I’ve already done the research. It only took a few phone calls. I’ll get you to do it next time if I can ever teach you to lie,” he added with a snort.
Castiel gave him his own indignant gaze, glaring deeply at him from under his eyebrows. “I am capable of lying. I simply don’t understand the human need to do it constantly.”
“Yeah, well, us humans generally don’t like knowing the truth. We’re experts at ignoring it even when it stares us in the face.”
Bobby didn’t need to tell Castiel that. The former angel already knew how good humans were at denial.
“From what I’ve found out,” continued the old hunter. “There’s been three similar deaths in the same house over the past five decades. The first one happened shortly after an eleven year-old girl had died the same way. Coroner at the time ruled it as an accident, but the girl had been living alone with her uncle and there’d been rumours of abuse.”
A look of disgust passed over Castiel’s face as he understood what Bobby was implying.
“Pretty obvious angry spirit. A simple salt and burn will take care of it. I thought I’d give you an easy one to start off with.”
Castiel gazed back down at the newspaper article. “And you believe I’m ready?”
“We’ll never know until you get out there. This is the kind of gig that requires on-the-job training. I just hope you’re good at digging.”
******
“So, you’re really going to do it?” said Dean. He didn’t seem drunk this time, but his voice sounded just as bitter as the when he had been.
“Yes,” Castiel replied sitting down on the edge of his bed and gazing over at his recently packed duffle bag. “We plan to be on the road early tomorrow. I might not be able to call you for a day or two as we will be fairly busy.”
There was silence on the line for a moment then Dean’s voice returned demanding, “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“You know,” Dean said almost accusingly. “Hunting, fighting.”
Castiel paused. The question was something he himself had pondered on several occasions. His new life had required a purpose and despite his insistence that none worthwhile or meaningful could be found in his human state, he had immediately leapt at Bobby’s suggestion to become a hunter. Something in his ‘gut’ had told him it was right which for him was an unusual and almost terrifying way to make a decision. He was still not used to choosing his own course, let alone basing those decisions on his feelings. It had taken a while for him to understand why this felt so right.
“Because there are still things that need fighting,” he told Dean.
“And there always will be. What’s the point?” There was the edge of bitter despair in Dean’s voice. “I know you’ve spent pretty much your entire existence doing this, but now you’ve got free will and you’re really going to keep fighting this unending battle? All you’re doing is the same crap job.”
“You’re wrong,” Castiel replied without hesitation. “Back in heaven, it was different. I was fighting to preserve the sanctity of heaven and maintain humanity on its true course. Now, I fight to save lives.”
Dean merely huffed in response.
“I believe it’s the right thing to do.”
“So you save a few measly lives, that’s it?” said Dean with contemptuous sarcasm.
“People are important, Dean,” Castiel said softly, his eyes sending a pleading look out across the country. “That’s what you taught me.”
Chapter 18
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-21 01:35 am (UTC)“People are important, Dean,” Castiel said softly, his eyes sending a pleading look out across the country. “That’s what you taught me.”
And thus the student becomes the teacher.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-21 09:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-21 02:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-21 05:06 am (UTC)Cas seems like he's finding a place for himself, but Dean seems to be getting more lost from where he thought he should be.
Laurie
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-21 06:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-21 09:18 pm (UTC)And Bobby, oh Bobby, he seems have gotten back the good-natured obnoxiousness from before. Perhaps being a teacher of sorts to 'Feathers' has given him his, uh, "groove" back, shall we say?
Thank you for this chapter!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-22 12:32 am (UTC)The story begins with Cas trying to cope with his new human-ness and, you know, his journey, emotions, etc... You've drawn so many "Oh, Cas"'s from me! And I keep saying how Dean should come comfort his angel- BUT NOW.
Not that our ex-angel is all fine-and-dandy but maybe, helping Dean pull through in the end again will aid enough to his own healing process that will at least leave us knowing things'll be okay for everyone. Until the sequel. :D
Sorry-! I'm drawing my own conclusions! >_o But it's so close to the end and I'm excited to where you'll take this. How'll Cas's first hunt go??