When Ellen had told Dean to call, she really hadn't expected him to call. He was a Winchester and Winchesters never called. But Dean calling her up and asking her to meet him at the hospital Bobby was being held at, it made her and Jo haul ass. Ellen was now sitting on Bobby's hospital bed and Bobby in his wheelchair. It was odd seeing him in a wheelchair. She has always thought the old hunter was untouchable. That was why Jo probably stayed at the hotel. Jo most likely didn't want the mental image to shake her memories of Bobby.
Sam was missing and in his place was some corporate stiff in a trench coat. The way he squirmed under her gaze, it made Ellen think he was hiding something. She especially didn't like the way his hands were in his pocket, fiddling with an object she couldn't see. Then the way Dean was pacing, trying to get this thoughts together. Somehow, Dean was in on it.
"Cas and I," Dean began. "We- I mean, he and I..."
"Oh, shit, it's worse than a woman," Ellen exclaimed.
"What?" Dean asked, utterly confused.
"I thought a woman had come between you and Sam, but it's really this guy, the one that looks like he has a stick up his ass."
"Dean," Castiel whispered to him. "Why does everyone always talk about shoving items up my ass? I thought you said it was a private matter."
"It is," Dean said as he turned scarlet. "It's a figure of speech, considering the situation, a very accurate figure of speech."
"Oh, I see. Continue."
"You mean you and this-" Bobby stopped himself; he looked uncomfortable and was probably searching for a word that had no sexual connotation what-so-ever. "You and this angel of the Lord are-"
"Fucking," Ellen finished for him. "You're fucking him and he's a real Goddamn angel."
"Yeah," Dean said slinking back, instantly regretting his choice of confiding in the two hunters he considered parents. "I wanted your- Since my mom and dad- I'm no fucking good at this."
"You," Ellen pointed at Castiel. "You stay. Dean, leave now."
"Anything you have to say to Cas, you can say in front of me."
"Boy," Bobby warned. "I swear to God, I will find a way to kick your ass if you don't leave the room right this second."
Dean seemed to be considering his options for a bit before Castiel put his hand on Dean's shoulder. He looked at the angel for a moment, trying to read his expression. Ellen found this odd because all she had seen from the angel was one expression. But Dean seemed to see something or understand because he nodded and left the room.
"You wished to speak with me," Castiel said, straightening up as if he was fighting a war instead of talking to old hunter.
"Dean's like a son to us," Ellen said. "And for some reason, which I can't figure out, he likes you. Hell, maybe if you're lucky, he loves you."
"That's why we have to say this," Bobby said.
"You hurt that boy and you sure as Hell can count on us hurting you."
"I would never hurt Dean," Castiel assured them. "Everything I do, I do for him."
"You never hurt the ones you love intentionally," Ellen said sadly. "Always happens when you think you're doing what's best for them."
"You picked up a martyr as your boyfriend," Bobby told him. "He takes everyone's pain without a second thought. If Dean had his way, he'd be the one sitting in this chair instead of me. I can see it when he looks at me. Hell, I don't envy him. The whole world rests on that boy's shoulders. It's dangerous for him, because he can't think properly when that idjit is worrying about everyone else."
"I know, that is why I am helping Dean," Castiel said. "I wish to take some of the weight."
"Well, from what I've seen, he trusts you enough to let you share it. Gave him his amulet right off his neck with barely a fight."
"The golden one?" Ellen asked confused. "No way, he never takes that thing off. There's no way that Dean would just hand it over-"
She cut herself off when Castiel removed the amulet from his pocket and held it out. Ellen looked from the amulet to Castiel, then to Bobby. This was more serious than she thought. Castiel wasn't lucky if Dean loved him. Dean did love him. No one but Sam ever got near that pendent. It was his most prized possession. For Dean to hand it over with barely a fight meant something deep, the deepest bit of trust a hunter could offer another being.
"He only gave it to me because he understood that importance of it. Dean gave it to me so I could find God and he would not have to become Michael's vessel," Castiel explained.
"You're a dumbass," Bobby said flatly. "You've got a better chance of Dean believing in the tooth fairy than getting him to believe in God. He won't ever believe until they're shaking hands, even then he'd be a bit skeptical. You stupid son of a bitch, he gave it to you because he trusts your angelic ass over everyone else right now."
"Oh..." Castiel gasped, his hand closed around the amulet. "I- That makes sense."
"Since we're all on the same page," Ellen said, "I want to get back to the threatening part of our speech. Don't you ever hurt that boy. Intentionally or unintentionally, if I hear he's hurt and you broke his damn heart, I will rip your wings off myself."
"And if you think about dying for him again," Bobby warned. "I ain't got much time left. Hell, I'll make a deal or find someone to bring your scrawny ass back from the grave. You've been to Hell, if you thought that was bad, wait until I get my hands on you."
"In threatening me, you are giving me permission to see Dean," Castiel said catching on. "I understand. I will not hurt him and I will not die again. I have given up everything for Dean, my only wish is for him to be happy."
"And you being alive makes him happy. I might have been possessed at the time, but I was still awake. Your death really tore him up."
Castiel's mouth thinned and he shoved his hands in his pockets. A second later, he disappeared, to where, Bobby and Ellen could only guess.
"Think they'll make it?" Ellen asked Bobby.
"Lord if I know. Maybe, maybe not. I didn't think I'd last this long. I thought I'd be dead by now."
"Me, too."
"What's two old hunters like us supposed to do?"
Ellen got up and put her hands on Bobby's shoulders.
"I think we're supposed to help them in any way we can. It's all we really can do."
Bobby stayed silent for a few minutes before nodding. He rolled away to stare out the window. Ellen joined him. Everything seemed so peaceful as they stared out the window, it was hard to believe there was an apocalypse going on outside of the window and a love story happening on the other side of the door, whether both events would resolve or turn tragic, only time could tell.
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