Set in AU

It was visiting day at Lawrence Penitentiary. While people could come and see prisoners every day of the week for a short time under restricted visiting hours, Visiting Day was special. You could spend all day with a visitor if you wanted, and for all the prisoners that had good behavior, like Dean Winchester and Cas Novak, they let you sit in the same room and talk. No glass divider, no phones to hear each other. You could hug someone, hold hands, be closer, have a normal conversation and forget that one person was a prisoner.

For the guys who had husbands and wives, parents, and kids on the outside, it was the best because they got to be closer with their families. It was Dean's favorite day of the year, better than Christmas in this place.

He got to hug his brother on Visiting Day.

It was the one day Sam never missed, no matter where he was. He'd visit rarely for the rest of the year, but he always showed up on Visiting Day.

It was a sadder day for prisoners like Crowley, who never got visitors. They didn't get the extra freedoms others did.

As the prison guards went cell by cell, pulling out everybody who had a visitor today, Cas wasn't particularly looking forward to spending the whole day in the cell with just Crowley. He knew Dean would be gone all day. He'd been raving about Visitor Day for weeks, unable to contain his excitement.

Cas still wasn't quite sure what Dean had done to get put in jail, but whatever it was, Dean didn't seem to regret it. He was the happiest guy in the prison. Cas wasn't sure what that said about him, but he didn't really care.

He liked Dean. He liked Dean a lot. Dean was still the only person he talked to. They'd spend hours at night after Crowley fell asleep just talking about everything under the sun. Cas liked to think Dean liked him too. They were definitely closer than any of the other prisoners were. 

Benny stopped in front of their cell, the door sliding open. 

"Winchester," He nodded. Dean's face lit up. He knew Sam was coming, but there was always the small doubt in the back of his mind that Sam might not come. The confirmation that his brother had shown up just made him even happier. But the guard didn't move on after Dean ran out. 

"Novak," He said. Cas's eyes widened in surprise. Who the hell would visit him? Crowley looked especially bitter as he walked out, leaving him behind.

"Who's visiting you?" Dean asked cheerfully as they were shuffled along.

"Don't know," Cas whispered. While he talked to Dean, he didn't say much, and he was still very quiet.

"Maybe it's one of your siblings." Dean guessed. "Or your parents?" Cas shook his head.

"No parents." He admitted. "And siblings don't care."

"An old friend then?" Cas shrugged.

"Don't have friends." 

"Well that's a lie," Dean nudged him with a smile. "You've got me." Cas smiled.

"You're different," 

"True. But I still count as your bestie, so too bad."

They were both taken to the Visiting room with the rest of the well behaved prisoners. People's various loved ones stood awkwardly around. Wives with children, old parents, best friends, girlfriends, lawyers, the list went on. 

Cas scanned the room, unsure, whereas Dean practically bounced across the room, barreling into a tall mooseish man with long hair. Cas tilted his head. He hadn't expected Sam to be so tall. Dean always made him sound like a small child that needed to be protected at all costs.

"Castiel?" A voice asked tentatively. Cas turned, only to see a woman with red hair sitting at one of the tables, watching him. 

Anna. His sister. That was a surprise. 

*******

He sat down across from her, no hug exchanged between these siblings. He studied her, not knowing what to say or why she was here. Anna barely talked to him when they were kids. Why would she bother now?

"How are you?" She asked, fiddling with her hands.

"I'm in prison," He replied sharply. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Dean and Sam sitting at the table next to them. Dean glanced at him, smiling and shot him a wink before turning back to his brother.

"That's why I asked," Anna retorted. "There's dangerous people in here, Castiel, I want to make sure you're safe-"

"Well maybe I'm dangerous too," He offered.

"...Castiel, just because Lucifer is evil doesn't mean you are too,"

"Lucifer has nothing to do with this."

"Doesn't it though? He murdered nearly twenty people, Castiel! That scarred us all, and he was your role model as a kid. I'm not surprised it led you to lash out and hurt someone too."

"I didn't hurt someone,"

"Castiel-"

"I killed someone, Anna, stop trying to deny that."

"I'm not denying it, I just don't like it. You're not a murderer, Castiel-"

"If I'm not a murderer, then why was I convicted of First Degree Murder?" Anna stopped.

"You're not the same as Lucifer, is what I meant."

"Why? Because Lucifer enjoyed it? Because he killed innocents, and I killed someone who deserved it?"

"No one deserves to die the way either of you murdered them," Anna hissed. 

"There's the sister I remember," Cas half smiled. "Hello Anna."

"Oh shut up. I came here, trying to be nice, but if you want me to be pissed, then sure, I'll be pissed, and I have every right to be! Do you know what it's like having to explain to people that I have not one, but TWO brothers in prison? That my siblings have a kill count of twenty?"

"Do you know what's it's like having to shower in a room full of ten other guys that could crush your neck with one hand if they wanted too?" Cas shot back.

"Well, you enjoy that sort of thing, don't you."

"Why are you here, Anna?"

"Because I'm your sister and I felt it was my job to visit you."

"Liar." She stared at the table.

"....Lucifer's out of solitary."

"And?"

"And he requested to see us. All of us."

"So?"

"So, I don't have the heart to tell him that you killed someone, Castiel, and I'm not going to put that burden on Gadreel or Raphael."

"You mean you don't have the nerve to tell him."

"He's a killer, Castiel."

"So what? You want me to write him a letter saying I can't come visit because I murdered a perverted psychopath that tried to kill Gadreel?"

"He was NOT perverted!"

"See the fact that you're defending him is why we don't talk. I'm done here." Cas glanced around, looking for Benny. Benny would take him back to the cell. Even being stuck in a cell all day with Crowley had be better than this.

"Castiel-"

"Tell Lucifer yourself, you coward. Do something right in your life." Cas stood up and headed for the door, a guard following him. 

Dean watched him leave, slightly concerned.

******

"Sorry it's been awhile," Sam apologized as he and Dean sat down. 

"Nah, it's fine," Dean insisted, grinning. "You've been busy, big lawyer moose." Sam smirked.

"Whatever you say, jerk."

"Bitch. So how've you been?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You are the one in prison after all." Dean shrugged.

"Hey I get a warm building, a bed, three meals a day, and I keep out of trouble. What more do I need? I've got a new cellmate."

"Yeah? Crowley finally get himself thrown in solitary?"

"No, he's still there too. But the new guy is great," Dean glanced over at Cas and grinned. "That's him. Quiet as a mouse. Doesn't really talk to anyone but me. Slips me extra pudding cups."

"What's he in for?"

"Murder." Sam's eyes widened.

"And he likes you?"

"Yep."

"That's.....terrifying."

"Terrifying?" Dean smirked. "I think he's adorable."

"That's worse."

"He's a harmless little short stack, don't worry. And if he shanks anybody, it'll be Crowley."

"Comforting."

"It kinda is," Dean nudged him. "But what's going on with you? Still hooking up with the girls on the jury, or have you found yourself a nerdy little lawyer like yourself?" Sam made a face.

"I can't hook up with the girls on the jury, that's misconduct, and for your information, yes, I have found someone."

"NO WAY."

"Yeah."

"Little Sammy's caught himself a fish, well done! I demand the details."

"Why do you need details?"

"I get BORED, dude. You be amazed how many things classify as entertainment now. Your love life is now interesting, it's that dull in prison."

"Nice. Well, uh, we've been dating for a few months,"

"Months?"

"Yeah,"

"You never mentioned anything in your letters,"

"Because I didn't want you to make a big deal out of it." Dean grinned.

"Too late. Go on. She a lawyer?"

"Uh, no. An artist, actually."

"Fancy. What's her name?"

"Um," Sam rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"C'mon, you can tell me." Dean urged, smiling. Sam frowned. "I'm literally your brother, dude, you can tell me anything."

"....Well.... His name is Gabriel," Sam admitted. Dean blinked.

"Okay. You like him?"

"Yeah," Sam relaxed. "I like him a lot."

"He treat you right?"

"Yeah, he's great Dean, you'd really like him."

"Then that's all I need to hear." Dean smiled wider.

"It's kinda funny, actually," Sam grinned. "He's protective over me, you know? He won't let anybody flirt with me or check me out and get away with it or something. He tries to be all big, bad and threatening to them, but he's only like 5'4"." Dean laughed.

"Sounds like a good guy."

"He is. Completely addicted to candy, but he's a good guy."

"Well then I'm happy for you, Sammy. Can't wait to go to the wedding."

"Wouldn't it be difficult for you to attend a wedding from jail?"

"Buddy, if you were getting married and they wouldn't let me out, I'd break out and show up in my prison uniform at the ceremony." Sam laughed.

"Why do you have a plan for that already?"

"Because I'm your brother and I have the time to think of these things, enjoy it."

*******

It was a relatively quiet night at the prison. Crowley was asleep by the time Dean got back to their cell, and he didn't even stir as Cas and Dean lay awake on their beds, staring up at the dark concrete ceiling.

"Did you have a nice visit with your brother?" Cas asked.

"Yeah," Dean smiled softly, his grin practically glowing in the dark. "He's thinking about asking his boyfriend to move in with him."

"Good for him,"

"Yeah.... Who was that girl who came to visit you?"

"My sister."

"Really?" Cas nodded. "...You guys didn't act like siblings."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, no one's been to visit you in months, Cas. I don't know how long before you got here it's been since you've seen your sister, but I know it's been awhile in here, and you two didn't even hug. You just seemed a little cold to be siblings."

"We're not siblings that get along."

"Why not?" There was a pause, Dean's words hanging in the air.

"...It's complicated."

"I've got time for complicated." Cas sighed.

"Long story short? She hates me."

"Why?"

"Because she loved the man I killed, and refuses to see him for the monster he was. She thinks I'm the bad guy, but I'm not, Dean. I know I'm not."

"Why did you kill him?"

"Why is a good guy like you in jail?"

"I told you why I was in here."

"You told me you were in here for a bunch of stuff. You never specified what."

".....I asked you first."

"I killed him because he was a bad man."

"That could mean a lot of stuff, Cas."

"He acted like a nice guy, won over my sister and started dating her. Robbed her behind her back. I googled him one day, after I caught him swiping money from her purse. He had criminal record for molesting underage girls."

"Ouch."

"And when I told Anna, she didn't believe me. My brother caught him stealing some of our mother's jewelry one day, and he freaked out. The guy tried to kill him so that he wouldn't talk. Beat my brother up pretty bad. Anna said it was my brother's fault, not the guy's."

"But-"

"I know. And I was done with it. I just couldn't take it anymore, and when I confronted him about everything, the things he said... I don't know. I just snapped."

"And you killed him."

"I bashed his brains in with a rolling pin," Cas said calmly. "My brother called me a hero, said I'd probably saved our lives. Anna ripped my to shreds in the courtroom, bawling her eyes out. She wanted me to get the death penalty, but I had an okay lawyer so I got stuck in here instead. She still hates me, maybe even more than she hates Lucifer, although I doubt that's possible."

"She'll come around eventually."

"I doubt it."

"She's your sister, Cas. She has to."

"I don't think that's true. I still haven't forgiven Lucifer, and that was years ago."

"Lucifer was different."

"I guess.... Your turn. What'd you do?"

"Oh geez.... Do you really want the list?"

"Yep."

"Alright, fine. Trespassing, breaking and entering, impersonating a Federal agent, larceny, desecrating a grave, some light arson, assault of a federal officer, illegal ownership of firearms, multiple unpaid parking tickets and other various fines, violating parole, and icing on the cake, attempted murder and, in my opinion, wrongfully accused kidnapping of a minor."

"....Wow."

"See now why I just said stuff?"

"Yeah.... I'm gonna need an explanation for the kidnapping, if you don't mind."

"Well, long story short, my father was a bad person, and I wanted to get rid of him before he could hurt anybody else, so I waited until the middle of the night, took Sam out of the house, barred all the doors and windows so you couldn't get out, and set the house on fire with my dad inside. Took Sam away before he could see the fire. but I was young and careless and a neighbor saw me. My old man barely lived, he's still in a coma last I heard, and they charged me with kidnapping Sam because he said he didn't know where I was taking him. When they came to arrest me, they took Sam from me, wouldn't even let me say goodbye. So I hit the officer until I got to my brother. I just wanted to hug him one more time, was that such a crime? I got off way too easy for it all, and they let me out on parole, which I obviously broke doing all the other stuff. It's my own fault, I guess."

"Not if you were just doing what you thought was best for your brother and yourself."

"Well the justice system didn't see it that way."

"The justice system has a habit of not seeing things the right way."

"But sometimes it's a good thing."

"Oh yeah? When?"

"Well, it put you in this prison," Dean grinned. "Put you in the same cell as me. I'd say that's pretty good." Cas smiled softly.

"Alright," He admitted. "Maybe you have a point."

"I know I do."