The Alternative, Crowley/Anna, Castiel, G_bluebellsFebruary 15 2010, 13:54:10 UTC
SPOILERS FOR 5X14
Castiel’s been waiting for ten minutes when Anna arrives at the park.
She hovers by the slide, but the setting sun alights the crown of her hair in a bronze halo; there’s no way he could miss her. He stays in his seat at the chipped, wooden park bench and waits.
The families leave when the sun falls behind the trees. A cool, humid breeze is blowing and Castiel rubs Dean’s pendant between his fingers.
There’s motion out of the corner of his eye and when he looks up Anna’s standing tall and still at the other end of the bench. She’s wearing a deep blue blazer that accentuates the proud jut of her chest, the square set of her shoulders and when Castiel looks up into her face his throat tightens.
Her mouth is pinched, jaw clenched tight. Her dark eyes narrow at him like she’s waiting for the pounce and every tense line of her body tells that she’s ready to spring.
Castiel swallows thickly and goes to his feet, but Anna takes a quick step back, glances at his hands and finds them empty. Castiel regrets the hunted look in her eyes, but he relents and doesn’t try to close the distance.
“Thank you for coming alone,” he says, “For not bringing -“
“I wasn’t going to watch you burn him out from the inside,” Anna bites back.
Castiel steels himself against the venom of her greeting. “I can’t do that anymore.”
When he manages to look up Anna is staring. He feels worse for the look on her face, but he tries to ignore the pity and anger. It was inevitable after the fall.
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” she says, eventually.
“Anna,” Castiel mourns quietly, “The word of your alliance with Crowley has already spread. It’s why I’ve come. Is he holding you against your will?”
Some of the tension leaves Anna’s shoulders and one of her hands falls against her hip. “No.”
She almost sounds guilty and Castiel’s can’t comprehend it. “Anna, what -“
“Castiel,” Anna warns, but her voice cracks, “He found me when I was... and, yes, we tried to kill each other,” she laughs wetly, her lip curls as she gestures at her full, undamaged self, “It turns out we do a better job of keeping each other alive.”
“You can’t stay with that demon -“
“Of course I don’t trust him, but I can’t come with you either,” Anna’s voice is quiet and bitter.
Castiel purses his lips, his hands hanging uselessly at his sides. He feels shame because he wants to give her a solution, he wants to welcome her back as his ally, but her ultimatum hangs between them: impassable.
Sam Winchester must die.
Anna knows that Castiel and Dean will never let her succeed.
“I want us to win, Castiel, I want to stop running, but I only see one sure way to get there. You’ll never be ready for that, so... don’t make me choose between you, please. He’s taught me patience,” Anna laughs, incredulous, “He’s taken care of me. If there’s another way, we’ll find it. But don’t follow us. Don’t look for me. I can - we're looking for another way. Let us help."
The wind blows the hair over her shoulders and Castiel’s attention is diverted to a dark shape straightening by the tree behind her.
Crowley steps from the shadows, calculating eyes intent on Castiel as his hands slide into the pockets of his overcoat. He reappears behind Anna and she isn’t startled when he murmurs in her ear, canting her head to the side as though he had always been at her shoulder.
Anna nods and Castiel watches with no small wonder when Crowley gently takes her hand.
“C’mon, luv,” Crowley says and Castiel doesn’t miss Anna’s small, involuntary smile before she mouths goodbye and Castiel lets them go, feeling the weight of the knife against his hip.
Castiel’s been waiting for ten minutes when Anna arrives at the park.
She hovers by the slide, but the setting sun alights the crown of her hair in a bronze halo; there’s no way he could miss her. He stays in his seat at the chipped, wooden park bench and waits.
The families leave when the sun falls behind the trees. A cool, humid breeze is blowing and Castiel rubs Dean’s pendant between his fingers.
There’s motion out of the corner of his eye and when he looks up Anna’s standing tall and still at the other end of the bench. She’s wearing a deep blue blazer that accentuates the proud jut of her chest, the square set of her shoulders and when Castiel looks up into her face his throat tightens.
Her mouth is pinched, jaw clenched tight. Her dark eyes narrow at him like she’s waiting for the pounce and every tense line of her body tells that she’s ready to spring.
Castiel swallows thickly and goes to his feet, but Anna takes a quick step back, glances at his hands and finds them empty. Castiel regrets the hunted look in her eyes, but he relents and doesn’t try to close the distance.
“Thank you for coming alone,” he says, “For not bringing -“
“I wasn’t going to watch you burn him out from the inside,” Anna bites back.
Castiel steels himself against the venom of her greeting. “I can’t do that anymore.”
When he manages to look up Anna is staring. He feels worse for the look on her face, but he tries to ignore the pity and anger. It was inevitable after the fall.
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” she says, eventually.
“Anna,” Castiel mourns quietly, “The word of your alliance with Crowley has already spread. It’s why I’ve come. Is he holding you against your will?”
Some of the tension leaves Anna’s shoulders and one of her hands falls against her hip. “No.”
She almost sounds guilty and Castiel’s can’t comprehend it. “Anna, what -“
“Castiel,” Anna warns, but her voice cracks, “He found me when I was... and, yes, we tried to kill each other,” she laughs wetly, her lip curls as she gestures at her full, undamaged self, “It turns out we do a better job of keeping each other alive.”
“You can’t stay with that demon -“
“Of course I don’t trust him, but I can’t come with you either,” Anna’s voice is quiet and bitter.
Castiel purses his lips, his hands hanging uselessly at his sides. He feels shame because he wants to give her a solution, he wants to welcome her back as his ally, but her ultimatum hangs between them: impassable.
Sam Winchester must die.
Anna knows that Castiel and Dean will never let her succeed.
“I want us to win, Castiel, I want to stop running, but I only see one sure way to get there. You’ll never be ready for that, so... don’t make me choose between you, please. He’s taught me patience,” Anna laughs, incredulous, “He’s taken care of me. If there’s another way, we’ll find it. But don’t follow us. Don’t look for me. I can - we're looking for another way. Let us help."
The wind blows the hair over her shoulders and Castiel’s attention is diverted to a dark shape straightening by the tree behind her.
Crowley steps from the shadows, calculating eyes intent on Castiel as his hands slide into the pockets of his overcoat. He reappears behind Anna and she isn’t startled when he murmurs in her ear, canting her head to the side as though he had always been at her shoulder.
Anna nods and Castiel watches with no small wonder when Crowley gently takes her hand.
“C’mon, luv,” Crowley says and Castiel doesn’t miss Anna’s small, involuntary smile before she mouths goodbye and Castiel lets them go, feeling the weight of the knife against his hip.
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