The Empire of the Lion and the Wolf (4/14)
Dean feels like shit the next morning, like he hadn't slept at all. When he passes Sam in the hall as he's coming out of his room, he mumbles a greeting, which Sam ignores. He still has his brooding face on. He does say “You don't wanna go downstairs” before he goes into the bathroom though...
He figures out why Sam was warning him a few seconds later because the sound of Bobby yelling makes it up the stairs. He's yelling about a demon, which means either Crowley showed up again or there's another demon around to yell about. He's gonna bet on Crowley.
Dean groans, because this is not a good way to start his day, especially not after a shitty night. He's trying to decide if he'd be better off going back to bed instead of trying to sneak around downstairs, and he's pretty sure he's going with option one when he hears Bobby call him.
Perfect, perfect start to the morning.
He trudges down the stairs with all the enthusiasm of someone being marched to their execution.
Sure enough, Crowley is in the living room looking far too amused by all the shouting. Well, this is gonna be fun.
It's some time after the yelling has stopped, and Gabriel and Crowley have made themselves scarce that Castiel finds Dean in the study.
Dean is more sleeping than reading; he's read the same line about The Walking Dude at least ten times, and he stopped really hearing anything a while ago. He's very nearly completely asleep when a hand suddenly lands on his shoulder, jolting him back into consciousness.
He looks up and sees Castiel standing next to him, head cocked to the side- Dean's starting to think it's stuck that way. “Your phone is ringing.”
It takes Dean a second to realize that Cas is right, his phone is ringing. His first thought is maybe Lisa is finally returning his calls, and with that in mind, he rushes to dig his cell out of his jeans pocket. He doesn't quite make it, though; the screen goes dark and the ringing stops as soon as Dean finally gets it out.
As Castiel sits in the chair across from him, he checks the missed calls, and sees Jo as the last one, and not the Lisa he'd been hoping for. “Dammit.”
“Not who you were expecting?” Cas asks.
“No,” says Dean, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He shoves the cell back in his pocket; he'll call Jo back later. He wonders for a moment if she's heard anything about what happened. If she had, she probably would have been calling Bobby non-stop, though, so probably not.
“I assume you were hoping it was the woman Sam mentioned the day we arrived?”
“You remembered that?”
“I did. Who is she?”
“A friend,” says Dean, shoving a shred of paper between the pages of the book to mark his place. “I was supposed to be watchin' her kid this weekend. She hasn't answered any of my calls, and she's prob'ly not gonna. Good ol' Zach probably had his goons tell her some fucked up version of what happened...”
“I can't say that I'm sorry you did what you did,” says Cas. “But I am sorry that it cost you your friend.”
“Yeah, I'm sorry too,” says Dean, while wondering what it is about Castiel that makes him want to talk, even if it's about things he'd rather avoid talking about. Speaking of, it's time for a subject change. “So, what kinda books you like?”
Cas seems surprised that he's asking, and it's a moment before he finally answer. “Science fiction.”
“Scifi? You?” Dean was figuring something along the lines of historical fiction, or mysteries.
Castiel nods. “The stories are about other worlds... Worlds where my kind isn't enslaved. It is a nice reprieve.”
Dean can see how it would be.
“I never had an impressive collection,” Cas continues. “Only the few books I traded for from others, but I had some. I lost them when I was captured.”
The way he says it, it's like he's lost an old friend instead of books, and Dean has the sudden urge to fix things...
So he pushes away from the rickety table, stands, and gives the angel a grin. “Well, I can't get you your old ones back, but Bobby's got boxes full of books he was planning on tossin' 'cause he's got more than one of 'em... You can go through 'em, see if there's any you want.”
Castiel brightens noticeably, though his expression doesn't change. “I-... Thank you. I would appreciate that.”
Cas gets to his feet and Dean leads him to a stack of dusty, worn boxes. They spread them out over the floor, and Cas begins his sorting. Dean can't help but smile.
“I dreamed about Jess again last night,” says Sam, after Dean has left Castiel to start building his own library.
“There a reason you're tellin' me?” Deans asks, popping the cap off a beer.
“She said something, both times. That we should go home.”
Dean pauses, beer halfway to his lips. “...Didn't say anything about shit makin' sense, and what amounted to 'I know somethin' you don't know' did she?”
Sam gapes at him. “How did you...?”
“Last two nights, I dreamed about mom. She said the same things.”
“That's... Weird.”
“Sammy, weird doesn't cover it.”
“So what d'you think it is?”
Dean shrugs. “Just dreams I hope.”
Sam raises an eyebrow at him. “Since when do we have practically the same dreams?”
Okay, so that's a good point. “Well, what exactly do you suggest we do about it?”
Sam doesn't come up with an answer.
“They're dreams. They'll go away eventually.”
Hopefully soon, if they're gonna keep being like last night was, 'cause he needs decent sleep.
“I heard Gabriel and Castiel arguing earlier,” says Sam, after a while.
That would explain why he hasn't seen them within twenty feet of each other all day, but Cas hadn't mentioned anything earlier. “About what?”
“When to leave, I think. Gabriel said Castiel should be able to fly by now, and Castiel said he wanted to stay for another day or two... Everything after that was in Enochian, but it sounded pretty hostile... “
“Who won?”
“What?”
“About when to leave. Who won?”
“I dunno. I left before they calmed down. Hopefully Gabriel, though. The sooner they leave, the sooner things can get back to something... resembling normal.”
“Yeah, hopefully,” says Dean, and he tries to sound like he means it. Hell, he does mean it... Mostly. He means it about Gabriel.
Sam is apparently having one of his perceptive moments, because he says, “You don't want them to leave, do you?”
“Yes, I do. Gabriel's a pain in the ass...”
“But not Castiel?” Sam smirks at him. “You actually like him, don't you?”
Dean gives what can pass as a nonchalant shrug. “Like is a strong word... He's not bad. Y'know, for an angel.”
“Mmhm, and that's why you spent all evening with him yesterday.”
Dean doesn't even grace that one with a reply.
Dean isn't surprised to find Cas at the Mustang again. When he hadn't found him around the house, he'd figured the angel might be out here. He is surprised to see Gabriel, though. But the archangel doesn't stick around for long. He sees Dean approaching and mutters something to Castiel before he extends his wings and takes flight, sending dirt and leaves swirling around in his wake.
Waving dust away from his face, Dean watches Gabriel turn into little more than a speck. “Where's he going?”
“Somewhere with Crowley,” says Castiel. “He didn't say where.”
“What's the deal with them anyway?”
“I am not sure. All Gabriel would say is that they were kept by the same human...” he's silent for a moment before he adds, “We're leaving tomorrow.”
Dean really wishes the angel wouldn't use that flat voice. It makes it hard to gauge what he's thinking. And for the record, he's not looking for any hint of disappointment. He's not disappointed either. “Yeah, I figured you'd be takin' off soon.”
“Gabriel doesn't wish to stay any longer than he has too, but he refuses to leave while I'm still here.”
Dean finds his mouth working without his brain's permission when he says, “Well, I'm prob'ly not going anywhere, so if you ever wanna drop by....”
Castiel looks surprised by the offer. “I may.”
“So, how'd the book search go?”
“I found several to replace the ones I lost, as well as some new ones,” says Cas. “Again, I thank you, Dean.”
“No problem... You want a beer?”
Of course it was too much to hope that he wouldn't be revisiting the dream. It starts the same again, but Dean doesn't wait for Mary to start her spiel this time.
“Save it, sister. I don't know what corner of my head you're coming from, but you're not my mom, and I'm tired of the repeats.”
“Dean,” she starts.
“I said save it.”
Mary stares at him for a moment, then sighs, and her entire demeanor changes, and she's no longer even close to Mary Winchester. “I was so hoping this would work,” she sighs. “It would have been easier.”
Dean tries, but he really can't make sense out of that one. “I'm sorry, what?”
'Mary' shakes her head at him. “...I suppose I may as well show you.”
The room around them dissolves into an office Dean's only been in a few times; Michael and Lucifer's office in the H&H building. Dean turns on the spot, taking in his new surroundings before he focuses on Mary again.
Only Mary is dissolving too. A moment later, standing where Mary had been is Lucifer Morningstar. Just behind him, sitting at one of the room's two desks, is Michael.
Dean backs away as fast as he can. “What the fuck!?”
“I told you it wouldn't work, little brother,” says Michael, “Not with this one, at least.”
Dean's heard Michael refer to Lucifer as “little brother” a few times before; it isn't any less boggling this time. He can only assume it's some sort of inside joke.
“Okay, I think this qualifies as the weirdest dream I've ever had,” says Dean, and he's still backing up. Until he hits the wall, anyway.
“This isn't a dream,” says Michael.
“Yeah, right,” Dean snorts. “Because my bosses projecting themselves into my head; totally plausible.” Unfortunately, it doesn't feel like a dream.
“Whether or not you believe it, this is real,” says Lucifer.
“Okay... assuming my head isn't doing some really fucked up things right now... Why are you in my head, and more importantly how are you in my head?”
“Because unfortunately, Dean, we need you,” says Michael. “And your brother... Two insignificant boys, hardly important at all, and we need you... “
Nope. Still not making any sense. And it's really damn annoying to be called 'boy' by a kid a good decade younger than him. “... Okay, now the how.”
Before Michael can answer, Lucifer is behind him- Dean doesn't think Lucifer'd had time to get around, but he had to've- and leaning down to whisper something right in his ear.
Michael nods after a second, “If you think that's best, brother.”
“I do,” says Lucifer, straightening. He looks at Dean. “We'll see you soon, Dean. You and Sam.”
Dean blinks, and the Morningstars are gone.
“Aw, come on!”
And the room disappears and the dream fades into another.
“And then they just up and vanished.”
Sam stares at Dean from across the kitchen table, and he looks like he might just think Dean is crazy. Which is admittedly a possibility, because what sort of sane person has dreams about their mother changing into their ex-boss? And what the hell was with the 'we need you' bullshit?
“Dude, say something... Did anything weird happen in your head, or am I alone here?”
“No. Well, I dreamed about Jess again... But she disappeared before it got to the end.”
Bobby wheels into the kitchen, yawning.
“Mornin' Bobby,” says Dean before he continues on the topic of dreams. “So'd she say anything different this time?”
“No. The same as before. Said we needed to go back, and that I didn't know what I was...” Sam trails off and gives Dean a skeptical look. “You're not saying you actually believe that our bosses are screwing around in our heads...”
“I don't know, Sammy,” Dean sighs. “It felt real... Besides, you're the one who said we couldn't be having the same dream.”
“No, I said it was weird. Come on, Dean... How would they even be doing it?”
“I don't know.”
“Because they are not human.”
At least Dean doesn't jump this time. “Cas, we really need to have a talk about the sneaking thing,” he says as he turns in his seat to face the angel. “And what's that supposed to mean?”
Sam's giving Cas the same skeptical look he'd given Dean. “Then what are they?”
Bobby shifts, making his chair squeak- Dean hadn't even realized he was still in the room. “A damn good question.”
Castiel looks at all of them before his gaze focuses on Dean. Dean's starting to think he practices the creepy stare thing. “What? Why are you looking at me like tha-...” He can practically feel bits clicking into place, “Oh.”
Sam kicks him under the table. “'Oh' what?”
The angel-buzz whenever he was around them, that he always assumed was just another angel near by; the same in the dreams; Castiel's own terror the first time Dean had seen him...
“They're angels,” says Castiel, sitting next to Dean. “Or something similar. I recognize my kind when I see them.”
“Angels?” Bobby maneuvers himself around to the table. “The heads of H&H? You sure about that, Feathers?”
“Completely. About Lucifer, at least; I have not met Michael.”
“Okay,” says Sam. “If we're buying this... Why would they be in our heads? And how have they kept themselves hidden?... And why would they be keeping their own kind in slavery?”
“The brief time I was in Lucifer's presence, I could feel how powerful he was. No doubt something with that much power at their disposal would have no trouble disguising themselves... I have no answer to the others.”
“I may,” Bobby half-mumbles. “For why they'd be in your heads.”
Cas cocks his head at Bobby. “I suspect it has something to do with why they can sense demons and angels?”
“That's just me, Cas,” says Dean.
“No it isn't,” Sam mutters, staring at his hands. “I can. Sometimes anyway. I didn't actually figure out what it was until you told me that it happened to you, too.”
Which had been just before the switch in Dean's brain had been glued into the on position, and before he started doing the freaky mind-reading thing... He wonders briefly if the same will happen to Sam eventually...
Dean expects Bobby to ask what Cas is talking about, but he doesn't. Instead he sighs. “It probably does.”
Dean gapes at him. “What, you know?”
“Not specifics; I just knew you'd turn out different. Both of you.”
“'Kay, so how would be good to know.”
Bobby sighs again, and sort of sags in his chair. “I... Hell, I don't even know where to start. This is somethin' your parents should be tellin' you. Your mama, she... She wasn't human.”
Dean blinks at Bobby, trying to get his tongue to work so he can ask if he heard that right. He sees Castiel give a slight nod out of the corner of his eye, like that's the answer he was expecting.
Sam actually succeeds in forming words. “What're you talking about?”
Bobby pinches the bridge of his nose. “She wasn't human, and she wasn't Mary Campbell. I never got the whole story, but what I do know is that the Campbells were your dad's neighbors and Mary was their angel.”
Dean finally gets his mouth to work properly, and all he manages is, “She was... What? How...”
“Shut up, and lemme finish. Your daddy took a shine to her, helped her get away. They moved out here and got a job with H&H 'cause they reckoned it'd be the last place anyone would look for 'em.”
“But... wings,” Dean points at Cas' as an example. The few memories he has of his mother don't include any feathered appendages.
“Theoretically, they could be removed,” says Castiel. “If it was done carefully...”
Bobby nods. “I dunno how they did it. I didn't meet 'em 'til after they'd settled in, and Mary was pretendin' to be human.”
This is... Holy shit. If Bobby isn't pulling some elaborate prank right now... Dean shakes his head to try and get his thoughts straight. His mother; an angel. Okay, he's pretty sure he can live with that. After he gets used to the idea. But it might be nice if someone had told him this a long long time ago, 'cause knowing he was a half-angel before might have made a few things make sen-... Holy fuck, he's half angel. He and Sam are half feathered, flying, mind-reading, most-are-enslaved-by-the-human-population, fucking angel.
If he wasn't sitting down right now, this would probably be where he sank into his chair. As it is, he lets himself slump down a bit.
“So, me 'n Dean are...” Sam lets his sentence trail off, and Bobby nods. “Why didn't anyone tell us... And how did you know all this?”
“Ellen and I promised your folks we wouldn't say nothin',” says Bobby. “I suppose they thought you'd be safer not knowin'... As for how... Your mama didn't know Ellen and I had an angel, or a demon the first time she and John came over here. Sariel and Zephyr knew what she was and they told me... I confronted your dad about it and he explained everything... “
“Hey! Castiel!” Gabriel pokes his head into the room. “It doesn't take this damn long to say adios. Come on, there's a storm coming and I-.... Why are we all crowded around the table, instead of sharing goodbyes here, people?”
“Not now, Gabriel,” says Cas. “Leave if you wish. I'll catch up, eventually.”
“Funny. Now let's go.”
“I said I'll catch up.”
“We agreed that we were leaving today.”
“No, you decided for me. I am capable of making my own decisions, brother.”
“This is a stupid one.”
“No worse than some you've made.”
Gabriel moves quickly enough that Dean barely sees more than a white blur before he's standing next to Castiel and practically dragging him to his feet by a wing. Castiel lets out a sharp yell of either pain, surprise, or both and Gabriel pulls him out of the kitchen. A moment later, Dean hears the front door open, then slam shut.
Dean has the sudden urge to make sure they're not about to hurt each other; or more importantly, that Gabriel isn't about to hurt Cas...
The issue of his heritage momentarily forgotten, he leaps to his feet and runs to the living room window. He pulls back a curtain just in time to see Castiel shoving Gabriel off with enough force that he makes his brother stumble back and hit Bobby's van. That's when Gabriel starts yelling, just loud enough that Dean can hear the buzz of sound, but not enough that he can actually make out what's being said.
“Dean?” he hears Sam call from the kitchen.
“Gimme a minute!”
He can see that Cas is trying to talk around the yelling, though apparently not getting anywhere because Gabriel doesn't even pause.
Finally, he must get fed up with it, because Dean sees his feathers ruffle, and he snaps something at Gabriel that makes the archangel freeze. There's no more shouting after that, but they keep talking.
Dean feels the demon materialize in the room about a second before he hears Crowley ask, “Hm, nice not to be the one getting dragged outside this time... My, what are they squabbling about?”
“Go away, before Bobby sees you.”
“Can't. I'm waiting for the angel. We've places to be, as soon as he gets his brother out of here.” Dean hears him inhale, after that, then hum a moment later. “Ooh, little brother played the abandonment card. Wise move, if a little melodramatic.”
“You can hear all that?”
“Oh, not at all. I've got an all access pass to Gabriel's head. You really should hear all of this; it's a wonder how they've managed not to kill each other yet. Just listening to them, I'm ready to kill something... It's all abandonment issues and guilt...”
“What exactly are you talking about?”
“The argument you're currently watching boils down to nothing more than 'you can't do this because I said so' and 'I don't have to listen to you because you left'... Sad, really.”
Dean's not entirely sure if he should believe Crowley, or assume he's lying and ignore him. He'll go with cautious belief. “That sounds... dysfunctional.”
“You've no idea. And to think it could all be sorted out if that great prat would just say why he never came back. But he won't. I've come to the conclusion that all angels are, at best, functional
morons. Most especially him.”
Dean assumes “he” is Gabriel, and he would take the opportunity to ask what exactly is up between the angel and Crowley, but he's more interested in the argument right now.
The fight seems to be drawing to a close, but neither looks any happier with the other.
“Well, that didn't last nearly as long as I thought it would,” Crowley sighs. “Shame; it might have been entertaining to watch. And now I think it's time to go. Fairly sure I'll be seeing you again, Winchester.”
Crowley's gone a moment later. Outside, Dean sees Gabriel backing away from Castiel, posture tense. He spreads his wings and takes off, leaving Castiel staring up at him. He watches until Gabriel is out of sight, then turns to the house and starts to walk back.
“Dean!” Sam again.
“Would you just hold on a minute?”
“I think this is a little more important than the angels killing each other.”
“Just give me a minute.”
The door swings open and Cas steps in. Dean half expects him to say that he's going, he only came back in to say bye. He doesn't. “Gabriel left.”
“Yeah I saw. Sure you shouldn't go after him?”
“Gabriel has made a habit of leaving. It is nothing I'm not used to. Shouldn't you be with the others?”
Dean doesn't much care for the fact that he's a little pleased that Cas isn't taking off right away, because he really shouldn't be. “Yeah, I was waitin' to see if you and your brother were gonna strangle each other or something.”
“That's occasionally tempting,” says Castiel, heading back to the kitchen.
Sam and Bobby haven't moved, but Sam is looking impatient. Okay, so maybe Dean shouldn't have put the important family discussion on hold. It's not like he could have done anything if Castiel and Gabriel really had started duking it out; he's only human. Except he's not, apparently. And that's just weird, on so, so many levels.
“Where was I?” Bobby asks when Dean sits back down. Cas just stands by the sink, looking all broody.
“Dad explained everything,” says Sam.
Bobby nods at him, and continues. “He and your mom worked for H&H for a couple years. It kept anyone from asking questions and they got to let a few demons and angels slip through the cracks when they could. Then they up and left. Never said why, just moved out to Kansas and said it was too dangerous for me to know why. Then Mary went and had you,” he points at Dean. “And they got real paranoid after that...
After Sam was born, they started tellin' me that they didn't think they were safe, and they had someone lookin' into H&H for 'em. Finally, couple days before the fire, John called and told me they needed me to take you boys for a while, 'cause it might not be safe there in Lawrence. I think they knew what was comin' 'cause that's when they made me swear not to say nothin' to you boys... By the time I got there, they were dead, and so was the demon who'd been helpin' 'em...”
“Helping?” Dean can't believe what he's hearing... Any of it, really, but mostly that last part. “The demon that died in the fire is the one that killed them.”
Bobby shakes his head. “Azazel was trying to help with whatever they'd gotten themselves into. I think he had a thing for your mama... I could be wrong, but I think whoever did kill 'em killed him too so there'd be someone to pin the blame on.”
And this is getting to be just a little too much. His bosses not being human? Okay, he can see that; they're sorta poor examples of humanity anyway. His mom? He can maybe deal with that, too. Maybe. It's still sinking in. The fact that everything he's ever been told about his parents and the night they died is pretty much a lie? That one is harder to swallow...
Dean shoves himself away from the table again and marches towards the door.
Sam, of course, tries to stop him. “Dean, where're you going?”
“To think.”
With that, he walks out.
He finds himself at the old Mustang without really meaning to go there. As he had the previous times, he hops up onto the hood. His brain is working at light speed, trying to sort everything out in his head, because hello, lots of new information to try and process here.
He finds his mind really doesn't want to try and work anything out. What would be nice is if he could just forget he ever heard any of what he did, 'cause before that, everything was so nicely uncomplicated. Aside from having no job, and no way to go home, and possibly developing an inappropriate crush on a guy he's known for like five days, anyway.
Okay, so maybe things were getting a little complicated, already... But at least his bosses weren't dream stalking him for some nefarious purpose and he wasn't some sort of freaky mutt. Is there even a word for what he is? He doesn't think so, because it's not supposed to happen.
But it isn't even the reveal about his mother that's bothering him; it's the fact that all his life he's been lied to; especially about how his parents died. He's spent his entire life thinking it was some random thing, and now he finds out that it was possibly set up, maybe even by the people he worked for, for twelve years? That is bothering him.
But when he thinks about it, it almost makes sense. The few memories he has of that night are conflicting. He has vague recollections of his parents talking to the demon that had supposedly killed them, which never fit with the story of it being a break in and arson.
He thinks he remembers seeing someone with a blade of some sort coming after his mother, which doesn't make sense if she was killed by the fire... The only thing he remembers clearly about that night is his mother telling him to look after Sammy, which he's spent his whole life doing...
He senses Castiel before the angel gets the chance to be sneaky this time. “Did they send you out here to get me?”
“No. I offered. Sam is... Adjusting as well, and I thought I knew where you might go.”
“Like you said, it's quiet out here.”
Castiel comes into his line of sight and leans against the car. “I can't help but notice that we continuously meet in this spot.”
Dean lets out a light huff of laughter because it's true; they do keep meeting here, “Maybe we should just go ahead and name it our spot,” he says without thinking.
Cas hums. “Perhaps.”
The comfortable silences they seem to slip into are becoming scarily familiar, and the very idea makes Dean itch to break it, to fill it with pointless conversation. It's far too easy to resist that urge. They stay there, still and quiet, until Dean notices a few feathers sticking at odd angles on the back of Cas' wing. Likely from Gabriel's manhandling.
Another urge now; to reach out and straighten them. So he does: he leans forward, intent on fixing the feathers. Only as soon as his fingers brush the nearest one, Cas twitches and starts to jerk away before he catches himself.
Dean snatches his hand back, “Sorry! I- they're crooked...”
Cas settles back against the car, and cranes his neck around to look at Dean. “No, it's fine. It's a reflex. If something gets hold of our wings, we're not likely to get away.”
Dean nods in understanding and carefully reaches forward again. Castiel doesn't jerk away this time, and Dean is able to put the offending feathers back in place... Though he maybe takes a little longer than necessary, because damn, they're soft.
If Castiel notices the gratuitous feather groping, he doesn't comment, or show any indication that he minds. Hell, when Dean finally does remove his hand, the angel shifts and not-so-subtly reveals another group of mussed feathers. He tries very hard not to think about the fact that Castiel is trusting him to handle his wings. Very, very hard.
He does think about making a dog and belly rub joke, but he doubts Castiel would appreciate the comparison. So he keeps his mouth shut and fixes the feathers, until the collar Cas is still wearing catches his eye.
“Gimme the key to this thing,” he says, tapping the collar.
Cas hesitates for a moment, then digs the key out of his jeans pocket and hands it to Dean. Dean unlocks the collar and pulls it off, grimacing at the angry red skin underneath. Just because there aren't any working spells on it doesn't mean it isn't doing damage.
“No one's gonna see you out here. No need for that.”
He doesn't run his thumb over the irritated skin. He might want to, but he doesn't. Much.
“We should go back,” Castiel says after a while. “I think there's still much to be discussed.”
“Probably,” Dean sighs. He's just not sure how many more revelations he can take.
Sam and Bobby have migrated to the living room and Sam is draped over the couch, staring absently out the window. He sits up straight when he catches sight of Dean's reflection in the glass.
“Did we learn anything else interesting while I was out?”
Sam shakes his head.
“There ain't much else to tell,” says Bobby. “Your parents kept most of their problems to themselves. I was only ever able to guess what was goin' on that had 'em spooked. I figured it had somethin' to do with H&H, so after Ellen and I took you boys in, we stopped Huntin', to keep ya away from 'em...”
Well, that explains why his career choice had always been frowned on.
“What the hell would they even want with us?” Sam asks no one in particular.
“Perhaps your abilities?” Castiel chimes in.
“Seems an awful lot of trouble to go through for a couple radars,” says Dean.
“That is all you can do now,” says Cas. “We aren't born knowing how to use our abilities any more than humans are born knowing how to walk. But it is possible that you possess nothing more than the... radar, as you call it. Considering Michael and Lucifer's determination to get to you, they at least believe you're capable of more.”
“If they were so damn determined, they coulda grabbed me at any point in time when I was workin' for the company,” says Dean, “They had twelve years' worth of chances...”
Now that he thinks about it, that's a bit unsettling. More than a bit. What in the hell had they been waiting for? And why them? Surely if he and Sam were around, there were others like them? There had to be, right?
From his spot on the couch, Sam voices a thought Dean would really prefer not to have. “You... don't think they know where we are, do you?”
“Don't see why they'd bother stalkin' your brains if they did,” says Bobby. “But it wouldn't take much searchin' to figure out me 'n Jo are the only family ya got... And don't even think you're leavin'. You're stayin' right here where I can keep an eye on you.”
“Bobby-”
“Don't argue with me, boy.”
Sam, wisely in Dean's opinion, shuts up.
“Okay, so here's a question,” says Dean. “What're we gonna do?”
“I don't know,” says Bobby.
“I don't think there is much that could be done,” says Castiel. “Not without more information and I wouldn't know where to start. Gabriel might, but he's blocked me from his mind now. It could be a while before he stops being stubborn.”
“So basically we do nothing,” Sam sighs.
Dean's not really any happier with that conclusion than Sam sounds.
Sam's saying something, Dean knows that much. He's just not entirely sure what it is. He's busy watching Castiel drag a recently lost feather across the floor for Ruby to chase. Dean's willing to bet he's only doing it because the cat had been following him, pawing at his wings whenever he stopped long enough.
“Dean.” There are suddenly fingers snapping in his face. “Are you even listening?”
Dean blinks and looks at his brother. “Sorry, spaced out for a second.”
Sam's gaze flicks in Cas' direction briefly, and he gives Dean a sarcastic, “Uh-huh.”
“Whatever... What were you saying?”
“I was saying I think I want to look into H&H, and Michael and Lucifer a little, see if I can find out anything useful.”
“Yes, because whatever they want with us is gonna be public domain.”
Sam gives him a bitchface. “Of course not. But Ash could probably get into anything they wanted hidden...”
“And how do you plan on convincing him to do it?” Dean finds himself focusing on Castiel again; he's still dragging the feather across the floor and Ruby's still chasing it.
“Since when does Ash need a reason to hack something?”
“...Good point.”
“Dude, stop oogling Castiel.”
Dean feels his ears start to warm when Cas pauses and turns to look at him and Sam, clearly having heard what Sam said. Dean looks away abruptly and mutters, “I'm not oogling.”
“Yeah, sure... So are you coming with me to the Roadhouse later, or not?”
“Why not? Nothin' else to do anyway.”
“Except oogle the angel.”
“Dude, shut up.”
Dean's sure inviting Cas along with them isn't what Sam had in mind when he suggested they go to the Roadhouse for Ash's help. But hey, the poor guy's been cooped up for four days and Dean's kinda feeling sorry for him. Castiel seems glad of the opportunity to get away from the house, though he balks at having to put the collar back on. There's no way around it, though. Just him being there is going to be eye-catching enough; the last thing they need is someone noticing he's not wearing a collar.
The Roadhouse is usually a quiet place; it's certainly not the busiest bar in town, but it has a decent crop of regulars, and new people occasionally wander in, so it manages to keep running. Before she'd died, Ellen had run the place; now Ash holds the reins. Dean doesn't really see how he finds the time between the work he does with computers and the work he does for Bobby.
“It's about time you guys dropped by,” a cheerful voice says from behind the bar; Jamie. “What'll it be?”
“Nothing,” says Sam. “Where's Ash?”
“In the back, with his computer. Where else? How about you, Dean?”
Sam gives him a look that's probably supposed to tell him he's not here to have a drink, he's here to ask Ash to do something incredibly illegal, but he figures Sam has that covered. “Just a beer.”
Sam sighs,mutters that he's gonna talk to Ash, and heads for the back room.
Dean just gives his brother a dismissive wave as he glances back at Cas. “Hey, Jamie, make that two.”
He knows Jamie won't offer Castiel anything -that's just how things are- and he's probably going to get odd looks for this, but right now he doesn't give a shit.
And now he's gonna do something else that'll get him odd looks. He picks out a table- not that he has to search hard; it's early and the only occupants are a couple college-age kids in a booth- sits down, and motions for Cas to do the same. Something else that Isn't Done. When angels are brought out in public, they're expected to stand behind their masters, same as demons.
Dean has the sudden thought of someone treating his mother like that, and his teeth clench.
When Cas finally sits down, the kids in the booth are giving them not-so-subtle sideways glances. So much for not attracting attention. But this can all still be regarded as nothing but oddball behavior. The lack of a collar wouldn't be treated so... kindly.
Jamie sets their beers in front of them and goes back to her post behind the bar. Dean wonders briefly where the waitresses, Madison and Andrea are.
“Perhaps this was not a good idea,” says Castiel, and Dean can tell he's uncomfortable. “They keep watching us.”
“Let 'em,” says Dean. “They'll forget we exist after a few beers.”
Castiel doesn't seem convinced, but he keeps any further concerns to himself. He keeps casting glances at their fellow customers, though, like they're suddenly going to realize that he's not under anyone's control and decide to do something about it. No doubt the angel could kick their asses six ways to Sunday without breaking a sweat, but it would certainly put a damper on any plans to stay in town (which Dean isn't sure is a good idea, anyway, but he'd rather leave by choice, not 'cause there's a mob after Cas).
“So what was the deal with Gabriel today?” Dean asks, going for a distraction.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Cas replies, downing half his beer in one go.
“That is so informative, Cas, thanks for sharing.”
“Perhaps I don't wish to disclose every matter of my life to you,” Castiel snaps, and it's a good thing they're keeping their voices low, 'cause that would attract attention.
“Okay, okay, m'sorry, geez.”
Cas just gulps down the rest of his beer and stares at the table.
“You could have gone after him, you know. Why'd you stick around?”
“Because if Michael and Lucifer are after you, I may be able to help.”
Dean figures that's a good enough answer, so he lets it go and starts on his drink. Which of course is when Sam decides to appear, likely to say they can go now. Probably a good thing, considering Cas' discomfort, but Dean had hoped to at least be able to finish his beer first.
“What'd Ash say?” he asks as Sam sits down.
“That he'll need to have access to one of the company computers,” says Sam. “But he thinks he can manage it.”
“How, if he needs one of the computers?”
“I think we're better off not knowing.”
Dean's not going to argue that one. Knowing Ash, it's probably going to involve something that could get him thrown in a prison cell for a very, very long time.
“May we go?” Castiel asks. “I think I prefer it at Bobby's.”
“Yeah, we can go,” says Dean. “Bobby's prob'ly afraid we took off on him or something anyway.”
As it turns out, they could have stood to leave just a few minutes earlier. As they're getting up, a few more of the evening crowd arrive. A few of them have demons trailing behind them, and Dean sees Cas tense and his fists clench.
He reaches over and grabs the angel's wrist. “Cas, just leave it. Please.”
Castiel doesn't relax at all, but he nods, and Dean hopes that means he's not going to do anything. He starts to release his grip on Cas when the last of the group comes in, and he sees Castiel's feathers starting to ruffle. The last guy is normal looking enough, nothing outstanding about him. The demon following him is another story; she's a pretty little thing, if a little too thin, with no visible marks on her, but Dean's learned to spot certain things.
She hangs back as far from her master as she can without it being noticeable to most people. She's favoring her left side, she's walking like doing so is a great discomfort, and every time she so much as glances at the man walking in front of her she gets this panicked look in her eyes.
If Dean had to guess, he'd say she gets regular beatings, and probably spends most of her nights chained to the bed...
“Castiel,” Dean hears Sam whisper. “Don't.”
With his hand still basically holding Cas', Dean can feel him winding himself up. He can clearly see everything that Sam and Dean can, and he doesn't want to let it go.
The guy takes a booth and the demon stands as far away as she can, until the guy grabs her by the wrist- the demon's entire body jerks violently at that, and she tries for a moment to pull away- and drags her closer.
Even from a distance, Dean can see her shaking.
For the second time, the brief thought that his mother might have been treated like that flits through his mind. He thinks whatever nastiness Castiel wants to inflict on the guy may not be such a bad idea...
“Guys, lets go.” Sam shoves them both forward, snapping Dean out of his sudden need for a bit of violence. Cas, not so much.
“Sam's right, Cas... C'mon, before we both do something stupid...” Dean gives his wrist a gentle tug.
Surprisingly, Castiel actually moves. He doesn't get any less tense or look any less like he's going to start killing shit, but he moves, and that's enough. Dean keeps hold of the angel as he heads for the door and Cas continues to follow him.
Dean really wishes they had driven to the bar instead of deciding to walk the short distance from Bobby's, because he thinks the faster they get out of here, the better. Even once they're a decent distance from the place, Castiel doesn't relax. He does pull out of Dean's grip; Dean hadn't even realized he'd never let go.
They don't talk on the way home, and as soon as they get to the edge of Bobby's property, Castiel splits off and disappears in the maze of junk.
“Should you go talk to him?” Sam asks, after a moment.
“I think we should leave him alone for now.”
Sam shrugs, and continues up to the house. Dean watches the last spot he'd seen Castiel for a few seconds before he follows his brother.
“How d'you think mom and dad even fell for each other?” There's no real build-up to the question; one moment Sam's picking at a poor excuse for a salad, the next he's pulling Dean out of what was slowly transitioning from a doze to full on sleep.
“Hmm?”
“How d'you think mom and dad even fell for each other? I mean, that demon in the bar... You know that's not uncommon. It's a miracle Castiel can even stand to be in the same room with humans, much less like us... Well, you, anyway. I doubt things were any better for mom...”
Dean yawns before he manages a reply. “How should I know? Maybe mom didn't hate humans. Maybe she just got to know dad and decided he was an exception... For the record, I don't think we count as human.”
A few moments of silence, then, “Wouldn't it have been easier if they'd just left altogether instead of trying to pass mom off as human?”
Dean rolls his eyes. “I don't know, Sam, I wasn't there; my time traveling skills haven't kicked in yet.”
“I'm just saying there had to be a reason they didn't run off to the other angels.”
“Maybe because angels don't like humans much, and they prob'ly would have been shunned or something...” The 'duh' is unsaid, but implied.
“Even if they were, they could have found somewhere else, somewhere away from humans and angels. It would have been better than whatever it was that got them killed...”
“Yeah, well, anything would have been better than that,” Dean mumbles.
Silence again, while Sam picks at his salad a little more. Dean wonders if he's not eating just because it looks like the lettuce had maybe been in the fridge a little too long, or if, like Dean, seeing that demon had ruined his appetite.
“Do you think-” Sam starts.
“Sam, stop. Finding out about mom didn't magically make me remember any more about her or dad. I don't know how they got together, I don't know why they made the mistake of sticking around, I don't know. I wish I did, believe me.”
Sam sighs and actually manages to look apologetic. “I'm sorry. I just... I mean, I thought we knew a lot about them, and now it turns out we didn't know anything...”
“Yeah, I know.. “
“Dean!” Bobby shouts from the living room. “Get your damn angel off my roof!”
Sam snickers, and Dean shouts back, “He's not my angel!”
“You can still get him off my roof!”
Dean shakes his head, then looks at Sam and shrugs. “Guess I'm goin' up to the roof.”
“To get your angel, yeah, I heard.”
“Oh, fuck off, bitch.”
Sam just waves him off and goes back to his “food”.
Dean has to use one of the second floor windows to get out onto the roof. He spots Castiel right away, sitting with his legs hanging over the edge and his wings stretched out on either side of him.
“Can I join you, or do humans suck right now?”
Castiel doesn't even look at him. “Humans always... suck. Sometimes more than others. But you're not human, not completely.”
“Nah, but you liked me before you knew that.” He probably shouldn't, but he can't help but add, “Who can blame you? I am pretty irresistible.”
Cas doesn't seem fazed by it. As he moves one wing and gestures for Dean to sit, he says, “I have little interest in you in the manner you're implying.”
Dean takes the indicated spot, and fakes a hurt look. “Ooh, that's a blow to the ego.”
“I'm sure you'll survive.” Dean thinks he maybe detects a hint of a smirk there.
“So, why're you sittin' up here by yourself?”
“I wasn't aware that you aren't really here.”
“Smartass. Answer the question.”
“I thought you might find me if I went to... our spot, so I decided to come up here. I was alone because I wanted to be.”
Dean picks a pebble off the shingle beside him and flicks it at the rusted shell of some unidentifiable car. “Sorry to screw up your plans.”
“Don't be. I was about to go back inside...” Castiel stares off into space for a moment before adding, “We could have helped that demon.”
Dean shakes his head. “We would have just gotten ourselves into a shitload of trouble, and she'd still be some jackass' toy... It sucks, but it's the way the world is.”
Castiel looks him square in the eye. “Then perhaps the world should change.”
Dean wonders if he'll ever not be surprised by the intensity of the angel's gaze. “Maybe it should. Got any suggestions?”
He doesn't really expect Cas to answer. He does anyway. “Removing Michael and Lucifer would be a start.”
Dean would ask how they're supposed to get rid of Michael and Lucifer, but he really doubts the angel has an answer to that one.
They sit there until Dean hears the front door clack open below them, and Bobby calling up, “Dean! I said get him off the roof, not get up there and get comfy with him!”
“No one's gettin' comfy with anyone!” When he hears a bark of laughter that is most likely Sam, he adds, “And tell Bigfoot to shut the hell up!”
There's a rumble from Castiel that might be a chuckle before he gets to his feet and offers Dean his hand. Dean takes it and gets pulled up.
“So, are you actually coming in, or not?”
“I think I'll fly for a few minutes first.”
“Suit yourself. Night, Cas.”
“Goodnight, Dean.”
When Dean goes back in, Sam is upstairs, apparently heading for his room. And he's still laughing. Dean wishes he had something to chuck at the big idiot, to properly demonstrate his feelings on the matter. He doesn't, so he settles for flipping his brother off before he retreats to his own room.
It's really too early for sleep, but it's been a long day. Tired as he is, though, he doesn't think he can sleep just yet. Not when there's always the possibility that someone will be waiting for him when he closes his eyes.
Instead, he grabs a book -he doesn't pay attention to which- and stretches out to read.
He barely makes it a chapter before he's asleep with his face planted in the book.
If he dreams, he doesn't remember it.
NEXT PART