SPN Fic: Path We Choose- 3/?
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tenoko1Title: The Path We Choose
Author: Tenoko1
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Dean/Lisa, Dean/Castiel
Spoilers: Takes place after season five with references through Season Seven.
Word Count: 6,574 for this chapter
Warnings: None
Summary: They'd tried once before to defy Chuck's prophecies and failed, but Dean wouldn't be a Winchester if he was just willing to take God's Word as final answer.
Chapter One l Chapter Two
Chapter Three Podfic
Chapter Three
“No, Dean.”
“Would you relax? It’s not a big deal, why make it one?”
The angel rounded on him seriously. “Dean, I cannot allow you to take part in the search for Charles. I will see to this matter personally, there’s no need to involve yourself.”
Dean shook his head in confusion. “Cas, man, I don’t think you get this. See, I know Chuck. He damn well knows everything in my dirty laundry, so that makes us like friends, see? Mutual acquaintances. Not close, but still. When a friend goes missing? The other friend has to go and look for them.”
“Dean.” Impatience seeped into Castiel’s tone. “This is why I was forbidden from coming to see you. You are no longer in the hunter lifestyle; that is to be respected. You are free to live a normal life, and I was order not to do anything that would jeopardize your new life. With Lisa.”
Waving a hand dismissively, the hunter scoffed. “Screw Heaven’s orders, man. You’ve defied them before, don’t know why you would ever start listening to them again after everything that went down.”
“I am being serious.”
“So am I,” the brunette threw back, growing angry. “Hell, if I was so worried about staying out of trouble, I would have moved the three of us somewhere Sam could never find us since according to the books, his sudden reappearance is what finally gets me back in. No, I read the books and immediately called you. The angel that is the Big Bad of prophesied days, wanting to stop us from walking down that road, man.”
Cas shook his head. “They are not prophecies, though, Dean. Your worry was misplaced.”
The angel just wasn’t getting it, and Dean didn’t know how to make him understand. Anyone else would’ve, should’ve understood, it was simple enough, coming right back down to loyalty and doing what was right.
Placing a hand on the other man’s shoulder, Dean prodded his finger at the angel’s crooked tie. “Cas. You… you are more concerned with my having the apple pie life than I am. I threw it out the window the moment I thought my friends and family were in danger: happily, willingly. I wasn’t being dragged back in kicking and screaming, dude.”
Brows knit in confusion as Cas angled his head questioningly. “What about Lisa?”
“What about her? Being there for those that need you is just what you do. She’ll understand and even expect me to go, concerned, of course, but that’s also what friends do for each other. You worry, you challenge, you aide, you damn well search for them if they go missing.” He shook his head. “You don’t just cut out the good people in your life because you want something different.”
At a loss, Castiel stepped away with a shake of his head, separating them in the mostly vacant parking lot. “I do not understand.” He pivoted to offer Dean an utterly confused and lost expression. “I thought you wanted a life with her. That you had come to love her-“
“No, no, I’m not saying I don’t care about Lisa, I do. And I’m not saying I’m dropping everything to get back into hunting. I’m not, I just want to help look for Chuck. Being with her doesn’t mean I can’t help others anymore, just that I guard against bringing it home with me.” He ran a hand over his hair, struggling to find the words. “Lisa has been… Cas, man, she’s been my saving grace through all of this. When I was drowning, she took me in and offered me a place to hide from the things I couldn’t face, couldn’t handle. She kept me alive. She is loving and sweet and loyal and she loves her son more than any kid has ever been loved.”
“You feel indebted to her.”
“No, dude! She is a very dear friend! If I left with you to hunt for Chuck and she called me needing my help, I would turn around and come help her. Maybe it isn’t just one or the other, maybe it’s possible to somehow mesh the two worlds- I’m not saying it would be easy, but that it could be done. Walking away from suburbia and a picket fence doesn’t mean I give up the people in that world that care about me, that see me as a friend, just like being in their lives didn’t stop me when I thought you needed me I came running.”
A rare hint of a smile graced Castiel’s mouth then, fondness showing through before he sighed in defeat. “Very well. What do you propose?”
Glancing at his watch, Dean shook his head. Lisa and Ben would already be home by now and it was Dean’s turn to cook dinner. There wasn’t anything they could do tonight, but at least they were making steps.
“We’re done for tonight, Cas. We’ll figure out where to go from here in the morning.” The angel nodded just as an idea dawned in Dean’s mind. “Hey! Come have dinner with us.”
The other man’s eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. “You’re inviting me to… are you sure that is wise, Dean?”
The hunter nodded enthusiastically, excitement mounting. “Yeah! It’ll be great! Especially now that I know everything is fine in Heaven and we’re cool, you should start coming around more altogether. Apocalypse averted means we get to see each other just because now. You’re going to love Lisa, very down to earth, makes everyone feel at home. She’ll love you.”
“Why?” wondered Castiel in confusion.
The other man shook his head. “Why what?”
“Why will she love me?”
Laughing, Dean threw an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Because anyone who meets you and doesn’t like you, Cas, has something seriously wrong with them. Now get us home, it’s my turn to cook.” The scenery around them shifted mid-step and Dean grinned at the man walking beside him. “You know, it’s kind of scary that is something I’ve gotten use to.”
“I hope it does not continue to cause constipation.” A bark of laughter escaped the taller man, relieved to find he felt better than he had in a very long time.
Inside, he led Castiel through the house looking for Lisa and found her in the kitchen. Sitting at the dining table, she looked up from her magazine with an easy smile when he called her name. Her eyes flicked to Castiel in surprise and she rose as Dean made introductions.
“Lisa, this is my friend Castiel. Cas, this is Lisa. Lis, I invited Cas to stay for dinner.”
The emotions on her face shifted several times, shock, worry, surprise, all before flashing a brilliant smile and offering the angel her hand to shake. “You’re Castiel. It’s so nice to actually meet you.”
As they shook, Castiel gave her his best attempt at a casual smile, though it looked awkward on him, like he wasn’t sure how, and tilted his head to the side. “You’ve heard of me?”
Confused, Lisa glanced at Dean questioningly and then back again. “Well, sure. You’re Dean’s best friend.” She laughed lightly. “Why wouldn’t he have mentioned you?”
A look akin to awe passed over the other man’s face, making Dean roll his eyes and shove away from the counter to inspect the fridge and freezer for what he should make for dinner. The container of red meat caught his eye and made him grin, pulling it out to set it on the counter.
“Oh, uh, Dean, before you get started,” Lisa interjected, making him glance at her over his shoulder, “I do need to speak to you real quick before you get all involved and I forget.” Nodding, he turned to leave, hearing Lisa assure Castiel, “We’ll be just a minute. Make yourself at home.”
In the living room, Dean turned around to face his girlfriend, knowing what it was she wanted. She was watching him worriedly, glancing over her shoulder and making a point to keep her voice low.
“Talk to me, what’s going on? Is everything okay?”
He nodded, offering her an affectionate smile at the obvious concern. “Everything’s fine, Lisa.”
Raising a hand, she scratched her brow and ran her fingers through her hair. “Then explain what’s going on. First, with this week with those books: I was really worried, but you won’t tell me what’s in them, and now you brought a-an angel home for dinner- I thought you said he didn’t eat- when you guys haven’t seen each other since the day Sam died, so I’m just a little worried.” Her eyes searched his face. “You would tell me if something were wrong, wouldn’t you?”
Closing the space between them, Dean wrapped his arms around her, one hand rubbing her back. “Yes, I know, I’m sorry I worried you. This week I was really worried, too, thought some really bad stuff was about to go down and it freaked me out.”
She lifted her head to look up at him. “What stuff? What do we need to do to help?”
Chuckling, Dean shook his head. “Nothing. Turns out, I was wrong, but it was the reason I called on Castiel to begin with. We do, however, have another, much smaller problem at hand that he and I need to look into.”
Her head tilted to the side, eyes playing over his face. Her head tilt wasn’t endearing like Castiel’s was, it was just the face of a friend concerned, but didn’t evoke an affectionate amusement in the hunter like when the angel did it.
“What is it?”
“A friend of ours, Chuck, is missing. That’s where we were today, actually. Went by his house and the publisher’s office to see if we could find anything. Nothing. Another friend of our’s, Becky, is gonna go through all of Chuck’s stuff, see if she can’t find us any clues.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Is it a, uh, case? Like, your old work? Or is it a normal missing person deal?”
Shrugging, he scratched his jaw. “Actually, we aren’t sure yet. He and I are gonna figure out where to go from here in the morning. Thought about heading over to Bobby’s, seeing what he knows or has heard.”
“Well, I can make some calls on my end, put out a missing person’s report, get cops looking for him.”
Grimacing, Dean shook his head. “Ah, see… that’s the thing. If he’s just up and gone on vacation, or even if he is missing, we don’t really want the whole world to know. In fact, the fewer people that know, the better.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you wanted him found.”
“We do, but Chuck is, well, Chuck’s a prophet of the Lord, to be perfectly honest, and no, I am not shitting you. I know the demon world must have heard about him by now, so I don’t want them out looking for him either. It’s just a mess. As long as they don’t intend to kill him, the angel watching out for him can’t interfere. You can do a whole lot to a person without killing them, is my thinking.”
She nodded, lips pursed together as she thought. “Even still, I can talk to Mike and Chris down at the station, ask them to find out anything they can but keep it on the down low as a favor. An eccentric relative that may or may not be missing, and we’re just concerned.” Inquiring eyes swiveled to his face. “How long will you be gone?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I hope we find him quickly and that’s that.” She nodded and he hooked his chin toward the kitchen. “Now let’s get back in their before Cas has a relapse and eats dinner before it’s cooked.”
“Before he what?!”
Castiel was sitting in Lisa’s previous spot, looking at, but not touching the magazine. Like a child caught in the act, he quickly rose to his feet when they entered, glancing around as if for something else to busy himself with. Dean wasn’t sure why Cas looked guilty, it was just a Better Home & Garden magazine. Maybe it was because the magazine was not his and he had done so without asking, in which case, he’d been told to make himself at home, but to Castiel that probably didn’t mean the same as it did to other people.
If it had been a Cosmo magazine, Dean probably would have taken it and given it to Lisa to put away. He wasn’t ready to answer any questions the angel would undoubtedly have about the magazine, not to mention, he’d read the book where Castiel discovered porn and regarded it with a student’s curiosity.
Nope, they were not having the sex talk. He’d tried educating Cas in sex once by taking him to a brothel, and the poor angel had looked so much like a deer in headlights Dean never approached the subject again. He felt rather bad about it retrospect as well.
Flashing a broad grin at his friend, Dean announced, “Guess what? Since you’re our guest, we’re having your favorite tonight.”
Puzzled, Castiel shook his head, frowning. “Dean, I don’t eat, you know this. How can I have a favorite?”
Dean winked at him. “I’m grilling hamburgers, just for you.” The angel blinked in surprise, and to Dean’s amusement seemed to take on a faint hue of embarrassment at the memory, his gaze falling. Having shown a weakness, even while under the influence of a Horseman had been a huge sense of failure to the angel. “We don’t have enough to cook what I know you can eat, but you get the very rare privilege of a Dean Burger Special.”
“That really is not necessary, Dean, but I appreciate the thought,” insisted the angel, watching as Dean and Lisa moved in sync around each other in the kitchen preparing for the meal.
Handing her a cutting board while she held out an apron, Dean waved Cas off. “Nothing doing. You’re eating at least one burger.”
Puzzled, Castiel cocked his head, regarding Dean. “You are… unusually cheerful.”
Lisa laughed and grinned at Castiel. “I’ll say. It’s almost a little creepy. He’s never been in this good of a mood. You’ll have to come around more often if it does this.”
Rolling his eyes, Dean continued to season and stir the meat in a bowl before separating pieces off into patties and setting them on a tray to cook.
“Forgive me if finding out the world isn’t in danger puts me in brighter spirits,” he groused. “This morning I thought the planet was in jeopardy. Now I know it isn’t. That’s cause for a little celebration in my book.” He lifted his gaze to meet Castiel’s. “Isn’t that right, Feathers?”
A smirk made it’s way across the angel’s face. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were drunk, Dean.” A pause. “‘Feathers’ is what Bobby calls me.” Dean noted this was said with some affection, which made him smile, liking the fact that the angel had come to care about each of the members of his family.
The hunter shrugged in response, nudging Lisa with his elbow. She gave him a curious look. He nodded to the other man. “Take care of him while I do this. You’ll probably have to explain the basics if you get him to help.”
“I would like to assist, if I may,” offered Castiel, taking a step forward.
Outside, Dean busied himself with his task, enjoying the evening more than he was willing to admit. He’d have never thought it possible. There was something so surreal about the idea of it, even more so, the sight of Castiel in the kitchen with Dean’s girlfriend, his coat draped over the back of a chair and sleeves rolled up while Lisa instructed him how to wash and the slice the different vegetables.
He was happy the world wasn’t coming down around his ears, for once things were still normal, so sue him if he was a little excited. Given Dean’s life, he was surprised his reprieve had lasted this long. Until he actually thought the world was about to be thrown back into peril again, Dean didn’t realize how much he’d been waiting on something to go wrong. Like holding his breath waiting for the other shoe to fall. Things had been going well, they had been peaceful, it was only a matter of time before something happened to ruin it, right?
Sam had tried the whole normal life thing once, and it ended with his girlfriend in flames on the ceiling. It was why there were Devil’s traps and anti-evil sigils and wards hidden all over the house. Lisa actually even had an anti-possession tattoo on her foot, whilst Ben wore a bracelet and necklace set inscribed with sigils Dean made him swear never to take off. He’d lost so many friends in previous years, he was determined not to lose anymore.
Looking in the kitchen again, Dean felt some of his mirth dissipate as he realized something was wrong with the picture. It wasn’t that Castiel was a guest, or the two of them working together, the way Lisa laughed easily and seemed at ease with the angel. Suddenly it was Dean who felt out of place, as though having overstayed his welcome and this was no longer where he belonged. He knew, of course, that that was not entirely true, he could never overstay his welcome with Lisa, but it was like an epiphany as well.
He didn’t want the perfect apple pie life with her. He loved her, sure, but not the way he should, not the way she deserved. He wasn’t in love with her, and that wasn’t fair to her. Not to mention, part of his excitement actually came from the fact that he had something to do now, someone in need of his help again, and he was looking forward to it. The world wasn’t in danger, hell wasn’t opening its doors; it was just one person someplace other than where they ought to be that needed to be found. The prospect of righting that small wrong filled Dean with anticipation.
He didn’t want to have the weight of the world on his shoulders again, but Dean missed saving just regular people from the low-level nasties that resided in the world. It may have made him sound a lot like Sam, or actually even a much younger version of himself, but he liked helping people, it was what made the job worthwhile, was why it had once appealed to him so much, made him idolize his father so much. The job had its downfalls, but at the end of the day, you were making the world a safer place like a soldier on the battlefront.
But… how could he possibly explain that to Lisa? What would she say? God, after everything she’d done for him, would she see it as a betrayal? A slap in the face? It’s not that he didn’t want the house, the yard, the fence, but it wasn’t right to continue sharing her life when it wasn’t… right. It wasn’t what he was looking for exactly. He didn’t know just yet what that was, but this wasn’t it. It wasn’t him.
How would he ever be able to even tell her that?
“Dean?” He looked up in surprise to see Castiel standing there holding an empty platter, gaze narrowed, ascertaining. “I was told to bring this to you.” The other man accepted the tray gratefully, sliding cooked hamburger patties on to it. “Is everything alright? You…”
Green eyes flicked to blue. “I what?”
“You’re upset now.”
Lowering his gaze, Dean shook his head. “Nah. Just worried about Chuck is all. Wondering where we even start looking.”
That look as though he knew more than he was letting on passed over Castiel’s face, like he had some deep understanding of all the things Dean didn’t and wasn’t saying, the eyes that penetrated inside of him so that there was nothing kept secret. Uncomfortable, Dean busied himself with the food, keeping his gaze downcast.
The angel said nothing, just took the platter from Dean as it was offered, holding it while the other man placed the last of the meat on it. Inside, Ben had already come down from finishing his homework and was helping his mother set the table. Dean felt a heart pang at the sight of it, knowing he had to leave them because it was only right by them, but also knowing he would also miss them because he’d begun getting use to the three of them as a little family.
“Everything will be alright,” assured Castiel softly. The taller man looked at him in surprise. “You aren’t alone, Dean. You never will be.”
---
The morning found Dean anxious. It felt so weird to have to get his old duffel bag out of the Impala, then toss it back in the trunk with a week’s worth of clothes. The cloth that had covered the Impala for the past several months was now piled in the corner of the garage, Dean having back his baby out already. He stood back, regarding her with a keen eye as doubt and worry plagued him.
He could do this. It was no big deal. He wasn’t about to plunge headlong into a fight to save the planet again, he was just looking for one person, no big. It would take a week tops and then he’d be done and things would go back to normal.
What normal though? Did he really want to come back to live with Lisa working a construction job every day? The idea rather horrified him, the mediocrity of it. He hated the mundaneness. At first, it had been a relief, there were no surprises, and it was just a job. It had kept him busy, which kept his mind from focusing on things he didn’t want to, but now…
An arm slipped around his waist, Lisa sidling up to hug him from the side. “Worried?” He gave a nod. “You’ll find him. I wonder how long it will take.”
Dean shook his head. “When Cas gets here, I think we’ll head to Bobby’s first, start doing research and making phone calls from there.”
“Mission Control Center.” She chuckled. “What will you do when you find him?”
Blinking, Dean looked down at her in surprise, one arm loosely falling across her body. “Make him go back home and start doing his job again,” he answered at a loss. What else would he do? “Make him promise to start checking in weekly or we’ll send in a search party again.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “No, I meant what will you do? Are you going to try to take up hunting again now that the world isn’t in danger anymore? Or are you going to come back here and continue playing house with me and Ben?”
He stepped out of her embrace, turning to face her with a frown. “I don’t understand what you’re asking.”
She gave him a sad smile and a shake of her head. “Dean, you know this life isn’t making you very happy, it isn’t you. It’s so far removed from your mindset, it’s something altogether foreign. I know we mean a lot to you, and we both love you dearly, but Dean I think you and I both realize neither of us is in love with the other. We have contentment, but…” She paused, choosing her words. “We both deserve something more. Someone who is in love with us, desperately, and we love them just as much.”
Shocked, Dean held up a hand for her to stop the onslaught of words coming from her mouth. “Wait. Y-you’re breaking up with me? Are you serious? Where did this come from? Is this about going on the case? Lis, I don’t have to go-”
She shook her head. “No, don’t think of it quite like that. Dean, if you want to come back here afterward and us go back to the way things have been, sure, let’s go. I’m saying, I think you would be happier doing what you do best,” She took one of his hands in hers, “eventually finding someone who can offer you a mix of this life and yours- a fellow hunter or what have you. The two of you could open a roadhouse like Ellen did, and only hunt within a certain radius or something.” She shook her head. “Dean, I don’t think you’ll ever be fully happy if there are still things in this world hurting innocent, unassuming people and you aren’t out there doing anything about it.”
Baffled, he shook his head. “What makes you think I want to leave? Go back to hunting?”
She truly seemed amused by his asking, because she laughed again, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. “Really, Dean? I knew when you got those books there was a good chance you would leave to go save the world again, but when you came home with Castiel last night? Looking happier than I have seen you in years? I officially wished you luck and was happy you were finally getting back to happy again. You don’t need us the way you did when you showed up here three months ago. You can survive now, and even though you leave, you aren’t alone, and this isn’t the end for us.” She poked him square in the chest with a glare. “You and I are still friends, and you damn well better call if you need anything or come save me if I ever need it. You have to work on your relationship skills, Dean. I expect to hear from you, weekly, even if it’s just a text message, keep me updated on what’s going on, let me know when you find your friend, let me know what you’re doing in your life.”
He stared at her incredulously, opening his mouth to speak, then shutting it again. Letting his gaze flit over her face, he shook his head again. “I just- this is not how I expected this morning to go. I’m just going find a friend, Lis, I’m not dropping everything to go gallivanting across the country for kicks and giggles. I had planned to be back as soon as we found him.”
She angled her head. “Doesn’t it feel better though? Knowing that when you do find him, you’re free to do whatever you want, which still includes coming back to us if you choose?”
And it did.
At a loss, he reached out and hugged her, kissing the top of her head and willing her to understand the gratitude he felt for this most recent act of kindness.
“I owe you everything, Lisa.”
He could tell she rolled her eyes again, even while she hugged him back. “Don’t be an idiot. You don’t owe me a thing. As much as you do for others, have done for me and my son, oh and did I mention the part where you and your brother saved the world? I’m not keeping score, Dean, just offering to do what I can to help you.”
A flutter of wings informed them of Castiel’s arrival, forcing them apart. The angel regarded them uncertainly.
“I am… interrupting?”
“No, no, we were just, uh,” Dean looked at Lisa the truth to his words sinking in, “we were saying good-bye.”
Smiling, she hugged him tight again, and then moved over to hug Castiel. The angel floundered awkwardly for a moment, sending a panicked look at Dean. The hunter mimicked hugging her back.
When he was released, Cas frowned down at the woman smiling at him. Her expression was all seriousness. “I’m trusting you to look after Dean, keep him out of trouble and safe, you hear?” He nodded solemnly. “And you take care of yourself as well, God only knows what kind of neurotic mess he’d turn into if he lost the angel on his shoulder. And if the two of you are ever this way, we’ll all have dinner again, okay?”
Dean tried not to notice the way her voice changed as she spoke, how she was clearly fighting tears. Castiel was worriedly looking at Dean again, as if asking what he’d done wrong and how to fix it. Reaching out, Dean gently took Lisa by the shoulders and folded her into himself while she hung on and sniffed into his shoulder.
“Just promise me you’ll be okay,” she said wetly. “That you won’t take any stupid risks or save the planet again.”
“We’ll be okay. And I never signed up to save the planet the first time. Sam did all the work anyway,” he assured her softly with a wry smile.
“The big hero.”
“Moose-sized.”
She shoved him away, brushing tears from her cheeks with the palm of her hand and forcing a wet laugh. “Now hurry up and go find your prophet. Tell him not to quit his day job since he didn’t see this coming.”
Dean had said good-bye to Ben earlier before he left for school, though he hated ruining the kid’s day like that, it was better than him coming home just to find the man gone. Castiel was silent for a whole twenty minutes of the car ride before he dared speak, probably trying to give Dean time to deal with his own emotions about what had taken place.
“Dean, I’m not comfortable with this,” admitted the other man, twisting in his seat to regard the hunter. “I was strictly told not to get involved with you, not to do anything that might jeopardize your life, and now it is officially jeopardized.” A bitter laugh escaped Dean. “You and Lisa ended your relationship, didn’t you?”
“The romantic aspect of it? Yes. Altogether? No.”
“You need to turn the car around and go back, Dean. I cannot ask you to go back into the hunter lifestyle, to give up a home where you were safe and happy, to leave your family behind. I will continue the search for Charles.”
The brunette rolled his eyes. “First, you didn’t ask me to, this was my idea, remember? Secondly, things weren’t right between me and Lisa, we’re much more suited as friends than lovers. Her voicing my own feelings was like a huge weight off my shoulders. I love her and Ben dearly, but I am not the Jack to her Rose, so this is much better and we will all be happier than settling for contentment.”
“I do not understand that reference.”
“We have got to get you to watch more movies, man. Titanic. Based on an actual ship went down almost a hundred years ago on it’s maiden voyage and most everyone died. The point is, Cas, I am happy with the way things have turned out. Quit stressing over it. Lisa will find her one true love, and someday, I might find somebody crazy enough to put up with me till death do we part. I feel free to be me, man.”
Castiel regarded him curiously, head angled as those blue eyes flicked over the hunter’s face. “Dean, someone would have to be crazy not to fall in love with you.” The hunter blushed profusely, feeling the heat creep up from his neck until even the tips of his ears were hot. The angel pivoted back in his seat, seemingly unaware. He sighed. “I just want you safe and happy, Dean, regardless of where you find it. You’ve earned that. But if you are determined to go through with this, then it is you who must call and tell Bobby.” Dejected, he seemed to sink into the seat of the Impala. “Even still, he may well kill me.”
One hand already dialing the number, Dean nodded, agreeing it would be best not to catch his surrogate father off guard. “Why do you say that?”
“He was the one who ordered me to leave you alone in the first place.”
----
If Dean had expected much of a fight out of Bobby for his decision, he didn’t get one. Bobby was, however, immediately worried when he answered Dean’s call and half the conversation had been spent assuring the older man than nothing was wrong and he didn’t need to bring an armory to Lisa’s house. The other half was spent explaining that Dean and Castiel were headed to his house and why. Bobby had demanded to speak to Cas, but Dean had refused, recalling all the begging and pleading and guilt the angel had already gone through trying to get Dean to go back to Lisa, practically flogging himself as the responsible party.
When they finally did get to Bobby’s and unloaded from the car, Dean grabbed Castiel by the elbow and dragged him out of sight from the house, pulling him into a tight embrace once more. Cas readily hugged him back this time.
“I meant what I said, Cas,” he admitted in a low gruff voice. “It is so good to be able to see you again. I didn’t just lose Sam that day- I lost my whole damn family. Sam, Bobby, and you. I won’t do that again. I can’t.” He stepped back, one hand on the angel’s shoulder as he gave him a serious look. “So I don’t care who or what orders you to stay away from me in the future, you cuss them in every language you know and then immediately come find me. You are always welcome in my life, Cas.”
Blinking rapidly, Dean was surprised when the angel was forced to break eye contact, nodding silently while he recomposed himself. “I believe you are the first person to ever tell me such a thing. It is… deeply comforting to know.”
Clapping him once on the back, Dean nodded and started walking toward the house. “C’mon. Let’s get this ass chewing over with so we can actually get to work.”
Opening the door, Bobby immediately pulled Dean into a bear hug, grumbling softly about what an idjit Dean was and how there was no hope for him. The younger man laughed and clapped him on the back.
“Good to see you, too, Iron Sides.”
“Not in a chair anymore, idjit. And you,” The last word came out as a growl as he fixed his eyes on Castiel, who stood warily back. “I specifically told you-“
“Ah, tch, tch. Lay off the angel, Bobby. I called him in a panic, and like a true friend he immediately came to my aid regardless of whatever consequences he would reap because of it. You leave my boy alone.”
“Isn’t that sweet,” a voice inside interjected. “Claiming ownership already. Please let me know when the wedding is so I can be sure to send a present.”
Dean frowned at the sight of Crowley leaning against the counter of the kitchen, neither Bobby nor Castiel acted as though it were something out of the ordinary or cause for alarm. Flabbergasted, he looked at all three men.
“What the hell is he doing here?”
Grousing, Bobby walked away swearing mildly under his breath as he lead them inside. Crowley smiled and wagged his fingers at Dean while Cas shut the door.
“Crowley has taken to making regular visits here in past months,” explained the angel flatly. “Apparently, the King of Hell has loads of free time on his hands and nothing better to do than plague the rest of us.”
“Now, now, darling, don’t get testy with me after your long car ride,” tsked the demon. “You ought to be more grateful I’m here on such friendly terms as we are natural enemies and you boys have caused me quite a bit of trouble.”
“Then why are you here,” demanded Dean.
With a wave of his hand, a drink appeared in the demon’s hand. He took a sip of the amber liquid. “Well, see, after everything that happened, I unfortunately realized the scales were still very much tipped in your favor, I’m simply here trying to rebalance the scales.”
“Everything we did put him in our debt,” clarified Cas, coming to stand at Dean’s elbow. “He’s bound to us until he pays it off. A predicament unforeseen by either party.”
“He’s not willing to just pay us back and be done with it either, he picks how and when he makes payments,” griped Bobby from the study.
“So making us all filthy rich so we can do our jobs without credit card scams and hustling is off the table, am I right?”
Smiling, Crowley shrugged, “Oh, I could, but it wouldn’t affect the scale much because it wouldn’t have any real meaning to it. You don’t need or want it desperately, you see? I needed the world saved. I wanted to be King of Hell. Being king doesn’t matter if you’ve no kingdom to rule.” He winked at Dean, making the hunter glare and set his jaw. “Though quite frankly, I’m very glad things have worked out to where you’re back in the life, makes my job of paying my debts a great deal easier seeing as how I owe you as well. What with the way these morons have tried so hard to keep you away, I might never have been free to go about my business. I am a very busy man after all.”
Rolling his eyes, Dean ignored the demon and ventured into the study where Bobby was behind the desk flipping through a book, probably already researching prophets since Dean had informed of what was going on over the phone.
“Why were you so desperate to keep me away anyway, Bobby?” He stood in the middle of the room with his arms folded across his chest. “I mean, okay, I get you wanted me out of the hunter life, but man, that doesn’t mean you just cut all contact with a person. What? You think a phone call or a visit would have pulled me back into the hunter lifestyle, as if that was all it would take?”
“It was too risky,” the other man argued, not looking up. Castiel was glaring at Crowley as if ordering him to keep his mouth shut and wipe that damn amused look off his face. “I didn’t want to give you any ammunition to kill the shot at a normal life you had.”
“What ammunition?” he demanded angrily.
“Me,” a voice interjected softly from the doorway.
Dean froze at the sound, knowing that voice as well as he knew his own or Castiel’s. It was a voice he knew he’d never hear again. He knew. So why was no one looking at him? Instead they all dropped their gazes guiltily or busied themselves in the other room, leaving Dean to steel himself up, preparing to find out his imagination was being a cruel bastard, as he slowly turned to face the speaker.
Tears immediately welled in his eyes, heart caught in his throat as he was torn between the need to sit down and surging forward to hug the man leaning casually against the doorframe, hands in his pockets.
Sam gave him an apologetic smile. “Hey, Dean.”
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Date: 2012-04-04 08:26 am (UTC)s6-7 as false prophecies, Chuck missing and (?)Sam.
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Date: 2012-04-05 03:22 am (UTC)Great job! Can't wait for more!
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Date: 2012-04-05 03:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-05 04:50 am (UTC)I love how you incorporated all your totally subliminal distaste for seasons six and seven. XD It's like you're expressing everything I've been feeling. Deep down. In here. *pats chest*
URGHYES YOUR PROSE AND URGHYES YOUR REWRITERY METHODS
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT
I LOVE IT
I AM SO EXCITED
THIS WILL BE AWESOME
Though, I mean, technically it already is. FF-
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Date: 2012-04-05 11:14 am (UTC)I'm glad you like my writing. :)
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Date: 2012-04-06 07:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-06 11:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-19 10:56 pm (UTC)Cas was so cute in this chapter, I want to cuddle him :)
Okay, you wrote you don't like Lisa... I think I have to give you even more kudos since you wrote her so awesome!
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Date: 2012-04-20 01:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-11 08:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-11 01:40 pm (UTC)Glad you are enjoying the story though. Rec it out, lol. Hopefully you continue to enjoy the rest of the story.