Sam glanced over at Cas as the man sat with eyes fixed on the computer screen open between them. Dean was back in his room taking a nap, and Sam was left taking care of a bored angel. So Sam decided to do what was easiest when it came to keeping Cas entertained, binge on Netflix. Sam's choice for a Netflix marathon, was an old crime drama that was popular back when he was at Stanford studying pre-law. Sam and his pre-law study group loved these shows and used to watch them together when they weren't cramming for a test or a class debate. And the best part of watching these cheesy one-hour crime dramas were the crazy drinking games. Usually, the rules were relatively simple to follow. Be the first to call a procedural or law enforcement violation and the others in the group had to take a shot of whatever cheap liquor they had on hand and to make it interesting. The losers had to quote the procedure violated by the actors in the episode. And to this day there was a particular episode of CSI that Sam can't watch without a flashback and a reminder of just how much he hates Jagermeister.
But binging today is a very different experience, especially with Castiel, and it was a lot less fun, but Sam had to admit he did like the chance to spend a little time with the angel without his brother around. Dean's constant need to be the center of attention sometimes made it difficult for Sam and Castiel to have their little chats. Chats that covered anything from the great works of philosophy to who should have been voted off of show Survivor. Castiel's affection for trash t.v. was one of the things that endeared him to the younger Winchester. Crime dramas on the other hand. Well, they tended to prove difficult for Cas to accept at face value. Sam usually found himself getting a little annoyed by the constant questioning because of Cas' inability to suspend belief and just roll with the simple story as it unfolds on the small screen and the angel's continuous eye rolls and loud sighs of frustration were becoming grating.
After the umpteenth sigh from Cas because of another plot hole and a stupid quip from Mr. Sunglass cop, Sam decided it was time to find something for Cas to do and an idea quickly came to him. One that involved doing a favor for his brother and if what he believed to be right about the angel and his feelings towards Dean, it was going to be a piece of cake to get him to do the favor.
"Castiel, I was wondering...um ' Sam nodded towards the computer screen "I know you wanted to try and watch some of my shows with me, but I just remembered. Dean said we are almost out of beer and pie."
Castiel glanced over at Sam then back at the screen with a wrinkled brow and before Sam could continue Cas finished for him, "and you were wondering if I would go to the store before Dean wakes up from his nap and pick some up."
Sam heard some reluctance and a touch of pouting in Cas' voice. It was very apparent that he was still hurting from the barrage of anger he took from Dean for his recklessness in going after some shapeshifters on his own.
"Yeah, I mean if you wouldn't mind. Dean should be out for a while longer after that drive, and all" Sam decided to pile on just in case Cas began to have doubts, "You know. I thought it would be nice to have the pie and beer here for when he wakes up, especially after that hit he took when that shifter was about to attack you". Sam planted a set of puppy dog eyes on Castiel and hoped the not so subtle guilt trip would work.
"That drive was long for all of us, Sam." Cas glanced over and instantly regretted it when he saw the younger Winchester throwing his trademark puppy dog eyes in his direction. Looking away as he continued "We all came away hurting. You, yourself have damage to your arm and shoulder." Looking at Sam, Cas' harsh voice turned softer as he asked: "How are you by the way?"
"Fine. I'm fine Cas. Thanks for asking" Sam tried to keep the guilt from his voice. Knowing he was trying to use a cheap method of manipulation in getting Cas to run to the Gas n Sip only twenty minutes away.
Taking one more glance at Sam, Castiel seemed to weigh his options of staying here and trying to suffer through more of these awful shows with Sam (he enjoyed Dean's choice in programming so much more) or go out and enjoy some time alone. It was the time alone won out. Pushing himself off of the couch, Cas threw back at Sam his reply drenched in sarcasm,
"I will go to the store, Sam but only because you asked me too. Your brother should thank you for your kindness in thinking of him, and you can tell that assbutt should he wake before I get back. That I'm sorry I didn't wait for his permission before going to the Gas-n-Sip on my own"
At Cas' reluctant yes to going, Sam watched with some humor as Castiel got up from his place on the couch and make his way out towards the map room to gather his trenchcoat. Sam rose up to follow, and he wondered to himself if Cas was attached to the old coat the same way a toddler is attached to a favorite toy or blanket and as the angel began to sling the coat around his shoulders. Sam saw a wince cross the angel's features as the still healing knife wound pulled a little at the patch job Sam had performed. Cas struggled to get his one arm through the long sleeve, Sam walked over and helped to pull the coat up and settle it around Cas shoulders and replied,
"Yeah, I'll tell him, but try to get back before he wakes up anyway."
Cas then walked over to the wall that had the large board with small hooks lined up in a five by five pattern; each hook held a set or two for the many modes of transportation stored in the garage located below the Bunker. Including the Impala and Cas' beast, the Lincoln and as Cas paused to scan for the set he needed. Sam couldn't help but recall the events from the previous few days, and how the love-hate relationship between his brother and Castiel was in full display during a scare they had had when they had nearly lost Cas- again.
FIVE DAYS EARLIER:
Sam answered his cell when he saw the name Sheriff Mills flash on the screen. "Hey, Jody! How's it goin'? How are the" Jody in her usual cut the crap and get to the point attitude, stopped Sam's greeting mid-sentence?
"Hey, Sammy. I'm fine and the girls...well. They are grinding the last nerve but you know, I love'm. Listen I'm calling cuz there is some strange shit happening in a town further up the road..." As Jody passed along the tale of mysterious disappearances and animal mutilations in a town called Cloud. Apparently, some of the tourists who came up during the winter months to do some ice fishing. Well, they were disappearing with no trace as well. Jody had gone on to say her information was coming from a fellow sheriff named Kim Hammons. Whose main suspects were a group of freeloaders that had taken up residences in one of the empty vacation rentals Jody went on to say that when she had gone up to see for herself what was going on. The other sheriff had dismissed some evidence, like a tub with what appeared to be hair and blood inside but because of exposure to the elements and any animals who happened to get in through a broken out window. They couldn't run any conclusive tests. Jody said she had no doubt the hair and sludge they found was human and evidence that a few shapeshifters may have moved into the area. Sam agreed with her and felt confident they had a case. And when he ran it past Dean, who was suffering from a particularly bad case of cabin fever. He had to do little convincing Dean that it would be a good idea to head up to Jody's to investigate.
The boys had driven out and then began a two-day day hunt for the group. After, they finally caught up to their location. They quickly realized that from their intel gathered from the local sheriff in town They had grossly underestimated the number of shifters living in the old house, But in the end, the boys were victorious and took the shape-shifter pack out but not without nearly losing Cas in the process.
Sam recalled how Dean, in typical Dean fashion, had gone after the group. Bursting through the front door, Dean had been surprised at first at how young the pack was, but Dean assured Sam it would be no problem as they had experience over the group. Of course, Dean was right, and Sam ended up handling two of the subordinate males on his own, and then, Sam turned and went to check on Dean's progress. He caught up to his brother as he put the coup-de-gras on the mouthy monster who wouldn't shut up. They turned their attention to Castiel, and it was then that they noticed his absence.
Because Castiel was low on grace after his run in months ago with Metatron, Dean was beside himself with worry and fear for the weakened angel- again. He began to talk crossly to Sam about letting the "baby in a trenchcoat" out of his sight. Sam had tuned him out and wished he could tell Dean that his boyfriend would be okay, but instead he just listened to his brother bitch about Cas and just as he and Dean left the kitchen in search of their friend. They heard a loud thud above their heads and the unmistakable sound of Castiel crying out in pain.
Earlier, Cas had seen that the boys had everything under control and was about to go and help Sam with his shifter when he heard a noise down the hallway that ran behind him. Taking one last look over at Sam who was finishing up the last of the disgusting monsters. He turned and headed down the hall in the direction that he thought the sound had originated. Creeping slowly along the narrow corridor, Cas stopped and eased the door open and found it led to an empty bathroom. Backing out, Castiel once again heard a sound again. Only this time he was able to identify which door was the source. Dropping his angel blade down into the palm of his hand, Cas walked the short distance to the next closed door and grabbed the old brass knob and began to turn. Pushing the door open Cas could not see very far into the dark beyond the now open portal, but he could see the short landing and a set of stairs that led upwards into what could only be the attic.
Castiel glanced down the hallway and could hear the muffled voices of Sam and Dean as they spoke in the kitchen. Despite only being at half his angel strength, Cas decided he could handle whatever may be upstairs and began to ascend the steps up into the darkness. After reaching the top level, Castiel realized there was a corner to be turned before entering the attic space. Pausing long enough to try and get a sense of what was lay beyond, and even there were no more sounds to indicate anyone or thing was up in the attic space. Castiel knew that someone or something was hiding in the attic. So with his angel blade raised he stepped around the corner and into darkness. It didn't take long before the shifters he had been pursuing ambushed him. The first attacker surprised Cas with a clumsy blow to the head. Castiel at the last moment could smell the fetid stench of the shifter and out of instinct. Cas raised his arm just in time to deflect an incoming blow. But it wasn't enough to block it entirely, and it had glanced off the side of his head. Staggering just a bit, the attacker pushed his advantage. Overconfident in the amount of damage he had caused the angel. The shifter advanced rapidly and Cas, who had been holding the side of his head, used his foolish attacker's assumption against him by quickly dropping his hand from his forehead and bringing the hand holding the angel blade around and plunging the weapon deep into the shifter's heart. Breathing hard from his struggle, Castiel straightened and began to second guess his plan of searching on his own the cavernous space. Moving his eyes to take in the area surrounding him. He noticed that his vision had started to adjust to the limited amount of light seeping through the dirty curtains covering two dormers located on the one side of the room. Castiel could also make out several locations where someone could conceal themselves very nicely. By his count, there could be a half dozen shifters in the hidden the room. He didn't like those odds, and so he began to turn to go back the way he had come but before taking his first step. Castiel felt a searing pain radiate down his side. Unseen by the angel two shifters had emerged from a small crawl space located behind a small wooden door that had been hidden by a stack of boxes. Castiel gasped and turned towards his attacker and began to fight. He could feel the deep slice running the length of his ribs and blood running down his side soaking his white button-down shirt. Even with the damage done to his vessel, the two ambushers were no match for a more experienced fighter like Castiel, and he was able to take both of them out quickly enough. Soon though, Castiel heard the sound of more footsteps coming at him from deeper within the attic. Looking up, Castiel could see three more shifters advancing on him. And he soon realized that the cut and ensuing blood loss had begun to drain his energy. Castiel gripped his blade tighter and tensed up to prepare for their attack, and when the first shifter took a swing, Castiel was able to deflect the blow aimed at his face, but it landed solidly on his injured side causing him to cry out in pain. Castiel's went down to a knee. Which emboldened his attackers to press their advantage, and when the first of the three came up closer to get another blow in, Castiel jammed the angel blade upwards through his jaw and into the monster's brain. Then just as the dead shapeshifter began to fall, Castiel heard the boys pounding up the stairs and before he could stand fully up again. The room started to swim a little causing him to stagger forward. Looking up he could see Sam and Dean burst into the attic and as Dean flew past him. Sam recalled how a rage seemed to take over Dean's face after he had seen the state Cas was in, and it had been. Sam who stopped to check on Cas and when he nodded that he was okay. Sam continued onward to join his brother as he went after the remaining shapeshifters.
Sam's battle was brief, and he was able to quickly take out his shifter but not before taking a baseball bat to his shoulder and when Sam went in search of his brother and found him on the other side of a large armoire.
He had been terrified at the sight of Dean savagely hacking at the neck of his shapeshifter. Sam was scared by the look on his brother's face.
"Dean!" Sam yelled trying to make his brother stop, "Dean! That's enough!" Sam felt Castiel come up beside him. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed the man had taken off his shirt and was holding it against the gash over his ribs.
"Dean! Dammit, you have to stop."
At the sound of Sam's voice. Dean seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and looked up. Blood spatter from the dead monster at his knees covered his face and clothes.
"Dean. That is enough. You got him."
Dean looked at his brother then at Cas. His eyes roamed over Castiel's body. They paused at the blood-soaked shirt. He turned and with a final thrust. Dean plunged the blade into the heart of the already dead monster.
Satisfied with his efforts, Dean had turned to check Sam, who stood hunched over because the attic ceiling was about an inch too short for his tall frame, rubbing his shoulder. Dean had caught sight of the moment his brother had taken a hit with a baseball bat that his shifter must have found hidden amongst the crap laying all around. After a nod from Sam, indicating that he would live. Dean took a deep breath and turned to where Castiel stood and when he saw the slash of blood across Castiel's ribs and blood dripping from his forehead. Dean's demeanor went from concern to fury and to Sam's stunned amazement. Dean flew into a rage-filled rant and started to lay into Castiel for wandering off on his own.
"Dammit, Cas! What the hell!"
Sam recalled the fear disguised as anger in his brother's voice. Castiel tried to argue back by telling Dean he did not need to be babied but Sam knew this familiar argument by heart and because he did. He also knew it would be a futile battle for the semi-powerless angel when it came to dealing with an overly-protective and entirely closed off Dean. Castiel knew the futility as well, and so Sam had to give props to Castiel for being wise enough to break away from interacting with Dean and walk away instead. Sam had watched with sympathy as Castiel grew quiet and dropped back from the two brothers as they made their way back to the Impala. Once they reached the car, Sam had done a quick job of sewing up the gaping slash of skin covering Castiel's ribcage. Dean was standing over Sam's shoulder. Watching. Sam could feel the tension radiating off of Dean as he did so. Sam understood that it wasn't truly anger Dean was feeling right now, but he dared not push it by pointing that fact out. By the time Sam had finished up with Cas by placing a butterfly bandage across the cut on Castiel's forehead just under his hairline. Dean had lost interest in the nursing going on and had left to sit in the car. As Sam put the med-kit away, he reached into his duffle and grabbed one of his old hoodies balled up inside and handed it to the injured angel.
"You know he is like this because he cares about you right?"
Castiel looked up into the earnest eyes of Sam WInchester and with a small quirk of his lips replied "Sure. Thanks for the jacket, Sam."
Sam shook his head in frustration and after grabbing an ice bag for his shoulder. He slammed the trunk closed and put his hand under the angels' elbow and gave it a squeeze in support, and with a sympathetic smile he nodded toward's their side of the car, and together they made their way to the passenger side and climbed in with Cas taking possession of the rear seat. During the close to twelve-hour drive back to the bunker. The sullen angel had barely spoken a word other than to thank Sam when he had given him another bandage for his knife wound that has begun to ooze a little blood. Dean just cranked his music up and clenched his jaw. Sam was sure the twitching tendon running along his jawline was going to snap.
After the first couple of songs had played Dean glanced into the back seat and noticed Cas curled up on the back seat and had fallen asleep. So he reached over and punched the tape out and turned the small black knob that powered off the tape deck. Sam tried to take advantage of the quiet that had now descended inside the cabin of the Impala to broach the subject of Castiel's feelings and Dean's treatment of the poor guy. He even went as far as trying to get Dean to admit to himself why he gets so upset when Cas gets hurt. Then when that led nowhere, Sam did feel the need to remind his jerk of a brother, the guy did take out two of the shifters on his own and wasn't doing all that bad with the last three. But Dean reacted the way he always does when he wants to hide his feelings. Dean lashed out, and as Sam sat and listened to his brother logic his way through the bullshit, the guy was dishing out. Sam became even more convinced that the ridiculous outburst that he witnessed back at the nest was really about Dean Winchester being afraid of one day losing Castiel, the man he had come to care about, and it wasn't just as a friend either. It was more than that.
Finally, when Dean's rant ended, and he signaled the end to the argument as a whole by roughly grabbing the old shoebox full of their Dad's classic rock cassette tapes and after making a selection. Dean with some apparent frustration and no longer caring that Cas was asleep, he slammed in a cassette tape and cranked up the sound to AC/DC's, Back in Black. There was little to no talking for the rest of the ride.
Once home, a tired Dean stopped long enough to make himself a PB&J sandwich, and after grabbing a beer, He disappeared towards his room to heal and to sleep. His parting shot before exiting from the kitchen had been "One beer left, Sam!"
And now, here he was watching Cas as continued to stare at the key filled rack, Sam focused his attention on the angel and sensed there was a new problem as Castiel dropped his shoulders, furrowing his brow, Sam asked the troubled angel, "What's wrong?"
Reluctantly Cas replied, "Well, the Lincoln has some engine trouble, and Dean said he would take a look at it over a week ago and he hasn't."
Sam paused or a moment. Then he smirked just a tad and walked to the bank of hooks, Sam grabbed a set and turned back towards Cas, and tossed them to the angel who caught them with ease.
"Here take the Impala."
Castiel stared at the set of keys in his hand his mind reeling with the opportunity and the possible outcome of Dean finding out he took the car. He always wanted to drive the Impala, and any time he hinted at it. Dean would shut him down with either a look of disdain or a joke of some sort. Castiel looked up into Sam's face his hesitancy written over it. Sam felt a little sorry for the guy knowing what his brother usually put him through when it came to the Impala and Castiel's wish to drive it. So with a clap on his back and the sincerest smile he could muster, Sam said,
"Take it. He is asleep, and you should be back long before he even wakes up. So he won't ever know." with a shrug, Sam added, "Unless you tell him you drove it."
Excited and just a little apprehensive at the thought that he was about to drive the most treasured thing in Dean's world, after Sam of course. He was about to drive, Baby. Castiel gave a small smile of gratitude at Sam's trust in him. And so, with clenched fingers wrapped around the key ring, Cas turned to walk down the hallway towards the stairs that led to the large garage and Dean's beloved car.