Deep Purple Bristo
It was a Friday morning, probably the busiest day of their entire week, the students rushing around and the workers getting ready for their final day of work. It was always packed and the Roadhouse was well known and people returned normally twice a day if they could. Ellen and John had been close after they both lost their other halfs during the 9/11 attacks; when Dean was sent overseas they needed a distraction for the entire family, they opened Deep Purple. That had been just over five years ago and the business had never been better.
The coffee was cheaper than the big franchises and ten times better, everything was made locally so the price was cut and lacked the crap you would normally get in your food; made it one of the healthiest places. It was also the only Bristo in the state that offered a totally vegan menu. Benny and Andrea; their cooks were bragging about the award winning vegan pies she produced. Dean had one and had to admit he probably wouldn't have been able to figure out that it was vegan. High praise for sure.
Jo, Sam, Ash, Jessica, Adam and Meg all worked the front and when Dean had returned from overseas he had been shocked to see his family had not only grown but added new additions to it. The shop had offered Dean shelter and a place to go outside of his room and house while not willing to be too far from his family. He had been honorably discharged after being a POW for the last eight months. He couldn't say he thought they were wrong, he froze on the front lines and that couldn't be allowed.
Which was what had brought Dean to working at the Bristo two months after coming home. He knew his collected family was worried for him, he didn't talk as much as before and music was listened to over ear buds not his speakers. Dean just shook his head, if any of his fellow soldiers saw him now he knew he would never hear the end of it. He was in the uniform that Ellen told him was a job requirement but he called bullshit on that. it wasn't that horrible, black pants, black shoes; and a simple white button up top. He licked his lips and shook his head, it was the add ons he was having the problems with. He was going totally going to blame everything that followed on the waitress skirt that he was fucking with when it happened.
Dean was finishing tying the skirt thing and pulled his notepad out to get back to work when the door opened with a bang. His eyes going over to the noise and frowning slightly his body naturally stiffened, it was just a couple in a fight and he let himself relax before moving around the counter and into his section winking to Jo as she silently asked if he was okay. Turning his back to her after confirming that all was fine he turned back around to do his job.
He took the few table orders before going back over behind the counter to clip the orders on the spin table. "Order up!" he called hearing Andrea's quick reply he set to getting the drinks ordered set out. He lost himself in his work letting himself relax further everything was safe here in the dinner. He heard the door open again this time normally, like civilized humans would. He smiled and waved at the repeat customer that it revealed. New resident to their little town, Castiel had been a reporter during the war. Dean found himself opening to this man more often than not with shared experiences, not all of them Castiel hadn't seen a lot of action but he knew why Dean couldn't hate the people there.
It was a relief really, he was talking to his brother Gabriel as they approached the countertop. Both men were into a heavy debate, Dean thought about removing the skirt if it could be called that but figured it wasn't worth the complaining from Ellen . Neither man was likely to comment, they stopped infront of the cash and Dean smiled.
"Give me five minutes and I'll take your orders, got some drinks to go out." He told them, they were regulars they understood how it worked and normally took ten minutes to figure out what they wanted this time .
"It is fine Dean, please take your time." Castiel said as he turned to look at Dean finally and smiled warmly at him. "I hope all is well."
"Its better than most days." He said with a nod to both men before picking up the drinks and taking them to the assigned tables. He was finishing with the last table when the door opened again, he didn't both to look up this time but the knot in the evil skirt had come undo and he had to balance all of the drink trays on one hand to catch the fucking thing before it fell and he lost everything over the floor.
"Everyone on the ground now!" Came the order and Dean frowned he knew that tone, demanding but small traces of fear laced at the beginning; then he heard the safety being removed from a SMG semi-auto machine gun and his entire body tensed up. The trays falling to the floor clattering and drawing every eye towards him. He knew that his family would be worried and he could feel the eyes of the two brothers at the counter also worried. He slowly turned around to face the man, which turned into three men but only one with a gun able to kill at the moment.
The other two men were carrying but they had the safety still on and held tilted down to the floor, it was clear who was the boss here. He felt the shaking in his hand, tightening his grip on the skirt to keep it from being seen. He forced himself to take a deep breath, this was his family and he was trained to deal with shit like this.
"How about we all calm down," Dean starts and the leader took two steps forward and cracked him over the temple with the butt of his gun then shot a burst of rounds into the ceiling above Dean's head letting the building parts rain over him. Dean found himself coughing as he tried to keep his balance from the blow.
"How about you shut the fuck up and get down." Dean tracked the gun movement to something behind him as he heard movement.
"Dean, please," he heard Cass plead and felt a hand pull on the sleeve of his top and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I have no problem shooting both of you to prove a point." The masked man informed them and his finger moved from a resting position to over the trigger and Dean raised his hands.
"Okay, okay Cass, let's get down. Everyone slowly." He called not letting his eyes leave the threat as he sunk down hoping that everyone would follow.
"Well look at that they all listen, clearly we just need help from our magician." Dean was pulled to his feet, "you are going to help us rob this place blind and we will leave. If you call the cops, if you try and stop us or protect this business I will start killing people. Do you understand." The man asked shaking Dean which the last three words. Dean's head was spinning at the motion but he refused to show any further weakness.
"Yeah, I got it." He hissed pulling his arm free and waiting for the blow, there wasn't one this time and he frowned slightly before he heard the other guns being switched into active mode. He raised his hands, "I don't like to be touched." He stated knowing that if they looked they would see his tags and know what they had, he shifted his shoulders slightly to help the tags hide under his top further.
"Learn to deal with it." The second man stated as he grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him to the cash register.
"All of it into the bag." He was told as a large bag was thrust into his hand, he couldn't help it when he pressed the silent alarm. He felt another pull and he was yanked to the safe.
"I don't know the combination." Dean was being honest, he had refused to take the numbers from the family saying it was better if he didn't know what it was, it was another reason they all worried for him. Dean didn't do well with numbers and didn't want the stress of having to remember those numbers so it defaulted to Jo. "The Manager set it up and he's gone for the week." Also not a lie John did set the safe up for the little shop and he was gone out of town with Ellen for the week.
The blow wasn't shocking, the plan wasn't working and he wanted to take his frustrations out on someone. Dean wished he had avoided the back of his neck but he wasn't in a position to complain. He grunted and dropped to his knees from the blow and looked over to Castiel and then Jo to check that they were alright. Jo was with a group of teenagers keeping them silent and down low while she watched Dean carefully worry screaming from her body.
There was still too much of a risk with the three of them in the shop with so many people around Dean knew they needed to relocate. But how, he had no control at the moment and no information to work from. He sighed roughly and was pulled to his feet, he was getting a little tired of being pulled around.
"Okay wise guy, anything worth taking in here?" Dean rolled his eyes and got a slap for the problems, he had to keep the bad guys focused on him, that way he could force a relocation if he played this well enough.
"Deepends on what you are driving," he licked his lips and made sure the angle was right so his voice carried to the kitchen where Andrea was hopefully hiding or had run out the back. "We have plenty out back that is worth more than what's in the safe." As he predicted the greed grew in the man's uncovered eyes.
"Show us," the first demanded joining them and pushing Dean towards the back as the third moved towards the door but covered the group in the main area. Dean stumbled as he made his way into the swinging door and grinned. This was going to be fun. He put on a little extra speed as he went through the door and it swung back, the men had to pause to not get smacked in the face like Dean had done for the first two weeks. It didn't give him a lot of time but it was enough, he grabbed the closest object glad that it was a frying pan and jumped to the left to hide just back from the door frame. The door opened and the two men matched in, frowning when Dean wasn't right in front of them. He jumped, swinging low, going for the lowest blow a guy could take, his family was threatened it didn't matter. Surprise was his and the blow dropped the man with a high pitched whine and a whiting face. He was out for the count and Dean turned his attention to the leader who brought the gun up, finger still in a passive mode.
"Stop, drop the fucking frying pan."
"Make me, " Dean cursed at him taking a step towards him without a thought he swung as he took a second step. The gun fired as Dean connected with the mans lower jaw and heard the snap as it was removed from its socket. A fire had started at the gunfire but Dean didn't think about that at the moment, right now he was focused. Protecting his family, protecting his friends. That was his current list of worries and he found himself grabbing the closest unused gun from the second man's hip and pushing the door open.
Later Castiel would tell him that he hadn't really seen anything like it since he left the war torn countries from his touring but it was breathtaking. Not in a nice or romantic way but in the heroic holy fucking god you are kinda insane but totally wow way. At least that had been Gabriel's translation.
Dean stepped out of the swinging door, gun raised and finger already on the trigger, he had listened to his first Drill Sergeant, you only take your weapon out when you are ready to use it, otherwise don't bother. So when Dean had a gun it was trigger ready and he opened fire as soon as his eyes made contact with his target. The third and final man was standing over Jo and the Teenagers who were now whimpering and Dean wasn't sure why but he couldn't deal with it. He fired once into the man's shoulder, it would be painful as fuck but wouldn't kill him or anyone crouched behind him. They screamed and Jo's eyes shot to meet Deans. The man spun around gun at the ready and Dean fired a second time and watched as he dropped to his knees. One single bullet wound in the center of his forehead. He slumped forward, gun sliding towards Dean who stopped it with his foot.
"Clear," he whispered to himself, flicking the safety onto the pistol in his hand he held it loosely as he looked around the room. Jo watching him with shock as she pulled around from the teens, first responders pulling up outside. Cries, whimpers and pain fills the room around him and he felt a hand around his and the gun. He spun then relaxed as he noted it was only Castiel. He let the other man take the weapon from him knowing it was probably scaring the shit out of everyone in the small shop.
"Dean, sit down." Cass said as he pulled him over to a near by table, "I need you to let a EMT look you over." Dean blinked then looked at his friend then back to Jo who had finally moved to his other side, she reached out and held his hand for second before noticing the shaking and released him.
"Too much?" she asked him and he only nodded knowing he was overstimulated but it wasn't like the cops would care, he just killed at least one man in less than seven minutes. Took all three out and not really in self-defence if you looked at it closely; Dean wanted an easier life but that wasn't going to happen.
"I can handle it, but my arm hurts." He stated reaching to rub the offending appendage, but found Cass stopping him.
"You were shot Dean."
"Oh, well that would explain it," Dean paused for another moment his adrenaline high coming down hard and he knew he would crash in a few more minutes. He just wished that the army docs could have seen him, at least he had faced his fear. Not that he wanted to repeat it or join back up but he proved that he could do something in the face of danger. Maybe it would get better. The doors open as the Police announce their entrance to see the blood on the ground and people starting to move around all watching Dean, Castiel and Jo.
":Someone want to explain what's going on here?" Jody Mills demanded as she put her gun away and moved towards the huddled three. She caught sight of Dean and called for an EMT.
"Two more out back, got 'em with a frying pan. Andrea might be out there also, not sure." Dean stated his training kicking in as he gave a sit rep to the next officer he met and turned to look at Jo then Castiel.
"Glad you guys are safe," he whispered caressing his little sisters face and ruffling up Castiel's hair. "Think I'm gonna pass out now." He told Cass in a whisper just before he did.
||DEEP PURPLE ||DEEP PURPLE ||||DEEP PURPLE ||DEEP PURPLE ||||DEEP PURPLE ||DEEP PURPLE ||
The next six months were easiest than the first time Dean went into recovery, first off he was in his home town; with his family and friends, having the support of those he helped saved, the support of the local cops and everyone else was great. He testified alongside most of those in the dinner and sent the two away for seven years both. It wasn't that long but it was the best possible for a first offender that had been prevented from completing his crime. It made Dean think that if someone would have to die before he got what he deserved for threating his family.
Now it wasn't a shock when Jess and Sam got married, nor when Meg and Ash started up their thing. Andrea and Benny are now waiting on twins, no one expected anything else really. What had been a secret at least until two minutes ago when Sam had walked into his brothers bedroom without knocking; again. Had been that Dean was hooking up with his physical therapist; Castiel. But that is another story for another time. It's clear to say that being threated lead to a lot of things and happiness was one of them.
END