Chapter 1: Boredom Kills

"Can you remind me whose freaking idea was this?" Dean snarled as he tugged on the ropes that tied his hands to behind back and his legs tightly together. Sam and Dean were tied up in the cellar, the room dark and musty, not to mention filled with dust and probably critters the hunters have never met nor would want to meet.

"Shut up Dean." Sam retorted, "let's just find a way to get out of here before they come back." Sam tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness. By judging how dry his lips had gotten, he could assume that they had been locked down here for no less than thirty minutes; he couldn't even make out the shape of the tip of his nose. His shirt clung onto his damp skin tightly, making the already restricted movements much more intolerable than it was.

Dean fumbled around the restraints behind him and cursed loudly as his hands scraped across something sharp; he felt a warm trickle flow down his fingers as it bled. The back of his head still ached from where the hard impact of something blunt hit him, knocking him out of consciousness. The last words he heard was his brother calling his name. When Dean woke into the darkness, he wouldn't have known that his brother was tied up in the same room if it weren't for his heavy breathing. His weapons had been carefully removed from him, even the secret dagger he had in his shoes. Whatever they used to tie him up, it was strong. "Sammy! Where is Gabriel?!"

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They were having a lazy day at the Bunker when Castiel noticed it. Dean had been lounging by the couch the previous day, staring at the ceiling for no apparent reason and lost in thoughts. Then he had been boisterous at dinner, which was common with him, however it was... Different somehow. It's more like he was making great effort to keep up with the jokes and small talk, something that Dean normally wouldn't have trouble with. Although Castiel noticed that Dean was kicking up a fuss during before shower. He wasn't the most polished man around - not that he couldn't be polite when he needed to, but for Dean to throw profanities because Sam added water to the shampoo bottle was more than unusual. Not that Sam had never done this before, heck even Dean does it occasionally.

And when Dean rolled in for breakfast, Castiel noticed that Dean's hair was too ruffled to show that he had a good night's rest, and the eye bags that showed were additional evidence. Dean had a terrible night, Castiel heard it himself; angels don't need sleep after all. Dean had been doing a lot of reading, flipping papers after papers and printing articles after articles. Sam asked Castiel about Gabriel, to which Castiel shrugged. Since two days ago, Gabriel disappeared, leaving only a note by Sam's bedside table. Something about lollies and candies, Castiel wasn't sure. Sam didn't share much, but not hearing from his boyfriend for a couple of days had Sam worrying what exactly had the trickster been up to. Oddly enough, Dean was silent - which he never was when the topic rolled onto Gabriel. He always had something to say, to spite or to tease. And when Dean stared at his plate of bacon and eggs for just a second too long, it struck him. Dean was bored. There was no denying it, Dean looked terrible.

"Dean?" Cas asked.

"What's up, Cas?" Dean mumbled. Castiel noted how Dean's response was rushed, replying nearly immediately before Castiel pronounced the 'n' at the back of 'Dean'. It was as if he was anticipating for Cas to speak to him. While Dean was always quick and prompt in replies, he would have waited for Cas to finish.

"Are you ok?" Cas asked.

Dean closed his eyes and swallowed before answering. "I'm fine."

Castiel huffed. "Really? You do not look too well."

The only response was silence from Dean as he picked up his fork and stuffed a strip of bacon in his mouth.

Sam shook his head and smiled. "Dean? Looking sick? That's not possible." Sam glanced up at Dean with a grin but his expression dropped when he saw what Castiel was talking about. "And I take back my words. Are you feeling ill?"

Dean took a deep breath and answered. "If you want an honest answer, Sammy... I feel great, really. It's just something has been bothering me and I do not wish to talk about it."

"What is it? Maybe we could help?" Sam inquired.

"Said I don't want to talk about it Sammy." Dean pushed his plate of bacon and eggs away as he left the kitchen and disappeared into his room.

"That is odd." Cas murmured.

"Tell me about it."

"I think that there is something eating at Dean."

Sam glanced at Cas, "Yea, I'm pretty sure that's what he said."

"And I think it's boredom."

Castiel spent a lot of time observing people. Before he fell from heaven, he had spent billions of years watching over humanity, from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to the Apocalypse that never came to be. Now, he spends most of his time watching Dean and Sam. While he could never understand Dean's profound jokes and references, Castiel picked up on the Winchesters' behaviour and habits. Like how he learnt that Dean was as stubborn as a mule.

"He would never admit to that." Sam said.

"I believe what Dean needs is a distraction." Castiel added. It had been almost six weeks since they last worked on a case, and Dean was a crazy workaholic; six weeks were a lot of time to be doing nothing. Castiel stole a glimpse at Dean's bedroom where the door remained shut, keeping all sounds blocked to human ears. But he could hear it; Dean was unsettled and constantly on the move. If Sam and himself couldn't pick up a case or a road trip or just something to do out of the bunker for a couple of days any time soon, Cas reckoned that Dean would be bored to frustration.

"Well I suppose we could-"

Castiel jerked his head up all of a sudden and Sam stopped in his speech as he followed Cas's line of sight, which unsurprisingly, led to Dean's bedroom. "What's going on?" Sam lowered his voice thougth he doubted anyone but Cas could hear him. Castiel stayed in the same stance but wore worry on his face. "It's Dean. It's too quiet in there."

Seconds passed to minutes and Castiel hadn't spoken a word and Sam got edgy. "Cas? Say something!" Sam hushed. Castiel shot Sam a sideward glance, "Why are you whispering?" Sam backed up into his seat and wiped a non existent sweat off his sideburn, "No, I wasn't."

"Guys I found something."

Both Sam and Cas turned around to Dean's booming voice behind them. Dean just came out of nowhere and it took a moment for Sam, and even Cas, to compose himself (and ease his nerves on discussing things behind his brother's back) before he spoke. "Erm," Sam muttered, clearing his throat. "What?"

"It's our new case," Dean added, fumbling about the many files the had in his arms. "I've been doing some reading and I thought that we could do this." Dean placed three files on the coffee table in front of them. "Harlow Avenue. It's not far from here.

A quick flash of confusion hits Sam. "You… Uh, did some reading?" Dean stopped flipping open the files to look at Sam, and before the conversation was led downwards, Castiel spoke. "Of course you did."

Turns out that for the past week, there had been cases of people going missing - thrice the yearly record in a week. When it came down to children, it was way worse. According to the case files, if this was to turn out to be a case at all, it seemed that Harlow Avenue was like any other towns; it was small and quiet, away from the bustling city center life. Dean spread out the town map amongst the sheets of papers messed up on the table and pointed to six red circles, obviously hand drawn. Sam was blown off by the amount of information that was spewing out of Dean, and boy can Dean talk.

"Woah Dean hold up." Sam interjected, trying to absorb the information handed to him. "Twelve children went missing this week, and four from the week before. That makes sixteen in total." Sixteen missing children in fourteen days, now that was a cause for alarm. "Says here that-"

"Every ten years, children go missing in the midpoint between autumn equinox and summer solstice."

"Well, yes. Think it's a curse?"

"This ain't no curse, Sammy. There is no history in the town that supports it."

"Sounds like you have an idea of what's terrorising this town." Sam said.

"What is right in the middle between the autumn equinox and summer solstice?"

Sam stayed silent as he counted, but doesn't seem to understand what Dean was asking for. Castiel piqued in without giving the question much thought, "It's October, Dean."

"Right. And what's commonly celebrated all over the world in October?"

"Cut to the point Dean."

"Just answer the question."

"Well, erm. It's Halloween?"

"That's right."

Castiel gave his signature 'I have no idea what you said look'. "What's a Halloween?"

"Not "A" Cas. Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition; a festival when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts." Sam explained. "Though the tradition had a totally different spin off and children merely dress up and ask for candies in their neighbourhood nowadays."

Castiel narrowed his eyes as he watched Sam and Dean, because here's where it became a problem for them.

So Dean had found a job to kill his boredom. It was, in a way, a blessing in disguise. Castiel didn't know if Sam could handle anymore of Dean's sudden outburst of tantrums. Of course Sam had had his fill of moody Dean while growing up, but since there was always a way to wiggle out of that mess, he'd take it. Castiel encouraged it the most. He's always been on the sidelines, it made clearer sense to him that Sam needed time alone and that Dean had needed a hobby.

It was odd getting used to this level of scrutiny with Dean because, when it came to Dean being thorough, there usually was self perception. And that was dangerous. Dean doesn't understand that the burden of the world was never his to carry, that that made Castiel ache to reach out to comfort the man. Castiel never fully understood how Sam and Dean could go through so much and not be broken, save a few hiccups along the way.

But, still, Castiel was grateful. How could he not be?

Anyway, what he's trying to prove is that he can leave Dean on his on for a few minutes without the incessant fear that he will somehow do something rash and irrational. It's almost a relief. Castiel doesn't feel as if he has to watch over Dean as tightly as before. Double relief: He doesn't have to worry for Dean.

Only… That's the thing.

He can't stop worrying for Dean.

Or, more correctly, he can't stop thinking about what Dean would do that might cause harm for himself.

Castiel has a perfectly rational explanation for this… He thinks.

It started not long after their little discussion in the lounge, when he found the hidden case files. Castiel doesn't mean to pry but after being told that the case on missing children were to be put on hold for a few days for monitoring, Dean had not been pleased. Castiel doesn't like that. He had unknowingly made it his mission to find a hobby for Dean to waste away, even if it took hours and not to mention digging into Dean's personal room. But he found it. When Dean came down the stairs the next day — he looked worse than the day before — when he saw Cas smiling to him with the car keys in his hand, he smiled and leapt like a child. It doesn't sound like much, but the gratitude in his eyes when he looked at Cas… Worth it. And Castiel had to convince himself that the giddy butterflies he felt in his stomach was in no way a contribution to that factor.

So here they are, driving in a black impala for another five hours to get on with the issue with Harlow Avenue. It was probably a right decision. Come on, they had went on hunts with lesser information than they had at the moment before. Granted, those were the most dangerous as they turn out, but they had survived it. And they would always heal after a few days, maybe a week or two. But they always healed. Especially with both Castiel and Gabriel around (that overly attached angel to his moose). This is just a casual, non life threatening hunting trip.

Castiel can handle this, he knows that Sam and Dean will be able to this. They'll be fine.

All he had to do was stick close to the brothers and play it out, and it'll be fine.

Right?

A/N: Reviews are always welcome regardless of content :) Keep Waggin'!