"So?" Dean said, trying to break the silence in the car.
"So…?" Cas repeated, looking at Dean questionably.
"So, what the fuck was that back there? And why the hell is it now in the trunk of my car?" Dean huffed. Today was the worst day in his life… well second worst.
"That is classified. I apologize, Dean." Cas replied quickly. His monotonous tone of voice was really pissing Dean off.
"Don't fucking apologize! Tell me what the fuck that... That thing was. Cas, I don't know if you know this or not but I almost died back there. I want to at least know what the fuck tried killing me." Dean protested.
"Condolences." Cas said. Condolences? Dean almost got sliced into bits and all this fucker could say was CONDOLENCES? Dean clutched the driver's wheel tightly, fighting back the strong urge to punch Cas in the fucking face. "You're angry." Cas pointed out.
"Oh, believe me, I'm beyond angry Cas." Dean growled. Cas sighed lightly, sinking a little further back into the passenger's seat. "Don't get too comfy now," he snapped.
"Look Dean, there are just some things out there that people like you shouldn't know about, let alone comprehend."
"Well I'm all ears here buddy." Cas sighed again, probably thinking about whether or not to tell the truth or just flat out lie. Cas finally made his decision and broke the angry silence.
"It was a monster."
"Yea, no shit Sherlock. But what kind?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"What kind, like Mr. Slendy or some shit."
"Well, as you had seen earlier Dean, the creature was not long and slender, nor was it male."
"No, I mean... Forget it. Just tell me what it was," Dean sighed, his grip loosening on the wheel as he took in a few deep breaths.
"Lamia."
"La-what?"
"A Lamia. But this one was a little different. I've never seen one that had their arms replaced with claws before… strange."
"Uh… yea. So, what the hell is it again?"
"A Lamia, Dean. They are humanoid-like creatures that prey on the hearts of humans. But if that were true then it would have had hands… Maybe it has a different purpose…" Cas trailed off. Now, he was just talking to himself.
"Hey, hey Cas. Snap out of it buddy. So how do we kill this thing?" Dean said, snapping his fingers to get Cas' attention.
"To kill it you have to stab it with a silver knife blessed by a priest, covered in rosemary and salt, and then burnt to ashes."
"Alright, well I think we got the stabbing part down right? All we need to do is burn the bitch and we're out of here." Cas nodded and Dean pulled over on the side of the highway, opening the door. "Well, we're here. People don't really come out to the woods so we're safe. And if someone does happen to drive by they'll probably just think it's just some shitty bonfire or something." Cas nodded again and got out of the car, opening the trunk and pulling out a large bag.
The two stood there for a moment, watching the flames rise. It smelled horrible, but it was a sign that Dean was safe now, and he wouldn't have to worry about the bitch ever again. "Thank you, Dean, and I'm sorry." Cas apologized.
"No problem buddy."
"I'm not talking about this," Cas sighed. Dean began to feel uneasy then, and he shifted from side to side, trying to get the feeling to subside. He looked over quickly, expecting to see Cas, but he had disappeared. Panicking, he turned around quickly, and just in time to see Cas throw a quick punch at him, knocking him out cold.
Dean sprang up from his bed, gasping for air the next morning. "Dude! You ok?" Sam said, rushing over to Dean's side.
"I-Yea. How did I get home?" Dean asked, confused and angry. Where the fuck was Cas?
"I don't even know. When I got back from work you were sitting by the door, passed out. Were you drunk last night? Dean what happened? Did you get in a fight with someone at the bar?" Sam's questions flew at Dean full speed from left and right. Dean just took a deep breath and shut his eyes.
"I'm fine Sammy, and no, I wasn't drunk, and I didn't get into a fight. Why would you ask that?" Sam just looked away from Dean and pointed to a mirror. Dean got up from the bed and groggily walked over to see a black and blue, bruised up face looking back at him. FUCK. His million dollar face. One of the few cards he had to get laid was now damaged, all thanks to that fucker last night…
"Shit…" Dean groaned. His anger growing. Fucking Cas, why the hell did he do that? What the fuck is up with that guy? God dammit… There was only one way to settle this. In a moment's notice Dean was out the door and revving up the Impala. He wasn't going to let this go, and he was going to make damn sure Cas got what was coming to him.
Dean pulled up to the bakery, but he wasn't prepared for what he saw. The bakery had been boarded up and taped off. Cops ran around like bee's trying to figure out what had happened. Glass windows shattered, tables and chairs flipped over and broken. It looked like a hurricane had gone through the building. That's when Dean started to panic. Fuck, he'd been panicking a lot lately; pretty sure that's not good for the heart. He slammed the car door behind him and walked up to one of the officers standing outside. "What happened?" he asked, his heart beating rapidly, assuming the worst.
"That discussion isn't open to the public yet. I'm sorry sir but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The officer waved him off, but Dean wasn't about to leave just yet.
"Please… my- my friend works there. I need to know what happened." Friend wasn't exactly the correct term to use for Cas, but if it scored some extra pity points with the officer he'd use it. And apparently it worked, because the cop turned around to face Dean, sighing lightly.
"We're actually not too sure yet…It looked like a bear had ran through the bakery. There are no signs of blood or a struggle of any sort though so it's safe to say your friend is ok." Dean stepped back and sighed in relief. Thanking the officer, he went back to the car and drove off. He had no idea where he was going at first, but an idea popped in his head and he headed straight for the park. Maybe… just maybe. He stepped out of the car and ran straight for the lake. No Cas. By the jungle gym? Nope. Wait… why the fuck would he be there? The guy's crazy but not a fucking pedophile. A bench. Maybe Cas took his advice and acted normal for once. It probably took Dean an hour to search the whole park, and not just once but double check. Still no Cas. Where did that asshole go to? Dean got back in his car and panted heavily.
"Cas… where the hell are you?" He groaned to himself before driving off to the woods; where they last left off. Cas wasn't there either and Dean finally decided it was time to just give up. He imagined the worst for Cas. He was probably dead; maybe those Lami-whatevers came back and got revenge for what happened the other night. Dean's stomach churned and he drove back home feeling as though a little part of him had been left back in the woods.
Days passed in a haze. There was always one station on that would bring up the bakery, and Dean just couldn't take it anymore, and neither could Sam.
"Get up." Sam commanded, standing in front of Dean, blocking his view of the TV.
"Dude, I'm watching the game." Dean whined, rocking left and right to get a better view of the screen.
"No Dean, this needs to stop. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What do you mean what's wrong with me? I'm perfectly fine. Now get out of my way before I tear you a new ass."
"Dean, you've been walking aimlessly for the past two weeks. You burnt yourself on the stove, keep bumping into people on the streets… hell you even forgot to go out and jog this morning."
"Oh, so what? I'm now insane because I forgot to go out and exercise a little? C'mon man."
"Dean. quit it."
"Sammy, I'm perfectly fine. Trust me." Sam let out a sigh and gave up trying to argue with Dean. Such a stubborn brother he had.
The next few days were the same, but Dean finally took Sam's advice and got off his ass. There had been a job opening for some car repair shop called Singer Salvage Yard just a few blocks away in the papers for a couple days now and Dean finally decided to apply.
Pulling up, Dean could see a sign that was hung up in front of the shop that read 'Singer Salvage Yard' indicating he was in the right place. The shop wasn't too grand nor was it pitiful to look at. It was kind of just… there, which Dean really took a liking to. No bells rang coming in, just sweet, sweet silence which was only broken by the sound of his feet tapping against the hard wood floor as he stepped in. God this place is fucking awesome. "Hello?" He called out. Heavy footsteps could be heard from down the hall, and finally, a body to go along with it. The man was an average looking… farmer. He wore an old trucker's hat and worked a hell of a beard. He looked like a no nonsense kind of guy, which got Dean a little excited. He liked people like that, the kind that didn't take shit from anyone and could take care of themselves no matter how old they got. "Hey, um… You still hiring?" Dean asked.
"Yea, you lookin' at applyin'?" the man asked. His voice was low and raspy, with a slight Southern accent. Dean just nodded. "Ever fixed a car before?" he asked.
"Well, my dad taught me a thing or two, and I've got and Impala th-"
"Good. You're hired." The man interrupted, which took Dean by surprise.
"Just like that?" Dean asked. The man nodded.
"You look pretty well built, and you don't look like one of em' idjits that come poppin' up out of nowhere. Also, I really need the help so… you're hired. The name's Bobby." He said, holding out his hand.
"Dean," he replied, shaking Bobby's hand. Dean held in a chuckle and smiled happily. God damn that was easy.
"Start first thing Monday mornin' Dean," He said and walked off which Dean assumed was his queue to leave.
Dean stopped by the gas station before returning home to buy a couple beers. He felt accomplished for some reason. Sure, he'd been accepted jobs at other places too, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be fired in just a few weeks with this one. He felt good, and he had every right to be. Not once had he thought about Cas today, or the bakery. Things were starting to look up for him.
The rest of the week rolled by quickly, and when Monday came around Dean happily went off to work, which kind of crept Sam out just a little.
"Dude, you're never this happy to go to work. Why are you like this?" Sam asked, amused. Dean's smile was contagious and he couldn't help but smile back at his big brother.
"I honestly don't know. I just think… I don't know Sammy! I just feel great today," Dean exclaimed. Sam chuckled and waved bye as Dean bounced out the door and drove off to work.
Dean casually walked into the shop and called out for Bobby. The air in the shop was nice. It felt like a second home to him, if he even really had one. Bobby came out in a moment's notice and gave Dean a silent greeting.
"There's a few cars lined up in the back, why don't you check them out?" Bobby suggested, showing Dean the way. Dean trailed behind quietly, happy to be working again.
There was nothing better than fixing up a few cars to feel like a new man. Dean always had an affinity for fixing cars. Whether it was refurbishing a busted car, or just fixing up an old engine, Dean never found work like this to be tiresome.
Days passed somewhat blissfully for Dean. He had a steady job he didn't hate and he was rolling in the dough, and secretly saving up to buy Sam and him a real apartment. Things really were looking up for the both of them. Well… it was for a while.
Dean thought everything was going peachy as usual that chilly January afternoon. His black eye had disappeared completely, not a single thought of Cas crossed his mind, and he was even able to get Sammy back in school.
He finished up on a car that the owner had complained was making a funny "clunking" noise whenever she started it, and walked back into the store, practically prancing up to Bobby's office to ask if there were any more cars he needed to fix. Fucking calm down dude. You're working, act like a fucking man and quit screwing around. Dean gathered enough of his dignity and manhood in time to open the door to Bobby's office without looking like a complete 'idjit'.
"Hey Bobby, d-" Dean's voice trailed off as he walked into the office. Bobby was there, sitting behind his desk as usual, and next to him stood a man… in a trench coat.
"Cas?" Dean said under his breath. What the fuck was going on?
"Hello, Dean" Cas greeted. Anger and relief ran though Dean's whole body, and without thinking he took Cas in his arms and hugged him tightly.
"What the hell? I thought you were dead…" Dean said, putting Cas back down gently, still not fully grasping the fact that he was alive and standing in front of him.
"Yes, well that is a common misconception." Cas replied. Bobby sank in his chair slightly, and something finally clicked in Dean's head.
"Wait… Do you… know Cas?" Dean asked. Bobby just nodded silently. "A-and did you know he was still alive?" Another nod.
"And he knows about our… mishap." Cas threw in. Dean just looked at both of them in disbelief.
"Wait… you knew about all this and never bothered to tell me?" Rage quickly replaced the relief he felt to see Cas alive. He was hurt. Hurt that Bobby never mentioned anything to him, and hurt that Cas never gave him a fucking notice or dropped by a single time to say 'Hey Dean, just wanted to let you know I'm still alive and kicking.' Bobby cleared his throat, but before he could say anything Dean went off on a tantrum. "What the hell Bobby? You knew all the time. The whole time. And not once you thought 'oh maybe I should tell Dean about this.' Bobby what the hell were you thinking?" Dean shouted.
"Don't you talk to me like that boy," Bobby snapped back. Anger filled Bobby's eyes for a split second, but quickly melted back into his usual calm and collected look. "You were getting back on your feet. You hadn't been thinking about Cas or that monster in months. For most people they stick with that memory for years, or sometimes even the rest of their life. You weren't thinking of any of that, you just worked and lived happily. Of course I didn't tell you." Bobby was right. He should've been traumatized by that experience… but he wasn't.
"So that's why I was hired so quickly… you're babysitting me."
"I'm not babysitting you boy, if I were I'd be the one gettin' payed."
"So why are you here Cas? You left without a trace and now you just show up like it's no big deal. What's going on?" Dean said, changing the topic.
"I'm here to request your help."