Chapter 4

Fangirls and Pop Stands

"One, Two, Three, Four, I declare a thumb war."

Cas was trying to trap Meg's thumb under his, but it was far too fast. She always tried to do the bunny hole strategy, but Cas had told her for the umpteenth time that that was unfair. Cas felt like an idiot, sitting there with Meg's thumb so far out of range. It was simply frustrating.

"So, do you think Fangirl is going to show up?" Meg asked casually, trying to pin Cas's thumb, but in vain. He knew that she would leap out of the bunny hole 'unexpectedly', but she always popped up twelve seconds after waiting. She casually chewed a carrot, looking at Cas, waiting for his response. She had her feet propped up on his knees, and Cas gently removed them with his free hand.

"I don't think he likes it when you call him that." Cas replied, twitching his thumb and watching in enjoyment as Meg jerked her thumb away.

"So? I don't care. Maybe he doesn't have our lunch." Meg said, illegally twisting her arm in an effort to squish Cas's thumb. She peered out over the ocean of students who were most certainly in their lunch.

Perhaps he didn't have their lunch, but he had had most of their morning classes. Fangirl, as Meg had taken to calling him, had stuck to them like a super strong adhesive. He perched on their shoulders like a rather chatty, attentive parrot. Cas watched as his eyes constantly roamed around, taking in his surroundings and taking mental notes. Cas knew exactly how he felt; he himself often flitted his gaze to his surroundings, but he wasn't nearly as calm as Dean was. Dean was cool and confident; Cas was worried and afraid.

Another thing that Cas and Meg had noticed rather quickly was that Dean was shockingly smart. He gave off a 'pretty, but dumb' aura, but he was most certainly not dumb. He spoke in odd ways, and sometimes formed sentences that didn't make much sense to Castiel. He wasn't very 'book smart' or 'nerdy smart', as Cas was often told he was. He just had a sharp set of wits and an inquisitive, intuitive mind. He looked at the world that surrounded him, and soon enough, he could process it. Cas found it to be quite fascinating. Meg found it to be quite attractive.

Cas and Meg had lost track of Dean when a guidance counselor had pulled him aside, and shooed them away. So, Meg and Cas had gone to their lockers to get their books for their afternoon classes, and had set out for lunch. Now here they were, waiting to see if Dean would turn up.

As Meg continued to slash and burn every rule known to thumb war, Cas kept his eyes peeled for that tall teen with the glinting, grass green eyes. All he saw was the jabbering heads of his fellow classmates, the occasional tater tot flying around, and people returning to their tables after getting some condiments. He grunted in rage as Meg tried to use her other hand to crush his thumb. That was crossing the line.

When Dean Winchester did finally turn up, he found Cas and Meg throwing books, pencils, and Meg's hairbrush at one another, arguing loudly about the laws of thumb wars. Dean threw one of his tater tots at the fighting pair, it bouncing off Meg's head. Immediately, Meg and Cas stopped fighting. As if nothing had happened, Meg propped her feet back up on Cas's knee, and declared another thumb war. Dean raised an eyebrow at the transition from bloodthirsty warfare to peaceful friendship.

"Hello, Fangirl. Did you get lost?" Meg asked sweetly, pelting the tater tot at his face with surprising force.

Dean flopped down into the chair beside Cas, noticing the blush blooming in the teen's cheeks. He smiled at Cas, and saw his eyes get huge, and then dart down to his lunch, where he drowned tater tots in ketchup. The kid certainly was shy. He had barely said a word to Dean.

"I don't get lost; I get directionally confused." He replied, dipping one of his tater tots into Cas's ketchup, his hand brushing the pale skin that encased Cas's pinky finger. Cas quickly jerked it away.

"Sure, whatever. What classes you got next?" Meg asked, persistently resting her feet on Cas's knees. Cas responded by gently smacking them with his chemistry notebook. Meg casually threw a pen at him.

A quick study, just as Cas assumed, Dean began to observe the people before him. Causally chewing on a chicken nugget, he watched them.

The pair were obviously very close friends. Meg felt very at liberty, as she resumed to prop her feet up on Cas, despite being beaten with a notebook. Cas also wasn't hitting Meg hard at all; He was barely brushing her with his notebook. He obviously didn't want to hurt her. His eyes were as soft as his smile whenever he looked at her. Meg didn't seem to mind as Cas began eating some of her carrots. Dean would have assumed the two were together, but there was a feeling in the air that said otherwise. Cas looked like he loved Meg very much, and Meg looked like she loved him very much, but they were perfectly content to be just friends.

In Dean's opinion, Meg was very pretty. Her hair was long, dark brown, and wavy. It was a little messy, but Dean imagined it had to be difficult to keep such long hair perfect throughout the day, especially after gym class. She was a very quick talker, and seemed pretty sassy. Her eyes were brown, but they didn't say much about what she was thinking. She looked like the kind of girl who didn't take any bullshit, and would probably snap off your head if you said something insulting. And she didn't seem afraid of anything. She seemed like Cas's guardian. Cas was gentle and never seemed to speak up for himself. Meg made sure he was safe. Just last period, she had heaved a dodge ball into the face of someone who knocked Cas's glasses off and laughed. The kid still had a mark on his face in the locker room.

Cas was a little harder for Dean to read. He moved with kindness and gentleness, but his eyes burned with sadness, and deep, deep beneath those cerulean irises, Dean saw anger boiling at high heat. Most noticeably, however, was the large, white bandage that bloomed on the boy's face. Cas seemed totally oblivious to that bandage, as if wearing bandages was as common as wearing socks. Dean also noticed the large number of jagged, white scars that adorned his pale skin. If Dean had to guess, Cas was abused. Quite frequently. He couldn't understand why, though. Cas seemed to be very nice, very smart, and very obedient; the kind of son Dean's father would die to have.

Pondering whilst chewing a nugget, Dean watched as Cas gave up and let Meg keep her feet on his knee. He just bobbed his knee up and down rapidly, exactly in the same manner that Sammy did when he was nervous. Cas was nervous, but he was bobbing his knee because he knew Meg hated it, and would probably remove her leg if he did it for long enough.

"Fangirl? I asked you a question." Meg said, tapping a pen on his foam lunch tray.

Dean started. "Oh! Sorry, just thinking." He said, pulling the even more tattered paper out of his back pocket again. He felt Cas watching him with his gentle, yet angry eyes.

Glancing down at the torn yellow paper, Dean read the black print. "I have…Math in room 304…Biology in room 208…Auto Mechanics in Garage…and then Latin Two in room 231." He listed out, looking up triumphantly.

"Well, looks like you'll be following me to the next two classes, Fangirl, and then Latin eventually too!" Meg said happily, popping a tater tot into her mouth.

"What about you, Castiel?" Dean asked after a moment's silence.

Cas looked at him as he sucked on a pencil.

"You won't see me until Latin." He responded quietly, looking back down at his lunch. His knee was still bouncing.

For the rest of that period, Dean watched his two new friends with interest. It was odd; normally Dean was drawn to people like himself; jock like, thuggish smartasses with a taste for good wheels. Now, here he was, sitting with some normal girl with a sharp tongue and a practically mute nerd guy. It was strange. Dean didn't know why he was gravitating towards these two. Maybe because they were the only ones who didn't stare at him. Maybe because they were the only ones who helped him. Well, mainly that was Meg. Meg was the one who talked, whereas Cas was the one who sat to the side, quietly observing. It unnerved Dean at how quiet Cas was, yet how loud he seemed at the same time. He felt that Cas's eyes were piercing through his very soul. Even though Meg thought Cas was trying his hardest to not have an anxiety attack because he was in a stressful social situation, Dean felt that Cas was staring at him intently.

For some reason, he enjoyed it.

Dean explored Truman High School for the rest of the day with help mainly from Meg. When Meg had told Dean to follow her to the right, Cas had gone left after a hushed goodbye. Meg had tousled Cas's hair, and the boy left with a small smile pasted to his mouth. Dean watched as Cas's oversized navy sweater flopped as he hurriedly walked away, carrying an armload of books. He left behind the scent of notebook paper and faint, spiced deodorant.

"Come on, Fangirl. Math is this way." Meg said, tugging on his jacket sleeve and pulling her backpack over her shoulders. She turned, and was satisfied to hear the noise of Dean's boot steps. Soon, he drew up to her shoulder. He had the half grin on his face again, and he was looking around with great interest. He looked up, down, left, right, and kept throwing glances over his shoulder. He didn't say much at first, his eyes sparkling, but when he saw Meg grinning up at him, he smiled.

"How long of a walk is it? I'm beat." He said as they began to climb a crowded stairwell. Dean noticed many eyes were looking at them, each with a different emotion. Some were looking at him in fear. Others were looking threatening. A large portion of female eyes and even some male eyes were wide with wonder and nervous warmth. Still others just shot him deadpan looks. He just took it all in, sticking close to Meg. If he lost her, he'd be lost for sure. The hallways in the upstairs were even more confusing than those downstairs. He wondered how Meg and Cas did it all the time.

"Not far now. Just around the corner and we're golden." Meg said, rounding said corner into a hallway jammed with people trying to get to lockers. Casually pushing aside a couple exchanging a rather long and silent goodbye, Meg entered a small room with many desks, Dean on her tail. Meg sat down next to a tall, intimidating looking girl with a shock of red hair and red lips that rivaled her long, red nails. Dean headed to the teacher's desk.

As Dean went through the day, he began to learn more and more about the students in his grade. Abaddon was the name of the ferocious, yet pretty girl next to Meg. She had the smile of a wolf, and she made Dean very uneasy. What was worse was that he had to sit directly behind her, but also next to a girl called Jo. Dean liked Jo. He recognized her from his homeroom. She seemed to be very teasing, but he could see she had a kind heart. She had long blonde hair, and a big smile. She helped him organize his binder. The teacher was particularly keen on organization.

Behind Dean sat a funny little kid known as Garth. Garth was very thin and overall very tiny. His eyes were beady, but his smile and his laugh were huge. Dean wasn't sure if he was amused or annoyed by him. He seemed friendly enough, so Dean left him alone.

By the time Dean left Math with Meg for Biology, his head was spinning with all the new things he had experienced. His head was overflowing with the cheery chatter of Garth, the piercing, wolfish smile of Abaddon, the wavy locks and kind words of Jo, and teases from Meg. As he pushed his way through the crowd, the vision of Cas's simmering eyes filled his mind's eye. He was wondering when he would see him again. Dean was determined to become friends with him. He wasn't sure why; he just wanted to befriend the kid. Something inside him told him it was a good idea, and Dean always acted on a honed gut instinct.

Biology was another interesting experience. Seating himself beside a fish tank filled with several neon tetras, Dean was introduced to Bobby John, a funny little kid who smiled a lot. His skin was dark to match his eyes, and Dean liked him. He was quiet, and he reminded Dean of Cas. He sat at a table with Meg, Jo, and Bobby John. He felt lucky. Abaddon was on the very far side of the room, along with a scary looking boy who called himself Cain.

Dean had very good hearing. He could hear very small noises, and he could hear the whispers of people on the far side of the room. But he could also hear other things. Dean could hear things like emotions. He could sense tension, happiness, and fear quite easily. He could almost feel the changes in emotions rattle his eardrums. He had only been in Truman for a day, but he could already hear a silent tension. There was something strange about this school, something no one talked about. It was a beast with no voice, but everyone heard it. It was as if something too terrible to talk about had happened, and everyone was trying their hardest not to bring it up. It was just strange. Dean felt as though he was missing out on something, but he also felt glad for missing out on it.

For the rest of the day, Dean had that nagging tension dragging across his ears. Sure, everyone was nice enough and the school just seemed almost like any other school. But there was the faint presence of violence in the air. The almost absent scent of wrongdoing, some serious wrongdoing. Dean didn't know what it was. It was as if the school was tainted by some evil, but the evil itself was gone. Like an echo from the past, that was what Dean was sensing.

After experiencing Auto Mechanics in the Garage with a grouchy teacher who called himself Bobby, Dean made his way upstairs to try and locate his Latin classroom. Meg had told him which of his classes were upstairs and which were downstairs. She had told him that his Latin classroom was upstairs. Jo had been nice enough to mark on his wrinkled schedule which classes were downstairs and which were up.

Climbing a busy stairwell, Dean kept his eyes peeled for Meg or Cas. He would find it easy to locate them now; Cas was pretty tall, and he seemed weighed down by books. Meg would be harder to find. Meg was shorter; she could blend into crowds easily, which was a advantage at certain times. But Dean had learned a very long time ago to identify people not by their clothes or voices, but by their gaits.

Each person had a unique gait. Some people had bouncy hops like rabbits. These people seemed to have miniscule springs on their feet; they seemed to jump up a little whenever they took a step. The faster they walked, the more noticeable the bounce was.

Other people had a slower gait. They would drag their feet a bit, and weren't nearly as bouncy as the other walkers. It was as if little prison balls were attached to each of their toes; they couldn't bounce if they tried.

It seemed to Dean that with each gait came a different personality. Bouncy gaits were usually associated with bouncy, happy personalities. Sad personalities were dragged down by some unseen weight, but there was no denying that the weight was there. Sharp steps and quick jerks into the air indicated anger. Gentle thumps meant gentle emotions.

Dean already knew Meg and Cas's gaits. Meg walked serious. Meg walked no-nonsense. Meg walked with a step that was brimming with confidence, overflowing like the teary eyes of the afraid and the broken. Meg strolled with the might of a girl who could carry burdens far heavier than herself. Meg sauntered careless. Meg sauntered with salient teeth and eyes. Already Dean admired and also slightly feared Meg.

Cas was a whole different chapter in an entirely different book in a completely different library, which was situated quite nicely in a peculiar nation where up was down, and down was diagonal as well as sideways. Cas did not overflow with confidence. Cas's cup of confidence was completely desolate. Dean didn't have to know Cas very much at all to understand that his self-esteem was staggering in the sewer system. Cas was a battered wall full of holes, cracks, and chinks. Something in his life was hacking at him like a jackhammer on steroids, and Dean didn't want to know what. The kid had a god soul; Dean had a knack for detecting good souls from bad souls. Cas was anxious and afraid, in a situation in which he needed compassion and protection. A fledgling bird just too afraid to try out his black wings.

As Dean was rummaging through thoughts of gaits and personalities and all that he had seen that day, he managed to find Cas. It was as if Cas knew that Dean was thinking about him, and had suddenly appeared as if he melted from the wall behind him. His arms were embracing binders and a pencil case. His glasses were balancing somewhat precariously on the end of his nose. Hastily, he used one long, bony index finger to push them up again.

Cas saw Dean, and his eyes lit up in a mixture of alarm and recognition. Perhaps the recognition was the cause of the alarm. Dean wasn't sure. Either way, Dean was happy to see Cas, and Cas seemed to just be, well, alarmed to see him. His bony hands clamped like bulldog jaws on his book. He gave a start, as if remembering something someone had taught him, and gave a small smile.

Dean gave a great grin. "Hiya Cas!" He said, refraining from cuffing his shoulder because he sensed that Cas was the kind of person who disliked being touched. Even though Dean didn't have much of a personal space bubble, he knew other people did. Borders made people cherish a sense of security. To respect such borders was simple etiquette.

Tentatively, Cas squinted at Dean. He swallowed, and cautiously said in a quiet voice "Hello…Dean." He picked at the spine of one of his binders, marked 'Chemistry' in easily readable letters. Dean was slightly surprised to see a rather well-done drawing of a beaker full of lime green liquid plastered on the front it. He wondered whether or not it was printed out, or if Cas did it himself.

"Ah! See? You remembered!" Dean cried, truly happy.

"I have an excellent memory." Came the simple, very serious response.

"I'm sure you do. It's tenth period right? That means we have Latin, right? Where am I?" Dean asked, scratching the back of his neck. He felt the fine hairs growing there, and he watched as Cas continued to squint at him. He grinned a little uncomfortably.

Mutely, Cas pushed his glasses up again. He reminded himself to fix the frames when he returned home. He didn't say anything.

Suddenly, Dean felt someone on his left. He looked down, and saw that Meg had arrived. She was looking at Cas, an amused glint in her sharp eyes. Cas shot a wordless look at her, and Dean watched in fascination as the two had a silent conversation. Blinks, eyebrow twitches and dimple movements were the only thing these two needed to communicate. Words were a little easier, however.

Meg looked up at Dean. "You smell like oil," She declared without pretense.

"I take Auto Mechanics. Of course I smell like oil." Dean responded.

Meg shrugged. "Whatever. Latin's this way. Hurry up, or we'll be marked late." Meg said, turning on her heel and walking down a hallway choking with students. Cas followed wordlessly, slithering between students, somehow managing to not be touched whatsoever. Not wanting to get lost, Dean quickened his pace.

The small hallway emptied into a larger, yellow hallway. Dean recognized this hallway; his English class had taken place just a few doors down from the room they were now approaching; the Latin room. Meg entered first, shortly followed by Cas, Dean, and the bell.

Cas scurried to his seat next to the girl Dean recognized as Jo. Jo's charisma seemed to work on everyone; even Cas seemed relaxed around her. At least he wasn't hunched into a ball when he sat next to her. Meg sat down behind them, sitting next to a girl Dean didn't recognize.

Dean sat by himself behind Meg. He, Cas, and Meg were in the same column. Seeing over Meg's head was easy; Cas was the problem. The kid was tall, and he couldn't help it. Dean couldn't see much of the board over that shock of messy black hair. But he didn't really mind. Dean wasn't much of a visual, note taking kind of learner anyway. When it came to schoolwork that is; Dean was a good reader of people.

Besides, Dean had learned so much about a whole wealth of things just by looking. Just on his first day, Dean could bet his car keys that he knew certain things about certain people. He could guess that Cas was abused. That much was obvious. He could say that Meg was a fiery ball of feminist passion. He didn't know what was up with Garth, but he seemed nice enough. Abaddon probably plotted ways to punish people who annoyed her. She just had that look. Jo was a hardy and tough girl, but also probably liked puppies and baking on the side. And their Latin teacher might have had a caffeine addiction because she twitched a lot and had to run across the hall to her office to get some coffee, even though it was 1:30 in the afternoon.

Dean didn't need a board. He could learn just by looking at what was before and stating the not-so-obvious.

The bell soon rang, and with it was the guillotine that hacked off the head of the day.

What a day indeed.

Directing Dean to his locker wasn't very difficult. Dean was just a hallway over from Meg and Cas. Lockers were sorted by grade and last names. Meg Masters and Castiel Novak were quite close to one another, as close as the letters 'm' and 'n'. Dean Winchester was just a little bit farther away.

Leaving Dean and heading to their own lockers, Meg for once was deep in thought, which was a good thing. Meg acted primarily on gut instinct, and that sometimes left her in situations stickier than a terrifying mass of glue, gum, slug slime, honey, and syrup. Cas usually thought enough for the both of them, but today was different. It was rare for her to meditate on problems.

As Cas knelt down to his locker, Meg voiced her thoughts.

"So, what do you think of Fangirl there, Clarence?"

Cas wasn't listening. He was too absorbed in his agenda book, pulling this and that out of his locker and stuffing them into his backpack. He was mumbling inarticulately to himself. Did he have any Chemistry homework? What about English? And History?

Meg hung onto her locker door impatiently. "Clarence?" She pressed.

Cas mumbled louder, trying to block out her voice. He was thinking. He was the kind of thinker who could only focus upon one thing at a time. Perhaps he a Latin translation. His handwriting was difficult to decipher sometimes.

"Castiel, I'm talking to you," Meg said again, stuffing a folder into her bag. She poked him with a foot.

Cas looked up, startled to hear his actual name used.

"Sorry?" he asked, smiling innocently. He did have Latin homework. Now he could listen.

"Fangirl. I need opinions." Meg whispered, slamming her locker shut so that no one but Cas could hear her. She continued to poke him, even though she had his full attention.

"Why are you whispering? No one knows who Fangirl is besides us," Cas pointed out, shutting his locker and poking Meg back.

Meg shrugged.

"Why do you need opinions anyway?"

Meg glowered through her teeth. "Because! I am nosy and I enjoy talking,"

Cas also shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, I guess you are." He said, nodding, poking her one last time.

Meg was indeed nosy. She sometimes gossiped, and she liked discussing theories on people. A new kid that she found attractive was setting her juices and sense of curiosity to boiling.

It was Monday. Neither of the two worked on Mondays. Meg was a waitress at the local Italian restaurant, spending stuffy hours balancing trays of food on her arms and hips, keeping her mouth shut even though she met so many people who angered her in so many ways. Cas worked as a teller in the local bank. Despite his anxiety, being in a bank was calming. It smelled nice, and the other tellers were nice. Besides, he was being paid. He could suffer through this, especially knowing where Meg was. He couldn't picture himself carrying trays of food to rude people and noisy children.

Because it was Monday, Cas headed with Meg back to the Masters household. It was best to stay out of his father's way as much as possible. Besides, no one else was home. Michael and Gabriel were both working. Lucifer was wandering with his friends, the malicious bunch of kids who left behind that tension that Dean had picked up earlier. Eventually, the four siblings would return home, and Cas would just hide himself in his room anyway. It wasn't like Cas really wanted to go home. He'd much rather be at Meg's house, helping Ruby with homework and hanging out with Meg. It was much more peaceful. There, he wouldn't be yelled at for drawing, or writing, or doing whatever he pleased. In fact, he was admired for doing those things.

Who could blame him for wanting to go to the place where he was admired, yes, respected?

And so, they leapt over fences, cut through alleys, and crossed the grounds of the town library. Meg barked at dogs that growled at her through chain linked fences, whereas Cas would keep a fair gap between himself and the fence. Meg would then wave at drivers that honked their horns angrily when she jaywalked across the street, ignoring the traffic lights. Cas would hurry behind her, shooting the angry drivers apologetic looks.

They made a detour, walking across the green lawns of Truman Junior High. Standing in the shadows of a shady maple, the two would look for Ruby's dark hair and bright blue backpack. Meg also listened for her sister's voice, which, as she so put it, was 'enough to wilt all of the plants of this side of the Mississippi.'

Today was different. Today was just different on so many levels, it was making Cas a little dizzy. He was starting to get accustomed to hearing the purring of a car at the high school, but what was it doing here?

Sure enough, that black Impala was zipping its way down the street, avoiding other cars and packs of small children. Children and adult heads alike were turning to look at that car. Some parents were annoyed at the noise the car made, but it was soothing to Cas, yet still alarming. A bit more on the latter, because Cas didn't know why Dean was here. Perhaps he lived in the one of the houses down the street?

Cas watched, paralyzed as Dean parked on the twisty street, got out of his Impala, and leaned on it, his eyes on the gate of the school grounds. He seemed to not have noticed them at all. He had a faint frown on his lips, his brow furrowed. Cas absently fluttered his hand until he reached Meg's jacket, and gave it a few tugs.

"I see him, Clarence," She said. Cas turned, and saw Meg's narrowed eyes fixed on the car. Her arms were folded, and her brow was also furrowed.

Cas began to think that maybe Dean was following them, when he heard a loud voice sing out "'Bye, Sam!"

Cas and Meg turned as one, and saw Ruby waving furiously to a tallish boy with long hair. One hand on his backpack shoulder strap, he smiled nervously as he waved back. He then stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, and maneuvered his way towards the Impala.

"Hey, slut," Meg greeted her sister, tousling her hair.

"Hiya bitch," Ruby responded. Cas laughed softly under his breath. The relationship between the sisters was something to respect, but also ponder over. Calling each other all manner of bad names was their way of saying 'Hi, how are you? Have a good day at school?' It certainly was easier to just say 'whore' and 'bitch' and 'slut' instead of using all those formalities.

Cas watched as 'Sam' reached the Impala. Then it hit Cas; Dean had a little brother that he obviously cared about a lot. The look on Dean's face said as much. His face lit up like a light bulb factory, and his eyes grew so soft, softer than a rabbit fur scarf. Dean copied Meg, and tousled his brother's long hair. He said something, to which Sam responded, a smile on his face as he wound around the car, sitting down in the passenger seat. The car roared, and pounded down the street, out of sight.

"So who was that, Rubes?" Meg asked as she pulled on Cas's shirt to get him moving. Stumbling, he hurried up to walk beside her. The purring still buzzed steadily in his ears.

Ruby pulled her hair out of a ponytail. She walked on Cas's other side. "That was a new kid. His name is Sam," She replied. She put the hair tie on her skinny wrist. She smiled a little.

"I figured that much, dolt, when you screamed his name,"

Ruby shot a withering look at her sister, which was returned with a glower. Cas watched with fascination. Knowing these two all his life, he was still amazed at how close they were, even though they fired vile curses and phrases at one another daily.

They continued to trek the few blocks to the Masters household. As they did so, Ruby continued her tale. Cas wasn't paying much attention; he watched as his shoes squished the grass, and thought about how close Dean and Sam were. It reminded him of both his blooming relationship with Gabriel, and his failing relationship with Michael and Lucifer. He wanted to be close with all of his brothers; he loved them unconditionally, even though they didn't return the affection all that much.

"He's just a new kid. You know, quiet, severely uncomfortable, the whole nine," She said, walking around the puddle that Meg jumped into.

"We met his brother," Cas said, following Ruby's footsteps around the puddle. He flicked those fraternal thoughts out of his mind, but the residue remained. Always the residue of any unhappy thought remained in Cas's mind.

Ruby turned to look at Cas. "Who's his brother?"

Cas blinked, his cheeks dusted pink. "Dean, the guy who drove that car."

Ruby blinked at Cas, and then turned to Meg. "Is he hot?" She blurted out immediately. Her eyes were huge as she awaited an answer.

Meg grinned and Cas released a quiet stream of laughter, his eyes crinkled and his teeth bared. He poked at the bandage on his face, ignoring Meg's growl of disapproval.

"Sure is, Rubes. 10 out of 10, I'd say," said Meg to her little sister.

Cas grinned cheekily. "And you Ruby? How about the fine Sam?" He asked, nudging the smaller girl with a gentle elbow. She responded with a light smack and a furious blush. "No, Castiel, I don't think he's hot." She hissed, straightening her shoulders and looking straight ahead, something she always did when she was embarrassed. Cas patted her head from his aerial vantage point, not even noticing he was doing it.

Soon, they were walking up the sidewalk that led to the entrance of the Masters' household. Cas walked up the sidewalk. Meg cut across the grass, followed by Ruby. Brushing against the neat shrubbery, the three climbed the stairs, and onto the porch. Like a warm embrace, the floral porch swallowed them, crooning with happiness.

Cas held the door open and watched as Meg and Ruby filed in, dropping their backpacks off their shoulders. The scent of the Masters' house wafted over Cas; a mixture of vanilla and fireplace logs burning softly like the eyes of the repressed.

Cas stepped over the threshold, and then stopped in his tracks. He tilted his head and surveyed the sofa. Perched there with cups of tea and coffee in their hands was Mrs. Masters, as well as-

"Gabriel?" Meg and Cas said at the same time, the door swinging shut behind them. Ruby looked slightly confused as she put her backpack under the table next to the sofa. Gabriel had been to the Masters household many times before. He came there to check on Cas, to just say hello, or to eat some food when he was hungry.

Gabriel, normally a joking smartass, had an expression of worry tacked onto his face. His large hands encased the steaming mug of coffee he was sipping from. His lips were jutting out, a habit he had when he was worried. As soon as he saw Cas, he hastily whisked away the concerned expression and adopted his usual smartass one. He grinned cockily.

"Hi Castiel!" He said, leaning back into the sofa, holding his coffee with one hand. His very presence seemed to calm Cas's very soul. It was as if Gabriel was a dragon with poison teeth and jagged talons that protected Cas from anything. A dragon that was gentle to no one except Castiel.

Cas nodded. "Hello Gabriel, but what's wrong?" He asked, skipping the preamble. Gabriel rarely showed up this early; normally he would relax at home after his first job, reading the newspaper or watching the TV. Something must have disrupted his usual pattern, for here he was, on the sofa at the wrong time.

Gabriel's smile faltered a little, his hand clutching his coffee tighter. "Well little bro…Bad things are certainly afoot," He said, watching as Cas slowly put down his things. Cas moved like an animal unable to decide whether or not to fight or flee. He was a bird that was flapping its wings, and squawking in fear, feet dancing forwards and then backwards. It would be comical if the situation didn't feel so serious.

Meg snorted from the kitchen, her schoolbag long forgotten. "Great story, ass. Care to elaborate?" She called. Cas could hear her rummaging in a cupboard. Probably the one under next to the toaster, which was where the chips were located.

Gabriel casually flipped a birdie behind his back, visible from the kitchen.

"Sure thing. Looks like Luci has blown the pop stand," He growled, his eyes boring into Castiel with stony anger and concern. Cas could almost feel his brother's heart squirming with a concern far too great for such a being to carry alone.

Silence pounced like a blanket falling over a mangled corpse. All eyes, even the smallest, shot towards Gabriel like a bullet. The claw of fear slashed the tranquil living room, the blood pouring from the wound drowning them all so that they could not speak.

In the threshold of the kitchen stood Meg, grasping a bowl of Doritos with such force that her hands were turning white. Her bottom eyelid twitched, and her jaw looked like it was auditioning for a role as a lockjaw victim. Her eyes were glued on the back of Gabriel's head. She looked as though she was about to say something, but her vocal cords seemed to be slashed.

Mrs. Masters sat on the edge of the couch seat, her gaze swimming in the contents of her mug. She too was squeezing her mug, her eyelid twitching. She had drawn her knees closer to herself, and she was breathing heavily. She looked up at Gabriel, fear personified on her face. She then cast her eyes quickly over to Ruby.

To Cas's right was Ruby, leaning against a wall. Her right hand was massaging her right side. Her eyes were vacant and tight. She didn't realize she was moving at all. Her mouth hung slightly open, her gaze fixed upon Gabriel. The more she stood there and thought, the harder she rubbed her side. She swallowed, and Cas saw that her limbs were shaking ever so slightly.

As one, everyone turned to look at Cas, who had truly gone whiter than a parsnip. He stood, hunched as if he was once again carrying a boulder he had once relieved himself of. His eyes were huge, almost as huge as the silence that leaked into every corner of the room. He played with the hem of his sweater, needing to feel something tangible in order to stave off imminent fear and mental breakdown

The past was flashing before each of their eyes. In a blur, they each saw and heard the same things. Fire alarms ringing in everyone's skull. The sound of knuckled flesh pounding bruised and defenseless skin. Curses and chants staining the air. A silver blade with the bite of a serpent. Ambulance sirens, a paramedic lifting a young, dark haired girl onto a stretcher, the pulse of the heart erratic and slowing down, down, down… The cries of injustice that scraped the sky, the bitter tears of the broken soul.

Cas watched as Ruby massaged her side. Now, here it was, all over again. The screams, the blade, the sirens. All of those had the potential of rearing out of their cage. It was as if someone had opened the prison that didn't have a key. All of that terror, all of that pain…It was all returning in a few seconds.

"…B-Blown the pop stand?" He whispered, pushing his hair off his forehead.

Gabriel nodded. "Yup. Lucifer is gone," He said with a finality that made Cas want to cry. But Cas didn't have any tears left to cry. His heart was just a voluminous cavern scattered with the salt his dried up tears left behind.

"Well…He's been gone for a few days before, hasn't he? Maybe he'll turn up," Mrs. Masters said, almost pleadingly.

"Something's different this time. I just know," Gabriel growled, looking out the window. He gazed at the curtains like it was all their fault that Lucifer was loose in a neighborhood that didn't need such a threat.

"I agree. He's been odder than usual recently," Cas said, nodding. Cas knew his brothers. He could tell instantly whether or not one of them was feeling different.

Gabriel drained the dregs of his coffee.

"Lucifer's out. So long as he's out, no one is safe."

Cas sank back against the door, his eyes fixed upon the ceiling. It had been a long time since he last prayed, but he felt that now was a good a time as any. His fingers closed upon the doorknob, cold against his skin. He wanted to do nothing more than sink into the doorframe and never come back. He clenched his jaw, and closed his eyes. Within all the screams echoing from the past, he pleaded.

Lucifer is free. God help us, God help us all.