Chapter Nine – Bulletproof...I Wish I Was

Hello again! I thought I'd update with chapter nine, sorry for the mediocre delay but this week has been busy with Toy Story 3 and shopping, it is a hard life. Anyway, hope you've all had a great weekend and thank you so much for reviewing, favouriting, alerting, etc. This chapter is all Kate/Cas so I hope you enjoy it, as I did writing it. Castiel is really an interesting to write, and Kate's mind is basically a reflection of my own (write with what you know), so I do love this chapter, and I hope you all do to :D. Once again thank you to all who reviewed, I really do love your input and would appreciate it if you could review as it gets quieter every chapter and I worry that I'm writing something wrong or it's boring. Being a newbie to the site I don't really know if that's a good or bad thing :S. Anyway special thanks to everyone who reviewed and enjoy :D.

Kate nursed her drink quietly at the bar, standing out from the rest of the crowd who seemed to be enthusiastic, energetic and hooked on alcohol. She sighed as she watched her brothers argue at a pool table with a large, bald man in a leather jacket. She observed as Sam delved into his pocket, presenting a large wad of money at the unsuspecting man and slammed it on the edge of the table with a drunken force. However, her eyes didn't widen with shock, she knew the drill. They were hustling. Dean played the part of the protective, sensible older brother who is oblivious to his younger, more drunk and irresponsible brother's serious pool skills. She sighed again and turned to face the bar, analysing the different shapes and colours of the bottles lined up on the back wall.

"Hey pretty lady, can I get you a drink?" piped an eager voice from her right. She swung her torso to see a young man with floppy blonde hair and unusual green eyes. He was wearing a red checkered shirt with slacks, making him seem younger than he probably was. Kate growled under her breath, she wasn't in the mood for lousy attempts at chatting her up.

"I'm fine thank you," Kate replied brightly, her best attempt at being polite. She didn't want to instigate a fight in the middle of a bar, again.

"You sure? Can't have a lovely young girl such as yourself feeling lonely," the man continued, determined to win Kate over as he leaned closer to her.

"I feel fine, thank you anyway," Kate snapped, hoping the man and his pick-up lines would get the hint and disappear.

"Well, maybe I can make you feel better," he said, his right hand reaching for Kate's forearm, which was resting on the bar counter. Kate was about to turn and retaliate but she was interrupted by the sight of a familiar figure.

"Leave her alone," he barked, slamming the man's arm on the counter before he could touch her.

"Cas?" Kate cried, grateful for his appearance.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the man retaliated, standing, ready to fight the mysterious figure in the tan trench coat who seemed to be stealing his supposed date.

"She's with me," growled Castiel over his shoulder. He was now stood before Kate between the barstools, his tense, agitated arms shielding her.

"Am I?" Kate asked the angel, puzzled.

"We need to go somewhere quiet," Castiel answered, grabbing Kate's arm with a tight hold and dragging her from the barstool.

"Do we?" Kate questioned frantically, blushing as Castiel reached for her arm. She was whisked from the counter as she succumbed to his strength, shuffling past the astounded young man in the flannel shirt as she was hauled towards the doors of the bar. She tried to call out to her brothers, they would be worried. However, her cries were lost in the volume of their heated discussion at the pool table. She felt cold air caress her burning cheekbones as she was dragged into the night, the silence contrasting with the chaos of the bar. "Wh...I...you...wh...why are you here!" she cried as he released his grip from around her arm, allowing her to ball her small, dainty hands into fists.

"Are you angry with me?" Castiel inquired, stepping away from the seemingly irritated Kate. The thought that he had hurt or frightened her made him feel nervous and uneasy.

"No! Of course not! You just surprised me that's all," Kate replied quietly. She stared at the floor, blushing as she remembered his power. His sudden authority had left her breathless.

"I'm sorry," said Castiel, stepping towards her. A car roared past their enclosed world, the headlights illuminating Kate's coy expression. She looked up at the angel, her eyes glistening in the bright light. Castiel felt an unknown emotion constrict his chest, something he'd never felt before, it's intensity making his throat feel dry. "And be more careful," he whispered as he remembered Kate's run in with a car in Washington.

"Be more careful?" Kate asked, struggling to understand what the angel was talking about.

"The car in Concrete, you ran into traffic," explained Castiel, staring into the dark depths of the night sky. He couldn't look at her, his memory of her lifelessly body propelling through the air hurt him. He thought she was dead.

"You were watching?" said Kate, suddenly feeling self-conscious of her actions.

"Yes," he replied shortly, his voice breaking with strong, unruly emotion as he remembered her corpse lying on the edge of the road. The thought made him realise how fragile and precious this girl was. She may be resistant to the supernatural and the darker beings in life but she could easily be overwhelmed by a piece of machinery on wheels.

"Why?" Kate questioned, unsure of the angel's intentions.

"I wanted to make sure that you were safe," Castiel answered quietly.

"So...why are you here again?" asked Kate, becoming tense as he spoke. Her breathing became heavy as she realised he had been protecting her, his concern was embarrassing her. She was a petty human and he was an angel of the Lord, what made me so special, she thought. She had now clasped her hands together tightly, resting lightly beneath her chin as she bowed her head under the nerves, and tried to quieten her breathing.

"The girl, she's near," Castiel replied shortly, overwhelmed by her bashful expression. There was something about it that made him smile, for the first time in his 2,000 years on Earth.

"You never let up the complexity do you?" Kate giggled at his reply.

"I don't understand," he said, puzzled at Kate's answer.

"Always with the riddles and the cryptic answers," Kate explained as she looked up at the confused angel. He was very close to her, his puzzled expression only inches away as he leaned over her. She was much shorter than him. She gazed intently into the deep, mesmerising pools of moonlight, - the bewildered eyes that seemed into analyse her. "Cas?" she asked as she realised he hadn't answered.

"Yes?" Castiel replied, words becoming lost in his throat, as the girl who appeared to enchant him stepped closer.

"The girl? I need a name or some information if you want me to help you, I can't find her if I don't know who she is," said Kate, studying his reaction as she spoke.

"Anna Milton," Castiel replied, anger twisting his words as he spat her name.

"Cas? Is everything okay? Has she done something to upset you?" Kate questioned slowly, she had seen the fury in his eyes when he had spoken her name, an anger that was spurred on by deceit.

"I..." Castiel stuttered. Her concern had stunned him. With just two words she had seen into his troubled heart, and with two words she had rushed to help him. "Please, just find her," he continued. He wanted to open his controlled heart to her, tell her everything that was on his tormented mind, but it was impossible.

"Who is she?" asked Kate, sensing the angel's torture over the mention of her name. "Anna Milton seems a pretty ordinary name to you guys y'know, it doesn't end in 'iel'."

"She's no one, just find her," said Castiel, realising how contradictory his sentence sounded.

"Are you hiding something from me Cas?" Kate questioned, stepping so close to him that they touched. She could tell he wasn't telling her the full story, he was a terrible liar, but she didn't want to pressure him into to revealing something personal.

"Just...find her," he replied slowly, he hated lying to her, but his superiors had enforced the idea. They didn't want a human to know what was special about the missing girl. He was also struggling to cope with the proximity of her, he could smell her perfume as the gentle wind ushered the scent of oranges towards him. He had to leave, it was too much for him, unbearable. Often, the very thought of her rendered him useless during his duties, he didn't want to contribute another beautiful memory of her. He couldn't understand why he thought so fondly of her, he wasn't capable with his celestial programming.

"Okay, just no more secrets after I do this for you," Kate answered. Her words burned him with the flames of guilt. He was deceiving her as they spoke. A secret greater than the identity of 'Anna Milton'. But he couldn't tell her the truth, it would destroy their friendship. The truth that he had tried to kill her. Kate suddenly felt a familiar power surge through her veins, electrifying her confused body.

"Cas?" she asked, thinking the angel had let his guard down.

"Yes?" he replied monotonously.

"Is that you?" she questioned, becoming stronger as her veins flooded with the unknown force. Castiel simply looked at her, his puzzled eyes proving to Kate that he wasn't the cause. "I'm feeling something!" she cried as her skin began to glow slightly with a blue sheen. Castiel gripped her arm to reassure her, pulling Kate behind him as he examined the dark, searching for the assailant. "Cas! I can take him you know I can!" she whispered harshly as he pushed her backwards. The angel ignored her, shielding a bewildered Kate with an outstretched arm.

"Jackpot!" shouted an enthusiastic yet malicious voice from the shadows. The man stepped forward, light from the bar revealing his figure. He was fairly tall, the same height as Castiel, with short, dark hair and deep brown eyes. He was dressed in an immaculate black suit, a crimson red tie tightly constricting his neck. "Y'know, I came looking for that treacherous bitch Ruby, but look what I stumbled upon, Miss troubled Winchester, quite the looker too," he continued as he stepped forwards into the light.

"You have no business speaking to her like that," hissed Castiel, his arm sweeping Kate behind him protectively.

"I see you brought angel boy with you, well done! The boss is gonna give me a raise when he finds out I've wasted one of you, and captured the mighty Kate Winchester, all in one day! God, I'm good," the man cackled, revealing his spiteful grin.

"Just who the hell are you?" Kate shouted as she broke free from Castiel's restraint, marching towards the man and meeting him in the light.

"Sable, at your service," the man smirked, his cold, callous eyes glazing with black pools as he spoke.

"Kate!" Castiel barked with little emotion, gesturing towards his side. He knew she could fight him but he didn't want to take any chances, he was worried about her. The incident in Concrete had emphasized how fragile she was, and he didn't want to be responsible if anything happened to her.

"So...I'm sure I didn't invite you you demonic son-of-a-bitch," snarled Kate, feeling confident with Castiel's support.

"Oh sticks and stones sweet-cheeks. I was looking for Ruby but now I've come across the mother-load... I don't know what to do, maybe obliterate your pet over there and how about we go from that?" Sable continued with an arrogant tone.

"You're not gonna lay a finger on him!" Kate screamed.

"And since when were you calling the shots...sugar," he replied with a twisted expression, running his fingers through Kate's soft, mahogany curls.

"Don't you touch her!" cried Castiel from behind, anger flaring in his chest as the demon delicately touched her hair.

"Pipe down halo," the demon retaliated.

"Why are you talking about me like I'm special," said Kate quietly, determined to squeeze some answers out of the conceited demon.

"Cause you've got such beautiful eyes," Sable answered sarcastically, pulling sharply on Kate's hair. She cried in pain as he grasped her head in a tight claw, twisting her neck so she faced him. Castiel was ready to retaliate, vanquish the demon where he stood by he didn't want to intrude on their forced conversation, she might have a plan. However, the image of the demon being so close to her sparked an uncontrollable anger within the angel.

"Since when where you running the show hot stuff," spat Sable, leaning further and brushing his callous lips against Kate's neck seductively. He turned to face an enraged Castiel, knowing his actions were aggravating the angel. Castiel didn't understand why he was so angry at the thought of the demon touching her but he didn't care, his frantic fury was clouding his judgement. He wanted the demon to pay for being so disrespectful to her.

"Since now!" Kate snapped as she flung Sable against the wall. She walked towards the helpless demon who was now pinned to the red bricks with strong, non-existent spears. She twisted her wrist and watched as the demon writhed in pain, thrusting his chest forward as he struggled to cope with the power that emanated from Kate's mind. "Now, here's what's gonna happen," she said, grabbing the demon by his jacket and throwing him to the cold, hard ground. Harsh droplets of water pierced her skin as she stamped on an overwhelmed Sable's chest with her heavy, leather boot. It had started to rain, heavily, as the dark sky unleashed a destructive force of water upon the trio. "You're gonna tell me what I wanna know," she continued as drops of water slid from her damp, twisted curls.

"Y'know, I'm down for this whole control thing, kinda turns me on," growled Sable under the force that Kate was drilling into his ribcage.

"Shut your mouth," hissed Castiel, anger overwhelming his mind.

"I'm glad you're finding this funny, it gives me more time to play with you," Kate retorted, constricting Sable's throat with her free hand. The demon screeched under the force, his body thrashing beneath Kate's boot. "Now tell me! Why am I so important!"

"I don't know! I don't know! Only the boss knows what's in store for you!" Sable cried as he felt Kate scorch his skin.

"Who's this boss of yours?" Kate questioned, pushing on the demon's chest with as much force as she could muster. It was raining harder, thousands of cold daggers drumming into her leather jacket as she leant over Sable, water sliding down her balled fists gracefully.

"Our saviour, Lucifer," said Sable, relief flooding his tone as he spoke his name.

"Cas? Is he lying?" Kate shouted, turning to face the astounded angel. She had managed to extract answers from the demon in mere minutes, she was beginning to control her power.

"Ironic," the demon spat from beneath her weight. Castiel's eyes flitted to Sable, he was frightened to what the demon was about to announce.

"What's ironic!" Kate growled frantically, she was tired of playing games.

"That the one who is lying to you is the one you rely on oh so heavily, cute," snarled Sable, twisting beneath Kate's shoe, determined to break free from the leather restriction.

"What are you talking about!" Kate cried, releasing her hold on the demon as she became emotionally overwhelmed.

"Why don't you ask halo yourself? I've got a train to catch," the demon grinned maliciously, as he tilted his head back, releasing a tower of black smoke into the night sky, knowing he had left chaos behind.

"Cas?" Kate asked softly as she rose from the damp ground. "What is he talking about?"

"You trust a demon?" said Castiel nervously. He was frightened that this would be the last time he would see her so optimistic.

"He seemed pretty insistent," she said quietly, rain battering her troubled mind. Castiel lifted his head to see a pair of tormented eyes staring coldly back at him, he couldn't lie to her anymore.

"I...I could have killed you. The reason why you are like...this is because of me," explained the angel quietly, the heavy weight of guilt releasing it's grip from around his stomach.

"What?" Kate cried, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The night at the barn, you passed out afterwards," he continued. She had been so accepting of him through everything, but this time she'd run away, he knew it. He hated seeing her so upset, tormented. He knew it was his fault.

"You...did you know?" asked Kate, tears glazing her tortured eyes.

"It doesn't matter," said Castiel. He was furious with himself, angry that he had deceived the one person in his lonely existence who truly accepted and understood him. He would be alone without her friendship. He watched soft tears fall elegantly from her terrified eyes, her lips trembling under the weight of deception. He wanted to reach out and hold her, promise her that everything was alright, but he couldn't. He was an angel and she was a human, it was wrong to think of her so fondly.

"Did you know!" Kate shouted, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She felt the one stable thing in her life fade away to the dark as he heard the soft rustling of feathers and material. He was gone. She collapsed to the ground, water scattering around her as he knees touched the sodden gravel. There's nothing left, she thought to herself, as rain pelted her skin. She started to cry, unleashing her fears and troubles into the shadows of the night which enveloped her. Everyone had lied to her, her life was a complex web of deceit, weaving a blanket of deception which smothered her last shred of optimism. She was broken, a jigsaw where the pieces didn't seem to fit anymore. She could feel herself slipping, succumbing to the depression which haunted her, clung to her wherever she went. She felt the warm glow of light pierce the darkness as the bar doors swung open.

"Kate?" barked a familiar voice, shielding himself from the rain with his forearm.

"Dean?" Kate choked, turning sharply to face her brother, scared he would see her crying. He rushed to her side, removing his jacket and placing it on her shoulders, creating a barrier against the rain. He didn't say anything, he just gathered her limp body into his arms and held her close to his chest, her damp clothing dark, wet stripes on his shirt. She was confused. Struggling to understand why the angel had constantly protected her if he supposedly wanted her dead. She hoped they were his orders and not an action spurred on by his controlled mind. She wanted to talk to him, and feel reassured as he told her it was all due to his superiors. She wanted to believe, after all, he was one of her only candles in the dark.