Chapter 10: Truth or Dare

Part 1

Dean opened the door of Cas and Meg's house and whistled when he entered the fancy hallway. "Wow" he said. "You sure you don't need an extra room mate to fill in the space?"

"We have plenty bedrooms" Cas replied. Dean turned around and raised his eyebrows. "I was joking"

"Oh" Cas said soft, looking away. He felt something soft in his back and stepped aside; Sam was passing through with his luggage.

"Where can I drop these?" he asked, lifting the bags.

"Here" Cas answered. He tried to scratch his neck again, but Dean grabbed his hand. "Aaahh!" Cas exclaimed and he jerked his hand.

"Suits you right" Dean commented inexorable. "Stay off of it"

Cas crossed his arms and pouted, reminding Dean of his behavior when he had just turned human.

"Can I do something to make you feel better? I can make you some dinner, or maybe order something" he suggested.

Cas shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry" he said, trying to sound thankful.

"You want us to call Meg?" Sam asked and Dean cast him an irritated glance. Why bring her up? But as Dean saw the look on Cas' face he knew Sam had hit the nail on the head. Cas, who felt Dean's judging eyes on him, looked down.

Sam took his phone and dialed Meg's number.

Part 2

Meg had stayed behind in the hospital after Jo had advised her to get a checkup. She wasn't injured like Cas, but she had still been in ice cold water and she had been in contact with electricity. So, a checkup wouldn't hurt.

The doctor draw some blood.

"How long have you been feeling sick?" he asked.

"Since now, really" Meg answered in full honesty. "One moment I'm feeling fine, the next I'm running off to the bathroom, puking my guts out"

"Do you get stressed easy?" the doctor asked.

"No" Meg responded. "I don't know. I'm not really familiar with emotions"

"What were you doing right before you became sick?" the doctor asked, trying to help.

"I was arguing" Meg confessed and the memory of it, made her tears go wet. She really didn't get Cas anymore. First he tells her he loves her and then he blames her for all the bad things that happen in his life.

She jumped up when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and picked up when she saw Sam's name on the screen.

"Yeah?" she said and she dried her eyes.

"Meg, hi" Sam started, feeling a little awkward. "I was wondering…When are you getting home?"

"Why? Is there something to get home to?" Meg replied bitter.

"If you're talking about how Cas treated you in the hospital," Sam glanced at Cas, who looked up by hearing his name, "he really regrets that. He does nothing but sulking, so please, just get here"

Silence, while Meg was thinking about it.

"If Cas wants me to come home," she eventually responded, "then the coward is going to have to ask me himself"

She hung up and turned her phone off.

Part 3

Crowley had summoned Kevin and since Kevin couldn't give up his disguise he responded.

"Something wrong?" Kevin asked when seeing Crowley's strange expression.

"Depends" Crowley started. "You tell me, how is it possible that two ordinary people go through a maze of traps and get out alive?"

Kevin pulled his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess they have a high threshold for pain. Maybe you should ask your vampire buddies why they let them escape"

"Maybe" Crowley admitted. "But I also think you're not being quite honest. Something you have to tell me? Like how you don't seem to succeed in killing Meg? You haven't been talking to the Winchesters, have you? Because that would break my daddy heart"

"No" Kevin denied fast. "I don't have time to chat with anyone. I'm too busy trying to eliminate Meg Masters"

"So, if I tell you to get the tablets back ASAP, I can trust you will?" Crowley asked.

"Of course" Kevin replied, trying to keep a straight face, praying Crowley couldn't read minds.

Part 4

Cas glanced at the clock on the wall. An hour had gone by and they hadn't heard from Jo or Meg.

"I'm sorry, buddy" Dean said, a little too chipper. Cas shot him a furious look and Dean swallowed. "Maybe if you just get some sleep, then I'll take care of dinner. And don't come up with the 'I can't eat, when Meg's not around' crap. You have to eat"

Cas shrugged wearily. "Fine, then, if you insist" he mumbled and he stood. When he walked around the table he quickly bagged Sam's phone, which Sam had left on the table.

He took the phone to his room and put it on the cupboard. He tried to dial Meg's number, but pressed all the wrong numbers.

"Goddamn it!" he cursed and he smashed the phone against the wall.

"Did you hear that?" Dean asked alarmed, looking at Sam.

Cas' eyes bulged and he held his stomach as he fell on his knees.

Dean opened the door and ran to Cas, who was convulsing on the floor and screaming. He kneeled and held Cas' shoulders . Cas opened his eyes and begged without speaking.

"Can you come over and give me a hand?" he asked Sam, who came to them and helped Dean carry Cas to the bed. The pain had left as sudden as it had appeared and he was now sleeping.

"We need to do something about that" Sam said.

"You think?" Dean replied sarcastically. "The doctor said he's healthy, so it has to be something supernatural"

"It could be Crowley" Sam suggested.

"I don't think even Crowley has the power to do that" Dean commented doubtful. He frowned frustrated. "Wait here" he said after a few seconds.

He went downstairs and came back with a glass of water.

"Water?" Sam frowned.

"I added some painkillers" Dean explained.

"Are you sure that's smart?" Sam asked doubtful. "By the way, I thought Cas had taken all the medication there was in this house"

"He did" Dean confirmed. "This is what the doctor gave me, before we left the hospital. He said he didn't trust Cas with it"

"Right he was" Sam sighed.

Part 5

Half an hour later Cas opened his eyes and saw Sam and Dean staring at him. He looked away from them, embarrassed that he had once again passed out. He put his hands on the mattress and pushed himself up. He frowned a little and Dean walked to him. He took the glass and helped him drink it. Cas pulled a face and coughed.

"I put something in it" Dean explained. "To kill the pain"

Cas wanted to protest, when they heard the door shot.

"Jo" Dean guessed. "I'll go. You stay here" he told Sam.

Dean went downstairs and saw Jo sitting on the dresser.

"Where've you been?" he asked worried.

"I was with Meg, you know that" Jo replied. "She wasn't feeling very well and I offered to stay with her"

"Why would you do that? You don't have to be nice to her. She killed you" Dean responded disbelieving. "You don't owe her anything"

"I am not dead" Jo pointed out. "I'm sorry. I know it's hard to understand, but Meg is all alone in a strange world. She's not used to being human and I can't just let her go through that alone"

Dean shook his head. "I don't want you to spend so much time with her. I don't trust her. She's a demon. She will earn your trust and then stab you in the back"

Jo jumped off the dresser and gave Dean a sharp look.

"Well, maybe if you wouldn't spend so much time with Cas, I wouldn't have to hang out with an ex-demon"

Part 6

"I can't do this anymore" Kevin said agitated. He looked around him as if he expected Crowley to pop up any minute. "He knows I have something up my sleeve. He knows I've been talking to the wrong people. Well, not the wrong people, but you know what I mean"

"I sure do" Anna replied calm. "It's a bummer, but not completely unexpected. I suggest you stay here with the tablets until the coast is clear"

"How long is that?" Kevin asked slowly.

"Well, given the fact that Crowley is an extremely powerful demon, with an army of demons supporting him, I'd say it could take months"

"Months?" Kevin exclaimed. "You want me to hide out here for months? How am I supposed to do that? I have human needs"

"Not to worry" Anna responded. She nodded to something behind Kevin and he turned around. A young girl was stepping out of the shadows and walking towards them. "Kevin, I want you to meet Alexia Miller aka Alexia Moore aka prophet. She's here to keep you company"

"AKA keep an eye on you" Alexia added a little hostile. "We wouldn't want you to steal the tablets and run back to Crowley, now would we?"

Part 7

Dean and Jo were sitting in a restaurant. Jo had convinced Dean to go out so that he could take his mind of Cas and whatever it was that kept making him ill.

"You look pretty" Dean said, with a faint smile.

"I didn't even change my outfit" Jo answered cynical.

Dean looked down and Jo recognized his expression.

"Are you texting?" she asked upset.

"What?" Dean said quick. "No, no, I was…I was checking time…"

"why? You bored?" Jo asked offended.

"No!" Dean denied firm. "I just…I don't want to leave Cas alone for too long. He's sick and I'm afraid that Meg might come back for him"

"Meg's not going to hurt him" Jo said annoyed.

"Right, because demon's are generally so nice" Dean replied sarcastically.

"She's not a demon anymore" Jo said sharp.

"Well, she's not an angel either!" Dean fired back and he stood. He threw some money on the table and took off.

Jo grabbed her purse and followed him outside.

"Are you kidding me?" she yelled. "Did you really just bail on me in a crowded restaurant?" She accelerated her steps and blocked his way.

"Get out of the way, Jo" Dean said calm.

"Are you jealous?" she asked upfront.

"What?" Dean asked, taken aback.

"Uhh, Cas is sick. Uhh, Cas is hurting. Uhh, Cas is sleeping with Meg. It's like you're obsessed with him" Jo exclaimed furious.

"I didn't…" Dean started stammering. "I'm not…"

"It's okay, if that's what you are" Jo said, softer now. "But don't pretend Meg's the problem" She pulled out her phone and ordered a taxi. "You need to go home alone and figure some stuff out"

Part 8

Cas was standing in the bathroom, looking in the mirror. He looked very pale and his body felt like it was on fire. His hands had started itching again and this time Cas couldn't take it anymore. He opened the mirror cupboard and took the scissors. He tried to open it, but the bandage was too tick and inconvenient to even hold it for five seconds.

He brought his right hand to his mouth and his teeth chewed the bandage. He unwounded the bandage with his teeth and when his hand was free, he used it to take the bandage off his left hand. He threw the bandage on the floor and looked at his scarred hands. He stared at them as if he was waiting for them to heal. But of course that didn't happen.

He was being punished. God was punishing him for turning his back on the angels. For being in love with a former demon. That was the only logical and acceptable explanation for this torture.

His hands were driving him insane and so he placed his nails on his left hand and started scratching.

Part 9

Meg was sitting on her bed. She had sneaked inside as soon as Dean had left. Jo had promised her to get him out of the house. She didn't want to deal with his snarky commentary.

Sam was sitting on the bed as well. He felt weird around Meg, but since Cas was sick and there was no one else, they might as well keep each other company.

"How is it like? Being human?" Sam asked, trying to break the ice. "I mean, after being a demon for so long"

"Honestly? It sucks. Big time" Meg replied bitter. "I've always been able to recall every single murder I've committed, but I've never felt bad about it. Until now. I don't want to feel this. I don't want to feel anything. I wish I could just rip my heart out my chest and be dead"

Sam stared at Meg as she started crying. That was a new one. He tapped her on the back, not knowing what else to do.

"And of course, your precious brother has to point out all my flaws" Meg continued with a somewhat high pitched voice. "Does he like guarding Cas like a pit-bull?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it guarding" Sam said slowly. "It's more…protecting him. Look, I know you're not a demon anymore and so does Cas, but Dean's just having a little trouble adjusting. You helped Azazel who killed our parents, you killed Ellen and Jo, you paralyzed Bobby, you've possessed and tortured people. Dean's just having a hard time seeing you hooking up with his best friend. He's lost a lot of people and he's afraid you will take another one away from him"

"If Cas wants to be with me, there's nothing Dean can do about it" Meg replied defensive. "Besides, he said he loves me. Nothing Dean says can change that"

Part 10

Cas had traded the bathroom for the kitchen. His hands were bleeding and hurting, but he didn't mind, because at least this time he knew why he was hurting.

His stomach felt like someone was trying to tear it apart and he was searching for the painkillers, praying Dean hadn't taken them with him.

Fortunately, he hadn't. Cas found them in the drawer, underneath some garbage. He took out all the pills and put them in a glass of water. He knew it wasn't smart and that he would regret it, rather sooner than later, but this pain was unbearable.

"And do you love him?" Sam asked careful.

Meg wanted to answer, when they heard a blow.

"Did you hear that?" she asked and Sam nodded. They jumped off the bed and ran downstairs.

Cas was lying on the floor, the empty glass next to him, shattered in pieces. Meg kneeled next to him and shook him.

"Cas, wake up!" she shouted. "What did you do?"

"Meg" Sam said soft, but urgent. Meg looked up and Sam showed her the empty painkiller box.