Wow, I can't believe this story has almost a hundred reviews! I never imagined when I wrote it that anyone would read it much less leave all the love you people have shown! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I look forward to hearing what you think about this chapter!

Chapter 10

Gabriel gestured for Castiel to join the line of contestants that had assembled at the edge of the wood while cameras were placed around the area. He flashed a charming smile when the film started rolling and addressed the group.

"Welcome single lades…ahem…and our single man…to today's challenge! I know you are probably dying to find out why we're filming here, in the middle of nowhere, in the snow. Well, so am I. The only explanation I can offer is that Mr. Winchester was allowed to pick the challenge, God help us."

He shot Dean a meaningful look, like he was hoping the man would have some sort of excellent explanation.

Dean cleared his throat self-consciously. "I…err…thought we might have a snowball fight."

Ruby and Lilith looked offended by the very idea. Meg clutched her fur-lined cap and ducked as if the fight had already begun. Sarah, however, looked not a little intrigued at the possibility of throwing snow into Bela's carefully arranged locks.

Gabriel burst into a fit of laughter. "So let me get this straight, Dean-o: The show asks you to come up with a challenge that highlights the incredible Colorado winter while bringing the contestants together on a combined date and you pick a snowball fight? An actual snowball fight? Because you're ten years old, right?"

He almost fell off his pony in hysterics. "Ladies! Cas! We're going to have to cancel the show—Bachelor-man here isn't legal yet."

Dean scowled at the host. "Sounds like someone's afraid he would lose said snowball fight."

"No, it's more like I'm afraid my mommy wouldn't make a me a steaming cup of hot chocolate afterwards. But, I digress, please get back to explaining this truly awesome challenge, Dean." He batted his eyelashes obnoxiously.

Dean turned his back on Gabriel to face the contestants. "Regardless of what Gabriel thinks, I happen to appreciate someone who knows how to have fun. So a snowball fight it is!" A couple of groans echoed through the clearing.

"Now just a second, there's a catch." Dean gestured toward his brother. "Sam matters to me, and with the obvious exception of his taste in cars and music, I take his opinion very seriously. Therefore, the winner of today's challenge will receive a date with him."

Nobody seemed overly impressed by that statement and he was met with silence. Sam pulled a bitch-face at Dean that could rival Gabriel's pout.

"And they'll also receive immunity during the next elimination," Dean added hastily to instantaneous applause from the contestants.

Everyone seemed a lot more enthusiastic after that. Horses were tied to low hanging branches and the group assembled in the middle of the field, circled around Dean, Sam and Gabriel.

Gabriel raised his hands. "Now, obviously, there has to be some sort of judge to keep things fair so the three of us will accept that honor. Right, Dean?"

Dean's shoulders drooped suddenly and he looked like a kid who'd just been told Santa Claus wasn't real. "Yeah, sure, if I have to," he mumbled and let an already formed snowball drop from his hand. Castiel tried not to smile.

With much reluctance on Dean's part, they climbed back on their horses and left Gabriel to run around and call people out as they were hit.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Dean boomed and chaos erupted.

Snow flew everywhere and Castiel dove to the side, taking refuge behind an outcrop of boulders. Girls screamed and shrieked and Lilith yelled something about ruining her manicure. Castiel peeked over the top of his haven.

The sight that greeted him was pathetic, really. Lots of snow was flying, but none of it was hitting a mark. With the exception of Sarah, he doubted any of these women had spent much time in their youth cultivating the art of a perfectly crafted snowball. Ruby sailed an errant missile over Jo's head and Lilith accidentally threw hers backwards. Meg's snowball failed to hit Bela by several yards and Gabriel ended up with a face full of snow instead.

Shaking his head, Castiel knelt down and scraped together some snow. He carefully packed a fistful in his hands, breathing warmly over it to help fuse the substance together. Soon, a pile of perfect orbs sat at his feet and he chanced another look at the raging battlefield.

Anna stood with her back to him, an easy target. He took her out in a single pitch at her fiery red hair. Next came Jo, who received a well-aimed snowball to the chest. Ruby was taken care of in a flurry of frozen projectiles and promptly tipped over into a snowdrift as she screamed in protest.

Castiel saw Sarah take Lilith and Meg down in a blaze of glory. Her eyes searched for his hiding place to no avail however. He grinned in satisfaction; he wasn't about to give away his sniper's advantage.

Bela remained on the field, mostly because she was fast and the other girls' aims were poor. He knew that Sarah would get her and would probably enjoy herself while doing it.

Castiel found himself in the perfect position to act; Sarah was poised to take down Bela, who stood out in the open, trying to the scrape snow from her hair and salvage her runny make-up. He could wait for Sarah to eliminate Bela and then blindside her.

He contemplated the snowball in his hand and thought of Sarah standing on her tiptoes to get a glimpse of Sam. His eyes drifted to where Sam sat watching her, a hopeful expression on his face. Dean, sitting beside him, just looked bored.

It wasn't a hard choice. It took hardly a second's worth of thought in the end. Castiel wound his arm and let his missile fly. He didn't miss.

"You know, this might have worked better if any of them could throw," Sam commented as he squinted through flying snow.

"Don't tell me you don't love having a bunch of women fight over you, Sammy," Dean chortled.

"You're barbaric. That's all I really have to say."

Dean punched his brother in the shoulder. "I'm touched, Sammy. I knew you would love it. No need to thank me."

Sam rolled his eyes and asked instead, "Do you think they're ever going to catch on to Cas over there?"

"Nah. Look—Anna's about to eat it." Sure enough, Anna was flung forward as a pack of snow hit her from behind.

"Wish Gabriel would've let me play. I could have taken him," Dean grumbled.

"I dunno," Sam said thoughtfully. He threw his brother a loaded glance. "Cas is pretty awesome."

Dean, of course, missed the undertones. "Pssh, yeah, but I think I could keep up."

Sam sighed dramatically. "No, I mean he's awesome in general. You two seemed to really hit it off."

Dean shut down immediately, crossed his arms and looked away. "Yeah, sure, I guess."

Sam knew his brother was emotionally constipated, but he was going to pry the conversation out of Dean even if it killed him. "You've kept him through two eliminations now," he said pointedly.

"So what? He happens to be way more interesting than some of the girls I've met. He likes classic rock," he said, like that explained everything. Which, in Dean's universe, it probably did.

"You know it's okay with me if you like a guy, right? No judging and all that."

"What?" Dean's head snapped around. "It's not like that," he stammered, but the blush creeping into his cheeks said otherwise.

"Then how is it exactly? Because you realize that Cas is here on a dating show. For you."

"Dude, he's not here for me. He's here because his brother made him. They needed to fill a slot and he's helping out." Dean shifted in the saddle uncomfortably.

Sam waited him out. The trick with Dean was a precise combination of patience and awkward silences. He'd had lots of practice.

Suddenly, the words poured from his brother's mouth like he couldn't keep them in any longer. "Sam, do you remember that night you wouldn't come out with me in L.A.? You had some sort of wimpy excuse of a stomach ache—which, by the way, those burgers were awesome and it's not their fault you're a pansy—and you told me to get lost?"

The burgers had been revoltingly greasy and could probably qualify as a health hazard, but Sam let it slide. "Hmmm. That does sound like me."

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Dean, I remember."

"Cas was there. Well, Cas and Gabriel, but mostly just Cas."

"Wait, what? You know Cas?" Rarely did Dean surprise Sam.

"Dude. It was like for one evening, but yeah. We danced."

Dean didn't dance…not unless he was interested in…oh. An image of Dean and Castiel grinding on the dance floor assaulted his mind—it was one thing to be supportive but he didn't want to picture it.

"TMI, man. TMI."

"I barely said anything!"

"Yeah, but I know you and now I'm picturing it." Sam shuddered.

Dean laughed. "That one's your fault, Sammy. Anyway, ever since that night, I just can't seem to get him out of my head. And it's just Cas," he clarified. "It's not like I'm suddenly hot for random dudes." He spat into the snow, like that would somehow keep his manhood intact.

Dean didn't say anything more and Sam knew he was waiting for his analysis. Dean might be his older brother but Sam was still the person he looked to for advice.

He must have waited a moment too long though because Dean just kept talking. Once the dam broke, it was a flood of information, not a trickle.

"And now I just totally ruined whatever it was with Cas. Bela said she invited him on the tour this morning and he never showed. He came out of nowhere with that comment at the barn and scared the crap outta me. After last night I thought he'd left for sure…"

Sam looked startled. "Wait. You saw him last night?"

"Like I said. I can't seem to stay away; the more I try and picture myself with another contestant, the more I end up lurking by his door at two in the morning like some sort of creeper. But he won't want anything to do with me now that that I royally fucked everything up."

Sam really, really wanted to ask what Dean had done but he had the sense to remain quiet on the issue. "Well, can I just point out that Cas is still here? He hasn't left yet. And, at the rate he's going, it looks like my next date will be with a dude too."

Dean didn't miss the way Sam's eyes drifted over to where Sarah still stood, hands full of snow and a gleeful expression on her face. He glanced at Cas, who stood twenty feet away, poised to strike. Bela was down for the count and it was Castiel's game to win; Sarah would never know what hit her.

Heart pounding, Dean realized he wanted Castiel to win. No one could fault him for keeping him on the show if Cas won immunity fair and square. It was the perfect solution.

Castiel didn't move though. He stood there wavering and, in a moment of clarity, Dean guessed that Cas must have seen the way Sam looked at Sarah too.

He leaned over to say something to Sam but promptly fell off his horse as a giant icy snowball collided with the side of his face.

Dean awoke face down in the snow with Sam beside him. "Oh man! You should see the look on your face right now!"

Dean sat up slowly and rubbed his jaw. "What was that?" He looked around. Sarah hadn't been anywhere near him but Cas…Cas stood a few feet away wearing the guiltiest expression Dean had ever seen.

"No way." He rubbed his jaw again for effect.

Sam sniggered. "Like I said, man, Cas is awesome."

Even though the side of his face still hurt like bitch, it was hard to be mad at Cas after that. Sarah, with perhaps a shade too much delight, accepted her date with the bachelor's brother and gamely shook hands with Cas and the other ladies.

Dean tried desperately to catch Cas's eye, to somehow convey to him that he was sorry, that he wanted him, but Cas refused to look up. He rode by Sarah and Sam the whole way back to the mansion, keeping a careful distance away from Dean.

Dean slouched in the saddle and pouted. He hoped it was at least a dignified pout but really doubted it from the way Gabriel was smirking at him.

Dean's life was filled with people who were paid to tell him that he was right, that he was talented, that he was smart. Women flocked to him; men slapped him on the back and told him what a great man his father was.

He'd been told those things so many times, he had almost forgotten what it felt like to meet someone other than Sam who wasn't afraid to call him an idiot. Or knock him off his high horse—literally.

Cas had given Sarah the date and thus given up his chance for immunity. Dean would have to make a decision now and the thought made his gut churn. Was this what it was like, to want something for himself?

Castiel flashed Sarah a smile and something clenched in Dean's chest. Sam was right, Castiel was worth fighting for and Dean would find a way to set things right. If Cas didn't like him after that, it wouldn't because Dean didn't try.

I like when Cas can mess with Dean right back. He may be a nerd, but he's also a bit of a badass:)