CHAPTER TWELVE

If Becky didn't know better she'd say that fate had it in for her. It wasn't bad enough that Sam Winchester, he collage crush, okay obsession, was working at SBI, it wasn't enough that she'd found herself trapped in a lift with him just a day before. It wasn't enough she'd somehow gained the world's most infuriating shadow or that she'd cracked her head on a dining table in the company in front of practically the whole firm. No, now she had to sit in a waiting room with said Winchester, who seemed determined to stay with her. That small obsessive love sick part of her was over the moon at the prospect of being around Sam. At having him fuss over her. But that grown up part of her, the part that wanted to hide, hated having him there.

Thankfully he'd given her some breathing space while he made a phone call. Relaxing finally she slouched into her seat and allowed the tears she'd been fighting for the past twenty minuets to sting behind her eyes. Why was her life suddenly such a hell? All she wanted was to live her small little life, maybe find a guy she could at the very least bare the company off and work. Why was fate throwing all this shit at her out of nowhere? To her knowledge she hadn't done anything wrong. She was settled against the chair with her eyes closed pondering this when a soft voice broke her concentration.

"Are you alright sweetheart?"

Becky opened her eyes to see an old woman sat across from her, looked concerned. "I'm fine." she whispered in a shaky voice.

"Would you like me to call you're young man?"

Becky frowned at her for a few seconds, unsure what she was talking about. When it hit her she turned brilliant scarlet. "Oh, he's no..."

"You two make such a lovely couple." the woman said before Becky could finish. "And he's very good looking."

Becky swallowed and nodded, her embarrassment growing.

"And he clearly cares deeply for you." the woman smiled warmly.

"I..." Becky stuttered, looking at the woman. "I..."

"Miss Rosen!" they were interrupted by the call of a nurse.

Becky got to her feet, smiling a farewell to the confused old woman. She turned and headed to the nurse just as Sam re-entered the waiting area. He walked right up behind her as the nurse spoke. "Mrs Rosen?"

"Yes."

"Follow me." she looked over Becky's shoulder at the concerned looking Sam. "You're boyfriend can come if you wish."

"He..." Becky was about to say.

"Thank you." Sam announced; his hand pressing into the young woman's lower back. "Are you alright?" he asked as they walked further into the ER.

"Y-yes." Becky swallowed, ignoring the heat in her back. "D...did you...get in touch with..."

"Yes. Dean's fine." Sam nodded, following her into a cubical. "Oh and that short dick called to see how you were."

Becky groaned. "What is it with that guy?" she whispered with a sigh.

"Beats me." Sam shrugged, taking a seat on a chair beside the bed.

"I'd rather beat him."

Sam laughed. "With you on that."

They were both giggling and looking at each other warmly as the doctor entered the cubical.

~DESTIEL/BECAM~

Dean needed air. He hated hospitals; they brought back too many bad memories, things he'd rather keep buried away in that dark unopened room at the back of his mind. Seeing Lisa in that bed, losing her grip on life wasn't making things any better. He'd come to the conclusion that he shouldn't have come. After all, it wasn't like they were together any more, it wasn't like he had any real right or reason to be there, other than a phone call from a distraught and scared thirteen year old.

Needing a break Dean slipped out into the August air, figuring Cass would be at the car, as he was nowhere to be found in the hospital. Turned out the man was sat in the park across the street, looking rather weird and creepy. Dean was actually surprised he hadn't had the cops on his back by now, demanding to know why he was sat alone in a park, in a trench-coat watching kid's play.

Dropping down on the other empty bench, Dean lent on his knees and stared at the happy scene before him. He just sat, not speaking and to his surprise, neither was Cass. Sam would have been pushing him to open up about his feelings. Like being bisexual somehow made him a girl.

They sat in the silence for a while, just watching the world turn. It felt good Dean realised, good and normal and just that little bit comforting. He'd never thought it could feel like that, not sat with a guy. Everyone was right; he'd stubbornly repeated that guys were only good for one thing. He didn't know what that had been his opinion though he'd probably say his dad had something to do with it. He guessed he'd gone along with it for fear of his father disapproval. John Winchester had been fine with the idea of his son screwing other guys, as long as he never brought them home to meet the family, to John it was a faze, something Dean had to get out of his system.

And Dean kept waiting for that to happen, for him to get it out of his system and straighten up, but it never happened. Sure he'd stopped screwing around for a year, give or take, when his father started putting on the pressure about settling down and having a family, that's how he'd gotten in so deep with Lisa. But it hadn't really changed anything. As much as he hadn't strayed, the temptation and desire had remained.

He couldn't deny that he'd been relieved when he'd found out about Lisa's affair, it gave him a reason to escape. Of course his father had complained about it, saying he'd thrown away a perfectly good relationship, and he kept complaining right up until his last breath. It was hard to believe that was a little under two years ago.

After losing his dad and everything with it hadn't been all that hard for Dean to take his brother's advice and get the hell out of dodge, though he doubt when Sam had proposed the move, he hadn't expected his big brother to turn up on his doorstep. It had been a huge adjustment settling into a new city, but luckily there had been more than a few guys to ease his way. Sam had said something about making up for lost time and it had been true, but that hadn't been the only reason he'd thrown himself into casual sex with random girls and guys. It had been a way of escaping….something.

Loneliness. His brain provided. Dean sighed and glanced to his side where Cass sat leaning forward on his knees watching a little girl playing on a climbing frame, his face sorrowful and tinged with pain. Dean watching him for a moment and realised he didn't feel lonely with Cass around. He was sure most people would if they were sat in silence, not talk or even looking at the person they were with, but strangely it didn't feel like that. He figured he could sit there for the rest of his life in complete and utter silence and he wouldn't care as long as Cass was sat on the next bench.

Dean frowned at himself, unsure where this revelation had come from, and worst were it was going to lead. He inhaled sharply and straightened on the bench.

"Are you alright Dean?" asked the gravely voice beside him.

"Uh, yeah, peachy." Dean replied, forcing his body to relax. He leant forward, mirroring Cass's posture. "You?"

Castiel fidgeted on his seat, sitting back against the wooden back. "I - I'm just…" he swallowed a little. "I was remembering my daughter at that age." his gaze fixed on the climbing frame.

"Daughter?" Dean frowned, he had a daughter. Gabriel hadn't mentioned that, he'd told him about the bitchy ex-wife but he hadn't said anything about a kid.

"Yes. Claire." Cass answered with a slight nod.

"Oh…" Daughter. Why exactly did that change things? He asked himself. "How old?"

"Twelve. - Same as you're son I would guess."

"Son? Oh, Ben's not my son." Dean shook his head. Though he sometimes wished he was.

Castiel turned to meet Dean's gaze, his dark brows pulling together. "Oh. I just assumed…he looks so much like you, I just…."

"People always say that." Dean replied, turning his attention to the playground. "But it's just a coincidence really. Lisa had a type." he said a little too harshly.

Castiel clearly caught the tone cause he was staring at Dean with sympathy and understanding. "I'm sorry."

Dean's head snapped round to meet Cass's gaze and froze, staring deep into the blue eyes for what felt like a life time, finally he found his voice. "It's fine. It was for the best."

Cass nodded and turned away, not asking any question, not giving him any curious looks. He turn stopped talking and respected Dean's privacy and personal space. Something his own family seemed incapable of doing. Dean felt his chest tighten, and a breath caught in his lungs.

"You want to get a drink?" Dean suddenly asked.

Cass turned that nervous look on his again and Dean almost laughed, almost. Deep down though he wonder why the guy was always so jumpy around him. "Just a drink. I swore a hands off policy, remember." he watched the guy relax and nod, before looking over his shoulder to the hospital.

"Shouldn't you stay with…?"

Dean shook his head. "Ben as his grand mother, he doesn't need me."

"He wouldn't have called you if he didn't need you Dean. He young and he'd about to lose his mother, you're the closest thing he has to a father."

Dean stared at Cass, mouth part open. He hated being made to feel like the bad guy and when he was, he usually lashed out. Only he wasn't. He was just sitting there, listening to the man's argument, unable to deny it made sense.

Taking a fresh lungful of air, he got to his feet, hovering over the man. "Jeez Cass. You really know how to apply the guilt-trip, don't you? - Alright, I'll go do my duty to the kid. But we're having that drink later, deal."

Cass smiled. Well, not one that anyone would recognise as a smile, there was no movement of facial muscles, no teeth on show, but Dean knew it was a smile. There in the depths of the man's angelic blue eyes, he was smiling. "Very well."

Dean could feel every nerve in his body come to life. "Good." he smiled back brightly. They stood staring at each other again for a few long seconds then Dean turned to head back to the hospital.

He'd barely taken five paces when he stopped and turned back to the bench. "Hey Cass."

"Yes, Dean."

"Maybe you should head to the coffee shop or something, if you sit there any longer; I may be bailing you out instead of taking you out."

Castiel looked at him confused and this time Dean did laugh. "Park. Kids. Guys alone in a trench-coat. All equals jail time."

"But I am only sitting here Dean."

"Yeah, that's what they all say Cass." Dean smiled. "Would you want you watching Claire?"

Castiel's face seemed to be permanently stuck in frown mode, Dean thought and smirked. Then the frown vanished and realisation settled in.

"Oh. Huh, yes, of course." he was on his feet and walking towards Dean. "I will go in search of coffee."

Dean smirked. "Good idea."

Cass reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet, Dean watching his every move. Opening it, he pulled out a small card. "Here, call me when you want me."

Dean was not touching that with a ten-foot bargepole. Instead he took the card, nodded and swallowed hard. "Sure."

"Good luck Dean. - And I'm sorry."

Dean's gaze locked with Cass's and his breath caught again. Was that ever going to stop happening. "Thanks Cass."

Then the man was walking away. Dean's eyes following the sway of his trench-coat. When Cass turned the corner and vanished, Dean sighed, rubbed his eyes and headed back into the hospital.

~DESTIEL/BECAM~

"Really Mr. Winchester, this isn't necessary." Becky insisted at Sam walked her to her apartment.

"The doctor said you may have concussion, I don't want you passing out and not waking up again." he said holding the door open for her and making Becky's heart skip. "And it's Sam."

Becky blushed. "Fine. Thank you….S-Sam."

They reached Becky's place quickly. Pushing the key into the lock, the door gave way. Turning she looked up at the huge giant. "T…thank you….Sam." she repeated. "I'll be fine now."

Sam looked at her closely, her eyes now meeting his. "I don't want to leave."

Becky's eyes widened at the man's confession and her heart leapt into her chest, pounding hard and blocking her airway. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again.

"I mean…" Sam stammered unsettled by how true his words had been. "I don't think you should be alone. In case you pass out."

Becky told herself she was being foolish, that it was only out of concern, because that was the kind of guy Sam Winchester was. It didn't mean he was interested in her personally. Hell, he'd probably insist on staying with Gabriel if the guy had suffered a head injury and the doctors had warned about dizziness and nausea. Which was why she should have thanked him, again, and sent him on his way. Instead she was stepping through the door, leading the way into the apartment. Her heart skipping once again when she heard the door close behind her.

Dropping her bag on the chair at the dining room table, she hung up her blood stained jacket and headed for the kitchen. "Can….I get you something?" she asked over her shoulder.

"You got a beer?" Sam replied, loosening his tie and dropping down on her comfy couch.

"Sure."

A few moments later, Becky stood in front of him holding out a bottle. As Sam too it from her palm their fingers brushed, sending sparks through them both.