Notes: Last Chapter Finally!
ashwingsmokefeather: squee! Thanks so much! :D I'm so happy you liked it! Onward with the Destiel!
leahelisabeth: Last chapter of this one, and tomorrow I will start the long awaited War Stories re-write! I'll try to make it as schmoopy, hurt/comforty, bromancy, destiely, and awesomely as I can!
chaoswalking: *bows deeply and face plants* Thank you so much! *blushing like crazy in class making my friends ask if I'm okay*
Disclaimer: Look! Look at all the fandoms I don't own!
CHAPTER 13
Meg woke up and she froze in panic as she didn't recognize the ceiling above her at first. For a moment she believed that their daring escape from the hospital had failed and she was actually waking up in a Host cell, but then the familiar rust registered in her brain and she knew that she was still aboard the Impala.
More specifically, she was inside the airlock of the cargo bay, the big door closed in between her and the rest of the ship. A quick glance around her showed that the room was completely empty, no one or anything in sight save for a hand radio on the floor next to her that she picked up and turned over in her hand. What the hell was going on?
She launched to her feet and ran up to the small window in the door between the airlock and the cargo bay, "Hey! What the hell, guys! Let me in!" Suddenly that baby Novak's face appeared in the window, glaring back at her. He held up a matching radio and tapped it to the window between them, indicating that if she wanted to speak, she should use her own radio.
With an impatient growl she flipped her radio on and then Cas' rumbling voice came over the speaker, even more garbled by the static, "Now that all have returned to the Haven, I thought that it was time for us to have words. I decided to choose a neutral territory."
That's when behind her Meg heard the opening of the exterior bay door, and the rushing noise of vacuumed air filled the airlock, whipping Meg's hair across her face and making her clothes slap around her and the heat be sapped from her body.
Even through the roar, Cas' voice boomed damningly over the radio in her hand, "Seems to me that the plan was solid, but then you went and drilled a hole through it and didn't place a caution sigh for your crew. Seems that we almost all fell through. Such a naughty prank. And for what? What were you hoping to gain, Meg?" he asked, looking truly interested.
Damn it, so he had known all along. Damn psychic freaking bastard.
"You're the one with the mind reading trick. You know what I wanted," she hissed over the radio, panic rising in her voice as the air became thin around her.
"Oh, but the first step to recovery is admitting it to yourself. I'm afraid you will not grow from this unless you say the truth outloud." he said sadly.
Panic was replaced by rage, "Gorramnit! I called the feds, okay?! Now let me back in, you fruitcake!"
"And what have we learned?" he asked as if to a child.
She stared back at him with hate in her eyes, "You little…"
He lowered the exterior door another inch, "You will be a lot thinner once you get sucked through that hole there, " he said calmly, pointing to the opening door.
"Fuck! Come on, Castiel! This is no way for a girl to die!"
Anger flashed over his features, "Death from betrayal is not a dignified way to die at all, but you should be grateful for death this way as opposed to what they would have done to you should those from the Host have gotten their slimy hands on you. My freak brothers don't take kindly to those who would harm one of their own."
Meg was quickly crumbling back into absolute terror, "Listen, you want to kill me, you better shoot me. Just let me in."
"Did you know that in ancient times on Earth that Was, the punishment for treason was that the traitor would be hanged by the neck, then cut down alive, have his…or her, entrails taken out and burned while she yet lived. Only then did they cut off her head and the body divided into four parts. This way seemed much cleaner than all that. Plus I promised Dean and my brothers that I would never cut you up again," he informed, not even a hint of jest in his features.
Fucking fuck, this guy was crazy and Meg felt true fear when she saw the seriousness of his intentions here, "Listen, Castiel…I'm sorry, all right?"
"Sorry for what, Meg?" he asked innocently.
Biting back another snide remark she answered, grinding her teeth, "The money was too good. I got stupid…and desperate. I thought they would let me go, and I wouldn't have to hide out with the Winchesters for the rest of my life. I didn't mean to get wrapped up in this, I just wanted out," she admitted desperately.
"Oh, but you did get wrapped up in it. You got us all wrapped up in it. You even put Sam and Dean in danger. I am here as guardian of this ship, and if you turn on the crew again, then you have no place in this universe and I will rip you from existence." With that statement he stepped back from the window and placed his hand on the control to the exterior door, Meg watching his movements and knowing that with a twitch of his hand her life would be ended.
She spoke into her radio quietly, "What are you going to tell the others?"
He glanced up from the panel, "About what?"
She swallowed hard, "About why I'm gone. How you killed me?"
Absently he shrugged, "Haven't decided just yet. I just may resign myself to telling them the truth."
She gave him props for his casual attitude. Here she thought that the little bugger would be nervous about taking a life or even have another one of his breakdowns, but here he was surprising her again. She chuckled breathlessly, "Well just don't tell them I went through the fucking airlock. Make up something epic, alright? Like a new superpower you've been keeping secret or something and my body vaporized in a super nova."
A small grin appeared on his features and he turned back to the panel and pressed down on the lever. Meg held her breath and waited for the vacuum to pull her out and to her death…but instead the rushing noise disappeared and the room fell completely silent except for her own breaths.
Dumbfounded she turned to see that the airlock door had been shut and for the moment she was still alive. She twisted her head back to the window where she saw Castiel standing there again, radio raised to his lips.
"Next time you stab one of us in the back…have the guts to do it to their face."
His face left the window as he headed out of the cargo bay, not looking back once. It actually was pretty badass, Meg thought to herself as she watched him head up the stairs, but then she remembered something.
"Wait…uh, can I come in now? Hey! HEY!"
Dean met Cas in the hallway on his way back to the hold, wondering what had been taking the other man so long. He was about ten scenarios into what Cas and Meg could have done to each other when he bumped right into the object of his thoughts.
"Whoa, there you are Cas. I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you." And praying that you and Meg didn't kill each other, he thought to himself. He gave Cas a once over, quickly cataloging any discrepancies that his eyes could detect. Finding none, he looked back up to meet Cas' blue eyes.
"My apologies for worrying you. I was just…clearing the air," Cas answered, his eyes shyly meeting Dean's.
"Yeah, yeah."
An awkward pause fell between the two of them. Dean wasn't sure what he should say next. Hell, he wasn't even sure if Cas was okay with the whole kiss thing earlier as it even surprised Dean when he had done it. It had been a damn crazy last few days where Dean's mind had been completely consumed by his concern for the other man, and then he had gotten Cas back on his ship, standing there in his hold in one piece…he just wasn't able to hold back and had just surged towards Cas. He didn't want to regret it, but this silence between him was worrisome.
"Dean, are you alright?"
"Yeah! I'm good. Ten fingers, ten toes…I'll check the rest later when I'm alone," he joked and Cas smiled obligingly, "You going to keep that get-up?" Dean asked, gesturing to the scrubs and bathrobe that Cas still wore. For whatever reason, it was kind of bugging Dean to see him dressed like that and not in his normal too big sweater and trench coat. At least Cas' feet were still bare.
Cas glanced down as if only just noticing what he was wearing, "No…no, I do not wish to keep this on any longer. It's too….familiar."
"Okay, let's go get you into something else, huh?" Dean offered and he steered them to the crew quarters, a hand placed at the small of Cas' back.
Later found Dean and Cas on the floor, leaning against the foot of Cas' bed, both completely relaxed for the moment. When Cas had taken off his shirt to change, Dean had caught the wince on his face as his back twinged, even while he was quite distracted by the smooth play of skin before him. Of course Dean quickly offered to help with one of his quickly improving massages, and the other man readily accepted.
And for the next hour or so, Dean ran his hands all over Cas, savoring the small moments of quiet. The Captain didn't stop his ministrations until his hands began to cramp and Cas was nearly asleep under him. It was a welcome thing for the comfort to come back between the two after the kiss as Dean had worried that he would have messed up the best and only friendship he had ever really had.
Now he sat watching as Cas drew Russian nesting dolls on some old star maps, content to just be here and not anywhere else, even with all the stress and fright that came with having Cas on his ship.
Mid- pencil stroke Cas suddenly called out, "Come in, Gabriel." And after a moment's pause, the hatch opened up to reveal a cocky Gabriel trailed by somewhat sheepish Sheppard.
Dean almost laughed to himself at the unspoken joke. A Pilot and Preacher walk into a room. All they needed was Anna and they had a real winner lined up.
"Heya, you two! Just wanted to be sure I wasn't interrupting anything after Dean's spectacular public display of affection," the pilot teased as he climbed into the room, disappointedly taking note that both of the room's occupants were still fully clothed.
Then he lowered himself next to his brother and peered over his shoulder at what he was doing, "So what are you two up to, Cassy-bear?"
"Drawing," Cas stated slowly, wondering how Gabriel could not have figured that out for himself by the evidence before him.
Bobby leaned over as well, making Cas somewhat self-conscious, "Wow, Cas. That's actually really good."
That's when Cas noticed what was in the preacher's hand, a syringe.
"What are you doing to me now?" He asked nervously. Dean felt more than saw Cas tense up beside him and laid a comforting hand on his knee.
"Relax, Cas. You can trust Bobby. They must have gone over your results and have something that could help you, am I right?" Dean asked pointedly to Bobby, silently demanding the preacher explain.
Heavily, Bobby let out a sigh, "Yeah, that's right. We went over the basic stuff first, blood scans and drug history that was recorded. The more…physical scans we'll go over some more later, but for now we know that Cas here had been given a lot of that muscle relaxer that Balthazar stole, enough for an elephant."
"Shouldn't be too many side effects, Bobby said maybe a headache here or there, cramps, nausea at times…but your back should start to feel better. And we got enough of it from that heist to last us a nice long while!" offered Gabriel encouragingly.
Cas nodded slightly in understanding and looked at the syringe sadly, "Time to go to sleep again," he breathed out, disappointed and afraid. He had so much wanted to spend more time with Dean, perhaps even enjoy more kissing tonight if he had finished his drawing.
Gabriel smiled softly, "No, Di di," he reached down and took his hand, "It's time to wake up." (Little brother)
With a hesistant grin, Cas looked up hopefully, "I'm not going anywhere?"
"Hell no, Cas! You're family now and we're going to take care of you," Dean stated, poking Cas in the chest for emphasis.
"He's right, boy. Family, that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in out innermost hearts, ever quite wish to," chuckled Bobby while he uncapped the syringe and quickly injected it into Cas arm. Thankfully it wasn't going to make the poor boy sleepy. Lord knows that he had enough sleep for a good long while.
After pulling the needle out, Bobby reached for the band-aid that he had brought with him to cover the puncture, only to have his hand stilled by Castiel who smiled up at him, "I won't be needing that, " he stated, and all in the room peered at the crook of his arm to see that the small bead of blood that had welled up after the injection was completely gone.
"You got your mojo back!" Dean said in happiness and surprise.
Cas smiled back, "Indeed. Now if you are done Bobby, I would like for you and Gabriel to leave so that I may finish my drawing and then hopefully have time to exchange saliva with Dean."
The pilot and preacher laughed at the blush that appeared on Dean's face and quickly cleared the room.
Dean sighed and turned his attention back to Cas who had gone back to finishing his drawing, "So, uh…guess this story had a happy ending, huh?"
Cas shrugged and replied, not looking up at Dean when he spoke, "Happy endings all depend on where you stop the story," he paused and glanced at Dean, "but I would say at this very moment, yes. It is a very happy ending. Rapunzel was not returned to her prison in the castle, and of course, the obligatory kiss at the 'end'."
Dean let a boyish grin spread over his handsome features, "Well, if we're going by this very moment being the 'end', then we missed the obligatory kiss by a few hours."
"That is unfortunate. Perhaps we should fix this discrepancy."
Dean leaned closer, "Sounds good to me," he parted his lips…
"Just let me finish this drawing, first"
Just...cute. I couldn't help myself. And for all of you guys, tomorrow I shall post the first chapter of part X: On the Rack. Check it out!