Chapter 21: The Barbecue
School let out the first week of June (earlier than usual due to the lack of snow-days) and Sam and Dean were back to their summer routine. A parade of the usual friends and acquaintances marched through the house, with a litany of videogames, craft projects, action figures, and pyrotechnics (Dean! How on earth did you get a hold of an M-80?!) marking the first few days of summer.
The first Saturday of June had Bobby coming over for the beginning of the string of many barbecues the family would host. Cas and Bobby sat out back by the barbecue, the boys were inside. Sam and Dean were mostly occupied with a game of Jenga-which had become a quick fad in the Winchester household. At the moment the current total was 126 games to Dean and 103 to Sam, with Castiel winning 4 of the 96 he participated in (the degree of manual dexterity required to win this game is staggering). Dean was just happy to use the opportunity to show his mostly normalized fine motor skills (courtesy of two years of physical therapy at school).
It was a perfect afternoon; the sun was high in the sky as the midday light filtered through a few small clouds. The air was calm, but not close. There was the faint tweeting of birds and hum of a lawnmower a few doors down, somewhere a dog barked happily. It was a suburban summer Saturday. If not for the health of the men enjoying the day it might have been something out of a sitcom instead of a drama.
"So…" Cas looked down at the grill as he basted the ribs. He was unsure of what to say. It was evident that Bobby's health had continued to decline, and I can't stop it because of a bunch of my brethren are too stubbornly attached to some 'prophesy' and would immediately swoop in and end me if I did anything…
"So…" Bobby repeated, looking down at his soda. He exhaled; fuck it, "Cas. I'm going to die soon. I'm not going to pretend there's a miracle cure just sitting in front of me I haven't thought of." Castiel winced internally, the guilt he'd been carrying suddenly somehow even greater, "But since I'm going to die, I don't want to die without knowing a few things first. I already know more about the supernatural than most hunters out there combined-but that isn't saying much considering how many of the idjits are more interested in revenge than research. But what I don't know is anything about your brother. John's reveals to me could fit on an index card. Single sided. Could ya tell me a bit about him, at least something, so when I get to whatever fucked up afterlife there is I can yell at him for not telling me anything?"
Castiel smiled, not overly happy that Bobby had insulted his home as 'fucked up', but glad that his friend trusted him to talk about the sensitive issue that was his 'younger brother'. "Alright, where do you want me to begin?"
Cas and Bobby talk for nearly two hours in the backyard on everything from John's first crush and favorite color to his deepest fears and desires. Cas was candid, accessing John's memories and saying things as honestly as he could to Bobby. It seemed therapeutic in a way for him; finally getting some sense of closure on a man he'd known for years and somehow knew nothing about.
"You know, you're the only friend John ever had."
"I doubt that. He might have been a stubborn ass, but he was good looking and-if I remember correctly-the captain of his high school's track team." Bobby rolled his eyes.
"I'm serious Bobby. John was popular, sure, but he didn't really have friends. It was high school. He stayed in his little 'middle-of-nowhere' Kansas town while everyone else moved on and out. If it wasn't for Mary he wouldn't have had anyone. When she died he really had no one except the boys. When he met you he didn't care about you, much like everyone else, but I know he wouldn't have continued beyond that first interaction if he didn't care. I read his journal and I want to tell you he speaks highly of you multiple times-and considering that he never even mentions me-his brother-it indicates he did appreciate what you did for him." Cas felt guilty about the slight manipulation in this truth, he knew Bobby was John's only friend because of a memory-not the journal-but the intent was the same.
"Well, a lot of good it did him in the long run. Friends are just another casualty waiting to happen for hunters." Bobby muttered sadly, thinking how John was just one of the many hunters he'd known who had died over the years.
"Maybe for hunters, but for me, you are the best thing that has happened since this series of unfortunate occurrences began. Bobby, I value your friendship and I thank you for all you have done." Castiel smiled, tilting his head slightly to match Bobby's gaze. "You truly are a 'radical dude'."
Bobby chuckled at Cas' attempt at slang and sentimentality, "Thank you Cas. So are you."
Bobby better know how the hell to take care of a zombie because that witch doctor seems to be surrounded by the bastards every time I try to get close. John Winchester picked up the phone in the crappy motel in New Orleans. Dean was giving Sam a bath, or something, and he had to get some advice.
Bobby, I need some advice on zombies. John muttered over the phone, impatiently tapping his pen on a blank journal page.
Okay, what type are we talking? Romero or voodoo?
Voodoo.
Well, that's going to be tough. You have a notebook ready because this is going to be a lot of steps…
Well, shit. He wasn't kidding. Sixteen steps to create a purification powder he would have to sprinkle on the zombies-on a full moon-which may OR MAY NOT work.
So, how are the boys? Bobby sounded hopeful over the phone.
Fine.
Okay, so, how about more than one syllable.
Look, I'll just put Dean on. Just don't fill his head with bullshit about ever being normal Bobby.
John gave Dean the phone and sat down on the faded plaid couch. Bobby was a royal pain in the ass, but he is the closest thing I've got to a friend.
A knock on the side gate alerted the two to the presence of a gaggle of neighborhood children who were coming over to play with Sam and Dean. It was the usual crowd. Ava, Carol, Sam Kennedy, Max, and Zach were all familiar, but there was one boy Castiel did not recognize.
"Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Mr. Winchester." Cas knelt down to the boy's eye level. He was Dean's age, and was wearing a dark navy t-shirt and jeans, surprising given the warm weather.
"I'm Gus."
"Nice to meet you Gus."
"Yeah. You too." The boy was indifferent, and something about the tone he used seemed off-almost forced.
Castiel brushed it off and stood up. While he was certainly much better than he had been at first with reading emotions he did occasionally falter, and it was possible he'd seen something when there wasn't anything to see. He went inside to get Sam and Dean and found Sam on top of a step ladder as Dean angrily wished the tower of Jenga blocks would topple over.
"Okay Dean, your turn." He happily smirked, knowing it would be nearly impossible for Dean to remove a piece without the tower toppling over. Dean scowled, before stepping on the ladder to grab a block. Before he could manage the vibrations from his stepping on the ladder causing the slightest of shifts and the entire pile collapsed to the floor.
"Boys, it appears as though you have a few guests. I'm going to get a few snacks ready, if you want to meet them in the dining room." Castiel walked out of the living room before he heard Dean flip open a notebook and mutter something about stupid vibrations.
A few minutes later seven children were sat around the dining room table. A large assortment of snack foods sat on the tabletop as the group happily chatted while eating far more sugar and calories than recommended for the average child. Outside, however, one child was sitting alone. Gus had opted to eat in the back corner of the yard beneath the shade of a small tree. He hadn't set foot in the house, opting instead to have Castiel bring him a platter. There was something off about the boy.
"Sam, Dean, why don't you show your friends the new Bomberman videogame you got? I'm sure they'd like it." Castiel suggested while bringing out a pitcher of Tang.
"You got the new Bomberman? The one with two player?" Max looked up from a pile of Oreos he'd licked the icing off of.
"Yeah, and so far I'm undefeated." Dean rubbed his knuckle on his shirt as a show of strength, and also as a slight towards Sam having beaten him earlier at Jenga.
"Well, I think that streak may end today." Ava smiled, her eyes bright with a competitive spark.
Dean smiled, God is she cute when she's like this, "Tell you what, I'll play all challengers, and prove to you I'm the best."
"You're on!"
Suddenly after a scuffing of chairs on the floor and the sound of snack food packages being grabbed, Castiel found himself alone in the room, and the boys and their friends holed up in the den.
"Alright, odds are 10:1 Dean wins against Max, place your bets here!" Sam pulled out a notebook and crayon as Max shut the door and Zach grabbed another mouthful of chips from the bowl on the table.
Okay, now I just need to get Bobby out of the yard so I can have a quick chat with Gus…
Back outside Bobby was reclining on a lawnchair next to the grill. Behind him on the picnic table sat a stack of burger buns (for the hamburgers they would put on when the ribs were nearly done), as well as a number of condiments. Cas picked up a soda, and after opening the can 'accidentally' tripped and spilled the brown carbonated soft drink all over the buns.
"Dang it!" Castiel said, hoping his lie would be believable, "Bobby I tripped and spilled soda all over the buns…"
Bobby turned around to see Cas holding an empty soda can and a pile of soggy buns. "It's alright. I'll run to the store to get some more. You got them last time."
"Are you positive? I could go if you would watch the kids…"
Bobby thought back to Halloween-I love the boys but that many kids at once is too much, "No, I'll go. Give me a chance to stretch my legs anyway."
After checking again that the other kids were busy-and had the curtain facing the backyard drawn-Cas decided it was time to confront Gus. The small boy was sitting in the corner under the same tree, looking smug about something as he reclined. Cas walked over to the corner and was about to speak when he met Cas' gaze and flashed black eyes momentarily.
"Before you begin, I might remind you that any action you take here will surely be observed by your superiors." The boy shielded his eyes as he stood up, dusting off his jeans from the grass he'd been sitting on.
"They wouldn't mind a demon meeting its end. I might even get a commendation for ending your miserable existence." Castiel knew it was a lie, but it was unlikely the demon knew how the angels felt.
"Look, I'll give you credit. You're the only one so far who has figured it out. But think of it this way. If you suddenly waste your son's best friend there's going to be questions as to what's going on. That is, if anyone will believe you. Dean knows what demons are like. And, if I may say so, I'm a pretty good actor, he thinks I'm human. Imagine what it'll do to him if he finds out you did anything to me. So, how about we make a little deal and we both get to go along on our ways…" The child's voice was suddenly deeper than it should be as a wry grin revealed a set of sharp teeth above the regular set.
Castiel took a step back, shocked, "Your vessel is a child vampire?"
"Well, recently turned vampire." He smirked as a cheerful tone belied the sinister truth, "Yeah, I needed some minions and I found a few of the bloodsuckers who were willing to do my bidding. After we finished up I had one of them scrounge me up a kid to use as my vessel-that was fun. You ever see a child react to their parents total evisceration right in front of them? It's delightful. Anyway, little Billy Daugherty here was bit by one of my underlings during the tussle, and I figured, why not use him? Little supernatural freak could come in handy."
Castiel was visibly horrified and enraged, "You are despicable."
"I know, isn't it great? Now, about that deal…" He snapped his fingers and a piece of paper materialized in his hand.
"I would never deal with your kind, even if I could."
"Oh, but this wouldn't be for your soul-not that you have one, you flying freakshow. This is for Dean's."
"Why would I ever do that?"
"Because if you don't, then we fight and blah, blah, blah, one of us ends up defeated. Regardless of who, the next demon in line comes right after me. Then the one after him, it's just one after the next. It's going to be constant. And eventually you'll be too late to figure it out and Sam and Dean will be turned toward their destiny."
"I know them, and nothing will cause that. No deal."
The boy scowled, enraged, "Let me say it again. Take the deal. No one refuses me, Castiel. I am the motherfucking king of the crossroads. You have no idea my power. Take the deal or I will end your pasty angel ass."
A brief scuffle ensued when Castiel again refused. Gus began by using his abilities to launch Castiel into the fence behind them and toss barbecue skewers towards him, as well as a handful of decorative pavers. Castiel managed to avoid any serious injury (though a paver to the gut certainly stings) and managed to break free of the demon's grasp. He took the boy off guard by teleporting directly behind him and grabbing him from behind. The struggling child continued to fight as Cas quickly searched for a lock-disgusted that he had to do so-and found one on the boy's upper left arm. He quickly nicked the mark and banished the demon, leaving a very scared child left over.
"Billy, are you okay?" Cas set the boy down and stooped to his level. His eyes were wide and he seemed in a great deal of distress.
"Thank you… Mr. Winchester." He nearly shook as he spoke.
"Can you remember anything?" Cas reached to place a hand on the boy's shoulder to try to calm him, but before he could the boy took a quick step back.
"Yes… he made me see everything." He immediately broke into tears as he tucked his head between his knees.
The boy's sobbing was terrible. Being around Dean and Sam had given Castiel many more emotions that he thought were possible, and in this moment it seemed he was flooded with more than he knew how to handle. He was anxious, over having again gone against the plan and banished a demon. He was upset over the boy's clear emotional and mental abuse at the hands of a demon for so many months. He was nervous over how to handle the child's state. And finally he was heartbroken, knowing that another child had gone through such great loss because of some 'perfect plan'.
"Billy, do you have any aunts or uncles, or any other relatives at all who might be able to take care of you?" Castiel thought, perhaps, the child could be given a chance at normalcy through the same process Sam and Dean and arrived with him.
"No… My mom and dad were only kids, and I don't have any grandparents 'cept my nana, but she's got dementia and lives in a special house we can't let her leave." He shook his head, still clearly traumatized by the past few months of demon possession.
Of course it couldn't be that easy… "Alright Billy, I'm going to do something for you, but I need you to trust me or it won't work. I'm going to help take away those bad memories, okay?" Cas smiled, hopeful the boy would be willing.
His eyed nervously met Cas', "How?"
"I'm just going to put my finger on your head and they'll all go away. I promise it won't hurt."
"Okay…"
Erasing the memories of a person is normally an easy task for an angel. However, selectively editing memories-including implanting false memories to explain the current situation without causing trauma for a young child-is much more challenging. While it only took a few seconds to the outside world Castiel had to relive the boy's life multiple times to change all he had to. He kept most of the last few months, editing out the demonic torture sessions and random acts of self harm, but before that it was difficult. Eventually the transformation from Billy Daugherty-whose life pre-demon still consisted of consistent child abuse and neglect-to Gus McCloud was complete and Castiel released the boy from his touch.
"Gus, do you want to head in to meet the others? I'm sure they'd love to see if you can beat Dean at Bomberman." Castiel hoped his intervention had succeeded.
"Okay! Where's the tv room?" He happily replied, thankfully ignorant of the last few minutes.
"It's in the back off the dining room."
As the boy ran inside Castiel thought to himself what he was going to do long-term. Erasing and tampering with his memories was to protect the child, but the guilt of tampering with memories was still present. The solution was short term, once it was realized that there were no adults with him it would end poorly… How would he manage to solve that?
Before he could contemplate much more Bobby arrived again, with a few packs of buns. "I'm back. Anything happen while I was gone?"
"Not much. I just convinced Gus to go inside with the other children." Castiel internally winced at the thought of now having another lie to maintain as he would have to figure out how to deal with the third child's life now in his control.
"Good to see him finally go in. Kid looked like he was on the verge of a pretty nasty sunburn being out here for so long." Bobby lifted the grill lid, "Looks like we can add the burgers in a minute if you want to tell the boys and their pack of friends meat'll be ready soon."
"Sure thing." Castiel walked inside before opening a cabinet and pulling out a large bottle of vodka. While the clear liquid had little effect on his body-thanks to his supernatural metabolism-the entire bottle should be enough to help calm him down enough to think rationally about everything going on and come up with some plan to deal with Gus.