Author's Note:
I just wanted to really thank everyone for their comments on the last chapter, because I'd been building up to that in my head for ages, so I was really pleased that it came out as good as I'd hoped.
Thanks to FireChildSlytherin5, SnarryMoreidLover, yuffb, ToxicTenshi, hpfreak1993, aLoggedInReader, Annie, and Niamh for their reviews on chapter 25!
Chapter 26 - Back To Work
Sam was feeling lonely, which was perfectly ridiculous, since he and Dean were on a hunt and Castiel had yet to leave Dean's side. There wasn't a shortage of people around. The problem was that Gabriel was MIA, and Sam missed him. It was the longest they'd been apart in months, and the archangel had only been gone two days.
Dean had picked the hunt they were currently on, because it was completely ridiculous. Supposedly it was a vampire attack, but it sounded more like a movie vampire, rather than a real vampire. Whatever the case, Dean was interested, and Sam was going along with it because it was better than moping around Bobby's house. The older hunter in question had stayed behind, determined to get them a location on Lilith. In the meantime, Dean had dragged Sam out on a hunt, grudgingly allowing Castiel to tag along.
Gabriel had left them a day before they drove off, intent on doing some research into exactly how everything had been orchestrated. When Sam pressed him for an explanation of what that meant, Gabriel admitted he was going back in time to find out how Sam and Dean had been manipulated into the places they were supposed to be for the apocalypse. For now, that plan was off track, but Gabriel didn't know everything about how the manipulation had started, so he was going to find out.
Obviously, Sam wanted in on the whole time travel thing, but Gabriel gave him the whole "I want to keep you safe speech" and made Castiel promise to watch over him while Gabriel was researching. Castiel had gravely agreed, and Sam ended up getting dragged along on a ridiculous hunt with Dean, because neither of them could sit still in Bobby's house for much longer.
The hunt didn't take long, and Sam admitted it was worth it just to be able to see Dean in lederhosen, but the entire affair was made more complicated by Castiel's presence. Explaining to an angel why a vampire, werewolf, and mummy all killing people in crappy movie fashion wasn't the way things worked was exactly as easy as it sounds. Sam also had to drop all pretense of subtlety when it came to taking Castiel with him to give Dean some time to say goodbye to Jaime, the girl he'd hit it off with. Just one more thing Castiel clearly didn't understand.
While waiting by the Impala for Dean to be finished kissing Jaime, Sam ignored his brother while Castiel watched curiously.
"You and Dean are very different," Castiel observed after a moment.
"In what way?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.
Castiel continued to watch Dean and Jaime, thinking they were taking an awfully long time to day goodbye to each other. "Dean seems to have an affinity for short term relationships in which no true attachments are formed. I saw that in his past when I reformed him, and it seems that his pattern is much the same now. You, however, based on what I have both heard and observed, seem to be largely monogamous. It is curious."
Sam considered that for a moment before shrugging. "I think Dean learned early on that moving around so much didn't really lend itself to attachments. He's trained himself that either he'll leave or they will, so it's better to keep everything short term. I'm not wired that way, so I never really got into the whole hook up mindset."
"You do realize that you single-handedly turned my brother into a monogamous creature as well?" Castiel pointed out. "That in and of itself is quite a feat."
Sam grinned. "Yeah, no, I've read the mythology. I'm well aware that I'm not Gabe's first dance partner."
There was a pause before Castiel seemed to figure out that that was a euphemism. "Now that I know where Gabriel was, looking into his past allows me to see some of his travels and...indiscretions. Somehow, Sam, you have managed to restore in him what he lost when he left Heaven. He is different, true, but he has the faith and hope that seem to be lacking in the times he spent away from Heaven before he met you."
"You make it sound like I saved him from something terrible," Sam fidgeted. "Gabe's the one who saved me, not the other way around."
"Sam, it is ingrained in me to see you as the boy with the demon blood." Castiel informed him matter-of-factly.
Sam winced, but didn't deny it. He couldn't do anything about Azazel's taint.
"However, you are not the Hell-child Heaven believes you to be," Castiel mused. "You have overcome a staggering amount of adversity, both you and Dean. Our brothers will be disgusted by Gabriel's relationship with you, but I am pleased."
It almost felt like getting the family's blessing to date the daughter, although Sam was pretty sure Gabriel would object to being cast as the girl, seeing as he was the top and certainly the more powerful. Plus, Sam had longer hair. Pulling himself off that train of thought, Sam smiled slightly as Castiel. "Thanks, Cas."
Dean finally came over to join them, leaving Jaime watching wistfully. "You guys ready to take off?"
"Does your automobile fly?" Castiel asked, perplexed.
Sam choked out a laugh while Dean rolled his eyes. "No, Cas, it's an expression. We're still driving back. No wings."
The angel looked mildly consternated by that, but got in the Impala anyway. "Are we returning to see if Bobby has located Lilith?" He asked seriously.
"Yeah, probably," Dean replied, sliding into the driver's seat while Sam tucked himself into the passenger's seat. "Sam, you want to call and give him a head's up?"
Nodding, Sam hit the second speed dial on his phone and waited for it to connect.
After four rings, the phone finally clicked, and a gruff voice said, "Singer, and I'm busy. What do you want?"
"Morning, sunshine," Sam said wryly, making a face at Dean.
"It's afternoon, smartass," Bobby threw back at him. "You idjits finish up in Pennsylvania?"
"Yeah, we were going to head back your way. Find anything useful?" Sam turned the radio down as Dean turned the car on, giving him an irritated look in reaction.
"Maybe," Bobby allowed, ruffling some papers in the background. "I'll probably need to double check with the resident wings, but yeah, maybe."
"Well, Dean and I will probably be back," Sam paused, giving Dean a disparaging look as his brother mouthed the word 'tomorrow' at him. "Oh boy. Jeff Gordon here says we'll be back tomorrow, but given how much I like breathing, I'm going to say it'll take us more like two days." When Dean scowled at him, Sam shifted the phone away from his mouth to comment, "It's a fifteen hour drive, Dean!"
"Shall I return us to Sioux Falls?" Castiel offered from the backseat.
"Have feathers bring you back," Bobby suggested at the same time. "It'd be better if he got here sooner anyway, and if he's flying over, he might as well bring you too."
Dean was adamantly refusing to be flown back to South Dakota when Sam nodded at Castiel. The next instant, they were in Bobby's junkyard, and Dean was staring at the junkers around them in stunned silence. That was only for a second though. After that he began to swear a blue streak.
"I take it you're here?" Bobby asked wryly.
"Yeah, we'll be in in a second," Sam sighed, hanging up the phone. "Thanks, Cas," He said in the general direction of the backseat, completely ignoring his brother's tirade.
"Dean seems less than pleased." Castiel observed.
"He's pissy about the car. C'mon, let's go help Bobby." Sam climbed out of the car, waiting until Castiel joined him before starting up the stairs.
"Dammit, Sam!" Dean hollered, climbing out of the car after them. "This isn't okay!"
Turning back, Sam glared at Dean. "Dude, Cas just saved us a two day drive, and Bobby might have information on Lilith. Your precious baby is fine, so shut up, for God's sake!"
Dean stopped swearing, but continued to glare. Pointing at Castiel, he grunted, "Don't ever do that again!" After a pause, he amended with, "Unless I ask first. I mean, I get the flying thing is convenient, but nobody screws with my car."
"Would you rather I left it in Pennsylvania?" Castiel offered.
"No!" Dean blurted, insulted by the idea.
"Then I fail to see the issue," Castiel admitted, his forehead furrowed.
Dean spluttered over his words for a moment, so Sam encouraged Castiel inside, rolling his eyes at his brother. "Dean doesn't always have the most logical outlook on the world. You'll get used to it."
Huffing but not arguing, Dean followed them into the living room, where Bobby was waiting with an amused look on his face.
"Don't start," Dean said pointedly, flopping down on the couch. "What's this new discovery?"
"I won't know for sure if it is a discovery until I run it by Cas and Gabe," Bobby informed him.
Sam's lips twitched at Bobby's use of the nicknames the angels had adopted. He'd grown comfortable using them around the time they'd finally gotten Castiel to call their surrogate father Bobby instead of Robert Singer.
"Gabriel has not returned, but I will do my best to assist until he returns to aid us," Castiel said. "What have you found?"
"You guys are going to love this," Bobby said sarcastically, nodding towards Sam. "Apparently everything's in the right place with the fates or whatever crap controls this stuff for the patron demon of Halloween to be raised this year."
"Samhain?" Castiel asked, tone grave.
"I'm guessing that's bad?" Dean hedged, raising an eyebrow.
Sam sighed deeply and fell into a chair. "Yeah, pretty much. He's basically the demon Halloween is based on."
"His raising is a seal," Castiel confirmed. "We need to stop it."
"Not just stop it," Bobby pointed out. "Find the witch performing the ritual and use her to find Lilith. This is a big one, so Lilith won't be far away."
"I hate Halloween," Sam muttered.
"We get a ton of candy, get to end a demon, and kidnap a witch," Dean listed off, giving Sam an incredulous look. "What's not to love?"