Ch 36
The ride home after the appointment was completely silent. Cass couldn't believe it and Bobby looked more torn than terrified. They only had a little bit more distance 'til they got home and Cass decided to break the silence.
"What do we tell the boys?" If this was how she was handling it, she could only imagine how they would, especially Dean.
Bobby sighed and looked out the window. "Do we have to tell them anything?...I just need time to think about this."
"I get that Bobby, I do...I just don't think the boys will be as understanding."
"You mean DEAN won't be so understanding."
"Yeah...I'll handle it ok? You just get some rest when we get home and I'll handle the boys." Cass reached over and squeezed Bobby's hand. All the while she couldn't slow her mind down from running at 100MPH.
"Now you boys know what could make me REALLY happy?"
Nero's henchmen just stood silently looking down at the ground afraid to make eye contact.
"No?...It would make me REALLY happy if you could find out where the Winchesters and Cass have disappeared to. I already did my job of planting a device on her until that damn angel went and removed it and I can't keep using my energy to track her when I need to save it for the upcoming ritual."
Nero walked over to the closest henchman and lifted his head to meet his gaze, "So...you can see why I'm at a crossroads of dilemmas. One, she can NOT decipher her mother's journal. Two, I need her to complete the ritual. And THREE, I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME!...Now find her before I have no longer any use for any of you!"
The henchman all left the room setting off on their task of finding Cass. Nero sat at his desk with his head in his hands.
"My, my. Aren't we a little frazzled?"
Nero raised his head to see Crowley standing in the middle of the room.
"And how did you get in here?"
"Well you see my pets are better at their jobs than yours are," Crowley resonds as a snarl echos in the room and Crowley lays his hand to pat his hell hound.
"Ah...so to what do I owe the pleasure of having my competition to come to see me?"
"Well neither of us really want Cass deciphering her mother's journal. That would be bad for both of us...BUT I have an idea of where they might be."
"And why would you share this information with me?"
"You have higher numbers in amount of infantry that also in hand have a lower number of brain cells."
"So my men should be the cannon fodder for yours to, what exactly? Go in after most of mine have been killed and get the book for yourself?"
"I could get it myself, Cass has already reached out to me...just I have no use for the girl. You have more at stake than I do, so you get to charge in first. However it ends, is how it ends."
"You've intrigued me...However, I do not care to be crossed again. That damn angel has already crossed me enough times the price on his head is high as well. Don't make me add a bounty to yours. I'll get back to you with my decision."
"I'm no more patient than you are."
Cass and Bobby walked inside the house to find it out oddly quiet. They both stepped through the front hall and into the kitchen to see the boys out in the backyard running the obstacle course.
"Ok. So you go on upstairs and get some rest. Take some stuff to research if you want and I'll handle the boys...Are you hungry for anything?"
"I'm not sure I could stomach much right now."
Cass nodded her head in understanding as Bobby picked up a few of his books and headed up to his room. She let out a sigh after he shut his room door and started to head out to the yard.
The boys hadn't noticed her presence as she sat there and watched them spar each other. Their banter was rather amusing and the first real smile she had on her face all day appeared. She had no idea what to say to them. She knew it wasn't her place to tell them what was wrong with Bobby and she knew that Sam would be more understanding. Her REAL concern was how to handle Dean. She guessed that's why her and Dean fit so well. They both knew how to get each other going as well as settle down, but this...this was different. She was broken from her train of thought by the boys coming up to the house.
"Hey Cass...so...how'd the appointment go?" Sam asked as he sat on the other side of the porch steps and Dean took a seat right next to her.
"Well...I'm not really at liberty to say."
Sam dropped his head as she noticed Dean tightening his fists.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Dean asked as he stood up angry.
"Dean, calm down. It's Bobby's business to share, not hers." Sam got up trying to calm his brother down.
"Then why the hell isn't he down here telling us himself then?"
"Did it ever occur to you that MAYBE, JUST MAYBE he needs a chance to deal with it himself BEFORE he goes around telling everyone?" Cass got up and rushed back inside.
Sam just looked at Dean with a 'Nice going douche' look before running inside after Cass.
Dean took a moment to calm himself before he himself went inside as well. He knew he messed up, but Bobby was like a dad to him too. Why wouldn't he just want him to know too? Pacing the kitchen he noticed it was about dinner time and nothing was fixed. He decided he would make dinner as a kind of apology while Sam talked to Cass.
"I can't believe him sometimes," Cass said as she laid on her bed holding onto a pillow.
"I know, but you know that's how he gets. ESPECIALLY about anything that concerns someone he considers as family."
"I know that, but he needs to consider how Bobby might be feeling about this too. Does he have ANY idea how Bobby sees you two like his own sons? He feels like he has to be strong for all of us, Dean probably most of all."
"You know he'll pull his head out of his own ass, you just gotta give him time to do so."
They both lightly laughed at the thought.
"You smell that?" Sam asked.
"It smells great."
They both went out of the room, down the hall, down the stairs, and stepped into the kitchen to see Dean setting the table.
"I need a picture of this!" Cass exclaimed with a laugh. Dean looked up right in time to hear a snap from a camera.
Cass turned around to see Sam with the cheesiest grin and his cell phone out camera faced at Dean.
"You son of bitch, give me that phone!" Dean charged at Sam as Cass got right in between them.
Sam stepped back to send the pic to Cass's phone before Dean smashed his. Cass let out a yelp as Dean started to tickle her to get her to move, which only resulted in her backing up into Sam who was now pinned against the wall. No matter how close Dean got, Sam's arms were too long and kept his phone out of reach.
The room fell silent after the sound of another snap, but from the other side of the room. They all stopped to see Bobby standing there taking a picture with his old camera of all of them.
"What? Is it a crime for me to capture SOME happy moments around us?" Bobby asked as he set his camera down on the counter.
"No, not all." Cass replied as she got out from between the boys and made her way to Bobby to give him a hug.
The boys kept fighting over the phone now that Dean had a grasp on it. Cass and Bobby just watched in amusement at the two brothers. Dean finally had the last grip on the phone and deleted the picture. Sam acted disappointed, but winked over at Cass and she knew exactly what it meant. She would have to check her phone later.
"Are you two done, so we can eat now?" Bobby sat down at the table, Sam sat next to him as Dean and Cass brought the food to the table.
Dinner was filled with the normal chit chat and laughter. After dinner they all sat around the table with cups of coffee. Bobby coughed to clear his throat.
"I guess I should tell you boys what's going on." He looked to each of them lastly looking at Cass. She gave him a reassuring smile to let him know he could do this.
"Whatever it is Bobby, we're here for you, whatever you decide," Sam said.
"Yeah...what he said," Dean replied.
"Well...boys, I...I have brain cancer."
Sorry it took so long to get this up. Busy bee with my classes. Finished my first one with an 84% :)
As always, thanks for reading! Reviews good or bad are awesome!