Beta: InThePalmOfMyHand
As always- thanks you all so much for the wonderful reviews! Some of them had me blushing pretty bad. I'm thrilled that you like the story so much! I'm planning on rocking everyone's socks off with this ending. I hope it doesn't fall short of your expectations!
(And on a side note- Kudos to ALL of you readers! Do you realize how long this Fanfic is? That's a LOT of reading! It makes me feel so happy that you all made it this far, and toughed it out through my *cough* rough earlier chapters. You all rock. Stay Awesome.)
Enjoy!
"You ready?" Ruby whispered to Charlie as she hung up the phone, drawing the other woman's attention.
"I sent Lillith on a wild goose chase, but she won't stay out for long. If we take the stairs down, we only have to get past one camera in the secretary's station. There aren't any facing Zachariah's office, or inside it. All the cubicles on that floor are further down the hall, so no one should see us while we're inside if we go in through the stairswell"
The two women carefully scanned the rest of the people in the office. No one appeared to be paying them any attention.
Except Alfie, of course.
The young man had been frowning in their direction all morning from his desk by Naomi's area. He perked up when he noticed their attention on him.
He gave one firm shake of his head, eyes locked on them in an attempt dissuade them from their risky plan.
As if his disapproval could sway the women from their mission to rescue Castiel.
They both ignored him.
It was now or never.
The redhead nodded. She began to stand just as her cell phone started ringing for what must have been the twentieth time in the last thirty minutes.
"For God's sake-" Ruby hissed, "Will you just answer that or put in on vibrate or something? We can't have your damn phone ringing the entire time we're doing this." They both stood and moved around their desks. Alfie also stood, clearly planning to intercept them and try to talk them out of their plan yet again. He had an almost comical look of determination on his face.
Charlie looked embarrassed as she set her phone to silent. "Sorry," she mumbled hurriedly.
"Who is that anyway? Why don't you just take it?"
The redhead looked guilty as she started walking quickly. "So! We're really going to do this, huh? No sense waiting around. It's like the crew of the Serenity, heading off into Reaver territory. Just gotta suck it up and take the risk, am I right. Haha…?"
Ruby wasn't fooled-confused, but definitely not fooled. "That's it. Spill it, Charlie. What aren't you telling me?" They made their way across the spacious office towards the stairs, trying to act casual and not draw anyone's attention. Most of the office was watching the TVs anyway, where the local stations were covering the highlights of the 10K through downtown San Diego. Naturally, the cameras spent more time locked onto Castiel (and Dick Roman following closely behind him) more than any other runners.
Ruby kept an eye on Alfie, who was closing in on them quickly, apparently attempting to divert attention from himself by using a strange looking zig zag route, rather than a direct approach.
Ruby kept up the conversation with the stammering Charlie. They needed to act casual. Alfie could ruin everything.
"Pshh! Friends don't keep secrets. That's totally unfriend-like behavior. Haha." Ruby cocked her head to the side, meeting Charlie's eye with a steely glare. "Ahh, but, now that you mention it, there may be a teeny-weeny little speedbump. So, definitely not a big deal or anything like that. But, I, uh," Charlie eyed Ruby carefully, "I may have told Gilda about the plan."
Ruby's head snapped to Charlie, eyes furious. "What!? Charlie, why the HELL-"
"I know, I know, I know! But, we just finally started talking on the phone, and, you know how it is. Paperwork is so lame! I wanted to tell her all the exciting stuff I've got going on-"
"Exciting stuff?!" Several pairs of eyes turned to stare at them. Ruby lowered her voice as they arrived at the stairwell. "Charlie, you haven't even met this woman! What if she calls the police? Or the FBI? Fuck- she might already have done it! The whole plan to rescue Castiel could be blown just because you wanted to get into some random chick's skirt!"
Charlie looks pained, but just shook her head. "Gilda is totally trustworthy. She's been very supportive about everything so far…ah. Whoops. I mean-"
Ruby had her by the arm, grip tight as she stared down the red head. "How much exactly have you told her?" The question came out like a growl.
And for once, Alfie's appearance was actually welcome. He was suddenly beside the two women, speaking lowly. "I am completely serious now. You CANNOT go through with this. Zachariah is dangerous. Listen, he-" Alfie lowered his voice even more, seeming unhappy to be sharing the information. He spared a glance around them, making sure they were out of earshot of everyone else. "He isn't just blackmailing the Novaks with photos. There's also… office closures. Including the Lawrence branch." Both Ruby and Charlie's eyes widened in surprise at the new information. "So, this isn't going to be as easy as finding his stash of manila envelopes and turning them over to the police. If Mr. Novak doesn't do what they are asking, the company could crumble, and everyone could lose their jobs."
"They-they're trying to close the Lawrence office?" Charlie gasped. Beside her, Ruby's face darkened.
Alfie nodded. "I saw the forms. Zachariah already bottom-lined them without Mr. Novak's consent. It's all just a part of the missing money plot. That's why you have to stop this- right now. There's too much at stake if you get caught."
"Hold it, twerp. Why are you just now telling us about all this? How long have you known? And why? How the hell does a glorified coffee-fetcher find out about plans to take down the company?" Ruby demanded.
Alfie grimaced at her sharp tone. "I hear a lot. Nobody notices me. I can move freely." It seemed almost as if he pleased at his anonymity.
"And how convenient that you are just now telling us, when we are ready to make a move against Zachariah. No. We're going in there. I don't care if the company takes a hit, that bastard is NOT getting everything handed to him on a silver platter."
Charlie gasped. "But, Ruby! Think of everyone in Lawrence. And the other offices. What about our friends!" Her voice was rising with worry, drawing the attention of several people nearby. Her phone hummed loudly from her pocket, indicating yet another call from Gilda.
Ruby turned to the red-head, hands clutching angrily at her sides. "Charlie, if we don't do anything the bad guys WIN. Listen to me- there are going to be casualties no matter how this plays out. The only difference is whether we can take Zachariah and his gang down in the process. We have to do this while we still have the chance. If we miss this opportunity, we may lose the only solid evidence we have against these guys. We've got to follow through with it. This was your idea in the first place, remember? Are you with me or not?"
Charlie frowned, eyes wide as she looked back and forth between Alfie and Ruby. She slowly nodded her head. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Frodo only had the one chance to destroy the ring, and it took Sam's help and unyielding support to keep him on track. Ruby- you're my Sam. And Zachariah is totally Sauron. And that makes YOU Golem." She turned to glare at a gaping Alfie.
"First off, ma'am- Ouch. That is cold." He actually looked hurt. Beside them Ruby face-palmed. "Secondly, I have no intention of letting Zachariah- aka The Dark Lord- win. I am working on a plan, it's just not, er, ready yet. But, you could ruin everything if he realizes you know about his plans."
"Oh, yeah? What the hell could you possibly do to stop Zachariah?" Ruby asked incredulously, impatience growing. "Look, we only have the office empty for a little while, Charlie. We need to move now, before Lillith gets back."
Alfie moved quickly to try and block them from the staircase. "It's- it's not just me. I have, ah, help. Just- trust me. Don't do this!"
Ruby finally snapped, grabbing Alfie by his shirt collar while Charlie tried to block them from the view of the rest of the office. "Help? And who is that? Huh? Give it up! You're just trying to stall so we can't go through with it. Move- now, or so help me kid, I will knock you out and shove your body into the damn storage closet."
Alfie's normally pale face became several shades whiter at the threat. Ruby shoved him away and stomped through the door to the stairwell. Charlie followed more slowly, giving Alfie one final frown.
Alfie hurriedly pulled out his phone and sent a short text to Gabriel and Balthazar.
A: I failed. Cue the back up plan.
Loki: Rgr. Hit it B
Not five seconds later, the high pitched shrill of the fire alarm cut through the entire building. Alfie watched as the rest of the office clasped their hands over their ears and rushed toward him, heading for the stairwell.
…
"Fucking Alfie!" Ruby yelled angrily over the earsplitting siren. The stairs were filling quickly with panicking bodies rushing to clear the building.
"What do we do?" Charlie shouted over the noise.
"Stick to the plan. Come on!" She grabbed Charlie's sleeve and shoved through the push of bodies into the door to Zachariah's office level.
…-^o^-…
"Congratulations, baby!"
Castiel had no sooner crossed the finish line then he found Bela draping herself across him. He kept his features as cool and unaffected as possible while dozens of cameras snapped pictures around him.
He was hot, sweaty and tired. He had to fight the urge to shove the sweet-scented woman away from him so he could breathe fresh air.
He headed for the safety of the limo, practically dragging the woman with him. A glance to his left showed that, as usual, Tom was not far behind.
Up ahead, Uriel was waiting with his usual patience, a small grin on his face as he watched Bela posing for the reporters.
Azazel was close by, also smirking his little half-smile at the hectic scene.
"Where is Zachariah? And Naomi?" Castiel asked as he arrived by the car. Beside him, Bela gave an indignant squawk and he turned to see Dick forcibly unwrapping her from him. Castiel grabbed a water from the backseat mini-fridge, drinking it gratefully as Uriel answered steadily.
"They both left early to return to the ADA- around mile three I believe, Sir."
Castiel nodded. "What about Meg?" He glanced around, searching for the familiar scowl and tattooed arms.
Bela erupted into giggles beside him. "She's actually running it! Can you believe that? Or I should say 'walking it' at the pace she's going. The little toad's still out there on the course somewh-"
With a small grunt, Castiel broke away from the small group at a jog, heading back down the crowd-lined road of the course in the opposite direction, trailing eager reporters and cameramen behind him.
…
From one level above, Alfie watched the blonde and the redhead duck through the door to Zachariah's floor.
A sharp tug on his arm caught his attention. He turned to find a hideous woman with blonde curls, thick-framed glasses and a massive bosom scowling angrily at him. She held up her phone, and shouted over the shrill of the alarms "We got a problem, kid! Balthazar says Zachariah just arrived downstairs in the lobby. Security isn't allowing him to come up yet, because of the alarm. We only have until they cut the alarm off to get those two the hell out of there."
Alfie stared hard at the woman as people bumped and pushed around them. "I see…And how exactly do you know about that, ma'am? Are you a friend of Loki's?" He asked her, clearly suspicious.
The woman cuffed him across the ear. "I am Loki, you moron. Now get moving! We don't have much time."
Alfie looked back up at the woman, realization dawning. "Oh! Oh, no! Sir, you should NOT be here! If Zachariah catches you-!"
Gabriel scoffed disdainfully, tossing his ratty blond hair from his face. "As if I'm just gonna sit around while Ruby risks her neck trying to save my damn brother! I swear to God that crazy chick is gonna be the death of me one of these days!" Gabriel practically wailed as he dragged Alfie with him towards the door the women had slipped through.
…
"You-gasp-have got-gasp-to be-gasp-kidding me!"
"You're doing great. Keep it up."
Meg spared Castiel a heated glare. "Piss-gasp-off-gasp-nerd!" She was choking to get the words out as she continued dragging herself forward. "Don't need-gasp-your-gasp-help."
"Well, it's better than spending anymore time with your brother and sister." Castiel replied easily, falling into the slow pace set by the short woman.
Meg eyed him in annoyance. "You're-gasp-not leaving-gasp-are you?"
"Nope. I'm here to motivate you. Now- wave and say 'Hi' to Clarence." He pointed to several of the more 'fit' camera crews who had dashed after him when he returned to the course. Meg's eyes widened at the sight of the cameras, only just realizing that they were being filmed. She blinked up at Castiel, who grinned back at her and whispered. "Come on- say something. Clarence is watching, remember?"
Meg sucked in a deep breath, then beamed at the cameras. "Hey Clarence, Sweety! Mommy's almost finished! Keep cheering for me, okay?!" She gave an enthusiastic wave before straightening her back and speeding up. Under her breath she muttered a barely audible, "…thanks."
Twelve minutes later, they crossed the finish line together straight into the waiting hoard of excited reporters. In the distance by the parked limos, they could see Bela's pouting face glaring daggers. Meg tried to laugh at the sight, but only succeeded in almost choking herself as she fought to catch her breath. Instead, she just pointed so Castiel could see Bela's irate face, then muttered, "So-gasp-worth it!"
Castiel nodded, chuckling for what felt like the first time in ages.
…
"Okay. If I were an evil maniac bent on world destruction- where would I hide the evidence?" Charlie asked out loud. Her phone buzzed continuously in her pocket, filling the silence left behind after the alarms finally stopped just moments before.
They had been through every file cabinet and drawer in Zachariah's office, being especially careful not to disturb anything. So far, all they had been able to find was the paperwork about the office closures, which had been sitting in plain sight on top of a pile of other paperwork in a tray on his desk.
They were running out of ideas and time.
"We should have known it wouldn't be this easy," hissed Ruby. "Of course he wouldn't just leave it sitting out. He must have a hidden draw or secret safe around here somewhere. Someplace that not even the police wouldn't think to look." She huffed angrily, eyeing the dozens of obnoxious trophies and framed awards around the office.
"Maybe it's like in 'Angels and Demons'. A secret compartment built into the desk?" Charlie offered.
"This isn't a damn movie, Charlie." Snapped Ruby. "I mean, he works in a fucking glass office- what good would a secret compartment be when anyone can see you using it?" Charlie's shoulders slumped. Ruby ignored her, instead looking closer at the glass case of awards behind Zachariah's desk. "The files would have to be somewhere that wouldn't seem suspicious if he were seen by someone passing by outside. Some place or thing he touches often enough to seem natural. Maybe…?"
Ruby opened the ostentatious awards case. At first glance, it appeared to filled with framed Letters of Accommodation, all sitting upright neatly, undoubtedly to remind Zachariah of how fantastic he was, like everything else in the office. She picked up one of the thick frames, flipping it over. It was just the right size and shape…
She popped the back off of it to reveal a manila envelope tucked neatly behind the Letter. "Got it!" She exclaimed. "They're here- he hid the photos inside the award frames, Charlie!"
"Holy shit- he really is an evil genius! Not to mention conceited. Geez." She rushed over as Ruby pulled out the first envelope carefully. "Are you sure that's it? Whose is it?"
Ruby flipped the envelope over to reveal the name 'Gabriel Novak'. "It's Gabriel's…"
"So he WAS being blackmailed, too?!" Charlie exclaimed. "I knew it! I knew he wouldn't just ditch his brother and the company like that! I bet he-Oh, hey! You- you're not going to look are you?!" Charlie gasped, horrified as Ruby quickly opened up the envelope. "Ruby, that's so WRONG! It's his personal secrets in there! You can't just- OH. MY. GOD-!"
Charlie stared at the photos in Ruby's hands as the woman slowly flipped through them.
"OHMYGOD. OH-MY-GOD-RUBY! Are those-? Those are from INSIDE your house!" Charlie was shrieking now, hopping from foot to foot in a panic as Ruby's shaking hands finally stopped on the last of the photos.
It was a close up, taken from above and angled down at the sleeping figure of Ruby wearing her pajama tank top, with the covers kicked her body as she lay in her bed.
The office door suddenly burst open. Charlie screamed in terror and latched herself onto Ruby tightly.
"It's just me!" Alfie called out from where he stood wide-eyed at the door "You need to get out- now! Zachariah's here and he's on his way up!"
"Oh shit!" Charlie panicked, grabbing the photos from Ruby's stiff hands and shoving them back into the envelope. "That fucking psycho is coming! He's gonna have us killed by his fucking ninja assassins or something! Come on Ruby!" She shoved the envelope back into the frame and shut the case, running for the door. "Ruby? Hurry!"
Ruby stood frozen behind Zachariah's desk.
"Ruby!?" Charlie shouted again.
Finally, the woman moved, turning to look at Charlie and Alfie's terrified faces. "I'm. Gonna. Kill. Them. ALL OF THEM."
"NO-no-no-no! Not right now, Ruby! We have to go! He had some freakin' pervert IN YOUR HOUSE! He's seriously fucking crazy! If he catches us-" Charlie was in full panic-attack mode at this point. She rushed over to grab the other woman's arm and pull on it.
"No." Ruby jerked her arm out of Charlie's grip. "You two leave. I'm staying." And without another word, she picked up a heavy trophy from the desk, and slammed it into the glass window of the case.
Charlie jumped back as the shattering glass exploded everywhere. From the door, Alfie called out, "He's coming! Charlie, it's too late! Leave her!"
"But-!" Charlie turned to Ruby, who was swinging the trophy at several glass plaques sitting on a nearby table. They went flying across the office in a burst of glass shards and shrapnel. "Oh fuck-!" Charlie finally bolted for the door, leaving Ruby to her destruction.
The sound of the stairwell door opening and Balthazar's unusually loud voice announced Zachariah's arrival.
Charlie and Alfie froze as the two executives turned the corner.
Zachariah's eyes fell on them first, then widened in horror as they landed on Ruby in his office. At that exact moment, something heavy slammed into the glass wall of the office, causing a spiderweb of tiny fractures along the glass.
Behind Zachariah, Balthazar's jaw was hanging open. "Oh. My. Bloody. Hell." He muttered, sounding torn between horror and admiration.
A heavy rolling desk chair from the conference table was flung across the room, landing with a bone-shaking 'THUD!' against the huge wall of framed certificates, sending almost all of them shattering to the floor.
"WHAT-THE-HELL-IS-THIS!? SECURITY! SECURITY GET UP HERE NOW!" Zachariah bellowed. He slammed his hand repeatedly into the red FIRE/MEDICAL/SECURITY button on the phone sitting on his secretary's desk. The muffled sound of a voice answering him came from the speakers. Zachariah turned a furious, wild-eyed glare at Charlie and Alfie. "YOU ARE ALL IN DEEP SHIT NOW! WHAT IS THAT WOMAN DOING IN MY OFFICE!?"
Charlie was paralyzed with fear as Zachariah turned on them.
Thankfully, Alfie answered quickly from beside her, "I'm so sorry, sir!" He spoke carefully, trying to calm Zachariah's towering form. Balthazar stared from behind the older man with wide-eyes and flailing hands, clearly trying to silence Alfie before he exposed them all. "You-you see, sir- I thought she knew about the plan to close the Lawrence office. But then she freaked out when I mentioned it. Charlie and I ran up here to try and calm her down, but she just wouldn't listen!"
Zachariah seemed taken aback for a moment, his angry eyes darting to see into the office, in the direction of the glass case that Charlie now knew hid his stash of blackmail photos. He spun back to Alfie, "This -this insanity," He shook an angry finger in Ruby's direction, "is about the damn closures?!" He watched Alfie with sharp, assessing eyes as the younger man nodded hurriedly.
"I-I swear, I thought she knew., sir I didn't know it was a secret!" Alfie looked contrite and apologetic as Zachariah, shot daggers at him. Ruby upended the huge conference table, shaking the floor beneath them.
After a tense silence, Zachariah finally collected himself and shouted, "You IDIOT! This is all your fault then!"
Both Balthazar and Charlie sagged with relief. The lie worked.
Or at least, they weren't busted for what they were actually there to do.
The elevator dinged and a half-dozen security personnel poured out and ran down the hall towards the group.
"It's about damn TIME! Get that crazy bitch out of my OFFICE! NOW!" The guards nodded racing for the office door.
Which slammed shut with a click and the sound of a lock being thrown.
All eyes turned to stare through the glass at a stone-faced Ruby. Her hair was a mess, eyes practically slits of fury.
She moved along the glass wall to stand directly in front of Zachariah. Their faces were separated by only an inch of thick glass.
"OH, HO! You've really done it NOW little lady!" Zachariah shouted through the cracked glass. "When I'm done with you- you won't be able to find a job in this COUNTRY! They won't even hire you at a damn Big Gerson's! YOU ARE DONE! YOU HEAR ME!?"
Ruby's face cracked into an almost manic grin.
She turned smoothly away from his fish-eyed glare, walking to the large trophy display against the back wall and picked up the center piece. It was a huge trophy, the crown jewel of his entire collection. It stood almost two feet tall, and was topped by a victorious figurine with upraised hands.
"Wha-? What is she doing? WHAT IS SHE-! NO! YOU PUT THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW! THAT IS FROM A GOLF TOURNAMENT WITH THE DUKE OF ALBANIA!" Zachariah almost screamed the words, his hands banging and sliding futilely against the thick glass barrier. "Damn it! Get in there and STOP her you IDIOTS!" He yelled at the helpless guards as they took turns trying to kick in the door.
"Holy shit…" Charlie gasped from where she stood by Balthazar and Alfie.
Ruby had returned to stand in front Zachariah, still grinning insanely as she held up the trophy.
"PUT. IT. DOWN." Zachariah ordered through the glass, his spittle spraying the surface. The hard thump of the guards bodies slamming against the office door rattled all the glass.
Ruby frowned, brows knitting in confusion. She pointed at the trophy and tilted her head in question.
"YES, THAT! PUT IT DOWN RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME-"
Ruby grabbed the figure at the top of the trophy-
-and snapped its head off.
Zachariah's horrified scream echoed down the office halls.
"YOU ARE DONE! DONE! I AM GOING TO DESTROY YOU!"
But Ruby was already snapping off each individual limb of the figure before lifting the entire bulky trophy and swinging it as hard as she could into the glass wall exactly where Zachariah's head was. He jumped back, throwing his arms up to cover his face as the glass began to shatter in front of him.
At that same moment, the guards finally broke through the office door. Everyone watched in mute shock and horror as the guards cautiously surrounded the enraged woman like she was an unpredictable wild animal.
She didn't disappoint.
It took all six guards to successfully subdue the woman.
At one point they thought they had her, but she managed to wiggle free from their pile on top of her and made a run at the Trophy shelf again.
She decapitated three more figurines before they were able to drag her away.
They carried her cursing body out of the office, writhing and kicking with a separate guard trying to hold one limb each.
"Uh, what do you want us to do with her, sir? Call the police? Or animal control?" Asked the lead security guard (who was bleeding from an almost definitely broken nose).
Zachariah's face was nearly purple with rage. He was about to shout an answer, but seemed to catch himself, taking in the many witnesses.
"I want her OUT of this building RIGHT NOW!" Zachariah shouted. The guards nodded as they made their way to the elevator. "ALL of this damage is coming out of your last paycheck- YOU HEAR ME!? You are FIRED! AND YOU BETTER EXPECT TO HEAR FROM MY LAWYERS MISSY-! Those awards were priceless!" He continued shouting even after the elevator doors closed on the departing group.
Zachariah stood there for several moments, heaving angry breaths in front of the elevator. When he finally spun around, it was to shift his rage on to the rest of the group. "Well!? Are you all just going to stand there and stare!? Get the hell out of here!" He turned and caught sight of a ample-bosomed blonde woman staring from near the stairwell. "You, too, damn it! This isn't a fucking spectator sport! GET BACK TO WORK!"
The woman by the stairs turned without a word and hurried into the stairwell, her breasts flopping comically as she disappeared from sight.
…
"Fuck YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU!" Ruby shouted angrily as she was thrown unceremoniously out, into the empty parking garage. "BURN IN HELL MOTHERFUCKERS-!" The door slammed in her face.
She spun on her heel, stomping towards her rental car.
"Fired? FIRED? Don't do me any fucking favors you JACKASS!" She yelled angrily into the silence of the garage. "I don't fucking care! Why should I fucking care about this stupid job!?" She reached her car, yanking on the handle and slamming the door behind her after she jumped in. "I can do better! Fuck- I've been to war you bastards! You don't scare me!"
She slammed her hands into the steering wheel.
Then did again. And again.
Because she could. Because there was nothing else she could hit. Or no one.
The sounds of furious honking and thuds echoed in the spacious garage as she thrashed violently in the front seat of her car for almost a full minute.
"I can do better." She kept repeating to herself bitterly. "I deserve-"
Her words were cut off by a sudden, unexpected sob. She sucked in a deep breath only to choke on another sob.
She let her head drop hard onto the steering wheel as the first sting of hot tears burned her eyes. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck-"
The car door was suddenly thrown open beside her. She snapped her head up just in time to have a pair of arms thrown around her and a hideous woman's puckering mouth leaning toward her for a kiss.
Ruby threw her leg out in a panic, effectively Sparta-kicking the stranger out of the car and onto her back on the cement floor of the garage. The ugly denim short-skirt rode dangerously high up pink-tight clad legs.
"OwowOW-! I'm okay! Doesn't hurt! No- tell a lie. It hurts like a bitch. Ouch!" A familiar voice whined loudly. "Ugh, I missed you too, you crazy, beautiful she-demon!" The woman called out from her position spread-eagle on the ground.
Ruby blinked down at the woman. "…Gabriel?" She whispered incredulously.
"None other, babe! Oh, shit, have I missed having you kick my- UGMPH-ahhh! Rube, stop-!"
Ruby drew her leg back to land another kick on him, but he rolled fast, jumping up quickly and wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"Get the- sob- fuck off me- sniff- you sonafabitch!" Ruby struggled to disentangle the man from her body but couldn't manage. "Damn it, Gabriel! Just let me beat the shit out of you!"
And with that, she finally collapsed onto the cold cement floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Gabriel's grip relaxed as he pulled her into his arms for several light kisses across her forehead. "I know. I missed you, too. It's okay." He pulled her closer, wrapping her up tightly.
Ruby threw her hands around him and buried her head in his neck, sniffling. "You fucking left me, you bastard! W-why did you leave me…?" She broke into another set of sobs.
Gabriel patted her back as they sat together on the cold floor. "I'm so sorry, Rube." He spoke the words quietly into her wild blonde hair.
Ruby gave him an angry, half-hearted smack. "Fucking jerk. I saw the photos. I can- sniff- take care of myself. I don't need- hiccup- you to protect me."
Gabriel laughed. "Don't I know it!" His voice became more serious. "I'm sorry, Rube. About everything. This is all… out of control."
"Don't you ever leave me again- you got that? EVER."
"Okay. Never again, gorgeous." He murmured, pulling her wet face up into a deep kiss. When they finally pulled away, they were both breathing deeply, eyes meeting.
"Gabe..?"
"Yeah, Rube?"
"Why are you dressed like an ugly woman?"
"…ah. Yeah. Forgot about that. It's a disguise., you know? I was here to try to rescue you and Red from Zachariah." He grinned and ducked back in for another kiss.
Ruby leaned away. "…it's putting me off."
"Well then, I'll burn the whole outfit this evening, just for you," he chuckled soothingly, leaning toward her again.
His lips met a firm hand.
"Negative. Burn it now, babe."
"OHMYGOD-!" Gabriel moaned like he was in pain. "Call me 'babe' again and I SWEAR I'll burn my entire crappy costume collection!" He smacked his lips at her, desperately trying to pull her closer.
She shoved his face away with a scowl that was just a touch too contrived.
…
"Yes, sir…. That's what I tried to tell her, sir, but I couldn't talk either of them out of it… No, sir. …No. I believe Gabriel went to meet her afterwards…. They might, so I think we should keep her safe with us…. Yes, sir…. No, I lied to him… No, I think it worked…. I haven't heard anything, but you saw the news?... Yes, sir…. I know, but I'm worried-"
"Alfie."
The young man froze, phone poised at his ear.
"Who are you talking to, Alfie?"
He slowly turned wide-eyes to face Naomi's knowing glare. "N-no one, ma'am…?"
She plucked the phone from his hand. "Hello, Teddy." There was a brief pause as she frowned into the phone. "No, I do not believe this is Chinese Take-Out. I am VERY disappointed in you. You are supposed to be relaxing. That is what we agreed on." Another short pause before Naomi's voice suddenly cracked like a whip. "The doctor said vacation- he very specifically said to avoid all stress. Having Alfie reporting to you is NOT acceptable…. Then don't watch the TV! I am NOT going to tell you again- relax or I swear I will be on the next plane to Sioux Falls! Is that what you want? Me babysitting you instead of trying to handle the situation here?… DON'T YOU GET CUTE WITH ME!…Do not call Alfie again, is that clear? …We are handling it, Teddy. Just relax and let us take care of it like we planned. …I'm not going to say anything else. Good bye."
She hung up the phone, furious eyes falling on Alfie. "You know what the doctor said, Alfie. NO STRESS." Alfie flinched at her sharp tone. "Do you want him to have another stroke? While he's stuck in the middle of nowhere, without us there to help him? Answer me!"
"…n-no ma'am…."
"Then you WILL stop communicating with him immediately. This is all too much for him. Leave it to Gabriel and Castiel like we all agreed in the first place. Do you understand, Alfie?"
He nodded slowly.
"Good." She snapped, skewering him one more time with her librarian-like glare. "Now, tell me what has happened with Ruby."
…-^o^-…
He was cutting it close, he knew.
Castiel barely had time to jump in the shower and don his suit before Uriel was knocking at his room door and telling him they had to leave ASAP.
It was a bad idea to cram so many events into his schedule, but there wasn't much he could do. If Zachariah and Azazel wanted to see Castiel jump through hoops, then damn it, they could jump, too.
Now, as he and Dick half-dashed through the lobby of the enormous hotel on sore legs towards this evenings event, he had second thoughts.
This was too hectic.
He arrived just at the start of the first guest speaker. Ducking low in the dimly lit dining hall, the two men hurried over to the table shared between the ADA and CPOA parties.
Finally able to relax, he glanced at his team, sending them a quick nod as a greeting.
No one returned it. Not even Charlie, who looked more pale than usual.
Instead he was met with worried faces.
He turned to Dick, who briefly shrugged and turned a concerned look at the unusually reticent Balthazar sitting beside him.
At least the CPOA side of the table was apparently in high spirits. Bela was decked out in her most alarmingly vibrant outfit yet. Was blood-red in vogue right now? As he watched, she smeared another layer of thick lipstick over her mouth while puckering her lips into the mirror of a compact.
Azazel, beside her was practically humming with a discomforting cheerfulness.
Tom was being…well, Tom. He seemed to be captivated by one of the spoons in front of him. Or he was pondering the physics of inter-stellar travel. There was really no telling with him.
And, of course, Meg was lounging unhappily with her head thrown back in her chair. Her outfit for the night appeared to have been selected with the aim of concealing as much tattooed flesh as possible, resulting in an alarmingly Puritanical gray look. She noticed Castiel's stare and rolled her eyes with a sigh.
Castiel tried to get comfortable as the speaker droned on, but a sense of uneasiness was growing.
Something was very wrong.
And, it was during a break in the speakers, halfway through the dinner, that he found out what.
Zachariah, who had been tight-lipped as the meal progressed, suddenly spoke to him. Castiel didn't miss the sharp looks that the ADA group sent the man- even Naomi and Alfie, which had Castiel doing a double-take. The older executive didn't seem to notice or care that the group was trying to cause him to combust into flames with their eyes. "Castiel, a word." The man stood and began walking stiffly away, clearly expecting Castiel to follow like an obedient dog.
Which he did, grudgingly.
Zachariah led him over to a private spot by the side of the stage. Castiel frowned, watching the man closely and waiting.
Zachariah finally turned to him and plastered on a tight smile. "So, me, Azazel and our, ahem, associates have talked it out, and we feel that the sooner we get this show on the road- the better."
Castiel stared at him, confused. "What?"
Zachariah's smile slowly faded into a scowl. "Your time is up. Make the announcement now. I want that marriage contract signed by this Saturday, or else."
Castiel felt a shudder rip through him. His stomach felt like it had dropped to the floor. "Wh-what? But you said-"
"And now I'm saying this. Make. The. Announcement. NOW." He pointed up at the stage where a lone microphone was standing by a podium.
Castiel's mouth went dry at the sight. "I-I can't- it's too soon for-"
Zachariah was suddenly inches away from Castiel, hot breath ghosting across his face. "I have just about had it with you and your damn team today. Get the hell up there and act like a smitten imbecile or I swear to God I will have my man in Lawrence burn your filthy fucking mechanic's house to the ground around him- you got that?!"
The gleam in Zachariah's eye warned Castiel that the threat was very real.
He wasn't playing around with with blackmail anymore.
He was willing to kill for this.
To kill DEAN for this.
And Castiel could believe it, staring at the man in front of him in this exact moment. Something had set him off. He was completely serious.
With a nod, Castiel turned his numb body to the stage, climbing the stairs as if he was walking towards the hangman's noose. He could feel the hush across the large room as the assembled noticed him moving towards the podium. The bright overhead lights were almost blinding.
This was it.
Once he said it out loud, it would take a miracle to undo.
He was going to lie to the entire world.
He searched for his voice and prayed it would come out loud and convincing.
"Good evening. I wanted to thank the organization for having me and my group here tonight, especially on such- such short notice." He managed. Across the room, he found his table, their eyes all watching him. He caught sight of movement, and realized that Bela was hurriedly fixing her hair and make-up in her damn compact again. Azazel was grinning at Castiel smugly. "I-I really appreciate being here in front of you all, because it gives me a perfect, uh, opportunity to make a big announcement." Castiel stuttered, the glare of the lights and the pressure of nearly a hundred eyes on him suddenly making him lightheaded.
He had to pull it together. Zachariah probably had his damn hit-man on speed dial. He couldn't afford to mess this up. Dean's life was on the line. Just like a Think Tank, he told himself.
He swallowed thickly. "I wanted to officially announce my engagement to the love of my life-," Bela stood, face splitting into a perfect toothy smile, that suddenly infuriated Castiel just enough to make up his mind, "-Meg."
There was a sudden whoosh of air from the audience as every head in the room jerked to stare at the woman. Bela's eyes bugged out where she stood, turning to look at her younger sister in pure shock.
"G-go ahead and smile for everyone, uh, Honey." Castiel stammered into the microphone.
Meg's huge eyes locked onto Castiel's. He returned her stare, praying she would play along.
Castiel tried to make himself laugh, but it came out as weak exhales. "She's, uh, she's just a little shy folks."
It was all up to her now. If she called him on his lie, then everything could fall apart.
The entire company, the employees, and Dean's very life rested in her hands.
She held his gaze from across the silent room for several moments that seemed to last an eternity.
Then, almost like a marionette being pulled by a string, her hand rose to wave at him, followed by her face stretching into an unnatural smile.
Taking the small gesture as acknowledgement, the room suddenly burst into applause and shouts. Castiel sucked in a breath, the tension draining from his body.
Zachariah suddenly stepped up beside him, taking control of the microphone. "Let's give the love-birds a hand, what do you say, ladies and gentlemen?" His cheerful voice boomed throughout the room. People were rising to their feet, clapping loudly. Several moved to congratulate Meg, who eyed them like they were closing in on her for the kill.
Castiel reached out and grabbed the edge of the podium, the weight of his lie- of his new reality- abruptly hitting him. His tired legs felt like they were ready to give out.
He was engaged.
By Saturday, he was going to be expected to give up half of the ADA to this woman he had only actually spoken to for the first time four days ago.
An admitted ex-druggie with an illegitimate child and daddy-issues.
He prayed that he was making the right decision.
…-^o^-…
"Alright- glasses up!" The large crowd filling the Road House raise their mugs and glasses into the air as Sam continued, "Here's to my brother, Dean. Drive safe, and good luck winning Castiel back!"
"Here, here!" The crowd yelled, voices temporarily muffled as they drank deeply.
Sam joined the rest of the group as they converged on Dean, slapping him on the back and wishing him good luck. It was a warm Tuesday night and the party was already two hours in, and the crowd was becoming pleasantly buzzed.
As each new face appeared in front of him, Dean had to remind his sluggish brain to stick his hand out to shake theirs. It was all becoming a blur.
He was due to leave tomorrow, around noon to make the long drive to the West coast. His bags were packed. Everything was ready to go. Hell, even Lucifer had a carrier ready and a duffel full of food and toys. Bringing the small cat with him was a little treat for Cas (suggested by an entirely too enthusiastic Sam). It was all set. Dean would show up (with a wide-eyed Lucifer in hand) and surprise Cas. He'd say they needed to talk and invite the blue-eyed man to join him for burgers. Wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. They'd eat and chat, their natural chemistry would take over, then wrap up the meal with some pie and a heartfelt reading of his Love Letter and-BOOM: Together again!
At least, that's how Dean was really hoping it would play out. He had already walked through dozens of possible scenarios with Ash to plan for every possible situation.
Including the worst one, which involved Cas refusing to speak with him at all.
In that case, Ash had suggested Dean strip.
Right there, wherever the hell they were. Just start shedding his clothes on the spot.
Apparently (according to Ash) people became exponentially more receptive of what you have to say when the threat of nudity is introduced. Especially if they found the 'parts' involved attractive. It was like a hostage situation, where your body was the knife to their throat… or something. You suddenly had their undivided attention.
Ash claimed proudly that it had got him everything from a date to prom to his college degree from MIT- and Dean did NOT ask him to elaborate.
Dean was willing to try anything. Though, he was hoping that his nudity would be more of the… private type. He couldn't help his mind flashing to their date, when he had pulled off his shirt and Cas had… stared. Hard. Not to mention their last little Sunday-Funday, when Cas had practically banned Dean from wearing any clothes at all for the entire day. Then proceeded to eat him up with his intense blue eyes….
Yeah, threatening to strip actually might work- as a worst case scenario, of course.
Speaking of their first date-
A familiar pair of faces stepped forward, beaming at him and reaching for his hand. "Hey there, Dean!"
"Mark. Julia. It's been a while." Dean grinned and reached out to shake their hands.
"You know, I wasn't too sure, but Julia here," he hugged his wife, grinning, "She swore up and down for the last two weeks that there was something between you and your friend. Said we interrupted your date. But, I said 'No way. Impossible!' But, sure enough, here we are, finding out that you're heading across country in the name of love!" Mark reached forward and thumped Dean's shoulder. "Good luck, buddy! You two are gonna make one hell of a couple. I look forward to playing some more ultimate frisbee once all this gets settled."
Dean laughed and nodded, waving to them as they left to cross back to their seats.
Geez, had it really only been a few weeks?
Dean turned back to his table, watching as his mother and father argued about their latest TV season filming schedule with Bobby and Rufus. Sam had his arms around Jess, hugging her tight as they watched Benny and Ash trying to teach Anna to play darts. Adam was sitting a few tables away talking to- Pamela? Oh, Christ…. What was the age difference there- eleven years? Hell, no….
Dean rose, intending to intercept whatever romantic plans were being made.
The sound of voices suddenly dying-out caught his attention. He glanced around to see everyone turning and moving towards the TVs mounted on the bar walls. Several faces turned from the TV to him, eyes wide and worried, but he couldn't stop himself.
He looked up. He couldn't hear the reporters, but he had no difficulty reading the text flashing on the screen.
'ADA Head Engaged To CPOA Daughter.'
…O_O…
"Gabriel- what the hell!?"
On the other end of the phone, Gabriel's voice was low and pained. 'I know- I KNOW. Listen, Gigantor, it's been a rough day-'
"Your day's been 'rough'? My brother is losing his shit! He was planning on driving to San Diego to talk to Castiel. What the fuck is he going to do now?!"
'Wait-what?' Gabriel asked, clearly nonplussed. 'What do you mean Dean was coming to San Diego? That's possibly the worst idea EVER! We talked about this! Crazy-ass bad guys, remember?'
Sam tried to calm down. "Listen. I know what's at stake, but Dean… he's really serious about your brother. He decided to try and get back together today, but Castiel shot him down pretty hard. So he wanted to talk to him in person and try and make it work."
There was a few moments of silence on the line before Gabriel finally responded. 'He already talked to Cassie? When the hell was this?'
"Earlier today, during his lunch break. Dean tried to call him, but Castiel didn't take the call. Just sent him a text saying they were through and there was already someone else. Of course, none of us thought your brother was going to be marrying someone less than two weeks after ditching my brother." Sam hissed the last words, his anger finally getting the better of him.
Across the bar, Mary was leaned over trying to console Dean, who was hunched in his seat.
'Hey- ease the hell up on my baby bro.' Gabriel gritted out. 'None of this is his idea. The fucking ass-hats stealing the ADA money forced him into it. And I'd like to remind you that my brother is doing all this shit partly to try and protect YOUR brother.'
"Well, fucking great job there." Sam snapped. "How the hell is crushing my brother's dreams 'protecting' him?!" Sam took a deep breath before saying quietly, "Gabe, we have to fix this mess. I don't know if Dean can handle losing Castiel like this."
Sam let his eyes drift from Dean, to all the worried faces in the bar. The celebration had come to an abrupt halt after the news break. It had an almost funeral-like air to it now. Everyone looked gloomy, their eyes moving to Dean and the small group surrounding him.
Scratch that- ALMOST everyone looked gloomy.
"Son of a bitch!" Sam growled into his cell phone. "He's here, Gabe! That fucking photographer is here at the Road House!"
From the other end of the line, Gabriel cursed. 'Shit! Sam, listen- don't do anything-!'
"NO! This fucker has done enough damage. I'm going to get this bullshit straightened out. Dean deserves the truth." Sam hung up before Gabriel could say anything else. He tucked his cell into his pocket and stalked his way towards the gloating face of the taxi driver/photographer.
…
"For the last time, I'm fine Mom. Just-just let me go home, alright?"
"You're too drunk to drive, honey. Just hang on until we figure out where your brother and father have got off to and we'll head home then, okay?" Mary patted her oldest son's back soothingly as she scanned the crowd.
Where were John and Sam? And everyone else for that matter? Even Ellen had disappeared over the last twenty minutes. The Road House had begun to clear out after the news about Castiel Novak's impending marriage.
It was almost unfathomable to Mary. How had it all gone so sour, so quickly. Was everyone THAT wrong about this Castiel-fellow? Why was he suddenly announcing his engagement- not to mention immediate marriage- just weeks after leaving a supposedly-happy relationship with Dean?
Mary frowned. According to a happy balding man that the news had labeled as an ADA executive and who was answering reporters, the actual marriage ceremony was scheduled for Saturday.
This Saturday.
It was unrealistic. And definitely suspicious. Mary was convinced that there was more to the story.
"Dean." Mary and Dean both looked up to find Sam standing behind them. "You need to come out back. It's important." His face was set in a grim mask.
"Not right now, Sammy. I need… sleep." Dean rubbed his hands over his tired eyes as he slid unsteadily from the barstool. Mary reached out to help him. Jess and Lisa stepped over to join them, concern etched across their faces.
"No, Dean. Now. It's about Castiel." Sam insisted, reaching out and taking a firm hold on Dean's arm.
Dean tried to shrug him off uselessly. "Lemme go, Sammy. I don't wanna talk about Cas-" His face tightened at the mention of Castiel's name.
But Sam ignored him, half-dragging his brother towards the back doors of the Road House, leading into the large concert area and outdoor stage.
"Sam, he's had a long day…" Mary tried to protest, confused at her younger son's serious demeanor.
"Trust me, Mom. This can't wait." Sam answered smoothly, not slowing as he pulled Dean along, the others following.
It was dark and slightly chilly outside. It took several moments for the small group's eyes to adjust. Across the large expanse of ground, they could see another group of figures standing under the dim street lamps by the stage. They walked towards them slowly.
As they got closer, Mary recognized the figures. It was John, Bobby, Benny, Ash and Ellen. They were standing over a final figure- a man- who was crouched low on the ground.
"Rufus and Garth aren't with you, are they?" John's deep voice asked as they neared.
"No. Looks like they went back to the station already." Sam answered.
"Alright, I'm here. What the hell is going on?" Dean's weary voice asked. He eyed the figure on the ground, confused. "Who is this?" He stepped a little closer before drawing back in surprise. The man was dripping blood from a busted…everything. "Wh-? Isn't that dude a cabbie? Did you guys beat him up? What the hell is this?" Dean demanded.
It was Ash who stepped forward, handing Dean a expensive looking digital camera. Dean took it, unsure what to do with it. The screen was bright, with a small image displayed. Dean squinted, trying to focus on the picture. It took him a few seconds, but his body abruptly stiffened with recognition.
"What is it?" Jess asked quietly. She, Lisa and Mary all shifted carefully around Dean to look.
It was a picture, taken from a distance and zoomed in. In it, Dean was leaning over the inside of the Impala kissing someone. The face was blocked, but the wild hair suggested that it was Castiel.
Dean pressed a button for the next image. This, too, was an intimate picture of Dean and Castiel, smiling brightly at each other from their seats across the booth of a diner. It appeared to have been taken from outside, and across the street.
The next was a very long-distance shot, blurry but still clear enough to see. Dean and Castiel were in the cart of a Ferris wheel, Dean scrunched up against one side, head turned as Castiel leaned in, kissing him.
"Oh my God. What is this?" Mary finally asked, looking over to her husband, whose face was covered in shadow. He didn't answer. She looked around the other faces, each remaining stiff and silent. "Someone had better answer me! Why does this man have private pictures of my son on his damn camera?!"
"Dean," Sam spoke, drawing his brother and everyone else's attention. "Castiel is being blackmailed. This guy works for people who are embezzling money from the ADA."
There was a stunned silence.
"Blackmail…?" Dean blinked at his brother, then at the image on the camera screen, then finally down to the figure on the ground.
Before anyone could react, Dean dropped the camera and was on the man, fist pounding, pulling back, and pounding again. "You-fucking-piece-of-shit-!" The sickening thud of pummeled flesh filled the air.
Benny, Sam and John all jumped forward, reaching to pull Dean away.
He tried to shake them off, landing kicks on the man as he was dragged backward, spitting and cursing wildly. "No! Get off me! I'm gonna kill 'em! Lemme go-!"
They held him down until he began to calm, his breaths coming in harsh rasps and growled threats.
The rest of the group waited anxiously, watching until Dean was finally under control, or at least close to it.
A small chuckling sound came from the previously silent man lying in a bloody heap on the ground. All eyes shifted over to him, including Dean's.
John's dangerously calm voice asked in the darkness, "You find something funny, mister?"
The man burst into even louder chuckles, body shuddering as he tried to contain the laughs. His voice had a light, almost song-like rhythm to it. "Wh-who? Little ole me? Oh, well, yes- as a matter of fact. I think this is all just… adorable, really. Cute as a button."
Sam moved fast, grabbing the man by his shirt and pulling him up so that his feet nearly left the ground. "You sick fuck-"
"Easy- EASY now! Ahah-ha.We wouldn't want to do anything rash, would we?" The man's voice sang lowly, barely loud enough to hear. "After all, my- ahah- employers won't be very happy if I tell them I was roughed up by a group of country bumpkins, would they?"
"You son of a-" Benny started to warn, but the man cut him off.
"Oh, no no no. Language- please." He chuckled again, blood from his crushed nose bubbling briefly. "I think you're all in quite a- hah- pickle as it is, hmm? Gone and done it now. Yes, what will my employers do once they find out their plan has been compromised?" He tsked, shaking his head as he pulled away from Sam's grip. "Poor Castiel. Trying so hard to keep his little mechanic safe-" The man erupted into another bout of shuddering chuckles.
Dean lunged at him again, but was caught by his father and Benny before he could land a blow. The man didn't even flinch- just laughed harder. "No-let me go! He's threatening Cas! We hafta stop him!"
"Dean-Dean, stop! STOP!" Benny hissed as he struggled with his friend.
"Knock it off, ya Idjit!" Bobby snapped angrily, speaking at last. "Beatin' the shit out of him isn't going to change anything now!" The sharp tone seemed to work, at least for the moment. Dean stopped trying to charge the man and stood sucking in angry breaths, glaring at the bleeding figure. "We can't do this here. We need to find a place to shove this worm until we come up with a plan. Now, I vote we stash him in my cellar's panic room. He wont be gettin' outta there any time soon. It'll give us time to think up something to fix this mess."
There were a few nods and murmurs of agreement.
"I- I'm sorry Bobby- your what?" Mary asked, eyes wide. John stared at his friend, impressed.
Bobby shrugged. "Panic Room. I'll explain later. Let's get Chuckles tucked in for the night, then meet up at your place to come up with a plan."
…-^o^-...
"What. The. Fuck?!" Meg demanded, cornering Castiel in an empty conference room where he had escaped to panic in private.
"I am SO sorry, Meg. It had to be you." He answered morosely.
"Oh, did it?! Did it REALLY?" She growled, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.
"Think about it, Meg! You said you wanted to shove your dad off a cliff, right?" Meg's grip loosened minutely as she listened, "Well, now's your chance. Help me! Your father thinks he's about to be handed the ADA on a silver platter. You finally have your chance to screw him over- in a big way!"
Meg released him and took a few steps back. She eyed Castiel carefully, seeming to size him up. "How do you know you can trust me? Maybe I'll just hand it all over to my Pops. Or cash it in to the highest bidder."
"You won't." Castiel stated confidently, sharp eyes holding hers.
"And what the hell makes you so sure of that, angel? You think everyone is good person? Is that it?"
"You'll do the right thing- for Clarence. Don't you see, Meg? This is our only shot. If you get half of the ADA, then we can play along and get them to return the missing money. Once we have it all back, you can defect. Join up on the ADA side. Then, we can finally expose Zachariah and Azazel and all the rest of them safely. This is the only possible way we can win against them. Please, Meg- I need you to help me. I trust you."
Castiel's blue eyes were locked onto hers, filled with so much trust and hope that she almost gagged.
"Damn it, you really are some sort of fucking fairy tale hero, aren't you?" She huffed in annoyance. "Why should I have to fucking marry you to get my dad busted? Why don't you just take the easy way out? We could bail, you know." Her voice became a bit quieter, her eyes shifting nervously, like she was too embarrassed to look at him. "We could pick up Clarence and be halfway to Australia before they even know we left. Leave all these fuckers behind and just-" She threw her arms up, "-leave. Live. Be happy somewhere far away from this craziness."
Castiel blinked in surprise. "Meg… are you asking me to run away with you?" He almost couldn't even believe he was asking.
"Clarence won't shut up about you." She muttered, cheeks becoming pink. "He keeps asking who was the cool 'grumpy dude' that was running with me today."
Castiel didn't know what to say. He stood silently, stunned.
"How am I supposed to explain this, now, huh?" She demanded. "Sorry, Sweety, but I guess I can't cheer for you at your soccer game this weekend. Mommy's getting married Saturday." She looked up at him, frowning. "Let's just go. This can all be sorted out by everyone else. Hell, maybe your dad or brother will show back up and deal with it. Whatever. It's not your job to save the world…"
For a moment, Castiel could see it. A way out. A chance to escape- maybe even be happy somewhere far from here.
A place where Zachariah and the CPOA couldn't reach them.
And they could be a family.
A family…
The image of Dean running and laughing as tiny little bodies raced after him on a soccer field suddenly appeared in Castiel's mind.
Dean passing off a huge stack of tickets to a crowd of beaming kids in the arcade. Their awed faces staring up a him in amazement.
Dean standing in front of the windows his apartment, rocking Lucifer as if it all came naturally to him, while thunder rolled outside.
Castiel knew, at that moment, that he was never going to be able to have a family.
Not if Dean wasn't a part of it.
It would never feel right. Like something was missing. A pivotal piece of the family.
Dean.
Dean, who was going to be a proud dad of his own child.
Dean, who was finally going to fulfill the role that seemed to come so naturally to him.
And it was Dean who would be left to suffer if Castiel chose to run now. Him that the furious Zachariah would lash out at if Castiel disappeared with Meg and Clarence.
"I- I'm sorry, Meg. I can't." He finally answered, shoulders dropping. "I really wish I could, but- no. Thank you, though, for offering. It means a lot."
Meg scowled, looking away from him. "Fine. I get it. You're still hung up over your lame-ass straight mechanic."
"Meg…"
"Oh, shut up. Forget I even mentioned it. It was a stupid idea anyway." She crossed her arms, annoyed and maybe a little embarrassed for putting herself out there to be rejected. Castiel wanted to say something, or do something, anything to show her how much he appreciated her willingness to help him. But, he had a feeling she would just scoff and push him away.
"You should go." He suggested, causing her to turn to him in surprise. "You and Clarence- you two should get out of here while you can. I understand. This isn't your fight. You shouldn't have to go through this mess just because I'm trying to be a hero, like you said. I'll figure something out. You should take Clarence and start that new life in Australia."
Meg gave him a strange, almost comical look. "Holy shit," She muttered incredulously, "How are you even real? God- it pisses me off-"
She stomped towards the door, huffing angrily to herself. When she reached it, she turned around and frowned at him, standing there by himself across the empty room.
"I'll stick around. God knows a 'do-gooder' like you needs all the help he can get. But don't try to get fresh with me in front of the cameras, angel. That ship has sailed."
She left him alone then. He stared after her for a few moments, repeating her parting words in his head.
She wasn't leaving.
Meg was going to help him.
He actually had a solid, realistic plan to beat Zachariah and Azazel. One that didn't mean he had to risk Dean or lose all the stolen money.
He could do this. He could save the company.
…-^o^-...
"Someone better start making some sense." Dean demanded. "What the hell is happening. Why is Cas being blackmailed?" T
he group had re-gathered in the Winchester's living room. Everyone was silent, thinking. Bobby, Mary, John and Lisa were sitting on the couch. Ellen was seated in the recliner with Jo perched on the armrest. Benny, Anna and Jess were sharing the love seat, while Dean, Ash and Sam had chosen to stand.
Sam cleared his throat, looking guilty. "It's about the money." He answered carefully. "There are a group of people on the inside who are embezzling millions from the company." The group frowned at his statement.
"They were talking about those rumors on the news." Jess stated, watching Sam closely. "You're saying they're true?"
Sam nodded at her, looking around at the gathered group. "They're using Castiel as a puppet to get what they want. The photographer has been following the Novak brothers around ever since their dad disappeared to get leverage on whoever took over his position. Now that Castiel has the job…" Sam trailed off, looking nervously at his brother, "…they had him hang around to be a threat against Dean if Castiel didn't do what they said."
In the tense silence that followed, everyone was thinking the same thing. It was Dean who finally asked, "So, all this crazy shit- everything that Cas has done- it's because of me? He's been doing what they say just to-?" He choked for a moment, jaw tightening. "This marriage- it's fake, too?"
There was a dangerous tinge of hope behind the question, as if he was almost too afraid of the answer, and what it would mean. His eyes never left his brother's, searching desperately for the answer he needed to hear.
Sam met his brother's eye, held it, and nodded. "I think so, Dean. It all has something to do with money."
"How is it you know so much about this, Sam?" Ellen asked from where she stood by Bobby. It wasn't an accusation, but Sam still cringed.
"I, uh, I've been talking… to Gabriel." Sam tilted his head to the phone resting in front of him.
"Gabriel?" Jess asked incredulously. "The missing Gabriel Novak? You've talked to him?"
'Sure has, babe!'
Every person in the room snapped their eyes down to Sam's phone.
"…G-Gabriel…?" Jess asked the phone carefully.
'The one and only!' Gabriel's voice buzzed from the phone.
The group stared at the phone, then at the embarrassed Sam, then back at the phone.
"Gabriel is the one who tipped me off about the photographer stalking Dean." Sam supplied. "He's in San Diego right now, trying to find a way to stop the bad guys and save his brother AND the ADA."
'And let me tell you folks- it is NOT going well. These fuckers have really covered their asses. Plus, I can't make a move against them when they have Dean-o as leverage against Cassie. It might actually be a GOOD thing that you're all in the loop now.'
"How's that, though? As soon as these guys find out we're on to them, they can just cut and run with the money. We can't keep their guy locked in Bobby's basement forever. Can the company survive a loss that big?" Sam asked the phone.
The sound of Gabriel's sigh filled the silence of the living room. 'Technically, no. From what I can tell, the missing money is in the billions-range. It's enough to cripple us. That's part of the problem Cassie is facing. Even if he didn't have Dean to worry about, the company could still be devastated by these guys. He's backed pretty tightly into a corner, and I'm… sitting around being useless.' He sighed again, frustrated.
There was more thoughtful silence as everyone considered this.
"So, just to be clear," Ash began, "The ADA has had a crap-ton of money stolen, and no one can trace it to figure out who has it?"
'Pretty much.' Gabriel answered.
"But, you know who you think has it, right?" Ash continued, as the others watched him.
'Oh, yeah. I've got an idea. The Big Baldy himself. But, it would take the FBI to seize his account information on our servers and find the money. And he could have it stashed safely in an secret offshore account as soon as he realized they were on to him. That's why we have to be careful not to spook him. This Dean-matter is one thing, but if he catches on that we know who he is and that he has the money, the ADA is done for.'
Everyone gave quick glances at Dean, who was standing in against the back wall, completely silent as he listened to Gabriel. There was something about his silence that made everyone shift uncomfortably.
As if it was the calm before a huge storm.
"Hmm," Ash continued, thinking out loud, "Sounds like you need a little technical assistance accessing those accounts."
From the other end of the line, Gabriel squawked a bitter laugh. 'No offense, buddy. I like you- I do. But, the ADA Headquarters is one of the most secure facilities in the country. The database is at sub-basement level, and protected by the security team 24/7. AND, it turns out our Head of Security is 'in bed' so to speak with the traitors in the company. There is no way to reach the servers without being caught.'
A wide grin spread across Ash's face. "Well, how could I pass up a challenge like that?" He looked around the room, before his eyes stopped on Dean. "Seems to me like we've got a pretty cut-and-dry 'Damsel in Distress' situation here. What do you say, Prince Charming?"
Dean's face suddenly split into a smile. "That's what I'm hearing, too."
"Whoa! NO-no way!" Sam burst out, looking between Ash and Dean. "Ash you can't be serious! This isn't a fairy tale or a game- this is real life. These guys are dangerous- deadly even! You can't honestly be considering breaking into the ADA Headquarters!"
Ash remained silent, smirking with his eyes still on Dean. Everyone else watched the oldest Winchester as well. He seemed to think hard about Sam's warning.
After an extended silence, Dean asked Ash in a serious voice, "If we can get in there, you really think you can manage hacking the database?"
Ash laughed confidently. "No problemo, amigo!"
"Dean-!" Sam was on his feet, eyes wide, "This is insane! Somebody- help me out here!" he looked around the room. "Dad? Mom?! Bobby, come on! Call him an 'Idjit' or something!"
"If Dean wants to do this, then I doubt we can talk him out of it." John answered at last. Mary and Bobby nodded in agreement.
Sam wasn't giving up. "Gabriel, talk to them. Tell them how dangerous this is!"
'Sorry, Sam.' Gabriel's voice finally spoke. 'I'm completely out of options on this end. If there's a chance they could pull it off…' His voice broke for a second before he stated quietly, 'My baby brother's about to be forced to sign away half of our father's company. Cassie'll never forgive himself if he does that. I can't just give up, Sam.'
Sam looked pained. "Gabe-"
"Can it, Sammy." Dean's voice cut in sharply. Everyone turned to him. He had pushed himself off the wall and was now glaring at his brother. "Look- I'm involved in this already. Cas is only doing what they say because he's trying to protect me, right? Well, I say that's bullshit! It's not his job to try and keep me safe. He's the one who's in real danger. I can't just sit around and let Cas give up everything just because he thinks it's for the best. Not-not again. Not this time. We're going to San Diego. We're gonna find a way to get Cas out of this shit-fest. Then, I'm gonna read him my goddamn letter and drag him back here- kickin' and screaming, if I have to!"
"That's my baby!" Mary cheered.
Dean winced at her, ears turning red, but he continued. "Tell us what we need to do, Gabriel."
'Alright! Nice speech, Dean-o!' Gabriel lauded. 'First up, we need to get you two to San Diego.'
"Oh, for Christ's sake-!" Sam groaned, throwing his brother an annoyed look. "No way am I letting Dean AND Ash loose in San Diego on their own. Somebody has to be the adult. I'm in."
"Oh, now wait just a moment. If you three are going, I'm in too." Benny drawled from his seat on the couch beside Anna.
"Pooky-bear!" Anna gasped, clutching his hand. Their eyes held one another for a moment and she spoke, "Then I'm going, too!"
"No, Sweetums, you have to be here for your mother, remember. She needs you. I'll be fine, I promise. Nothing in the world can keep me from you, princess." Anna frowned at him, worried, before nodding sadly and leaning forward to hug him.
"Right…" Jess interrupted the two love-birds. "Well, I'm going, too. I've got a job on the line, plus Charlie and Ruby are in the middle of all of this. I have to do something to help them."
"Jess-" Sam muttered, frowning at her.
"Let me hear ONE sexist protest from you and so help me, Sam… And you better believe we are going to be having a discussion about keeping secrets later." Jess skewered him with a glare that had him shutting up quickly.
"Damn, I like her." Mary muttered approvingly from her seat by John. Sam blushed.
'Alright- anyone else wanna jump in for a free trip to San Diego, and probably jail if this goes bad?' Gabriel asked cheerfully from the other end if the line.
"Lucifer." Dean stated. They all glanced at Dean, then down to where the small animal was flipped on his back lounging across Mary's lap.
'I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere about the Devil going to Georgia- not California.…' said Gabriel thoughtfully. 'Oh, well. Fine. Bring Satan along, too. I bet Cassie will be happy to see him. You Dean? Maybe not so much- especially when he finds out you're not safe and sound in Kansas…' He trailed off, before continuing cheerfully, 'Oh, well! His own fault for trying to be a damn hero, anyway. I swear, I don't know WHERE he gets that from. Anyway- now we just need a plan. We can't exactly have you lot popping up out of the blue and tipping the bad guys off.'
"Maybe a disguise? Sneak them into the ADA as customers or electricians or something?" Jo suggested.
'Maybe…' Gabriel tsked. 'And all my costumes are in a bonfire right now- go figure.'
"I want to talk to Cas first." Dean's voice interrupted their plotting. "We have to let him know that I'm not in danger, and that he doesn't have to go through with this fucking marriage."
Gabriel hummed thoughtfully from the other end of the line. 'I get it, but I heard he shut you down pretty effectively earlier today.' Dean's face dropped at the memory as Gabriel continued, 'I doubt he'll bother listening to you over the phone. Maybe I can use my contacts to get word to him on the inside…?'
"No, dude. I want to talk to him- in person. I'm not going to give him the chance to blow me off with anymore bullshit about 'having someone else'. He'll just try to lie if he thinks it will protect me. I'm not dealing with that again. Get me inside so I can talk him out of all of this. Then we can make our move and bring these fuckers down." Dean's tone was firm.
'It's not like ANYONE can just get in and see him, buddy. Maybe if I had more time, but the marriage ceremony is this Saturday. How am I supposed to arrange that?'
"There should be other chances, outside the ADA, right? Like at one of those events he's going been going to?" Ellen offered. "And then there's the Engagement Party. They said on the news that they are having one Thursday night. Is there a way to get Dean in to that?"
'Not without an invite, and that'd be tough…' Gabriel answered. 'Wait! That's it! I know how we can do it! The band!' Gabriel shouted gleefully, and added more to himself. 'I could have Balthy suggest it- YES! Leave it to me, Dean-o. You folks just bring your gear- I'll take care of the rest!'
"Holy shit, this might actually work." Sam muttered incredulously.
"Will definitely work, bro!" Ash slapped him on the back. "Piece of cake."
'Alright,' Gabriel continued. 'I'll have my contacts arrange a private jet at the Lawrence airport. You just need to get packed up and be there in about three hours. Think you can all manage that?'
The room was suddenly quiet again. Dean's face had visibly paled. "Ah…" He hesitated. "Jet? As in 'fly'?"
"Oh, boy," Sam muttered.
Behind Dean, Mary and John exchanged looks. Then, Mary carefully stood and passed Lucifer off to John before leaving out the front door quietly. Dean didn't seem to notice his mother's departure, more concerned with the immediate matter at hand.
"Actually, you know, mine and Lucifer's bags are already packed and loaded in the Impala, so we'll just stick to the original plan and make the drive, I think." He gave a nervous chuckle.
'Drive? Hell, no. That'll take too long, Dean-o.' Gabriel responded. 'We're on a timeline here. A plane is the fastest option.'
"Dean, come on. You can do this. For Castiel, remember. It'll be fine." Sam tried to reassure his brother, who was suddenly turning a shade of green.
'What's the problem?' Gabriel asked, confused.
"Dean's, uh, Dean's not great with heights or, well, flying, Gabe." Sam answered, eyeing his brother who had broken into a sweat.
'You're shitting me.' Gabriel moaned. 'Listen, the sooner you guys get here, the better. We need to kick this plan off as soon as possible. Nut up, Dean-o.'
"Y-yeah- no. It's fine. I can- I can do it. I just think-" He turned, "I just think I need to throw up first, that's all."
The front door opened, and Mary slipped back inside. John glanced at her, then down at what she was holding.
He smirked.
"Dean, come on now, brother. You can't psych yourself up. It's all good, okay. Nine hours tops and we'll be there. You can sleep through the whole trip." Benny tried to calm the oldest Winchester, but Dean was beginning to panic.
"Nine hours!? NINE?" He spluttered helplessly, eyes wide. "Humans were never meant to be away from solid ground for that long! I-I can't do it! What if there's a storm? Or the plane's engine-"
There was a small click and popping sound.
-Dean dropped like a log.
One moment he was standing, arms gesturing wildly as he argued.
The next he was horizontal, eyes closed and face pressed against the living room carpet.
Everyone was frozen.
Mary's voice was cheerful as she stated,"That should keep him nice and quiet for, oh, what do you think, Hon? Eighteen hours? It was the horse tranquilizer, so…." She waved a small gun in her husband's direction.
"Yeah," John replied conversationally, "Eighteen to twenty sounds about right, I think."
Lucifer hopped down from his spot in John's lap where he had been resting, and climbed up Dean's back, settling down in a ball to sleep.
'What's happening over there? Hey- someone talk to me!' Gabriel was whining from the phone.
"Mrs. Winchester totally just shot Dean with a horse tranq!" Ash shouted gleefully. "He's drooling on the carpet!"
'Oh. Well, that works for me! Alright gang! Load him up and get down here to San Diego. We've got some major house cleaning to do.' Gabriel replied cheerfully.
It's like watching two trains heading straight for each other at full speed, and knowing that they are going to have a head on, disastrous collision. But all you can do is watch, and hope that everyone survives...