Beta: InThePalmOfMyHand
Co-Author: Vaedana
Thanks so much for the patience and motivating Reviews, BTW! They helped so much! And huge thanks to Maykits for peeking behind the curtain and providing in-depth inputs for me! I LOVE hearing from all you folks! Keep it up!
In case you need a recap: Dean's mom tranq'd him, the Lawrence group is en route to San Diego with plans to crash the engagement party, Ruby flipped the fuck out in Zachariah's office and got fired, Castiel is now 'officially' engaged to *gasp* Meg, Dick is actively fleeing Balthazar after an embarrassing wake-up in the same bed, and Alfie is still smiling and popping up unexpectedly. Yeah...I think that's it. Enjoy!
The private jet touched down in San Diego early on Wednesday morning.
The sun was only just beginning to rise and burn through the early morning haze as the small group hesitantly disembarked from the plane.
A tall, solitary figure was waiting patiently next to a large white van.
"Welcome to sunny San Diego!" A thick British accent greeted them.
Sam stepped forward to meet the man, hand outstretched. "You must be Gabriel's friend, Balthazar."
The man took his hand, shaking it lightly as he scanned Sam and the others carefully. "Yes, I am Loki's friend- keep in mind please, that the stakes are high here. Slip-ups like mentioning Loki by his name could be disastrous while we are in the proverbial Lion's Den." Sam frowned, nodding to him solemnly in understanding. Balthazar continued, "Anywho! Which of you is this 'Dean' I've heard so much about? I was informed ad nauseam about green eyes…?" He scanned them again with sharp blue eyes before Sam answered.
"Ah- right. Loki probably didn't mention it." Sam ran his hand through his hair awkwardly. "My brother, Dean, is inside the plane. Er, unconscious. Our, uh, our Mom shot him with a tranquilizer dart when he started having a panic attack about flying here. I know that's gonna make things a little tricky, but, um…" Not sure what else to say, Sam just shrugged, slightly embarrassed for his strange family.
Balthazar blinked several times before clapping his hands together and replying cheerfully, "Right! Outstanding start! One unconscious suitor and one engaged princess in need of rescuing. Well, let's not waste time. We can load all your band gear up, then your brother, and be on our way."
Jess stepped forward and asked nervously, "Uh, yeah, about that- Loki didn't mention where we were going to be staying. Or anything, really. Except for us to 'trust him'." She made a pained face. "I've known him for a while now, and that's asking a lot."
Balthazar's face suddenly split into a bright smile. "How very true. Well, put your faith in me, my dear. You'll be staying at one of my residences while you are here. The ADA executives, myself included, have been confined to the headquarters building after hours, at least until the media calms down. Loki and Kali will meet us there."
"Kali?" Sam asked as the group began transferring their heavy luggage into the van. The others glanced over as well, curious.
The British man's lips tilted into a small grin. "Another codename. Loki's choice. Although I agree completely with the name." He seemed to be enjoying a private joke, continuing conversationally, "You know, Kali? Hindu goddess? Maker and destroyer of worlds? Scary as all fuck? I've recently had an opportunity to witness that first-hand. Well, I don't want to ruin the surprise! We'll meet the happy couple soon enough."
Once all the gear was loaded, and Sam, Ash, Balthazar and Benny had carefully transferred Dean's limp, snoring body into the vehicle, they were off in the direction of the not-so-distant skyscrapers sparkling under the dawning sun.
…-^o^-…
At the ADA building, Castiel awoke to the light of dawn breaking through the blinds of his bedroom window.
He stared up at the ceiling for several minutes as he blinked the sleep away. The previous night's newest collection of horrors replayed across his mind.
Engaged. To Meg, of all people. Thank God she wasn't the nightmare he had assumed when he first met her. In fact, she was his last hope, of all things….
Was it really possible that he was going to survive this madness? To win against Zachariah and everyone who was after the company?
Could he really trust Meg not to take her half and run with it? Or not use it to finally win her father's affection?
He was putting all his faith into a stranger, based on a few brief conversations with her.
And on Saturday, they were going to be husband and wife. And he was going to be the father of a six-year-old, apparently.
Dean's smiling face flashed across his mind. There was no room for doubt. No other options for the company to stay afloat. For Dean to be safe. He had to pull this off.
He tossed the covers off with purpose.
…-^o^-…
Charlie muffled a helpless sob as she stared at her phone.
No text messages. No missed calls.
No Gilda, with her soft, musical voice and tinkling fairy-like laughter. Just when they were finally beginning to actually speak to one another offline. One dumb, risky decision, and Gilda was gone. Not even leaving behind a image for Charlie to mourn over. Just that magical voice, hinting at an equally gentle and soft smile.
She glanced beside her at the now barren and empty desk that had belonged to Ruby just yesterday.
No Ruby, either. Past scruples aside, Ruby had turned out to be the hard-core heroine that Charlie had always gushed over in movies and books. Totally bad-ass to the core. The barest hint of a soft spot, if you squinted. And she was fired, all because of an insane megalomaniac and poorly thought out plan.
Charlie's poorly thought out plan.
She let her head drop with a clunk onto the desk.
"Charlie…? Are you alright?"
She kept her head pressed against the cool wood of the desk, but turned to glance sadly up at Castiel. "Oh, hey, boss. M'fine. Just…" She turned to Ruby's desk again and Castiel followed her gaze.
"Why has Ruby's desk been cleared?" Castiel frowned as he blinked at the desk, then worriedly at Charlie.
"Ah… No one told you?" She asked, suddenly wide-eyed. "Um, well, I guess last night was…uh, pretty busy with all the reporters and stuff…" Charlie trailed off, growing more alarmed as she looked desperately over to Naomi and Alfie nearby. "Maybe Ms. Naomi should-"
"Charlie," Castiel interrupted, making her meet his concerned eye. "What has happened to Ruby?"
Charlie saw Alfie look over to them and spot Castiel. He stood quickly, saying something to Naomi, who looked up at Castiel as well. They both moved quickly to intercept Castiel's questioning.
Castiel turned and saw them approaching. "Where is Ruby?" It was a demand, though one laced with concern.
"Good morning, Mr. Novak," Naomi greeted him with her usual professionalism. "I'm afraid there was an… incident yesterday." Naomi glanced briefly at Charlie, who cringed guiltily, before continuing, "Ruby has been let go. I'm afraid she learned about the potential office closures, including the one in her hometown of Lawrence, and she became very… agitated." Naomi carefully avoided his gaze as she spoke.
"Agitated?" Castiel asked, confused. He looked at all three of them before he seemed to realize who they were talking about. "OH. Oh, no. How-how bad was it?"
Naomi sighed as Alfie and Charlie winced. "It seems she heard the closures were Zachariah's plan. She went to his office…"
Castiel stared at her as she trailed off. He slowly nodded his head, understanding. "That-that actually explains quite a lot. Zachariah seemed, uh, upset yesterday evening." He shifted uncomfortably, apparently thinking. "Is she, um… Do you know if she is okay?" He asked carefully, meeting Naomi's eye.
Charlie was too tired and frustrated to remain silent. "You mean is she safe from that psychotic bastard? Doubt it. None of us really are. That dude makes Voldemort look like a hotdog salesman."
Castiel turned to her, blinking in surprise. Naomi's clipped voice replied, "Thank you, Charlie. That's quite enough." She frowned warningly at Charlie, who was determined not to be silenced.
"But this is stupid! He already knows Zachariah's, like, the embodiment of all evil! He should know the truth-"
"I said that's enough, Ms. Bradbury," Naomi responded sharply. "Mr. Novak has enough to worry about with his engagement party-"
"What truth?" Castiel cut in, looking between the two. No one answered him, both women having a glare-off with each other. It was so out of character for both of them that Castiel had no idea what to make of it. He turned to the silent Alfie. "What truth?" he demanded again.
"Ah," Alfie suddenly did a spot-on impression of a deer caught in the headlights. He looked nervously at Naomi, as if begging her for help.
"Alfie," Castiel dragged his attention back to him. "Answer me. What truth?"
Alfie seemed to crumple under Castiel's steely gaze. "Uh, well, sir, Ruby may have been in Zachariah's office for, uh, other reasons…?"
"Alfie," Naomi warned lowly. Castiel turned to her, frowning. She stared him down for a moment, before seeming to give up. "Alright, sir," she sighed wearily, "There is… more to the story. But…" She looked around the packed office. "We should discuss this in private. With Balthazar, as well."
"Balthazar?" Castiel asked, even more confused, now. He glanced around at their faces. "What does Balthazar have to do with any of this?"
"Charlie," Naomi ignored Castiel's question to address the secretary. "Call him. Get him here. Then we're all going to have a discussion that is long overdue."
…-^o^-…
Balthazar's condo was on the fifteenth floor of a tall building in the heart of downtown San Diego.
As soon as Sam stepped through the front door with his bags he was nearly toppled over by Gabriel as the smaller man leapt into his arms for a hug.
"Gigantor! I knew you couldn't keep away from me for long, you flirt!"
Sam's face reddened as he looked apologetically towards Jess following right behind him. She just smirked knowingly.
Gabriel pulled away and followed Sam's stare. "Jess, you vixen! I missed you, too, Beautiful!" He made a move, as though he were about to dive towards her next, but a growled warning made him freeze on the spot.
Jess's eyes widened and she smiled, delighted. "Ruby?!"
From the decadent maroon couch where she sat, Ruby waved towards Jess, but her eyes never left Gabriel, who was grinning bashfully.
Jess looked back and forth between them, taking in the unspoken words. "Oh. OH," she muttered. Sam looked at her, lost. She just smiled and winked at him, moving into the room. "So, that solves the mystery of Kali." Jess grinned, turning to Sam, "This is Gabriel's secretary- the one I've told you about. The, um, fire department incident last year."
Sam's face paled, eyebrows shooting up his forehead as Ruby smiled like a cat eating cream.
"Some of my better work," she muttered with a hint of pride.
"I had a concussion-AND third degree burns!" Gabriel added, face belying the seriousness of his injuries.
"Oh, that's, um, cool…?" Sam responded dutifully, unsure of how to proceed. Thankfully, he was saved by the rest of the group arriving.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Ash followed behind them, arms full. "There he is! How's it hanging, Gabe?"
Gabriel turned from staring adoringly at Ruby to grin at the mullet-sporting man. "Pretty good, compadre! Well, not counting the blackmailing traitors who've been living amongst us this whole time, of course. How was the flight?"
Benny and Balthazar appeared at the door behind the group, pushing a rolling bellhop cart between them. The distinct body bag-sized duffel laying across the surface of the cart caught Gabriel's eye.
"The flight was hella-awesome, man!" Ash answered with a grin. Gabriel approached the bag that hid the unconscious Winchester and poked at it, smiling. Ash continued, "Dean was out the whole way. Shame, too. That was one of the fanciest private jets I've ever been on."
Gabriel seemed impressed, eyes taking in the other man's sleeveless plaid shirt and worn jeans carefully. "And just how many times have you flown in a private jet?"
Ash smiled and tapped his nose, "Oh, a few times. Job offers and such. 'Why pass up a free trip to Venice or London?' That's my motto!" He moved further into the room, setting his things down, ignoring the raised eyebrows of the rest of the group. His eyes landed on Ruby and he moved fast, hopping onto the soft sofa right beside her. "And how are you, my beautiful tigress? You remember me, right? 'Cuz I definitely remember you." He planted a delicate kiss on the back of her hand.
Ruby smirked, shooting a grin at Gabriel, who was scowling.
He practically teleported between the two. "Alright. ALRIGHT. Don't make me file a ten foot restraining order, bud. Ruby here is-"
"Ruby is what?" The blonde woman asked, the warning in her voice clear as her eyes flashed at him.
The rest of the group had stopped to watch the show unfolding in front of them.
"Mine. I was going to say 'mine'," Gabriel stated matter-of-factly.
This apparently wasn't the answer Ruby had been expecting. Her cheeks suddenly flushed bright red. She gaped at the serious-faced Gabriel and then at the staring group. She cleared her throat, managing to turn her mouth into an unbelievable frown before muttering, "Idiot…."
Ash looked like a kid let loose in a candy shop. "We-e-ll, excuse my misunderstanding." He didn't look very apologetic as he winked at Gabriel. Gabriel preened and winked back.
Balthazar's exasperated voice interrupted the moment. "If you lot are done, we could use some assistance unloading everything. I'd like to remind you about the body hidden in the bag here, and the drum set and the rest of the band equipment still needs carrying up…."
They unloaded Dean first, choosing to drop him unceremoniously onto the bed in the guest room to sleep off the remaining hours of induced sleep. It only took another ten minutes to carry all the gear and the extremely unhappy Lucifer upstairs. Once they had everything in the apartment, the group collapsed onto the various sofas in the large living room.
Sam finally had a moment to take in their surroundings. The room had the feel of simple wealth. What few decor items he could see seemed grossly expensive. The view out the large windows was also impressive. Just past a few tall buildings nearby, the blue Pacific coast spread out into the horizon. He turned to Balthazar, "So, this is your condo? I kind of expected you to be on the top floor, you know? Penthouse or something. Aren't ADA executives supposed to be loaded?"
Balthazar, who had moved to a liquor stand against the wall, smirked and answered, "Oh, we are 'loaded'. But, in the grander scheme of things, we are certainly NOT as wealthy as many of the other rich and famous living in San Diego. No, above my humble abode, here, live many of the top names in entertainment and business. I don't actually choose to stay in this building for most of my visits anyway. I have a pleasant little set up down in Hillcrest." Sam felt like he was missing something when Ash and Gabriel's grins widened at the man's words.
The sound of a phone chiming drew the Balthazar's attention. He answered it cheerfully, "Yes?"
There was a long pause as he listened. His face shifted into a frown while the others waited patiently. From his small carrier nearby, Lucifer let out a short, impatient chorus of 'meow'. Sam looked over and watched as the cat's eyes stared hungrily at Ruby's long, blonde hair. Jess and the others- even Ash- had taken up the habit of keeping their long hair up and out of sight whenever the kitten was free. Sam made a practice of having somewhere else to be whenever that was the case. Luckily, Lucifer was relatively tame whenever Mary was present, but they would have to be even more careful now. He made a mental note to warn Ruby about the unholy taste for hair that Lucifer had.
Evil, he thought to himself, eyes narrowing just as the kitten's reflective eyes turned suddenly to stare back at him.
Sam did NOT flinch.
His attention turned back to Balthazar as the man suddenly spoke into the phone.
"Tell him? What-everything?" He asked. There was another pause as Balthazar looked over to Gabriel uncertainly.
"I suppose… Yes, he's here. The whole Lawrence group, actually…" He paused, eyes rolling dramatically as he leaned towards Jess and stated dully, "Charlie says 'hello soul sister'." He returned his attention back to the phone. "Yes, I can come in, but-"
Balthazar set the phone against his shoulder and spoke to Gabriel. "Apparently Naomi is about to tell your brother all about Ruby and Charlie's little fiasco yesterday. And about your presence here."
Gabriel's face scrunched up. "How the hell does she even-?! Ugh." He face-palmed. "Alfie, of course! Geez, that kid…" He shook his head, taking on a pale sweat. "How much does she know? 'Cause you know Cassie's got a temper! He'll do a lot more than steal some tarts over this one!" The rest of the group watched as Gabriel worked himself into a frenzy, hopping nervously from foot to foot. Ruby stared at her nails, ignoring him.
Balthazar remained calm, speaking into the phone again. "Charlie, is Naomi aware that Prince Charming is here?"
There was a tense pause before Balthazar replied, "Well, at least that little surprise isn't ruined." He turned to the group, "Charlie doesn't think they know about Dean."
There was a sigh of relief amongst the group.
"Oh, yeah! Great! At least Dean hasn't got to deal with the wrath of Castiel! What about me, though?" Gabriel threw himself dramatically face-down onto the sofa, moaning pathetically. "I'm dead. Cassie's gonna commit fratricide when he finds out I've been hanging around this whole time!"
Balthazar ignored him, still speaking into the phone. "Yes, I'll be in shortly."
He hung up, smiling at the many faces sitting around the room. "Well, I'd best go face the music. I imagine Castiel is not going to be very happy about my aiding and abetting his missing brother. This should be quite fun." He sighed wistfully and went to collect his things.
"We'll hash out our plan here while you deal with Castiel," Sam said on behalf of the still-panicking Gabriel, who was being patted on the back by Ash and Jess as he hyperventilated into the couch cushion. "Do you think you can manage to talk them into hiring our band, though? It's pretty short notice, and we can't give away our band name to Castiel, he might shut us down before we can even get there."
Balthazar chimed cheerfully from the door, "Oh, never you worry. Just leave it to me. I have a close relationship with the PR manager."
…-^o^-…
"What do you mean, 'you can't find her'? She didn't just disappear, Uriel," Zachariah hissed. He frowned at the shattered remnants of his office, then glared at head of security. "I want that woman found and dealt with properly. She may know more than she realizes."
"Yes, sir," Uriel responded.
"And what about that other matter? The intern?" Zachariah demanded, tossing a chunk of broken glass into the trash bin with a scowl.
Uriel shifted uncomfortably, catching Zachariah's attention. "I am still attempting to locate his employment file, sir. It's as if… as if he doesn't exist. All I have is the name 'Alfie', and it isn't showing up in the system. No one I've asked knows what his full name is or anything about him except that he's been here too long to just be an intern. We have looked through all the office records. He isn't listed as a trainee or secretary under anyone we've checked, including Naomi."
Zachariah slammed his fist into his desk. "Then check EVERYONE'S records! That little bastard must be listed as working somewhere at this damn company!"
Uriel frowned. "Yes, sir, but that could takes days of searching the database division by division, especially without his full name."
Zachariah rolled his eyes in annoyance. "My God, I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered helplessly. Then, he spoke slowly to the security leader. "Uriel, we have access to the financial database for the company, don't we?" The huge man nodded. "So, if we can manage to funnel billions of dollars out of the company and into one account, don't you think that the same access can be used to trace payment information to an employee?" Uriel looked confused. Zachariah pinched his nose. "Listen carefully, you moron. Alfie is an employee SOMEWHERE in this company. He is getting a paycheck. You have access to this company's account database. Follow. The. Money."
At last, Uriel's face relaxed in understanding. "I see, sir."
Zachariah waved him away, shaking his head slowly as the man exited, broken glass and debris crunching loudly under his feet the entire way.
Zachariah spoke quietly to a decapitated figurine laying on his desk. "It is SO hard to find good help these days."
…-^o^-…
Castiel sat pale-faced at his desk, the early morning light beaming brightly throughout the office.
"I don't understand," he repeated hollowly for the third time. "Why would she DO that? Just… go berserk? What did she find out?"
Across from him, Naomi, Alfie, Charlie, and Balthazar stood stoically at attention, no one wanting to be the first to either lie or tell the truth.
Castiel sighed helplessly, his large blue eyes betraying his exhaustion and stress. "Please, just…" he gestured hopelessly at the group. "Just tell me the truth. There's too many secrets around here already."
It was Charlie who caved first.
She blurted the words out so quickly that even she seemed surprised. "We know about the blackmail!" Castiel blinked in surprise. "I mean- more than just the photos that you got the other day! Like, those too, but also about Dean and all the office closures, andMegandZachariahandthemarriageandtheCPOAandthe-"
"Thank you, Ms. Bradbury," Naomi cut the redhead off before she hyperventilated.
Everyone looked at Castiel who appeared to be struck dumb by the sudden revelation. "I-I see. But, Ruby?" he managed.
Naomi answered solemnly. "She and Ms. Bradbury decided, very recklessly, to play heroines and attempt to steal the blackmail photos from Zachariah's office during your run yesterday, sir. Ruby…" She cleared her throat. "was compromised. The office closures were just a red herring so Zachariah wouldn't discover that his plan was no longer a secret."
Castiel's face seemed to crumple as he looked at Charlie's guilt-bowed head. "Charlie… you shouldn't have-"
"We were just trying to save you, sir," she mumbled, keeping her eyes downcast.
Castiel's shoulders sagged in defeat. "So, you all know about the marriage?" He finally asked, watching the group nod in confirmation. "How?"
Balthazar cleared his throat, an overly-cheerful smile plastered on his face. "Yes. Now, that's the real kicker, here." He chuckled lightly but it died off when the others only tensed further and seemed to cringe subtly away from him. He cleared his throat again. "So, you know how your brother is supposedly missing?" His emphasis of the word had Castiel's eyes narrowing dangerously.
"No…," he whispered, more a warning than a denial of the implication.
"Er, yes, I'm afraid," Balthazar countered, grimacing. The rest of the group had moved away from the Brit, maximizing the distance in case Castiel's glare actually managed to set him aflame.
Castiel's intake of breath sounded like a hiss as they watched his face darken. "Where?"
"Um… close?" Balthazar hedged, attempting another weak laugh that immediately caught in his throat.
Castiel rose, eyes pinned on Balthazar. "Do you have a number to reach him?" The blonde gave one slow nod. "Make the call. Now."
As Balthazar complied and pulled out his phone, Charlie cut in. "Well! I'm betting you'll want to catch up with your brother in private, so we'll just-"
"Stay," Castiel ground out as Balthazar stepped forward and passed him his cell phone.
There was a short pause as all assembled watched Castiel press the cell phone to his ear. When he spoke, his voice was withering. "Gabriel." There was a few seconds of silence before Castiel's calm seemed to snap. "I know this is NOT the Walmart Customer Service Desk!"
…-^o^-…
"Um, excuse me, handsome, but I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to pay my fiancé a visit." Meg flashed a grin at the annoyed glare Dick was casting her.
"Yes. Your fiancé. I'd very much like to hear more about just how in the hell that happened." Dick spat the words out slowly, trying not to draw any more attention to them from the rest of the office. It was useless, anyway. The moment Meg appeared on the top floor, stepping out of the elevator casually and making her way towards Castiel's office, the entire floor had stopped working to gawk. Dick had dropped mid-sentence in a discussion with Michael to sprint over and catch her before she reached the closed door. Now he was physically blocking her.
"Honey, jealousy isn't a good look on you." She gave him a knowing smirk and continued. "Now, my future hubby and I have some flower arrangements to decide on, so…" She side-stepped him, strolling for the door again.
Dick hurried to cut her off again, his face furious as he caught her arm, jerking her to a halt. The rest of the office gasped audibly. Dick kept his voice low and threatening. "I don't know what you have on him, but I will NOT allow this marriage to happen."
Meg spared him a mock-pitying glance. "This isn't one of those melodramatic 'If I can't have him- no one can' speeches, is it?" She gave a short laugh as Dick's face darkened. "Oh, poor baby," she crooned. "I heard about your little one-sided break-up. You should know when to give up. Honestly, it's embarrassing! Castiel hasn't been yours since, well… since he ditched your bragging-ass for that straight mechanic."
Dick tightened his grip on her arm. "I am aware of his infatuation with Dean Winchester," Dick growled low enough that only she could hear, "Which is why I am having a difficult time believing that he has suddenly fallen madly in love with you."
"Well, we've actually known each other-" Meg began the rehearsed lie, but was cut off quickly.
"I KNOW that there was never a secret romance between you two," Dick hissed, trying, and failing, at keeping his voice down. "You have something on him. This marriage is a scam. What are you after? His money? The company?!" People could definitely hear him now. He yanked roughly on Meg's arm, causing her to wince. Several people were approaching them carefully, as if preparing to intercede. Michael was watching with a disapproving frown, but kept his distance. Dick shot scathing looks at all of them, effectively warning them off as he continued, "Call off this ridiculous marriage- or I swear to God-!"
"Dick! Let her go, now!" The door to Castiel's office had opened unnoticed at some point and the man, himself, was stomping towards them. Behind him, Charlie, Alfie, and Naomi stepped out of the office, looking worried. But it was Balthazar's unreadable expression that caused Dick to release the smirking woman's arm and move away quickly.
"Meg, are you okay?" Castiel asked, concerned.
Meg shrugged as if she was used to being manhandled and threatened. "I'm fine, angel. Just catching up with your ex, here." She flashed Dick a smug smile.
Castiel turned on Dick, his jaw tense. "I'm beginning to see a trend with you, Dick. Do I really need to repeat myself?" Dick appeared genuinely guilty, but Castiel didn't stop. "We. Are. Over. Is that clear enough? Stop trying to pick fights with the people I care for."
"I wasn't- Castiel, she's not-" Dick stammered.
"No! Dick, you have to-" Castiel sighed and shook his head helplessly. "Just move on. Please." With that, he turned, gesturing for Meg to enter his office. The others moved out of their way, watching as the office door closed sharply behind them.
Every eye in the office turned back to stare at Dick, none more intensely than Balthazar's.
Dick stood there for several seconds, frozen as he blinked at the shut door.
Then he turned, ignoring the looks from the rest of the office as he reached the elevator and pressed the 'Down' button.
…-^o^-…
"I'm sorry about him."
Castiel sat on the office sofa across from Meg, frowning to himself.
"Hey, no worries. We all have those ex's that can't take a hint. I'm no Helen of Troy like you, but even I've been fought over once or twice. Plus, he seems more upset that I'm holding something over you than that you might actually have feelings for me."
Castiel leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "Yeah. That seems to be going around." He finally tilted his head down to meet Meg's eye. "We have a problem," he stated.
Meg just grinned, "Angel, it seems to me like you've got ninety-nine problems, but at least you know I'm not one." She winked with a smirk.
Castiel fought back a small smile before sobering. "My brother, Gabriel, is here. In San Diego. Turns out he's been sneaking around this whole time."
Meg's smile dropped, replaced with confusion. "Well, shit," she muttered. "What's he been doing? Aside from leaving you hanging, I mean?"
"Apparently he's been trying to head off Zachariah's plans."
Meg snorted. "Well, fuck. Safe to say he's failed so far." She leaned back, kicking her feet up on the small coffee table.
Castiel nodded slowly. "He knows." At Meg's blank look, he continued, "He knows about us. The marriage. All of it. I just spoke to him, to explain our plan to get the money back and then expose them all. He thinks it's too risky. He, uh, doesn't seem to trust you," he said apologetically.
Meg shrugged nonchalantly. "No shocker there. So, what? He's gonna come riding in at the last moment like a knight in shining armor to stop the marriage, then take back over the company from you? 'Cause that would be bad. Fucking horrible, actually. Zachariah would lose his shit, then all of this you've been working to keep safe... kablooey." She mimicked an explosion with her hands.
Castiel nodded. "I think he knows that. Gabriel wouldn't do anything to risk the company. He's smarter than that. But I'm sure he's planning something. And he's got help."
"Help?" Meg echoed questioningly.
Castiel tilted his head in the direction of the door. "The group who was just here. They know everything, too."
Meg leaned back with a groan. "Damn, babe. Nothing's easy with you, is it?"
"This is bad, Meg. Gabriel isn't talking. None of them are. I know they're up to something. If they ruin our plan, then…"
"…bad shit will follow," Meg finished. "Check. So, what do we do?"
"We have to be ready for whatever Gabriel has up his sleeve. There's no telling what's going to happen next."
…-^o^-…
Just as the elevator doors were closing, a hand was thrust between them.
Balthazar appeared, grinning, as they reopened. Dick scowled at the man and made a pointed effort to leave the cart, but Balthazar caught him by the arm, pulling him back in and holding him until the doors successfully closed, trapping them in the small space together. He tapped the the number for his floor, then turned his full attention to Dick.
Dick immediately moved to the farthest side of the cart, pretending not to notice the other man. His plan was foiled when Balthazar reached forward again and pressed the emergency stop button. The elevator came to a jarring halt, lights flickering ominously.
Dick grabbed ahold of the interior railing and snapped, "What the hell are you trying to do- kill us?!" He moved to reach around the Brit and pulled the button to resume their descent. The elevator lurched as it came back online.
"Ah, well. I suppose we can have this conversation with an audience, if that's what you really want. I just figured you would appreciate a certain level of… privacy."
Dick's face paled and he shot forward to hurriedly hit the button again. The cart shuddered violently to a stop for the second time.
Dick hissed under his breath, demanding, "For God's sake, just get it out then!" He crossed his arms and frowned at the wall of the tiny cart. A faint blush was spreading across his serious features.
Balthazar's cheerful voice began, "Well, as you may know Dickie-"
"Don't call me that," interrupted the other man.
"-I have been courting you, of late-"
"Harassing. You've been harassing me, of late," Dick cut in again.
"-and I feel that it's about time that we-"
"There's no 'we'."
"-step our relationship up to the next level," he finished, beaming at Dick.
Dick stared at Balthazar for a span of several silent seconds. At last, he slowly shook his head incredulously and replied firmly, "Hell no."
He made a move to restart the elevator, but Balthazar grabbed his hand before he could reach the button. He stepped closer, bringing Dick's hand up to press against his chest as the dark haired man attempted to pull away, the blush spreading across his face as Balthazar crowded him against the wall.
"But you haven't heard my argument yet," he purred.
"Oh, for the love of-! Fine. Just say it so I can get the hell out of here!" Dick attempted to push at the blonde man to force some space between them. Balthazar just moved closer, leaning forward to speak intimately into Dick's burning red ear.
"I like you."
Dick made a strangled coughing sound, his gaze boring into the wall beside him to avoid Balthazar's twinkling blue eyes.
"I like the way you frown at people when they disappoint you. I like the way you always look so…" Balthazar chuckled. "…unruffled, even when you're pissed. And I LOVE your little obsessive-competitive streak. I get SO turned on watching you put people in their place."
"W-well, if that's all, then..." Dick tried desperately to wiggle away from the looming man.
"BUT, what I love most of all," Balthazar continued, tilting his head so that his warm breath tickled Dick's neck, "is how you strut around like a proud peacock, bragging to everyone who'll listen, when you're in love."
"He-he told you about that!?" Dick choked out, mortified.
Balthazar's voice dropped several octaves, "You know, Dickie, if you were MY boyfriend, I'd love to know you were bragging about how hot I get for you."
Dick felt like he was already about to spontaneously combust at the man's whispered words. He shoved harder against the man's chest, his face on fire. "Th-that's enough! I've listened to what you had to say. We're done, here."
He reached around Balthazar and yanked the elevator button and they were moving again. Dick kept his eyes focused intently on the descending numbers flashing above the panel as his trembling hand held onto the interior rail.
"To be fair, though," Balthazar's voice continued as if there'd been no interruption, "I'd likely do much of the same. That is, if you were mine. I'm horribly territorial, you know. I'd mark you all up so the whole world knew who you belonged to. Pounce on you without warning in public, regardless of who was watching. Muss up that impeccable appearance you work so hard on and leave you in complete disarray every chance I-"
Dick finally snapped, spinning around fast and clasping his hand over the blond man's mouth to silence him. Their eyes finally met, wide brown and intense blue.
"Stop! Just-just stop talking. I-I get it!"
Balthazar's hands moved, trailing up Dick's arms to his shoulders, and finally to the hand covering his mouth. He tugged gently until he could speak. Dick's worried gaze darted to Balthazar's free mouth briefly before returning to his eyes.
"I'm intending to drop by your room tonight. Late. Say… midnight?" The elevator dinged. Dick jumped at the sound, flinging himself away from Balthazar as the doors slid open.
"No-no you will not!" Dick hissed, desperately trying to regain his composure. "I'll be asleep by then. I won't let you in!" His quiet insistence fell on deaf ears as Balthazar strolled out of the cart into the international liaison offices floor, where he worked.
"I'll see you tonight, Dickie." Balthazar waved happily as the doors began to shut between them.
"I said don't bother, damn it-!" The doors cut him off. Dick's mouth snapped shut as he glanced helplessly around the empty cart.
"…fuck."
…-^o^-…
Zachariah paced restlessly behind his desk. A knock on the glass door of his office made him look up to see Uriel standing on the other side, looking more tense than usual.
Zachariah huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This had better be good news."
Uriel hesitated, then moved through the door, stepping carefully over the crunching glass,
"Have no cleaning crews come yet, sir?" he hedged, sensing Zachariah's dangerous mood.
Zachariah glared balefully at the dark-skinned man. "I sent them away. This… mess… fuels the hellfire burning in my gut." He sat regally in the leather chair behind his desk, pulling one of his splintered wooden plaques into his lap. He looked up at Uriel as he lifted a small tube of superglue, squirting the liquid carefully and holding the pieces together tightly. "Don't try to change the subject, you oaf," he snapped. "I specifically remember sending you to find out about a certain someone! What have you found?"
"Yes, sir," Uriel said gravely. "As I said before, we could find no records of him in the company files."
"Yes, we've been over this already," Zachariah said through gritted teeth as he tested the bond on the two pieces of polished wood. They held for a moment, before one piece dropped lamely to the floor with a clunk. Zachariah clenched the other piece in his hand, glaring at it.
"You had suggested I search the company's employment funds, to see who he was affiliated with—"
"I KNOW!" Zachariah yelled, chucking the remaining piece of the plaque across the room. He paused to collect himself. "Just… tell me what you're here to tell me, and STOP telling me things I'm already aware of!"
"Well, sir," Uriel began, looking unusually concerned, "it seems that there is no one by the name of Alfie at the company." He shifted nervously, his huge frame rolling like a mountain being rocked by an earthquake. "However, there is a Samandriel Alford, but he, uh, hasn't been receiving money from the company." Zachariah squinted up at him, clearly on the verge of another annoyed rant. Uriel ended quickly, "He's being paid directly from Theodore Novak's personal account."
"…come again?" Zachariah asked blankly, staring at Uriel as though sure he'd misunderstood.
"Sir…" Uriel continued tightly, "it appears as though Theodore Novak has been keeping this young man very close. As if he's been… grooming him."
Zachariah stood slowly, hand gripping onto his desk tight enough to make his hand white from the pressure. "What, exactly, are you telling me, Uriel?"
"It appears that Samandriel Alford… Alfie… is Theodore Novak's protégée," Uriel stated clearly, eyeing his employer warily. "Mr. Novak has been preparing him to take over the company in his place. Not Michael, as everyone has been led to believe."
Crack. Zachariah looked down to see the edge of his desk had crunched under his tense grip. He looked at it with an almost maddened stare before letting go. He looked up to see Uriel staring at him in alarm, and a strange sort of giggle bubbled up in his throat.
"Alfie… is the heir to the ADA…?" His face was contorted into a terrifying mask of manic humor. "Alfie…not Michael…not Gabriel or even Castiel…?" Another series of giggles erupted from the man.
Uriel eyed him with alarm. "… sir?"
Suddenly, Zachariah shoved his way past Uriel, and out of the office. Uriel hesitated, before hurrying after him.
…-^o^-…
"I don't understand." Castiel repeated, "This is a marriage ceremony, not a wedding. There's no need for you to wear a white dress."
"C'mon, handsome. Give a girl a break. I wanna wear a damn dress, so I'm gonna. Don't make a big deal out of it!" Meg crossed her arms over her chest, frowning out the large windows along the wall of the office.
They had spent the last several hours going over the plans for the engagement party and marriage ceremony. To Castiel's surprise, Meg was taking everything seriously.
As if they were really being married, not forced into a lie by Zachariah and Azazel in order to take over the ADA.
"But, you just…don't seem like the type-" Castiel tried to explain, but Meg's eyes snapped around to glare at him.
"Hey! Every girl wants to wear a fancy dress and have people tell her how pretty she is. Don't give me that look-!"
"Meg, I'm not arguing, I just-"
The sound of muffled shouting came from just outside his office. They both turned at the same time, then looked at each other.
"What now…?" Castiel moaned, closing his eyes.
…
Alfie was humming quietly to himself as he typed away on his keyboard. Next to him, Naomi sat at her own desk, reluctantly handing an employment termination file for the office closures file to Michael.
"This feels so wrong," Naomi muttered as Michael took the files with a frown.
"To be expected, really," he replied grimly. "Castiel wasn't trained to lead a company. This is what happens when unqualified people are put in charge. I can't imagine what Theodore was thinking, passing me over." His face darkened as he asked, "He didn't happen to mention anything to you, did he? About why he wanted his sons to take over during his absence?"
Naomi didn't flinch under Michael's sharp eyes. "I'm sure he had his reasons."
"Yes, well… I'm obliged to question them, giving the circumstances," He waved the file pointedly.
"I agree with Naomi, sir." Alfie chirped cheerfully, not bothering to look up from his computer. "I was surprised by the decision, as well. But, I have faith that Mr. Novak chose his sons for a good reason!"
Suddenly, his smile faded and he shivered, glancing around. "Does it seem cold in here to either of you?"
Across the floor, a low ding announced the elevator's arrival, and the doors slid open to reveal Zachariah and Uriel. They stepped out of the cart and began walking across the office, eyes falling on Alfie almost immediately.
Alfie swallowed as he watched the Zachariah's pace pick up speed, his arms and legs moving stiffly and quickly. Office workers dodged out of his way as he bulled through. One girl wasn't quite fast enough, and Zachariah clipped her as he went by, sending her stack of papers flying in the air. As the papers rained down, he strode even faster until he came to an abrupt halt in front of Alfie's desk, the entire office floor staring at him in alarm. Alfie smiled weakly up at him.
"Can I help you with something, sir?" he asked, smiling carefully.
"You…" Zachariah said, pointing his finger and squinting at the young man. "You…! Who are you?! I demand to know this instant!"
"Oh… I'm Alfie, sir," the intern replied, holding out his hand with a bright smile. "We have met, sir, several times actually, but you may not remember-"
"Don't you pull that shit with me!" Zachariah spat, slapping Alfie's hand out of the way. Alfie looked slightly wounded, rubbing his hand somewhat dejectedly. "You will tell me who you are," Zachariah continued heatedly, "and you will tell me right now!"
"What is this about, sir?" Naomi asked, standing and staring at the executive as though he'd lost his mind. Michael was openly gaping at the man's behavior. They glanced at Uriel, who was standing stone-faced a few feet away.
"It's about this little snake in the grass!" Zachariah shouted, pointing dramatically at Alfie. "This… BEAST that crawls on its belly while it plans to devour us all, that's what this is about!"
"What is going on out here?" Castiel demanded, poking his head out of his office. "Zachariah? What—"
"Wipe that smirk off of your face!" Zachariah ignored Castiel as he shrieked at Alfie.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Alfie said contritely, trying his hardest to appear somber. Somehow, he was failing at it.
"Zachariah," Michael said coolly, glancing around the packed office. "You are making quite the spectacle of yourself. Perhaps you should return to your office."
"Return to my office…?" Zachariah repeated, his eyes bulging as he turned to stare at Michael. "Return to my office!" He turned his eyes back to Alfie, "I WILL RETURN TO MY OFFICE WHEN YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH!"
"The truth about what?!" Castiel demanded, coming to stand next to Zachariah and looking quite angry at the disruption. "Say what you need to say, Zachariah, so my employees can get back to their work!"
"Oh, that's the best part! They're not really YOUR employees," Zachariah said triumphantly, staring at Castiel and pointing a dramatic finger at Alfie. "They're HIS!"
The silence that followed rang throughout the entire floor. Castiel stared at Zachariah as though he were about to claim he had wings and leap from the nearest window. Perhaps the stress of his mutiny was finally getting to him…
"Zachariah," he said placatingly, keeping his voice low and calm, "you're not making any sense."
"None of this makes sense!" Zachariah replied, seeming to agree with him. "It doesn't make sense how YOUR father would choose THIS man to take over this company! IT'S TRUE-!" he cried to his shocked audience. "He's been paying this little liar out-of-pocket to keep him off the records while he prepared him for taking over the position that YOU now hold, Castiel!" He jabbed his finger furiously in Castiel's direction.
"Wait," Michael said with a deep frown. "This doesn't make any sense. Theodore has been grooming me to take his place. Why would he want some intern—"
"Oh, he's no intern," Zachariah said, glaring accusingly at his would-be victim. "He's had his nose in everything from the start! Isn't that right, Alfie? Or should I say…" He slammed his hands on Alfie's desk, his face inches from the young man's. "…Samandriel Alford?"
"Oh, not my full name," Alfie said with a wince, waving his arms quickly. "It's such a mouthful- just Alfie, please."
"Wait, is-is all of this true? Alfie?" Castiel asked incredulously, staring down at him.
"Sir," Naomi interjected hurriedly, "Please, I should explain-"
"Of course it's true!" Zachariah snapped, cutting her off impatiently. "My men found the proof of it! He's had us all jumping through hoops this whole time! He's made us- all of us- look like fools! But no more…" He leaned forward until his nose was almost touching Alfie's. "This company will never be yours! I'll drag everyone here to Hell and back before I let that happen!"
"Well, that's unfortunate," Alfie replied eyes wide and serious, "Hell sounds like such an unpleasant place. Unfortunately, this company isn't yours, either, is it? Theodore Novak left his sons in charge, and we should all respect that." He smiled into the furious man's face.
Zachariah sputtered furiously, before spinning to face Michael and point angrily at Alfie, "Are you just going to let this- this kid take your place at Theodore Novak's side?! You've been lied to, Michael! Say something!"
Everyone waited expectantly for Michael's furious tirade, but it never happened. Michael seemed to have shorted out- blinking silently at Alfie, then Zachariah, then back at Alfie. "I-I don't believe this…"
"And you're not going to allow it, right!?" Zachariah added, glaring at Alfie with a smirk.
"…I don't see what I can do about it." Michael's voice was hollow, the words clipped.
"Wha-? But-but-! You have to STOP this madness! Take back the reigns- by force if you have to!" Zachariah shouted incredulously.
"DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD DO!" Michael finally snapped, sneering derisively at the pale-faced Zachariah. He caught himself, glancing around the room as he straightened his back. "As… Samandriel has said, we must respect Theodore's wishes." His voice was sharp with disapproval, but he forced a tight-lipped smile in Alfie's direction. He looked like he would say something else, but chose instead to turn and march stiffly through the gathered crowd towards his corner office.
This will not stand!" Zachariah hissed, wild eyes returning from Michael's retreating form to pierce Alfie's. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed back toward the elevator doors, grabbing a gaping woman's clipboard along the way and throwing it across the room. Uriel moved with him, like a huge, silent shadow. The entire office watched as Zachariah pressed the button to go down, then stood and waited. After several long, awkwardly silent moments, the doors finally slid open and the two men stepped inside, pressing the button before turning and glaring lividly toward Alfie as the doors slowly closed in front of his seething form.
Castiel whirled to face Alfie and Naomi. "What in the hell is happening…? This…Is this some sort of joke?"
"You weren't supposed to find out this way…" Alfie said with a tinge of regret.
"I don't believe it," Castiel rasped.
"Sir," Naomi spoke gently, meeting his eye, "he's telling the truth. Alfie was never here as an intern or secretary. You father brought him in to be his successor. I'm sorry that you have been mislead. You father… he asked us to keep Alfie's role here a secret." She sighed as she addressed the stunned audience of over forty employees. "I understand everyone is very shocked. Please understand, this doesn't change anything. Alfie is not acting as the Head of the ADA- Castiel Novak is. Please keep that in mind. Now, return to your work. Quickly now!" She added, as the crowd continued staring at Alfie like they had never seen him before.
"I don't understand," said Castiel stated quietly, turning to Alfie. "If you were supposed to be the head of the ADA, then why was Gabriel picked for it? Why was I?"
Alfie gave him an understanding smile, speaking quietly as the people around them slowly went back to work. "I understand this must all be a lot for you to take in. The only answer I have for you is it simply wasn't the right time. Everything happens for a reason. Your father has a plan for you. You just have to have faith in him."
Castiel frowned, wanting more specific answers, but somehow knowing he wouldn't get them.
"In all honesty, this is neither here nor there," Naomi said, cutting into his thoughts. "Right now, you have larger concerns. This is no small matter, but first and foremost, we must concentrate on the survival of this company. Right now, you are our leader. Everyone is looking to you, Castiel," she added earnestly.
"I know I am!" Alfie agreed with a wide smile. "It's been so exciting working for you! I hope every day has this much adventure and intrigue!"
Castiel stared down at him, slightly bewildered, then forced a faint smile and turned, walking back to his office with a heavy feeling of surrealism.
Meg was standing at the door, grinning at Castiel's dazed expression. Keeping her voice low, she snickered, "I agree with the kid- being around you is a non-stop thrill ride. What's next-aliens abducting people? Leprechauns? If Dorothy drops in from Oz to pay you a visit, I swear your gonna have to find a new chick to fake-marry, cause I gotta draw the line somewhere."
"…shut up." Castiel pleaded, stepping past her into his office.
…-^o^-…
Dean awoke groggy and in a strange bed. He shifted slowly, feeling the uncomfortable rustle of his well-worn clothes as they scraped against him. He sat up, head reeling as his eyes adjusted to the darkened room around him.
He rolled out of the bed and stumbled to the closest window, pulling against the curtains, and found himself gaping wide-eyed at brightly lit skyscrapers against a night sky. The darkness of the glittering ocean peeked out from between several buildings on the right. A glance down sent his stomach flipping. He was up high. Like, higher than even the ADA building in Lawrence, high.
He pulled away, stunned, and scanned the room again. It was cast in shadow, but definitely unfamiliar.
He groped for an explanation. The last thing he remembered was being home, in Lawrence. In the living room of the house. And they were talking about rescuing Cas and planes-
Planes.
And now he was in a room on something like the millionth floor of a building surrounded by other huge buildings, with the ocean only a few blocks away.
"SAMMY!" Dean roared crossing the room and throwing open one of the doors.
Which turned out to be a bathroom.
Fortunately, after a series of bumps and muffled shouts from the direction of a separate door nearby, Sam's unmistakable mountain of a form burst into the room. Behind him, lights were coming on, making Dean blink and cover his burning eyes.
"What the fuck, Sam! Where are we?" Dean demanded, his voice cracking drily.
"Hey, yeah, right, so, um, we're, uh," Sam sputtered slurrily, as if he had just woken up as well. "We're in San Diego. We, uh, we made it," he finished lamely, trying to sound cheerful.
In the new light, Dean was able to begin to make out his brother's appearance. Sam was dressed down, as if for bed. Behind him, Jess appeared in a pair of soft-looking pajamas.
"Oh, good! You finally woke up," she said tiredly. "Um, but it's like, late, and the time change was rough, so…" She finished with a yawn, patting Sam on the arm.
Dean stared at them both, hearing more familiar voices from beyond them and the door. "Dude- I can't- WHAT?!"
"Alright, don't freak out, Dean," Sam warned, wincing as he explained quickly. "But, mom kinda got you with a tranq dart and we smuggled your body here on a plane."
It took Dean several moments for his fuzzy brain to process the statement. "…mom tranq'ed me?!" he asked weakly, eyes almost child-like as he stared at his brother, as if pleading for a sudden denial or laugh to prove it was a joke.
"Is that Dean-o? He finally woke the hell up?" Gabriel's cheerful voice asked from somewhere behind Sam.
"Holy…shit…" Dean croaked.
But Sam just nodded apologetically at his brother. "Yeah. Sorry dude. But, uh, bright side? We're here. And we're officially booked to crash the big engagement party as the band, so, uh, it's not too bad, right? I mean, you'll be able to see Castiel again soon."
Dean weighed the feeling of betrayal and horror against practicality for a few moments, hands even gliding over his body as if making sure that he was still actually in one piece after flying halfway across the country. He finally looked back up at his brother. "Yeah, I guess it-it worked." He winced as he stretched his muscles carefully, then asked, "Fuck. Why do I feel so damn sore?"
Sam shifted awkwardly and Jess made a strange noise in her throat. It sounded to Dean like a choked-back snort. He frowned at her suspiciously, before turning to Sam.
"Um, Gabriel and Castiel's friend, Balthazar? He, uh, might have accidentally dropped you once or twice." Sam supplied. "I don't think you're his favorite person right now."
Dean scowled, "What? Why?!"
"Uh, right. So, I asked Gabriel about that," Sam struggled for the right words, "So, you remember how you punched Castiel's ex? A guy named Dick…"
…-^o^-…
Balthazar arrived outside Dick's door promptly at midnight- pillow tucked under his arm- and knocked lightly. The hallway was empty, the other executives presumably sleeping.
There was no answer.
He knocked again and waited.
The door remained closed.
He rapped on the wood a bit louder.
The door remained firmly shut. There was no sound from inside.
It could mean several things.
Perhaps Dick had meant it when he said he would be asleep.
Or, perhaps he had stayed late in his office upstairs to avoid their encounter.
Or, just maybe…
Balthazar stared at the door, frowning for several moments, before leaning forward.
His voice was barely a whisper, impossible to hear unless someone were standing directly on the other side of the door.
"You know, Dickie, I'm not immune to nerves or self-doubt. I can't wait forever for you to come around. I've already said my piece. The rest is on you."
He stepped back slowly, watching the door and listening closely for any sign of life on the other side.
It remained determinedly closed.
Balthazar sighed to himself, turning away.
The door opened with a small click.
His shoulders sagged with relief. "Dickie, you shameless tease…" he grinned, slipping inside.
There was muffled 'shut up', then the door shut behind him, the sound echoing in the still silence of the empty hallway.
Haha, I love Balthazar...
-^o*-