Cas watched Dean go and winced when he yelled at the cops to bring it on. Castiel didn't want the cops to bring it on, he wanted them both to be left alone. If only things could back to how they were before Cas told the truth. He had to tell Dean but that didn't mean he have to like it.

"So, you know your attackers?" Mills asked, sitting on his right. Henriksen remained standing with his arms crossed.

"Yes. Jake and Edgar," Cas responded before drinking more water with his uninjured hand. His split lip hurt when the cup touched his lips.

"Why did they attack you?" Henriksen wanted to know.

Cas gave him a glare.

"Right, the snitching," Henriksen figured. "I'm guessing that's why your boyfriend was all huffy?"

"Henriksen," Cas sighed, closing his eyes briefly before opening them to continue. "I am really not in the mood. If you would please just go, I would appreciate it." It took all of Cas's willpower to gently but firmly say that when he just wanted to scream.

"Fine," Henriksen snapped. "Just know I wasn't kidding when I said we we're going after Dean next. You were nice enough to give us all of the information we needed."

Cas closed his eyes and kept them shut as he listened to their retreating footsteps. Henriksen really didn't need to remind him how he ruined Dean's life. Cas was all too aware and hated himself for it. Hell, he thought he got off easy by being beaten up. He knew he deserved a lot worse. A single tear rolled down his cheek and he didn't bother to wipe it away.

Gabriel returned. Cas didn't notice he was back until he cleared his throat on his left. Cas opened his eyes as Gabriel sat.

"Saw Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum leave your room," Gabriel observed. "I know my guys have had problems with them in the past. I'm guessing your guys have, too."

"They aren't 'my' guys, Gabriel," Cas said, making air-quotes. "Did you miss the part where I was an informant?"

"I still find it hard to believe."

"What? That I was in a gang?" Cas questioned.

"Yeah," Gabriel shrugged.

"Well, I find it hard to believe you're in one, too. We've run into you guys countless times. How have I not seen you?"

Gabriel just wiggled his eyebrows.

"Seriously," Cas rolled his eyes.

"I have my ways. I'm pretty much off the cops' radar even."

"You know, I joined to keep you safe," Cas admitted after a pause. Gabriel looked confused. "The night you boosted the car? This was why nothing happened to either of us."

"Holy shit. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were in a gang? Same reason. To protect me."

"We have got to work on better communication little bro," Gabriel smiled. Cas agreed.


Dean walked home from the hospital which took longer than he would have liked. Time was of the essence here because he was basically on the run. That idea had sounded cool to him when he was a kid, like an outlaw or spy, but it certainly held no appeal at the current moment.

He quickly went into his room, throwing clothes into a duffel bag. Before he left the apartment, he scribbled a quick note for Sam. It simply told him to go to Bobby's, no other explanation. But Sam wouldn't need one, he would listen. He left the keys to the Impala on top of the note.

With his hand on the doorknob to the apartment, he paused and looked back. After so many shitty memories here mixed in with some more recent good ones, it felt weird to leave. He didn't know if he was coming back anytime soon. He shook off the pointless nostalgia and shut the door.

Before checking into a motel room several miles from the apartment for the night, Dean stopped at a liquor store. It was very late now and several less than friendly characters were lurking around inside the store and out. He purchased his whiskey with a fake I.D, a more expensive brand than usual because he firgured why the hell not at this point, and walked out.

Besides getting interested glances from prostitutes and glares from scary looking tough guys, Dean made it to the motel without a problem. It was seedy but nothing he couldn't handle. He kicked off his boots and sat back against the headboard of the bed with his booze.

As he drank, he couldn't help but picture Cas in that hospital bed. He had seemed so… Dean hated to use the word weak to describe Cas, but it fit. Cas had seemed small and upset. Dean knew he was anything but that and he didn't like seeing Cas look like that. If he didn't trust Henriksen and Mills to get the job done, he'd go after Jake and Edgar himself.

Dean sipped, reveling in the burn as it went down his throat. He also couldn't go after them because now Henriksen and Mills were after him. It was still hard to believe he was on the run because the man he loved betrayed him.

He knew what John would say if he were alive. He'd tell him to man up. Get over it. That would, of course, only be the case if it were a girl Dean had been having the problems with. He'd be lucky to be alive if it were a guy while John was around and he found out. There's a reason he only fooled around with guys after his dad died.

Dean chased the foul-tasting memory of his father away with the whiskey. The bottle was already half-empty and Dean was definitely past buzzed.

There was a knock on the door.

"Chicago police! Open up," came the yell from outside.

Fuck it, Dean thought, let them come.

Dean just drank again as the door was kicked in. A group of three officers stormed in.

"Dean Winchester, you are under arrest," Henriksen said, stepping into the room behind them. "Man, it is good to finally say that."

"Glad you get your jollies from somewhere, Vicky," Dean taunted. He went to drink again but Henriksen swept across the room and took the bottle away.

"Seriously? We know you're only twenty," Henriksen said with contempt, placing the bottle on the bedside table. Dean made no effort to get up.

"What about Jake and Edgar?" Dean asked.

"Officer Mills is on it. I wanted to be here for this."

"Whatever. How'd you find me?" Dean wondered.

"Got a witness from your apartment to point us in the right direction and then checked motels until we found this one. Good try paying cash but this trumps it," Henriksen said, holding up his badge. "And good call not taking your car. It would have been a dead giveaway. Now, get up."

Dean moved slowly to sit on the edge of the bed. Henriksen was decent enough to let him put his shoes on before pulling him up and handcuffing him.

He went with the officers without a fight.