Chapter 67.
Cas and Sarah moved through the party and wherever he went, Cas was being patted on the back, hugged and given things. Several people gave him whisky, some with the words, "Dean said you like whisky." Maggie gave him an MP3 player which he immediately decided he would not mention to Dean. Sarah took each present from him and put it on a table.
He didn't give her the lighter. He had already decided he never wanted that to go beyond his reach. The words, Lux tua, vita mihi were the most poetic and powerful Dean had ever used of their relationship and he knew that Dean generally preferred such things unsaid. It was obvious that Dean wanted him to know that he mattered and, given their recent history, that made him very happy.
Sarah led him to Bobby, who stood off to the side with a beehive beside him, painted yellow and green.
"Happy birthday!" said Bobby, "I made this for your future bees. Then, today, Sarah told me you like to name the queens, so I made this to go on the front." He gave Cas a small wooden label with a wooden flower attached to it. "The hive will fit on the top of the bunker."
"It's a work of art." said Cas, "Thanks, Bobby." He ran his hand over the weather-proof roof and admired the workmanship of the panels.
"I used to know a beekeeper back home. You know. before the bees went extinct. I can build pretty much anything I've seen disassembled. I just wanted to make sure you had the hive when the swarm happened."
Cas wished he knew how to tell Bobby what it meant to him to have someone else believe in the future in which he was finding it so hard to have any faith.
Sarah examined the hive closely. "That is a fine piece of work. I have a few that need some renovation, if you ever have time on your hands, Bobby." she said.
"Always happy to help." said Bobby. He smiled at Cas. "I'm glad you like it."
"I love it and so will the bees." said Cas.
Sarah picked up a wrapped present from behind the beehive and gave it to him. "That's from me, Castiel."
It was larger than any of the other presents she had given him. There was a card on the front and he opened that first. A teddy bear with a big slice of cake grinned at him. Looking inside, he read, "To Heaven's best and Earth's favourite, with love for a happy birthday. All my love, always, Sarah."
He hugged her and then opened the present. It was a framed watercolour painting of the farmhouse, the beehives just visible behind it. "You painted this for me?" he said, knowing how many hours that must have taken.
"For your room here." she said, "So you can always have the peace of the farm with you here."
"I can knock in a hook for you to hang that on." said Bobby.
"Thankyou." said Cas to Bobby. He kissed the top of Sarah's head. "Since the day we met, you have been so good to me."
"You saved my life and made it worth living." she said.
"You did the same for me." he said.
Jules came up behind him and said, "That's a beautiful painting."
"It is." said Cas, "It's the most peaceful place in the world and Sarah is an incredible artist."
She put her hand on his shoulder. Something about her touch felt different and special. She had said she was attracted to him and now there was an added little charge to every interaction between them. "The dancing will be starting soon." she said.
"You must go and dance." said Sarah to him, "And I must find Jack. The painting will be safe here.
He turned to look at Jules. "I'm not the best dancer in the world." he said.
She smiled. "I'm short on technique, but I can dance until dawn."
"I can dance forever." he said.
"On the head of a pin, I hear." she said, smiling.
He looked across to where Dean was talking to his mother. Dean would know exactly what to say to Jules. Dean would know what Jules was saying to him. Cas didn't know whether she was being platonically playful and friendly or flirting with him and it seemed a bad idea to ask. Not that it mattered. He could not start anything romantic with her. She had no intention of staying in the bunker and he would never willingly leave the Winchesters. It would have been good, though, to know whether she really had any interest in him.
"Dean's fine." she said, misreading his expression. He was relieved that she could be wrong about his thoughts. At least the confusion in his head was not entirely visible on his face.