Chapter 74.
Sam found Jack and said, "Jack, do you have a minute?"
"I always do for you." said Jack.
Sam took him out of the garage and to the solitude of the dungeon, where nobody could disturb them without being heard. "Jack, we have a problem."
"Meerkat containment?" said Jack.
"Yes. Dean is going to Sarah's for a few days. It's great. He should go. I told him to go. The only problem is, he'll basically be plunging back into Hell and Cas will be here worrying about him. Result?"
"Meerkats everywhere." said Jack, "And there's no way Castiel won't check if he feels Dean is in pain when he knows what he's going through at the time."
"And the more intense the therapy, the more likely Dean is to realise that he's perfectly sane and is not imagining the connection."
"Or think he's completely insane and do something crazy like trying to get away from all of us."
"There is no away. Distance doesn't alter a thing."
"No, so he won't try to put distance between him and Cas. He'll try to stop his mind transmitting to him."
"Least harmful choice, lots of alcohol. Most harmful, death."
"Dean would never kill himself." said Jack.
"Dean would do whatever it took to kill the link." said Sam.
"Why is it Dean that's picking up Castiel's thoughts? I would have thought the angel would be the one breaking the imaginary barrier."
"No offence, but celestials are, in general, far more gullible than humans. Cas doesn't doubt, even subconsciously. Not yet, anyway. If Dean's feelings are sufficiently intense and Cas is focused on Dean anyway, Cas will pick something up and know the talismans are as real as bigfoot."
"Wait, bigfoot isn't real?"
"Sorry, Jack." said Sam, "Of course, if Cas and Jules get together Cas will be distracted from Dean, but Dean may pick up Cas's happiness. So we'll then have meerkats going in all directions."
"Okay, this is probably a stupid idea, but what if Cas and Dean went to Sarah's house together? If they're both there, talking to each other, there's a good chance the connection won't happen and all the meerkats will stay in their ... where do meerkats live? Nests?"
"Tunnels." said Sam.
"Oh, okay. Bunker dwellers, like us. We could have been Team Meerkat."
"Don't suggest that to Dean." said Sam, "He'd want T-shirts."
"So do I, now!" said Jack.
"Your idea is a good one." said Sam, "And it might be good for both Dean and Cas to go through it together. Of course, it messes up the chances for Cas and Jules to get together for now, but a few days wouldn't make that much difference. I'll mention the idea, see what they say. Cas is not exactly rushing things with Jules. He may even welcome a few days away from the confusion."
"Is it always that bad?" said Jack.
"Most people struggle a bit with the romantic stuff, but no, Cas is in his own new level of stress about it. It's not his fault. Angels have issues."
"How about nephilim?" said Jack.
"Nobody knows." said Sam, "But you handle emotions, your own and other people's, a lot better than Cas does. Being half human seems to help."
"Being with you and Dean helps both of us." said Jack, "But you need to remember, I care about you as much as you care about me. I see what this is doing to you, lying to Dean and I know you feel like you're betraying him, but you're not. If there were any other way, you'd take it. You're doing what you need to do to protect them both. You know I would never support anything I felt betrayed either of them."
"Thanks, Jack. It helps to hear you say that."
"We're in this together, however bad it gets."
"I still wish I could find another way." said Sam.
"I know. Me too. I keep trying to think of one. We're still not telling Sarah, right?"
"Telling her is an absolute last resort, second only to telling Dean."
"I think that makes it the penultimate resort." said Jack.
Sam smiled. "You are very like Castiel."
"Thanks." said Jack, "If Dean works it out and asks you, right to your face, could you bluff it out?"
"I hope it never comes to that. I'd have to try, but I don't know if I could do it." Sam looked at the devil's trap on the floor. It seemed a fitting symbol for the mess they were in. "We were doing so well with all the honesty and now everything depends on one lie that we have to protect with everything we have."
"Lies are sometimes necessary." said Jack, "You and Dean taught me that."
"Yes, they are." said Sam, "But lying to Dean and Cas feels wrong, all the way. I just don't have a better option. And now I have to lie to Sarah too. At least I can tell you and Mom the truth."
"Please, always tell me the truth. Nobody should bear this kind of weight alone."
"Just one problem. I'm supposed to be taking care of you."
"I didn't get the chart." said Jack, "You and Dean look after Castiel, you and Castiel look after Dean, you, Dean and Castiel look after me. Someone doesn't have any support."
"Don't worry about me." said Sam, "My superpower is to keep going, no matter what."
"Yes and isn't that also Dean's?" said Jack, "Also, I know you're planning to back away from Sarah, because lying to her is hard and even though she was helping you a lot, Dean will always come first for you."
"You know nothing of the kind. You assume."
"Correctly." said Jack.
Sam nodded to the door and they started heading back to the party. "Nobody likes a smartass, Jack."
"Just remember, you always have me."
"Yeah, I do." said Sam.
Back at the party, he was alarmed to see no sign of Dean, then he saw him in the doorway with Mary.
"Come on, Jack. Let's get some food." he said.
They collected their food and then went back in and stood near Dean. "Is Castiel still having a good time?" said Jack.
"He's spending a lot of time with Jules. Hey, Sam, twenty dollars says they kiss tonight."
"I'm not gonna bet on my best friend's happiness, for or against." said Sam.
"Because you know I'm right." said Dean.
"They won't kiss for weeks." said Sam.
"Yeah, they'll kiss tonight. Look at the way he reacts whenever she touches his arm. Any normal couple would be tearing each other's clothes off by now, but this is Cas, so I'm saying they'll have one great kiss."
"Do people really tear each other's clothes off?" said Jack, "That sounds a little primitive."
"Yeah, it is." said Dean, grinning.
"Jack's not ready for this conversation." said Sam, "Not with you, anyway. He needs guidance from a mature, responsible adult." He looked across to where Cas was gazing at Jules. "And so does Cas."
"I can handle both." said Mary, "You boys have enough to deal with."
"When Jack needs to know, I'll tell him." said Dean, "I've had more sex than all of you put together and multiplied by ... " he saw his mother's face and said, "Okay. Forget I said that." He looked at Sam. "Sam, I need you to be very honest with me, okay?"
"Fine." said Sam.
"How sure are you that the talismans are working?"
"One hundred percent." said Sam without hesitation. He watched his brother's eyes and hated himself for the loss of hope in them.
"Good." said Dean, "That's what I thought."
"Did you have another ... " Sam began.
"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to be sure." He glanced at Cas. "He hasn't asked you, has he?"
"No. He can tell they're working, I think." said Sam.
"Good." said Dean again, "I need a drink."
When he had gone, Sam said quietly to the other two, "The next time I go to Hell, I'll completely deserve it."