Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am to a spiritual level beyond material possessions. Therefore, I must borrow everyone else's.

The Ponderosa Experience: Chapter 7 – The Salvage

When the door cracked open after several impatient doorbell rings, it revealed an older woman in a pastel cotton nightgown that stretched to her calves with a high collar. "It's the middle of the night! What is your problem?"

"Your husband," Castiel stated.

"Mrs. Stoneman," Cesar stepped up to interrupt. "I'm Cesar Cuevas. Your neighbor. We bought the Porter's property a few years ago."

"Oh, yes," she squinted at him in the dim light of her porch. "Well, what do you want?"

"We'd like to speak to your husband. Is he home?"

"Of course he's home! Where else would he be this time of night?"

"Can we speak with him?" Cesar asked.

"Why should I let you?

"Mrs. Stoneman," Cas stepped forward, flashing his badge. "We'd like to ask your husband what he knows about sightings of dangerous creatures. Did you hear about the Letón's?" She nodded. "The Cuevas ranch was targeted tonight," Cas added.

"What does that have to do with my husband?"

Cesar added a soothing tone to his words. "We aren't sure. That's why we're here."

"If it's only questions, why couldn't it wait until morning?" She reached up and fingered a small chain around her neck. Cas and Cesar noted her nervousness. She was hiding something.

"It's a time sensitive matter. Please, tell us where your husband is."

She shook her head. "I know my rights. You can't do anything without a warrant. Now get off our property!"

Cesar took a step back, but Cas did not. "Are you a woman of faith, Mrs. Stoneman?" he asked eyeing her necklace. Her hand clasped her cross tightly, and she backed away. She tried to shut the door, but Castiel was faster. "I lied to you before. I'm not a Federal Agent. I'm not bound by the laws of Man. I'm an Angel of the –" Cas took a pained breath. "I'm an Angel." His eyes glowed, the porch light brightened. Mrs. Stoneman shrieked and stumbled backward into the house, still clutching her cross.

"Castiel," Cesar hissed, but Castiel was not about to stop.

The door banged on an inside wall as Castiel stepped inside. The lights nearest Mrs. Stoneman burned bright and burst, sending sparks to the floor. She held up her hand to shield her face. Castiel stood over her. "Your husband has been directly involved in nefarious activities involving supernatural creatures. You may tell us where he is willingly, or," he paused dramatically and flashed his blue eyes, "I can rip it from your mind."

"In…in the green pole barn," she cried. "There's a basement underneath. He keeps it locked." She jumped up, "I... I can get you a key." She ran to the kitchen.

Castiel shook his head. "I won't need a key."

Cesar entered the house and slipped past Castiel. "We'll take that key, Mrs. Stoneman." He followed her into the kitchen where she was trembling over an open drawer. Cesar grabbed a cup from the dish drainer and filled it with tap water. He offered it to the older woman. "Mrs. Stoneman?"

Her hand shook as she reached up for the water. "Is he what he says he is?"

"Yes." Cesar said matter-of-factly.

She took a long drink. "I didn't think he meant it."

"Castiel is many things, but he means what he says."

"No, not the Angel. My husband."

"What are you saying, Mrs. Stoneman?"

She took another drink and looked up at the Hunter. "He figured with the government the way it is, he could get mineral rights at the Park [1], but he'd need access. I didn't think he'd actually do anything about it. It sounded like one of his 'get rich' schemes that didn't ever go anywhere."

"It does sound rather more like a cartoon villain than real life," Cesar sympathized.

"I don't know what he's doing out there. He wouldn't tell me. Wouldn't let me go in. He'd just disappear for hours."

Cesar clapped a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

She looked up at him with wide, weary eyes. "You won't hurt him, will you?"

"Not if we can help it, Mrs. Stoneman. He is dealing with some dangerous things, so I can't make promises that he won't get hurt." Cesar spend a few more minutes with the woman until she calmed.

When Cesar emerged from the kitchen, Castiel pivoted and left the house. Cesar jogged to catch up. "You didn't have to scare that woman," Cesar chided.

"She wasn't cooperating. We needed a new tactic."

"And if she had a heart attack?"

"She had no signs of atherosclerosis."

"You're missing the point."

"You mean, the point that a man is abusing his power, torturing creatures to use as weapons to attack people so that he can 'get rich quick'?"

Cesar jumped at Castiel's choice of words considering that Cas wasn't in the kitchen, and then he recalled Angel super hearing. In response to Cas's question, he shook his head. "No, the point that innocent bystanders shouldn't be traumatized so we can get to the finish line faster. What happened to your compassion?"

"I'm an Angel. We aren't meant to feel such things."

"But you do. I'm guessing that's why Dean doesn't place you in the 'dick' category as other Angels." Cesar stopped in front of the door to the pole barn and turned Castiel by his shoulder to face him. "I'm not sure that you should go in there."

"What?"

"I wouldn't hesitate to let the Cas that arrived on my ranch two days ago in. But the way you are now… I don't know how you will react."

"You don't trust me."

"You are still worked up from your argument with Dean. It's brought up whatever happened that you're still processing. I'm worried that you'll project your other issues on the task at had."

"It's that what you humans do? Can't get revenge on one monster, so you fight others in the meantime?"

"No, you fight other monsters, so others don't feel the way you do. And even getting revenge, doesn't fix anything. Your issues are still there." A moment of silence passed between them. "What is your plan for going in there?" Cesar asked.

Cas's head dropped back, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Will I 'stick to the plan', you mean?"

"Do not put words in my mouth. You just threatened an old woman for information. What will you do to the man in there?" Cesar pointed to the pole barn.

"What is your plan?"

"We knock. Try to convince him to come out."

"And when he doesn't?"

"We make a Plan B." Cesar used the key he got from the Mrs. and opened the exterior door of the barn. Cesar reached for the lights, but Cas grabbed his hand. Cas pointed to the other side of a small tractor. As Cesar's eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the barn, he saw the red glow coming from a rectangle in the floor.

Cesar knocked on the hatch. "Mr. Stoneman. This is your neighbor Cesar Cuevas. We've come to talk." There was shuffling and the light went out. Cesar didn't have to look to know that Cas was rolling his eyes.

"I heard at least one door close," Cas said.

"Mrs. Stoneman said there was only one way in."

"Do you want to wait him out, smoke him out, or go in after him?"

Cesar looked up to process. "We go in, separate him from the chupacabras. Try and keep them in the cages and pull him out. He'll probably have them muzzled or something so he doesn't get injured."

"Any if they aren't?"

"Hope that you have enough power to heal us afterwards?"

Cas sighed. "Who would you prefer to watch the exit?"

"Do you always use such leading questions to get people to accept your plan?"

"Does my plan seem faulty?"

"No."

"I was one of Heaven's top military strategist for millennia. Their wildcard. It's probably the only reason they preferred to recondition me than imprison me when I got out of line." [2]

"Recondition?"

"Alter my memories. Psychologically condition me against suspected triggers. Reset me to 'factory settings.'"

"That doesn't sound pleasant."

Cas shrugged. "I don't remember most of it."

"I'm sorry." A noise from below broke the following silence. "I'll cover the exit. You can see better in the dark," Cesar rationalized.

"Does that mean that I have your trust?" Cas asked.

Cesar grabbed Cas's wrist. "You can channel your pain into this fight, but hurting him will not bring your son back. It won't change the past."

"I'm more than aware."

Cesar nodded. "Then yes. I trust you to do the right thing."

Cas nodded, and Cesar lifted the hatch. Below steps disappeared into the darkness. With his Angel blade in one hand, Cas slid down the stairs. Cesar took each step with caution. When he reached the bottom step, red light flooded the room again. Cesar blinked and found Cas standing next to a series of light switches. Cas nodded to the only other door and approached it slowly.

Cesar took in his surroundings from his exit post. Cages of rabbits, rats, and cats were stacked along the walls. Large jars filled with dark liquid labeled "Cattle" and "Pig" stood on a metal shelf. Long tables held various taxidermy equipment and skins. The furs and leather hides that were cut too much to be salvaged spilled from the garbage can.

Cas reached the other door and glanced at Cesar. Cesar nodded. The knob didn't turn. Cas tried again and snapped the inner workings of the lock effortlessly. With Cesar's nod of approval, he cracked open the door and slipped in. Cesar heard chupacabras yelp and cages rattle from beyond the door. Something small, dashhound size, ran out the door. Cesar grabbed a leather hide from the garbage can and wrapped it around his forearm. He's eyes bounced among the exit he was guarding to the door in the other room to where he last heard the clattering of nails on the linoleum floor. Eventually, the small chupacabra came back into sight. When its tongue lashed out, Cesar was ready with his hide-covered arm to take the blow, while his gun hand shot at the creature.

The commotion in the other room calmed down. Cas poked his head out. "The room has been secured." He nodded to Cesar to follow him in.

The chupacabra room was slightly smaller than the feed and prep room. The largest cages were arranged with one side connecting to a larger cage that took up half the room, likely a feeding or training area. In front of the cages on were sliding glass doors, likely to keep stray tongues a bay. Near the door were leather hoods of various sizes, probably used to muzzle the chupacabras in transport. Cesar wondered how big this chupacabra breeding ring could be, and how long it had been running.

Most of the cages were unoccupied. There were two chupacabras of average adult size and a string of chupacabras no larger than the one Cesar faced in the prep-room. Six of them looked to be barely weaned.

Mr. Stoneman was slumped across one of the glass partitions, still, eyes closed. "What's his condition?" Cesar asked, holding his breath that his judgment for sending Cas in wasn't flawed.

"Unconscious. He threw some small chupacabras at me, but once I was close enough to touch him, I put him to sleep. It took some time to capture and resecure the pups. I heard gunshots. I assumed you got the runaway?" Cesar nodded. Castiel reached down and threw Mr. Stoneman over his back.

"What do you plan to do with him?" Cesar asked as he followed Castiel out of the basement operations.

"I thought you trusted me."

Cesar bit his lip. "Trust goes two ways."

"With all my power, I couldn't save Jack. I couldn't stop my Father and his perverse amusements. But I can prevent this greedy, little man with his vain dreams from hurting anyone else. "

"Yes, a man. Who hasn't caused any serious damage yet. He is not unsalvageable."

"He isn't the victim here."

"Are you talking about the chupacabras?"

"Have you ever been caged? Even metaphorically? Been forced to do things against your will? Have had your children ripped from you for someone else's gain?"

"I've never had children, but yes, I felt caged." He paused. "I'm not sure that you can save the chupacabras, but I think this man can be."

Castiel growled. The reached the front door of the homestead. He knocked. The sound shook the house. This time Mrs. Stoneman was quick to answer. When the door opened, Castiel heaved the man off his shoulders at her feet. "He is asleep. He will awake in a few hours." She knelt beside him and sobbed. Castiel continued. "Before…God," he choked out, "you pledged to care for this man in sickness and health, until death. Do continue to hold his vow?" Between sobs she looked up and nodded. "He is sick. He suffers from the sins of greed, arrogance, brutality, deceit, malice, and coveting the property of others. You will guide him back to the righteous path as your lives are intertwined."

She nodded fiercely. "Thank you for your mercy."

Castiel opened his mouth to say more but looked to Cesar and stopped. He turned and marched back to the poll barn.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Stoneman. If you need help…," Cesar stopped when she bore her eyes into him. He nodded and jogged to catch up with the Angel. "What were you going to say to her? At the end."

Cas shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You were right. I didn't need to frighten her more."

They walked in silence until reaching the door to the chupacabra room. "Do you think we can save the chupacabras?" Cesar asked

Castiel shrugged. He took a deep breath and dropped his hand from the door. "I doubt I can save anyone. I couldn't save Jack."

"Could you alter their memories? Maybe we could make them forget and drop them off in the Park, away from people."

"I dislike using tactics that were once used against me. And the pups have no other memories than this place. What would be left?"

"What should we do then?" Cesar asked. He saw water pooling in Castiel's eyes.

"I'll take care of it," he said eventually. "You ride back home. I'll follow shortly."

Cesar reached out to Cas's shoulder. "You don't have to take on this burden alone."

The Angel smiled bittersweetly. "I understand. But I want to do this alone. Besides you have someone who loves you to return to. He is probably worried."

Cesar side-eyed him. "I'm sure Dean is worried for you."

Cas shook his head. "Not unless he needed me for some task while I was away."

"You make it sound like you are only a tool to him."

Cas nodded. "That would be an adequate metaphor. And my warranty is running out. Powers fading. I won't be much use anymore."

"You are more than a tool."

Cas snorts. "I have believed so in the past. That feeling doesn't last."

"Perhaps you don't see it, because you are influenced by your own self-view." Cas didn't reply, so Cesar added, "You are not a tool, and you are not useless without your powers."

Again came Cas's bittersweet smile. "Thank you for saying so. It is nice to hear."

"It's the truth."

Cas shrugged. "Please, go home. Let me handle the chupacabras."

Cesar knew he wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise. "I'll wait for you outside. Let me know if I need to bring the Stoneman's van around." Cas nodded, accepting the compromise. He slipped into the room and Cesar marched outside.

Cesar hiked to where they had left the horses and checked the tack. He shivered, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was picked up on the second ring.

"How'd it go?" Dean answered Jesse's phone.

Cesar sighed. "More moral grey area than I was expecting."

There was a pause where Dean didn't know how to reply to that. "Everything settled, though?"

"Yes. Cas … is cleaning up. We'll be riding back soon. Is Jesse still up?" Cesar asked.

"No. He passed out a little while ago. Luckily I convinced him to get to bed first, so I didn't have to carry his heavy ass."

Cesar's smiled. "He's probably still be up if it weren't for the drugs. He never could sleep when I was out on a hunt without him."

"'Twice as worried about being ganked.'" A line Dean repeated from their first meeting [3]; one he related to and never forgot.

"Exactly," Cesar replied.

Dean coughed to break the silent pause. "Sounds like you two have got things handled. I think I might hit the road."

"Are you sure? It sounds like you haven't slept either."

"That's what coffee is for," Dean replied.

"I know things have been…tense at the ranch, but you are not unwelcome, Dean."

"Yeah, I know, but Jesse was right. We brought our shitstorm of problems to your doorstep, and we didn't make things easy for you." Cesar heard Dean's sigh. "Cas seemed to enjoy it here, and he doesn't show that often. It'd be best if I was gone by the time he comes back."

"Technically the shitstorm was sent to us by your scheming little brother."

Dean chuckled half-heartedly. "True. That little bitch."

Recalling the words he exchanged with Cas earlier, Cesar pushed Dean. "Are you sure leaving is the best course of action right now? You two seemed to be reaching some sort of understanding before the chupacabras attacked."

"'Some sort of understanding'? That's what you call all that yelling and eye rolling?"

"Dean, I may be overstepping my bounds here, but could I share some advice I was once given?"

"Shoot."

"People are easily lost. Sometimes they need to be reminded why they should stay. Why they want to stay."

"I don't understand."

"If you don't like Cas leaving, give him a reason to stay. Tell him."

"Tell him what? There's no reason he should stay. He's better off without me."

"Not why he should stay. Why you want him to stay. Why you care."

Dean smacked his lips together. "I'll think about it." Dean ended the call.

The sun's first light was lightening the horizon by the time Cas and Cesar returned to the ranch. The Impala was long gone, as expected. Cesar noticed Cas's shoulders drupe when he noticed it was gone. As they dismounted, Cas stared at the empty patch of dirt where the car was hours before.

Cesar felt obligated to say something. He coughed, "Dean said he might be gone by the time we returned." Cas looked surprised at the new information. "I called to check-in after we took care of Mr. Stoneman."

Cas nodded in reply, head cast downward.

"He saw how much you enjoyed it here. He felt it would be better for you if he was gone when you returned."

Cas nodded and looked up before setting his gaze on Cesar. "Isn't it funny how one person can understand you so thoroughly and then other times, not at all?"

"I wouldn't call it funny, but it happens frequently," Cesar agreed. Cesar stroked the flank of his horse as he led them into the barn. "Dean wasn't wrong about you enjoying yourself here, at least?"

Cas nodded and the corners of his mouth upturned. "No."

"I gathered that your life has been difficult lately, and if staying here will help ground you…it would be our pleasure to have you stay here with us. Or in the barn, if you prefer." Cesar added the last bit as a joke, but he didn't know if it was received as one.

Cas nodded and took in his surroundings. "I would like that. Although, I feel life will not afford me much rest before I must be called to action again."

"It rarely does."

Cas insisted on caring for both horses, and he sent Cesar to the house. As he approached, his husband hobbled out the kitchen door and met him on the step.

"Dean said you went to sleep," Cesar called as he approached.

Jesse shrugged, "Not for long."

When he reached his husband, Jesse leaned into him, and Cesar threw an arm around his shoulders. "I'm glad you're back," Jesse said. Cesar squeezed Jesse into him in reply. After a few seconds of peaceful silence, Jesse spoke again. "Remember after we met the Winchesters, and we were kind of envious that they had such high profile adventures as hunters?"

"You mean, when you were jealous?"

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm not anymore. Their lives are ridiculous, and I'd rather stay off God's radar."

Cesar grinned. "I'm glad that you've finally accepted our quiet little lives out here."

They stood in the comfort of the early morning symphony and each other's company in reflection for few moments. Jesse eventually broke the silence, "It's like someone took a soap opera by David Lynch, a Led Zeppelin album, a handful of B horror flicks, shoved it all in a blender and didn't put the top on." [4]

Cesar chucked, but replied, "I think your recipe is missing something."

"What?"

"Flannel."

Jesse nodded. "Flannel. Yes, of course." The two continued to watch the sun grow brighter over the horizon and basked in their peaceful life.

[1] During the Trump Administration in the USA, many federal properties were opened to sell oil and mining rights.

[2] Learning about Heaven from Seasons 8 and 9 left me with some questions like why Gadreel and his buddy would be imprisoned for their crimes, but Castiel would get sent to Naomi. I thought this was a nice head cannon.

[3] Episode 11x19 "The Chitters".

[4} Line/visualization inspired by this deviantart by jollyjack: a href= jollyjack/art/Cinematic-Universes-600853193 jollyjack/art/Cinematic-Universes-600853193/a

A/N: Yeah, I know, I did the Scooby-Doo real estate villain cop out, but, hey, I got Cas on horseback, and that's something, right? Hope ya'll enjoyed it.