Dean's head pounded like a set of tympani played by a hyperactive gorilla on a caffeine high.

First came the walk of shame, with Benny leading Dean by the arm and Dean slinking after through the maze of cubicles while every one of his coworkers peeked over or around the dividers, watching. Sam's eyes had been the size of dinner plates when he'd gone past, darting from Dean and Benny to Castiel and back. His face showed his confusion. Sam was probably wondering why Dean's guardian angel wasn't cooking up some sort of miraculous intervention right about now. Dean wondered what Sam expected Casts to do? Smite Benny with a bolt of lightning? Teleport Dean to Columbia to start a new life under a false identity? Turn Benny's glock into a banana and his brass knuckles into dandelions? All of those options sounded wonderful to Dean. But the truth was that, with the exception of the bus incident, Castiel had not done one single thing since they'd met that Dean could classify as supernatural. All this time, Cass had seemed more like an ordinary, although brain damaged, man, just trying to adapt. In fact, now that Dean thought about it, Cass seemed more like a helpless child than a powerful guardian angel! For the first time, Dean found himself wondering if he'd somehow hallucinated Castiel's wings and what had happened when he'd stumbled out in front of the bus? Maybe he'd been struck after all, had some brain damage of his own?

It would certainly explain the pounding, throbbing headache he had now. Already, he was starting to see bright flashing spots as the pain spiked. He'd nearly stumbled several times as he'd followed after Benny, almost glad of the other man's hand clamped onto his arm.

Meanwhile, Cass was no help at all. He trailed after Dean, looking triumphant. Dean suspected he had no real idea just how much trouble he'd actually caused. In all likelihood, all the angel cared about was that he'd stopped Bela's near-daily sexual harassment of his charge. Dean figured Cass had chalked this entire thing up as a clear victory. The fact that this meant Dean was about to be fired, beaten bloody and then murdered likely hadn't ever crossed his mind.

The irony of the whole thing was that Dean understood why Cass had done it. Dean himself had told him to do it in a fit of sarcastic pique. He'd even pointed out the elevator and told Cass what floor to find Benny. He'd known full well how much trouble Cass had with sarcasm. Cass must have believed that Dean was telling him to go and talk to Benny, perhaps asking for his assistance. To the angel, it must have seemed like the ideal solution. Benny would deal with Bela, and Dean would never have to worry about her again. And best of all, Cass could keep his promise. He'd get rid of Bela without ever laying a hand on her himself.

In retrospect, Dean could not believe how stupid he'd been to ever even mention Bela or Benny to Castiel.

Of course, Cass wasn't stupid, either. As he'd walked with Dean and the happiness he'd expected from his charge didn't appear, Cass had started looking hard at Dean. The sight of Dean's pale face and wide, frightened eyes had brought a frown to Cass's face. And by the time they'd gotten off the elevator on the fifth floor and Benny had taken them into his office, Cass's expression had morphed into one of concerned anxiety. Dean's guardian angel had apparently figured out that maybe what he'd done had not been the best solution to Dean's problem after all. So far, he'd done nothing to correct it. But what could he do? Before, Dean would have assumed that an angel would be immune to Benny's glock. Castiel was certainly immune to a city bus! But when "Agent Morningstar" had drawn a gun on them yesterday – was that only yesterday? It seemed a lifetime ago! – he had seemed very confident despite the fact that he seemed to understand at least some part of what Cass really was. Dean believed that Morningstar and Crowley at the very least knew Cass wasn't human. He didn't know if their weapons were loaded with some sort of special magical angel-killing bullets or if Cass was simply vulnerable in his human form. Regardless, he couldn't risk Benny shooting Cass, no matter how much Dean might like to shoot him himself right now. But of course that was unfair. Cass had, after all, only done exactly what Dean had suggested.

Now, seated in his expensive padded leather chair behind his desk, Benny Lafitte was on a crying jag. The man was scarcely coherent, sobbing and talking at the same time, telling Cass all about how he'd met Bela and they'd fallen in love. Dean, seated next to Cass in front of Benny's desk, was perfectly fine with that. As long as he was crying to Cass, he wasn't murdering Dean.

As always, Cass was a great listener. He sat next to Dean across from Benny's massive desk with a box of tissues in his hand, handing individual tissues over as the CEO used them and tossed them into the trash. His brow was wrinkled in concern as he listened attentively, the confused blue eyes periodically glancing over at Dean.

Dean was focusing on looking anywhere else but at Benny. Benny's desk was even bigger than Bela's. His office had its own dedicated server, printer, fax, three phones, a big screen TV that took up most of one wall, and even a wet bar. The office was decorated to reflect the CEO's tastes, with expensive-looking artwork on the walls. The man, it appeared, was fond of cats. Cats were everywhere in the office, which was half the size of the entire work area crowded with cubicles where Dean's desk resided. There were cat paintings, cat sculptures, cat statues, cat silhouettes. The ridiculous part of Dean's mind wondered what sort of meeting Benny would have with the dog lover in the Morningstar/Crowley pair? A furry stuffed cat toy stared at Dean from Benny's desk. The thing seemed to be mocking him. Dean resisted the urge to punch its fuzzy smiling face. The cat hadn't gotten him into this mess. As usual, Dean had no one to blame but himself.

Finally, Benny cried himself out and excused himself to the executive washroom. Dean imagined silk towels and gold-plated urinals. He wondered if the toilets had heated seats and bidets? Probably.

Cass was staring at him again. "I did wrong."

"You didn't do anything that wasn't bound to happen eventually anyway," Dean sighed. "I'm not mad at you, buddy. Mostly, I'm just pissed off at myself for letting myself get into this mess in the first place. I never should have lied on my application. When Sam suggested I apply, we were thinking custodial staff or maintenance, but what they were offering for starting wage for this job, plus benefits? And you know, when Bela interviewed me, I kind of got the feeling she was flirting with me. I should have stayed professional. But I wanted the job, so I flirted back, and that got her thinking I was interested, I guess, and… Well, here I am." He shrugged. "I kind of wish Sam had decided to study to be a lawyer instead of going for his MBA. God knows we could use a lawyer right now! But even if we could afford one, we can't sue for wrongful termination because I lied on my application and they've got every right to fire me, no matter what happened between me and Bela." He glanced apprehensively towards the washroom. "Of course, that's assuming Benny fires me and doesn't just bust a cap into my ass."

Cass frowned, cocking his head. "I don't understand."

Dean waved a hand. "I know you don't buddy. I just think that I'm probably about to get my ass kicked by a well-polished fancy dress shoe. Benny strolled in just as I was about to fuck his wife? He's got every right to kick my ass. I'm just hoping that he won't flat-out murder me with you sitting here to witness." He grimaced. "Assuming he doesn't just murder us both."

"Benny is not a good man?" Castiel asked, sounding confused.

"Dude, the guy used to be a mobster!" Dean explained. "Beating the shit out of someone who's been screwing his wife is the least of that man's sins. By the time he's done with me, there won't even be enough left of me to identify by DNA!"

Cass frowned again. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Come on, buddy, what are you going to do? Beat the shit out of Benny Lafitte?"

"Alright." Castiel got up, his eyes on the washroom door.

"No, dammit!" Dean hissed, pulling him back down. "If he really does try to kill me, then by all means, make with the holy rolling. But unless and until he does, we need to try to fight this battle with words, not fists or bolts of lightning or whatever the hell else you've got. Alright?"

"Alright." Castiel slumped in his chair. "I'm sorry, buddy."

Dean sighed, got up, and hugged him. "This is not your fault, ok?" he assured, sitting back down. "Now just stay cool."

In the washroom, the sound of splashing could be heard as Benny washed up. Then the door opened and the man himself returned to his desk. He looked far calmer than before. But he also looked very angry. He pressed a button on his desk. "Damion, you got those files I asked for?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Lafitte."

"Good, bring them in."

A moment later, a male secretary entered and presented a folder to Benny. He didn't give Dean and Castiel so much as a passing glance. Dean supposed he didn't want to be called as a witness in the event of a gruesome bloody double murder.

Benny opened the file. Dean spotted his name on it and recognized his resume on the top. The big man picked it up and was looking it over.

The silence dragged on.

Dean was too terrified to move. But Cass fidgeted, and then finally got up and started to pace.

Benny looked up and frowned at him. "Sit down," he ordered. "The three of us are going to have a conversation."

"Conversation is good," Dean noted, hating the nervous tremor in his voice. "We can talk about this."

Benny looked at him. "Shut up."

"Shutting up, sir." He did a double-take at Cass, who had stopped and was frowning at Benny. "Cass, what are you doing? Sit down, you idiot!"

Cass sat down in the chair next to Dean, still frowning.

Benny ignored them both. He reached into his pocket and, to Dean's horror, produced a gleaming golden pistol, placing it on the desk. At present, the barrel was pointing somewhere to Dean's left. Dean stared at it with bulging eyes.

The CEO indicated the pistol. "You like?"

Dean, not sure how to respond, nodded.

"We each have one, Bela and I," Benny explained. "A matching set, custom made for the two of us. They're gold plated, with mother of pearl inlays on the handle. You know why I bought them? For our wedding."

Custom made gold-plated pistols for a wedding? Dean didn't want to think about what that said about this man.

Cass, seeming oblivious to Dean's rising panic, casually picked up the pistol and began puttering with it, turning it around in his hands and then staring down the barrel. Dean quickly grabbed the weapon and returned it to the table. "Don't touch!" he ordered. "You're going to kill someone!" To Benny, he said, "Sorry. Castiel's six feet tall with the mind if an eight-year-old."

That made Benny chuckle. He picked the pistol up and handed it back to Cass, who accepted it with a smile. Then he turned to Dean. "You have no idea what that is, do you?"

"A glock?" Dean ventured. "I… Cass!"

Castiel cocked an eyebrow at Dean, confused, but he'd already pulled the trigger. A small tongue of flame appeared at the end of the barrel.

"A lighter?" Dean was in danger of evacuating his bowels. "It's a lighter!"

"Of course it's a lighter," Benny grumbled. "Come on, your buddy obviously knew it, or he wouldn't have been playing with it."

"Of course," Dean forced himself to say. "Heh, I guess Cass knows more about guns than I do."

Castiel was too busy playing with the lighter to respond.

Meanwhile, Benny was chuckling. "A glock! Sounds like the troublemakers are spreading rumors around the office again. Did you hear the one about me carrying around brass knuckles, too?"

"Yes, sir," Dean said weakly.

Benny laughed at this. "I was an Eagle scout! I sang in my church choir and volunteered at a nursing home. I never had anything to do with crime. That sensation you're feeling is someone pulling your leg." He indicated the lighter. "They were supposed to represent the fire of our love. Since neither of us had our parents around, we used them to light our unity candle at our wedding."

"Oh." Some of the tension drained out of Dean's body, which made his headache ease slightly. "Heh, I guess I'm pretty gullible, huh? Believing that?"

Benny's face lost all expression as he looked at Dean. "You want to talk about gullible? Let's talk about my wife."

The tension was immediately back, along with Dean's headache.

Benny's expression had turned sad again. "Our wedding was as wild and crazy as we could make it. We were both pretty outrageous, back then. She was into wild sexy clothes and going dancing every night. Then, as time went on, she moved on to…" he stared at Dean, "…other tastes."

Dean cringed as Benny's eyes stared at him. "For what it's worth, I didn't want to. I mean, she didn't hold a gun to my head and she's a very pretty woman, but she blackmailed me! She had my transcript…"

"Ah, yes, your transcript." Benny looked down at the papers in front of him. "So, you didn't really go to this school?"

"No, I did," Dean corrected. "I just didn't graduate. I was in my last semester before I dropped out."

"That so?"

Dean looked down, ashamed. "Yes, sir."

Benny gave a low whistle. "Damn, brother, what were you thinking, dropping out of school?"

Dean squirmed. "It's kind of a long story."

"Ain't it always?" Benny folded his hands on the paperwork and looked hard at Dean. "You know what I hate?" he began. "I hate being lied to and taken advantage of. And now that my eyes are open, I'm looking back through the past decade or so of my marriage and that's all I see. I believed that my wife hung the moon and the stars. I would have done anything for her, brother, anything at all. You ever been in love like that?"

Dean looked down again. "Yes, sir."

"She play you for a cuckold and a fool?"

"I wasn't married to her, but yes, sir, she did. That's kind of how I ended up working here."

Benny leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk. "Tell me."

Dean sighed and reluctantly told his boss about Lisa.

Benny listened and shook his head. "Women," he declared. "They wrap us around their little finger. Or I guess it's more accurate to say they lead us around by the prick. I'd sit here and compare notes with you on how it feels to be played for a fool except your prick happened to be in my wife. And that presents certain social difficulties, doesn't it, brother?"

Dean forgot how to breathe for a moment.

"Now, your trainee, Castiel here, came waltzing into my office a bit ago, no appointment, ignored Damion, no introduction and just announced, 'That bitch Bela will fire Dean Winchester if he doesn't have sex with her on his lunch break because he lied on his application. Monday she handcuffed him to her desk and he had to hide under it when you had sex with her. She left him there for hours. Would you please make her stop?' Then he gestured for me to follow him." He shook his head. "I gotta tell you, that had to be the biggest shock of my life! I'll admit, I had my suspicions before. There was another boy, young and pretty like you are, that rumors were flying around about a few years back. But me, being a love-blinded idiot, chalked them up to no more reliable than the ones you gave me today about my glock and brass knuckles. But still, I got suspicious, so one day I asked her about him. She started crying and told me he had a crush on her and it was starting to make her uncomfortable. Even though he hadn't done anything, she asked me to have him transferred to another office. So I did, and I thought that was the end of it. Recently, I started hearing rumors that she'd found herself another pretty boy." His eyes rested on Dean. "I didn't even ask about it this time. Figured if it was like last time, and she was uncomfortable again, she'd come to me, right? So you can imagine my surprise when I followed Castiel here and found the two of you the way I did."

Silence. Dean had no idea what to say. He stared at his folded hands in his lap and winced as his head throbbed.

Benny got up, went to the bar, and pulled out three glasses and a decanter of dark amber liquid. "You boys like brandy?"

"Actually, I think Castiel's a bit of a teetotaler," Dean called, "and I'm good, thanks."

"Tough shit. We're drinking."

Dean swallowed hard. "Yes, sir." He glanced at Cass, who shrugged, looking on with interest as Benny poured.

Benny returned and handed glasses to Dean and Cass. Then he brought his own glass and the decanter back to his desk with him. The big man drained his glass in one go, grimaced at the burn, and poured another glass. Not wanting to upset him, Dean took a drink. It burned all the way down. Dean figured it was at least 150 proof and probably cost more than he'd just paid for his apartment. He tensed as Cass took a drink.

Castiel's eyes grew very wide. He swallowed several times, staring at the glass in his hand as though it were about to attack him. Then he sat it on the desk and eyed Benny with trepidation.

"You know, Dean," Benny began, pouring himself yet another drink, "you're a good-looking guy. I suppose Bela's always had a thing for pretty young boys like you. Thing is, you're smart, too." He shifted through more papers in the folder. "You do a hell of a good job, brother. Too good to still be where you're at for this long. Why didn't you apply to HR for some assistance and finish school?"

"I tried, sir," Dean ventured. "But I had to go through Bela, and, um…"

Benny paused, looking up at Dean. "She wouldn't let you go, huh?"

Dean sank a bit lower in his seat. "No, sir."

"What a bitch." Benny shook his head, looking over the papers. "You know, it's too bad. The lighter in your buddy's hand, Dean, cost me more to have made than you make in a month before taxes. I worked hard to get where I am today. And yet, Bela threw me over for you."

"I didn't want to do it!" Dean exclaimed. "You heard what she said, right? About how if I didn't give her what she wanted, I'd be fired?"

"Oh, I heard it. And I also heard the stupid rumors flying around about me." He indicated the lighter. "There's the so-called glock I supposedly carry. And this?" He reached into a pocket and produced a tiny stuffed cat. It squeaked when Benny sat it on the desk. "There's my brass knuckles."

Dean stared at the cat. He looked over at Castiel. The angel was still busy playing with the lighter, lighting the flame and letting it go out over and over with an amused smile on his face.

"I was never a criminal," Benny declared. "You can't believe half the shit they say in those cubicles. I'm no killer. I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"So, does this mean you're not going to kill me?" Dean asked hopefully.

"Why the hell should I kill you? I'd love to beat the shit out of you, don't get me wrong. But what's the point of that?" Benny shrugged. "I saw her pin you down on that desk and I heard what she said. I know what sexual harassment is, Dean. You're fired, but it's over what's in this folder on your application and your transcript, not what I saw in my soon to be ex-wife's office."

"Oh." Dean slumped. Well, fired was better than murdered, he supposed. But he had no idea what he was going to do now.

Benny held out his hand, and Cass reluctantly handed the lighter over. "Now, you," he began. "You know why I only have one folder in here?"

"No?" Cass said.

"Because you are not an employee of this company, that's why," Benny snapped. "Now, who the hell are you?"

"Castiel Novak," Castiel replied. "Escort service."

Dean cringed, and Benny blinked. "That horny bitch hired an escort service, too?!"

"No," Cass corrected. He indicated Dean. "I escort Dean Winchester."

Dean facepalmed. Benny's eyes were burning a hole through him. "I have no idea what it is," Benny declared, "but I'm sure there's a rational explanation for this." He turned back to Castiel. "I'm going to assume you don't mean you're a sex worker?"

"No."

"Then what are you?"

Dean cleared his throat. "It's really very simple, actually," he began, thinking fast. If he told Benny the truth, he could possibly have both Dean and Cass committed. But Dean had no idea how to explain Cass's presence or what had happened. He struggled for a lie Benny might believe. "He's an… Er… That is, Castiel is really my…"

"Lawyer," Castiel declared.

Silence fell over the penthouse office.

"I see," Benny said at last. "So, Dean, you planned all this out, huh? You knew Bela would try her shit with you again today, so you had your lawyer escort you here and then bring me down to witness it?"

Dean had lost the ability to speak.

Castiel, unfortunately, had not. "If Dean didn't give his bitch of a boss what she wanted, he'd be fired! He had no other choice. What would you do, man? She's your boss. She won't hurt you, but she can certainly fire you, and that gives her all the power. If you don't do what she wants, you're out on the street. So when someone like that tells you to have sex with her, or to let her jump on you while you're handcuffed to her desk? Really, what choice do you have?"

Dean made a small noise. If his eyes bulged any more, they would surely pop out of his head. Benny was looking at Cass with something like horror.

But Castiel wasn't finished. "When you showed up, she'd already cuffed him to her desk and there wasn't time to let him go. She ended up leaving him there for hours. He couldn't stand it and was struggling to get loose. Let's look at some truths. Dean, can I see your hand a moment?" Without waiting for Dean's response, Cass grabbed his hand, pushed back his sleeve, and showed the healing marks on his wrist to Benny. "Now I am the one who is dealing with all of this. We need to try to fight this battle with words, not fists or bolts of lightning or whatever the hell else you've got. Alright?"

Benny looked at Castiel for a long moment. Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Damn, brother!" he called. "You do not piss around, do you? I should fire those overstuffed suits we got on retainer and hire you! But let's get down to brass tacks."

He steepled his fingers, tapping the tips of his index fingers against his chin as he looked at Cass. Cass looked sternly back at him, and Dean suddenly realized that Cass had no idea that Benny was expecting him to offer terms. Dean rapidly finished his drink, this time appreciating the burn. "Look," he began, "all I want is a chance, ok? If that's my employment folder, then you can see how good my work is. Like you said, I should have been promoted a long time ago, and the reason I wasn't was because Bela wouldn't let me go. She's been blackmailing me all this time, using her position as my immediate supervisor to make me have sex with her and intentionally passing me over for promotions so she could keep me under her control. What she did to me Monday was the last straw. In fact," he continued, inspired, "I was so emotionally distraught after what she did to me that I called off sick on Tuesday so I could see my lawyer here and try to develop a plan. I'm sorry, Mr. Lafitte. I'm genuinely sorry that you had to find out about this like this. But please understand, I was out of options!"

"And now, Castiel here has my balls in the palm of his hand," Benny noted. "You play a hell of a game, Novak!"

Cass looked at his palms, confused.

"Here is what I'm asking," Dean declared. "Obviously, terminating me is off the table. I want a full ride to the school of my choosing to finish my degree. In return, I'll agree not to file charges or pursue a lawsuit against the company for allowing this horrendous sexual harassment to continue as long as it has, or against you for threatening to fire me." He took a deep breath, deciding to press his luck. "Oh, and I'd like my brother to be strongly considered for promotion, seeing as how Bela's job is currently vacant and he's more than qualified. And for the company to pick up both of our student loans as a token of good will."

"Is that all?" Benny asked calmly. His expression was unreadable as he looked at Dean.

"Um, yes," Dean said, glancing at Castiel, who still looked confused as he poked at his palm with a finger.

Benny began to laugh.

Dean stared at him, not knowing what to make of this reaction. Cass, distracted from his hands, looked up, raising one eyebrow at the laughing man. Benny laughed and laughed until tears once again ran down his cheeks. Castiel calmly handed him another tissue.

"Oh! Thank you, Mr. Novak," Benny hiccuped. "Whew! I needed that. For a smart guy, you're dumb as hell, Winchester, you know that?"

Dean didn't know how to respond to that.

Benny closed the folder and grinned at him. "I like you two," he announced. "You've both got some serious hair on your nuts. So here's what I'm going to offer you. First of all, there is no way in hell you are keeping your current position. Sorry, I'm not done!" he called as Dean opened his mouth to protest. "I'm not firing you, Winchester. You should have been promoted months ago, so I'm doing it now. You're on the second floor, effective tomorrow. If your brother's half as good as you, he'll either join you there or, more likely, take over the position so recently vacated by my soon-to-be-ex-wife. I'll see to it that you get to finish your degree, I'll take care of both of your loans, and I'll do what you should have asked for. I'll give you a generous compensation package."

The CEO reached into his desk, produced a check book and pen, and quickly scribbled. Then he tore the check off and handed it to Castiel. "How's that look, my man?"

"Alright," Cass said.

Dean quickly snagged the check before Benny realized Cass had been looking at it upside-down. Then he simply stared at the number in shock.

"Of course, we'll offer you counseling services," Benny was saying. "You can take advantage of them if you want. Maybe they can help you figure out why the hell you'd let someone like Bela take advantage of you like that? God knows I'll be seeing them to find out that same thing!" He raised a finger. "Oh yeah, one more thing. Take the rest of the week off to recover from your ordeal, with pay at your new level. When you come back Monday, we'll get you oriented to your new position." He looked at Cass. "That sound good, Novak?"

"That just sounds corny as hell," Cass replied.

That put Benny into another laughing fit. "I know, right?" he managed. "Recover from his ordeal, this kid is so tough he's already recovered, hit back, and moved on! But hey, never let it be said I'm not a sympathetic man." He rose, shook hands with Castiel, and then offered his hand to Dean. "Dean? Thank you for ruining my life, but saving me from a horrible marriage. Think about those counseling services, alright?"

"Yes, sir, I'll do that." Counseling might be a good idea, considering. He got up, still clutching the check with the outrageous number of zeroes on it, grabbed Cass by the arm, and started towards the door.

"Oh, and Winchester?"

Dean froze. "Yes, sir?"

"Find yourself a special friend, would you?" Lafitte advised, looking sad. "A guy like you shouldn't be so damned lonely." His eyes flicked to Cass. "Especially not when you might just have something good right in front of your eyes." He looked back at Dean, his face breaking into a smile. "Now get the hell out and enjoy the rest of your week!"

Dean blinked in astonishment. He managed to mumble a quick thanks. Then he dragged Castiel out before the unpredictable angel could say anything else.

He didn't say anything in the elevator, but when they reached the ground floor, Dean stuck his head into the work area, waved to get Sam's attention, and then mimed talking into a phone and mouthed "Call me later." He couldn't wait to find out Sam's reaction when he found out he was taking over for Bela.

Finally, he and Cass were outside. The rain had let up, and the sky was a glorious blue. Castiel looked up, smiling. The way the sun shone on his face made him look so handsome that Dean's heart skipped a beat. "C'mon," he called, suddenly shy. "Let's go to the park."