I was uneasy. Why, I wasn't positive. Sure, I was walking around the streets of some city at night, searching for a shape shifting vigilante, but I'd done weirder things. It wasn't like my life was normal. Or safe.
So why was my skin crawling? I paused under the light of a streetlamp, doing my best to collect my thoughts. A moment later the hair on the back of my neck stood on edge, and a strengthening of the uneasy feeling in my gut forced me out of the light. I slipped into the shadows, resisting the urge to hide behind a dumpster.
It felt like someone was watching me. Why? Who would be watching me? I shuddered at all the possibilities, paranormal and otherwise, and put my hand to the angel blade stuffed in my belt. The touch of the cool metal under my fingers helped to calm me somewhat, though my heart was still racing.
I stayed where I was for several moments though, pressing my back against the nearest brick wall and peering anxiously around me. I couldn't see anyone besides me on the streets, and there were no suspicious noises. Nothing to suggest someone was creeping around, trying to sneak up on me.
I took a deep breath and sighed. I had a job to do. I was hunting a monster; I couldn't sit there and hide from a scary feeling. It was my job to find the scary feeling and remind it that even monsters should be afraid of the dark.
I'd do that later. For now I had a job to do. Forcing myself to step forward, I started slowly down the street again, eyes scanning nervously around. If I had been tense before it was nothing compared to how tightly wound I was now. I felt like a string stretched too tight. One wrong move and snap.
I jumped as a sound filled the air, barely keeping from screeching. The sound turned out to be a small group of friends stumbling their way out of a bar, laughing and joking amongst each other. I watched them for a moment, but they didn't seem to be making their way to one of the cars lining the curb, so I left them alone.
Fifteen minutes later and I was still wandering around. The same a half hour after that. There wasn't much else I could do. It wasn't like I had a vigilante tracker; some little device that would beep and guide me in the right direction. Scowling as I inhaled the frankly disgusting stench coming from an alleyway holding an overflowing dumpster, I wished I did have one.
By then the feeling that I was being watched had faded. It had vanished rather suddenly, though it took me a while after that to wind down. Or at least wind down somewhat. Considering what I was doing at the time, total relaxation probably wasn't a good idea.
I frowned and glanced down as my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Dean.
"Hey," I said.
"Sam's tailing him," Dean said. He sounded out of breath, like he was running, and I guessed he was already racing toward Sam. "Crescent Avenue, last he said."
"On my way." I hung up the phone, shoving it in my pocket. Then, for a moment I just stood there. There was no way I could run all the way across the city on time to catch the vigilante. I didn't even know my way around. I needed a car.
It was a simple enough matter to steal one. I took one from a side alley, where there weren't any cameras, and soon had the engine going. I had become disturbingly practiced at stealing cars over the past year, and though I still felt a bit guilty whenever circumstances forced me to take one, the feeling was no longer gut wrenching.
Then I pulled out my phone and typed Crescent Avenue into the maps setting. It took a moment, but soon I had a route planned out, and I put the car into drive and hit the gas.
It took a lot longer than I would have liked to get to Crescent Avenue. I had to stop for red lights and stop signs, not to mention the occasional pedestrian, and I couldn't speed too much without drawing attention to myself. As I neared Crescent Avenue I exited out of the mapping system; Sam and the shifter were no longer there.
"Ok." I got out of the car, turning slowly in a circle. "If I was a shape shifting vigilante, what direction would I go in?"
I had no idea.
I sighed, pulling out my phone and dialing Sam's number.
"Where are you?" I asked.
Sam sighed, and I could hear him panting on the other end of the line. "A few blocks away from Crescent," he said. "The shifter got away."
"Damn." I scowled into thin air and kicked at a beer bottle littering the sidewalk. It went skidding away, and I resisted the urge to go pick it up and find a trash can for it. "Now what?"
There was a pause, during which time the only sounds were Sam's heavy breathing and the late night city noises around me. "Head back to the motel," Sam ordered. "I'll meet you there. I'll call Dean."
"Got it." I hung up the phone and got back in the car, leaning back in the seat with a disappointed sigh.
Our plans of chancing across the shifter while wandering around at night had been farfetched to begin with. It was a miracle Sam had even seen the person. There had never really been a chance of us actually taking him or her down. Not when we were split up, and when the shifter had the home-turf advantage.
I didn't break any traffic laws bringing the car back to where I'd taken it. Once I'd parked I did my best to wipe my prints away with the hem of my shirt, then started down the street on foot.
A few minutes later my phone buzzed. Again I answered it, leaning against a building as I did so I wasn't standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Hello?"
"Hello."
I grinned as I recognized Cas's voice, and despite the sour mood that had been settling over me, a happy little bubble filled up in my stomach.
"Hey Angel Dust."
Cas chuckled at the nickname, and I drank in the sound.
"Where are you?" he asked. "You're not at the motel."
"Uh- hold on." I peered around me for a street sign. "On Berkshire Road. Right next to a library."
Instinct had me spinning around a moment later, and my eyes fell on the figure standing feet away. Tall, dressed in a suit and trench coat, with dark hair that fell into deep blue eyes in just the perfect way. A devil's grin on an angel's face. I knew how many emotions could swirl around in those eyes, but the only thing I saw there at that moment was joy.
We all but launched ourselves at each other, falling into a deep, passionate kiss. I ended up standing on my toes, my fingers curling into Cas's hair, and he pulled me up and against him, his hands fitting perfectly against the small of my back. Electric tingles ran up my spine, and we automatically clutched each other closer.
When we pulled away we were panting. For several moments we stayed where we were, resting our foreheads together. Cas's breath was hot on my face, sending a new set of shocks running through my skin.
"I missed you," he whispered at last.
I smiled, pulling Cas into a hug and resting my head on his shoulder. "I missed you too. Are you done in heaven?"
Cas nodded; I could feel the motion against the side of my head. "For now," he told me. "I'll have to go back in another month or so."
I pulled away and sent him a scowl that said I wasn't happy. Cas let out a short laugh and intertwined our fingers.
"I know," he said. "I wish I could stay here with you."
I grinned. Why, I don't know. It's not like I hadn't already known that. All the same, I found myself grinning like a kid on Christmas.
"Come on," I said. "Let's get back to the motel."
Cas nodded, and a second later we had landed. I shook my head; flying didn't bother me like it did Dean, but the rapid change in location was still somewhat unsettling. I felt like I should at least feel something, some jolt like I was landing or taking off, some disturbance in the force, or at least a moment of blackness where I couldn't see anything. But we travelled too fast for that, and the flight was far too gentle for me to feel anything.
Either that or my jedi skills needed work.
I sent Sam and Dean texts that told them to head straight for my room when they got back to the motel. When I glanced up from my phone I found Cas examining some of the maps I'd tried to clean up earlier.
"What's all this?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Work for the case."
Cas's eyebrow arched. "This seems a bit… excessive. I thought you hated research."
I bit my lip, uncomfortable. "I do. But this case needed it. We still haven't caught our goon."
For a moment Cas inspected me silently, and then he nodded and replaced the crumpled up maps in the garbage. He settled on one of the beds, and eagerly I climbed up next to him. We curled up together, me all but sitting in his lap, our legs draped over each other. Cas's arms wove around me, and I grasped his forearms with my own hands, pulling him tighter against me. We were a mass of tangled limbs. It was rapidly becoming one of my favorite ways to sit.
"What's the case about?" he asked.
I quickly explained the case to Cas, then detailed our failed attempt to catch the vigilante that night.
"I knew it was a long shot," I finished. "But still…"
Cas planted a kiss on my head. "I'm sorry," he offered.
I smiled, though he couldn't see, and either way I doubted it was much of a smile. "Thanks."
For a few minutes we sat in silence. I wasn't sure what Cas was thinking, but I was mulling over the case in my head. I only glanced up again when a key rattled in the door, and in stalked Sam and Dean, both looking annoyed.
The annoyance quickly faded from their faces as they spotted the angel I was curled up with.
"Cas!" Sam grinned and strode forward, and I shifted off Cas so he could stand. The two wrapped each other in a bear hug, and then Dean swooped in.
"When'd you get here?" he asked.
Cas smiled. "About ten minutes ago."
"Why didn't you let us know?" Sam was beginning to pout.
Cas's eyes widened slightly, and he looked like he was struggling to come up with a suitable excuse.
"I'm sorry," I called out. "Did you want to watch us make out?"
Dean looked horrified, and Sam made a good natured face before breaking down into laughter at the look on Dean's face. "No," he chuckled. "Ok. Point taken."
Cas came to sit with me again, blue eyes twinkling. Sam and Dean sat on the other bed, and I felt the mood of the room grow serious. It was time to get to work.
"So, what happened?" I asked.
Sam sighed. "I saw the shifter moving around on Crescent," he said. "He was using the roofs, so I was the only one who saw. I called Dean and started to follow, but he noticed me. Then it was pretty much a chase across the rooftops."
"Where'd you lose him?" I grabbed our one good map as I spoke, and Sam frowned as he thought back.
"Not sure," he admitted. "Franklin Avenue, I think."
I nodded and drew a dot on the appropriate avenue, and we all gathered around to look at the map.
"Ok," said Dean. "So that's pretty close to the center of our pattern."
I nodded. "The shifter probably headed home."
"Don't shape shifters shed skins?" asked Cas.
"Yeah, why?"
Cas's eyes roamed over the map. "Well, the shape shifter wouldn't want to do that at home. It would be too obvious. Not to mention smelly. They've probably got someplace where they can change skins and dispose of them where no one will notice."
"True." Sam frowned. "Crap. That changes everything."
Dean nodded. "The center of our pattern might just be where it changes shape. Not its house."
"Well we can still trap it there," I commented. I paused; we were still unsure what the next step would be.
"Yeah," agreed Dean.
"Wherever it is, the shifter probably headed back there," Sam offered. "It probably tossed in the towel for the night."
Dean nodded. "The realization that someone is after it probably spooked it into hiding. It might not show again for a while." He frowned. "Do you think it knows you're a hunter?"
Sam shrugged. "Who knows? It might guess. It probably did."
"Probably," I said. "If he thought you were some bad guy that had gotten too close he'd have pounded your head in. I bet he only ran cos he figured you're a hunter."
Sam frowned and touched a hand to his head, as though to make sure it was still in one piece.
"So now what?" asked Dean. He glanced back and forth between the rest of us.
"Let's go out tomorrow," Cas suggested. "We'll if we can find out where the shape shifter is changing its skins. Then we wait there for it."
"We?" asked Dean. "You in?"
Cas nodded. "The angels don't need me at the moment, and I've worked cases with you before. Why not?"
"Cool." Sam stood and rolled his head around. "I'm beat. I'm heading to bed."
Dean nodded. He was halfway to the door before he froze, turning back to Cas and I. "Cas, you go. I'll sleep in here tonight."
Cas and I both frowned.
"What?" I asked.
Dean shot me a look. "Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked.
I lifted an eyebrow. "Do you want me to answer that?"
Dean ignored Sam's snickers in the background. "He's your boyfriend," he reminded me.
"Yes, we know," Cas commented. There was a rather devilish smile on the angel's lips as we traded looks.
Dean scowled. "You're not sleeping in the same room together."
"We've done it before."
"That was before you were dating."
I frowned. Technically we'd slept in the same room since then, but Dean didn't need to know that. It's not like we did anything. Anything much.
"Really?" Cas asked.
Dean grabbed Cas by the sleeve of his trench coat and shoved him toward the door. "Really. Get out."
"But I don't sleep," Cas complained. "What am I supposed to do all night?"
"What do you normally do?" asked Sam. He wriggled his eyebrows slightly, glancing surreptitiously between Cas and I.
I glared at him. "Not helping, Sam."
"Not trying to."
Cas sighed. We both knew Dean had us beat. For a moment I considered threatening to sneak out, but I wouldn't put it past Dean to knock both Cas and I out and tie us up. Apparently Cas was thinking the same thing, because he kept his mouth shut.
He stepped forward for one last kiss, and we drew it out as long as we could. Partially because we were still recovering from being apart for so long, partially just to mess with Dean.
"Goodnight," whispered Cas.
"Night."
With a sigh and a final glare at Dean Cas slunk out the door, and looking like he was enjoying the entire thing Sam followed. The door clicked shut, and I turned and glared at Dean.
He was standing just behind me, his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.
"Don't feel bad," he told me. "If you want I'll cuddle with you." He opened his arms for a hug and gave me a deceptively sweet smile, and I had to resist the urge to hit him.
"I hate you," I muttered.
Dean's smile only grew bigger as he reached out to ruffle my hair. "Love you too, Lucy."
