The Water
Final chapter
River drummed her fingers on the table, her eyes drifting from the two men at the nearby table, to the bathroom, and back again. She considered waiting for the Doctor and Cas to return. But that would be boring. She jumped up and strode over to the two brothers.
"So, you're the Winchester boys I've been hearing about," She glanced at Dean, "I thought you'd be taller." Casually, she slid into a seat across from them, ignoring the looks they were giving her.
"Who are you? How do you know who we are?" The smaller one (Dean, River guessed, Cas had said that Sam was often compared to a moose, which would match the man next to him) growled. A subtle glance under the table revealed that he was pointing a gun in her direction.
"That's rather rude of you. Not even going to invite me to dinner first?"
"Who. Are. You?"
"Call me River. Everyone else does."
"And how do you know who we are?"
"Why, Cas told me of course." Dean's mouth, already open in response, shut again with a a clack.
"You knew Cas?"
"Well, I think know would be more accurate." River corrected, smiling widely.
"But…he's dead." Sam's eyes darted back and forth, as though looking for the Angel, and River realised suddenly that the younger brother was afraid. Sure, Cas had often lamented about how he destroyed his relationship with the Winchesters while he was possessing her, but he had kept most of his bad memories from her, so she assumed that was just the divine being's unhealthy sense of guilt. She supposed that Cas having one made sense, if Catholics were any measure of how devout personages felt about their sins. Dean didn't seem as rageful as Cas had thought he would be. Though that might be because he thinks Cas is gone. Sam, on the other hand, was scared. River supposed he had a right to be, given what Cas had supposedly done.
"No he isn't," Dean's eyes widened even more, "He's in the bathroom."
"Wait, you mean that scruffy guy?" Dean asked. She nodded, and within seconds he was gone, headed toward the restrooms. Sam blinked once, twice, and then got up and followed, a little more hesitantly. River leaned back in her seat, crossing on leg over the other at the knees and placing her hands behind her head.
"Miss, would you like anything to drink?" A waitress asked, confused as to where the original inhabitants of the table went.
"Tea please." River said, smiling widely. This would either go very well or very badly. She would put her bets on success, however. Time had a way of sorting itself out, and Cas was due for a good turn or seven.
"Cas?"
No answer.
"Cas?"
No answer.
"Let me in, Cas."
Still no answer. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, about to unlock the door, when it swung open with a rusty creak.
"That's better."
The bathroom was dusty, and probably didn't meet all the health codes, but the Doctor supposed it was a decent enough place to go when having a nervous breakdown. Cas is sitting on the toilet, staring in his direction. He wasn't crying, but was as close to tears as the Doctor had ever seen him, so the Timelord figured it must be pretty bad.
"They are going to hate me." Cas says matter-of-factly.
The Doctor opens his mouth to say "I'm sure they won't," then closes it and reconsiders. He doesn't know the Winchesters will forgive Cas. He would, but he isn't them. Hell, he doesn't even know them. They might refuse to speak to him, or try and kill him, or they might want to continue their friendship like nothing ever happened (He doubted it would be the last one, at least not like that, but the optimist in him demands he leave the option open).
"If they do, you'll always have a place in the TARDIS. She absolutely adores you, and River and I aren't far behind." It wasn't the best thing to say, but it was true, and Cas relaxes ever-so-slightly. The Doctor walks forward and the door swings shut. He is about to approach Cas, comfort him in his own awkward way, but then he is interrupted by the door squeaking back open. The Doctor turns.
"Is it you, Cas?" The Angel nods ever so slightly, and Dean storms into the room, pushing past the Doctor and knocking the Timelord into a wall. The Doctor stands back up and examines his shirt, pursing his lips at a smudge of something on the sleeve. When he looked back over at the Angel and human, Dean was standing in front of Cas, glaring down at him. If the Doctor looked closely at the Hunter's hands, he could see them trembling faintly. Dean's right hand clenched into a fist, and, before the Doctor could blink, it collided with Cas' face. Cas thoughtfully turned his head to the side along with the punch, but Dean still clutched his hand in pain.
"Ow. I need to stop doing that." Dean looked at Cas and seemed to see something there, because then he pulled the Angel to his feet and pulled him into a tight hug.
"I thought you were dead," He said. Cas nodded into his chest, "Never do that to me again, you feathery son of a bitch." Sam came into the bathroom at that moment and The Doctor, realizing this was about to become a very private moment, made a swift exit.
"Cas."
"Sam," Cas said solemnly, once Dean released him, "I am sorry." Sam nodded.
"I know."
"It isn't enough." There was no question in the angel's voice.
"No." Cas bowed his head and Sam felt regretful for a moment.
"Look, Cas, I want to forgive you, alright? But…" I can't He thought, not with Lucifer standing behind me singing ABBA, "I will eventually," probably, "but give me some time, okay?" Cas nodded.
"What, I don't get an apology?" Dean asked, with an expression of what was clearly mock hurt, trying to clear the tension most likely.
"I am sorry Dean." Apparently Cas didn't catch the sarcasm. That wasn't really his fault, though. Sam thought it was a rather inappropriate joke.
"Yeah. I know you are. Now, wanna go introduce us to your friends?" Cas relaxed, just a little, and allowed Dean to lead him back out to the diner. Lucifer pouted from his perch beside the sink, then disappeared when Sam began to smile.
Everything's not alright, but it's getting better.
And for a Winchester, that's good enough for now.
A/N: Holy crap it's over. Now I'll only have to focus on ONE fanfic at a time. I am gonna miss this one, though, just a little. Oh who am I kidding I'll miss this a lot.
I'm sorry I didn't end with some epic battle between our heroes and the Leviathans, but I just didn't really see that as the point of the story. The point was just for Cassie to find his way home, and whatever happens next is up to you to decide. I personally like to think they shot Dick Roman in the balls, but that's just me.
