AN: Finally, the plot advances! Finally, we get some more action! Finally, the romance rears its ugly head. . .though I keep it very canon, no worries. Heehee. . .whatever it takes. . .I ALWAYS keep it canon.
Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks to those of you who always review -- you are my heroes.
"I don't get it man," Dean said, shaking his head, as they drove back to the motel. "I mean, you look like me. You sound like me. And you still can't bag the chick."
"Dean, enough," Castiel said from the backseat. "We do not begrudge you your sexual activities, but you need not force them upon the rest of us."
"I don't get it," Bobby said. "That amulet had some power to it. I was sure that was the key. But . . .no change."
"Maybe it was something else," Sam mused. "What else could we be missing."
"Whatever, we're not going to figure out tonight," Dean said, turning in to the motel. "I'm exhausted. We've been driving all day, and I've been stuck in Sam's body all day, and this dude gets hungry. A lot."
"Of course," Castiel said. "He is larger than you. It seems clear that. . ."
"But you never eat!" Dean stopped the car, turned around to look back at his brother. "Seriously! Like, a salad. What gives?"
"It's called self-control," Sam said, climbing out of the car. "You should try it some time."
"Whatever."
The room only had two beds, of course, which necessitated a Rock Paper Scissors fight. Which of course left Dean on the couch. Bobby and Sam were asleep within minutes, loud snores ricocheting out of their mouths, or noses, or wherever snores come from. Dean, on the other hand, kept restlessly shifting around. All six feet of him didn't quite fit on the bed, and he just couldn't get comfortable. And having Castiel just standing there didn't help either.
"Um. . .Cas. . ." Dean said. "What are you doing?"
"I am standing," the angel said. Dean sighed. Always so freakin' literal.
"Yeah, I know that," Dean sighed. "Just. . .why?"
"I always stand here while you are sleeping," Cas said, his head tilted in that funny way he had. Okay. Weird.
"Why?"
"You are vulnerable while you are sleeping," Castiel explained. He kneeled down beside Dean, his face, as always, a little too close for comfort. Dean scooted back as much as the couch allowed.
"Oh," he said. "So you guard us. That's not so weird."
Castiel didn't respond, just cocked his head again. Dean cleared his throat.
"So. . .uh. . .what do you do to keep from being bored to death?"
"How would boredom kill me?" Cas asked.
"Never mind. . .what do you do while you stand there and wait?"
"I watch you sleep."
Dean stared incredulously into the angel's eyes. "That's it. Every night, you just pop in and stand there, and watch us sleep? Get a life, Cas!"
"I do not watch both of you," Cas said, still puzzled. "Just you."
"Right. . ."Dean turned away from the angel, definitely uncomfortable now. "Good night, Cas."
"Good night, Dean."
* * * * *
It was a strangled scream that brought him jolting into wakefulness. Dean jerked up, grabbed the knife that he'd placed on the bedstand instead of under his pillow, and was on his feet in seconds. The scream was coming from Bobby, sitting straight up in bed, unmoving, just screaming. Dean ran to his side, found Sam already there.
"Bobby. . .Bobby, what's wrong?" Sam asked. His hands were hovering around Bobby's shoulder, uncertain what to touch, where it wouldn't hurt.
"Nothing's wrong, boys!" Cas said, his voice bright and perky. Dean turned around, only to see Cas patting himself up and down, a bright grin on his face. Dean was pretty sure he'd never seen Cas this happy. He abandoned Bobby, who had finally stopped screaming, and walked over to the angel. He gripped him by the upper arms, turned him face to face.
"Cas, what's wrong," he asked urgently. He tried to catch Cas' eyes, but the blue escaped him, dancing all around the room, and the angel fidgeted in his hands.
"Dean," Bobby said, his voice broken. Sam was on his knees now, hands still hovering. Giving up on Cas for the moment, Dean turned back to the elderly Hunter.
"Yeah?"
"Dean. . ." Bobby peered at him, cocked a head, and stared into his eyes way too seriously. Dean felt something queasy spread through his stomach. He felt like he was going to be sick. The world started going grey at the edges.
"Dean!" Sam caught him before he could fall to the ground. "Dean! What's wrong!" Sam's voice had the edge of panic in it. It was weird, Dean thought, to be peering up at his own face. Body swapping was really weird. . .
"I guess the amulet did it," Dean said, shaking off his brother's arm. Sam just looked at him quizzically. "Bobby and Cas. . ." Dean explained. "They body-swapped, too."
"I can walk!" Cas – er, Bobby – said gleefully, and proceeded to skip across the room.
"Well. . .this is good, right?" Sam asked. "I mean. . .now we know how to fix this. We can get back in our own bodies, right?"
Dean nodded, unsure. Cas looked. . .scared, almost. And maybe it was because he was in Bobby's body. . .maybe Bobby's expression just looked scared. . .but Dean had the definite impression that there was some deeper trouble going on.
It took quite a while to get everyone into the car. Bobby was busy zipping through the parking lot, running as fast as Castiel's legs would carry him. Meanwhile Cas, always confused by human bodies, was having great difficulty maneuvering himself into the Impala.
"I don't get it. . ." Dean grunted as they struggled to shove his legs in. "You're an angel. . .why don't you just fix yourself?"
Cas sighed. "My powers diminish every day," he explained. "And this body did not give me permission. That drastically limits my abilities."
"So because Bobby didn't have the chance to accept you, you lose power," Sam mused. That seems fair."
Dean couldn't argue with that. It did seem fair, and it explained why angels were so picky about getting consent from their vessels – explained why even Lucifer was playing fair and waiting for Sam to say yes. Or . . .now. . .waiting for himself, he supposed.
It didn't take long to get to the bar. It did, however, take a long time to get into it, what with having to chase down the overly energetic Bobby. Sam at least was able to figure out how to reassemble the wheelchair, and eventually they headed in.
* * * * *
"No way." Eliza could hear her friend from the front of the bar. "Eliza!" The yell came a moment later. "Get out here. You're not going to believe this."
She wiped her hands off, and pulled off the denim shirt. Tony had left just ten minutes ago. . .no need to keep looking like a dump. Besides, she got better tips when she looked hot. Now if she could just convince the boss to let her work nights, she'd have it made. . .
"They're back," she said, startled. Sure enough, all four men were back, clustered around the little table. She blushed a little, remembering the number that Sam had given her. Still stuck in her bra. She'd thought about giving a call the night before, try out the second man, as it were, but then Tony had spent the night. . .well. It was good to know they were all around. Tony was out on a run for the next day and a half.
She didn't even bother to ask them what they wanted, just filled four pints and walked over.
"Hello again, boys, just can't get enough of our watering hole, huh?"
"Can't get enough of the staff," Sam said over the rim of his glass. He winked. Dean, meanwhile, didn't seem to mind the flirting at all. Eliza bristled a little. Clearly he was a dick. A night of heaven spent with her should not be so readily forgotten.
"I need to see the amulet," the geezer said, leaning forward. He stared at her, his eyes wide and intent.
"Whoa, Cas, hold back there," Sam said, pressing a hand against the old man's chest. "You're freaking me out, don't do the same to her."
The old man grumbled, but sat back. Eliza looked at them uncertainly. She'd known that amulet was trouble, she'd know it, but Rose seemed to really love it. . .
"I apologize for . . .um. . .him," Sam said, learning forward. He was currently talking to her breasts. That was fine with her. He slowly lifted his eyes. "It's just. . .we were really impressed with that necklace of your friends. And he was thinking his wife might like one, so. . ."
"Okay," Eliza said, melting a little in front of him. "I'll go let Rose know. Just a second."
Rose was not, apparently, weirded out by the encounter from the previous day, and followed Eliza back without any problem. She still didn't want to take the thing off, evidently, because she just leaned forward. Sam reached out and touched it, seeming to stare at it for a long time.
"It really is pretty cool," he said. He gestured across the table. "Sam, take a look. What do you think? Would. . .um. . .Sally like it?"
Eliza blushed. Shit. That was Sam? So. . .when she'd been screaming out Dean. . .she was about to die from embarrassment. Sam, meanwhile, didn't seem to care. He just reached out and touched the amulet, glanced across the table, and nodded.
"Mind letting Cas take a look?" Dean asked. Rose sighed, but walked around and let the old geezer take a look as well. He reached out, barely touching it.
"Bobby?" Dean said intensely. Everyone turned to look at the third man.
"No way," BlueEyes said. "I'm not touching it."
"Bobby!" Sam exclaimed, but BlueEyes just crossed his arms across his chest.
"not doing it. And if you make me, it still won't work. Ask your Wings, over there."
The geezer sighed, and shook his head. "Without consent, the amulet won't matter. We may switch bodies, but I will still lack my abilities."
Eliza and Rose just stood there, listening to the men bicker. Clearly, they were insane. Hot, yes. Sexy, yes. Also crazy. Not, Eliza thought, that she was much of a judge. After all, she was still dating Tony.
"Excuse us a moment," Dean said. He reached over, grabbed BlueEyes by the lapel, and yanked him out the front door, leaving Sam to wheel out the geezer. Eliza glanced over at Rose.
"Those guys are really weird," she said.
"Agreed."