The exact second the ominous limo stops in front of the Novak mansion, Dean doesn't hesitate to throw open the door and run inside without inhibition. Screw anyone who sees him now; with his plan in place they will all be gone by midnight, skipping town for the freedom the three of them deserve. He takes the grand staircase three steps as a time as he bounds his way to Cas' bedroom, praying to whatever force that lies above them that he is there and ready to listen.
With his heart pounding loudly in his chest, Dean skids unceremoniously to a stop in front of the doors he knows so well. For a split second he stands and stares; a sudden thought rips through his consciousness like a bullet. What if Cas says no? What if he doesn't want to give up this life of luxury and excess for cheap motels and burger joints? Here Cas has everything he's could ever want. Who would give up a life like this for Dean?
He would think farther, but he suddenly realizes that he has no time. In order of this plan to work they will have to be conniving and convincing, fast and furious. Without a second thought he punches open the door.
Dean says a quick thanks to the forces that were working in his favor. Cas is pacing the room uneasily, rubbing small circles into his palm. When the doors fly open his gaze is full of surprise, and then quickly turns into one of absolute anger.
"Dean," Cas says harshly, walking over and shoving the doors shut behind him. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Cas-," he starts to say, but immediately gets cut off.
"You know what phones are for, Dean? Answering when they ring! I called you a thousand times when you didn't show up at our rendezvous point and thought someone got to you or something."
"Cas, just listen please!" Dean pleads, moving towards Cas. He doesn't hesitate to pull the Novak into a tight embrace, leaning his head into the other man's shoulders. Who knows when they will have a minute alone again. "They did get to me, okay? Balthazar intercepted me at the coffee shop. They know, Cas. They know everything about us. And…" Dean can't help himself; he chokes up when he thinks about it, "…they've got Sam."
Cas automatically pushes out of Dean's embrace. His face isn't what Dean would expect. It is hard, cold, calculating. And in an instant, Dean knows what is running through Cas' head. His inner Hulk is emerging in the face of danger.
"Excuse me?" Cas says in a robotic tone, his icy stare slicing through the quiet.
"I don't know how they found out, Cas. Balthazar says he has people everywhere and someone told him about us. So as a ransom they took Sam, and said he will only be released if you and I break up. But I think I have a plan crazy enough to work."
The other man steps back calmly, looking fierce like the eye of the storm. He sits on the bed and gestures for Dean to join him, and doesn't hesitate to interlock their hands together.
"This is serious business if my cousin knows. The news has probably spread everywhere already, which means my entire family probably is informed by now. So if you've got a plan, it better be brilliant and it better work, or else we are all screwed."
Dean doesn't say anything at first. He sits in the quiet surrounding them and squeezes Cas' hand gently, that calm reassurance in times of trouble that keeps him moving. Cas has always been the eye of the storm for Dean, and right now he needs that anchor, that rock who will just tell Dean that everything will be okay. So he relishes in the moment, his hand wrapped around Cas', the easy silence between them. Dean knows the war is coming, the war for freedom from this feud, but with Cas by his side, he knows they can win.
"Okay." Dean says, breaking the stillness of the air after a few minutes. "Hear me out. The plan is simple, and it may fail, but I can't afford to think like that right now."
And so Dean relays his entire plan to Cas, every little detail he had thought over spilling from his lips, the words coming so fast that Dean has to stop for breath. In his head the plan is flawed and has its issues, but may be just crazy enough to work. He relays all of this to Cas, who just sits with an amused smile on his face.
After Dean gets it all out, Cas just stares straight ahead, his face clearly calculating. And then after moments of prolonged silence, he speaks.
"That is the worse plan I've ever heard!" Cas exclaims with a sarcastic smile, throwing his hands in the air. "Dean, that can never work. You underestimate my family by your biases; they will see right through this ruse."
Dean grunts, shoving up from the bed in frustration. "Well do you have any other ideas? This is all we've got and we have got to move now before Balthy catches on. Now we can either take our chances with my plan or sit here on our asses and get killed. So, you coming?"
Cas just sighs. "Of course."
"You ready?" Cas asks uneasily, throwing Dean a nervous glance.
Dean can feel the blood rushing through his veins as he parks the Impala behind the Milton mansion (bless Cas' soul for letting Dean retrieve it before they left; he couldn't do this without his Baby by his side.) Everything he wants, everything he needs is about to be either given to him or ripped away, and he can't help but feel the panicky thrum of adrenaline in his body. Dean is anything but ready, but he doesn't have a choice now.
"I'm ready," he replies uneasily, his voice a little bit faulty.
"Dean, it's going to be okay," Cas says calmly, grabbing Dean's hand from the gripping the seat. "I won't let them hurt you, I promise."
"Its not me I'm worried about," Dean whispers, turning his head away from Cas.
"I'll be fine, and Sam will too. This plan is crazy and stupid on so many levels, but we'll make it work."
Dean just smiles. "Okay, Tim Gunn."
Cas shoves him lightly against the door frame before he exists. "Now that's the Dean I know." He gives the Winchester one last little smile before he exits the car and automatically switches to the persona they practiced on the way over. He stalks his way to the door and pounds unnecessarily loud, screaming for someone to let him in before he breaks the door down. It is a bit overdone in Dean's opinion, but it gets the job completed. One of Balthazar's thugs opens the door for Cas and lets him inside, and Dean's pocket chimes with the text a few seconds later. in the lions den.
Dean leans back against the seat and kicks his feet up on the dashboard, trying to relax, but anxiety isn't giving him a break. He runs a hand through his hair, wrings his hands together, even tries to take in big gulps of air, but nothing works. Until he's on the road to their freedom, he can't even feign calmness. He hates the feeling of anxiety in his veins, the tingly jitters that rise in his stomach and feet. He can't sit still when he's this way, and that makes him a liability. He never gets nervous on jobs; that's why he's always been considered the best, so why must he start now?
"Get it together, Winchester," he mutters under his breath, his eyes scanning the massive lawn for anyone who could find him. He starts counting the minutes in his head. Five minutes turns into ten, then ten to fifteen, and then fifteen to thirty. What is taking Cas so long? He almost decides to screw this entire plan and go in after him when, finally, his phone chimes. operation team free will is a go. he bought it. coming out now.
Go time. Dean watches his hand reach for the door handle, even feels the grip that pulses around it, but he can't come to open it. His whole body is shaking, his lungs suddenly gasping for air. His stomach feels like it is going to heave at any second, and his vision is starting to blur, on the verge of passing out. His mind racks around for what this sensation is but isn't coming up with anything concrete before it fades away.
The only thing that slightly brings him back to his senses is the car door clicking open next to him. Cas slides inside easily with a clear look of confusion on his features.
"Dean? You're supposed to be inside the house-wait…are you having a panic attack?"
There's the word that slipped his mind. Panic attack. Dean Winchester is having his first panic attack and it is about to ruin their entire plan, their only path to freedom. Of course it would be him that messes it all up, he thinks. It always is.
"Dean? I need you to listen to me, okay?" Cas says frantically, sliding over next to him. "You need to focus now; deep breaths, think of why you're here. Once this is over we're free. We can have a life of peace away from all of this, so I need you to stay calm, alright?"
Cas' voice washes over Dean's being and he can feel himself coming down. Funny how just the presence of the Novak can bring him back to the earth with only his words, seeping into Dean's skin and instantly leveling him. After a few moments of just Cas muttering little 'there there's' and rubbing circles on Dean's shoulder, his heart rate slows and his body relaxes, leaning into Cas' touch.
"Are you okay now?" Cas whispers softly, leaning his head close to Dean's.
The Winchester nods with a grimance on his lips. "I think so."
"I'm glad. We're almost there, Dean. I can feel it. We can do this, together, okay? Now go get your brother and I'll be waiting here for you both. And Dean," Cas whispers, gripping Dean's hand tightly, "…please be careful."
Dean only nods, receiving one quick peck from Cas before he ventures out of the car and into enemy headquarters. The last thing he sees before he rounds the corner is Cas' gleaming face, and it is exactly what he needs to continue on. With the new determinationn in his being, Dean enters the building and waits.
"Ah, Winchester. That didn't take long at all. I'm impressed."
Dean didn't have to wait for five seconds before one of Balthazar's men manhandled him from behind when he entered the garage, shoving him once more into that tiny elevator. Only this time Dean didn't say a word as he was pushed in front of Balthazar, who was running his hand through an unconscious Sam's hair. The sight made Dean's stomach turn and it took all of his power not to shoot the Milton right there.
"Cut the crap, Balthazar. I did my part of the deal, and now its your turn. Give me back my brother you son of a bitch before I shoot you."
The Milton steps away from Sam, walking towards Dean with exaggerated slowness. "Oh Dean, you think getting Sam back would be that easy?"
Dean automatically stands up straighter, looking the Milton in the eye. His hand twitches towards the gun Cas gave him, itching to just take it out and end this right here, right now, but he doesn't. His body stays absolutely still, giving nothing away. "We had a deal-,"
"And now we don't. Do you know what position you walked into, Winchester? I've got your precious brother at my disposal, and I know you would, you will, do anything to save him. You're my little bitch, Dean, and I'm your master. I've got the power here, and I think I will keep your little Sammy around as a plaything. I've always loved the tall ones."
"You little-"
"Ah, ah, ah! I would watch your words, Dean." The Milton eyes him like a predator, seeming like Dean is his next meal. "I've got the upper hand here."
Dean cringes as he feels someone approach behind him and stick a revolver into his back. That's it. Game over. He's straight out of luck, Sammy's captured, and now it looks like Dean is too. Of course. What else would come out of my plans? I'm so damn stupid, and a failure, and now-
"But do you really have the power here, cousin?"
Dean's gaze snaps away from Balthazar to someone much more terrifying in that moment. Cas is poised across the room looking absolutely lethal; his gun is pointed directly at the Milton and his eyes are like tiny blue flames, his muscles tensed and ready to strike like an angry cobra.
Balthazar turns around with exaggerated slowness and throws his hands in the air. "Oh, Castiel. You really are stupid, aren't you? I gave you an out here when you came to me with your sob story. It was very unbelievable, by the way. Better work on those acting skills, cousin."
"So you didn't buy it after all?" Cas says harshly, walking forward with his gun still posed. "And you let me go anyway? Why?"
"You may be a lovesick idiot, but you're still blood. I thought I would give you the chance to run, leave your boyfriend and his brother behind. But I guess now that you're choosing Winchester blood over your own family, you're the enemy now. Oh how fun it will be to kill you, Castiel. You are quite the annoyance, you know."
"Not if I kill you first," Cas growls.
Dean sees it coming, but it still doesn't stop the shock from rocketing through his body. Balthazar's thug removes the revolver from Dean's back and makes three quick shots at Cas. Amazingly Cas dodges them all and counters with a quick shot to the thug's head. The man falls dead at Dean's feet.
"Cas, think about what you're doing!" Balthazar screams angrily, stomping forward. "I have the power here!"
Cas' smile turns predatory as he stalks towards his cousin. "No, Balthazar. You don't. Maybe one time you did, but today you're my little bitch."
Everything moves in slow motion after that. Dean watches as Balthazar reaches for the gun in his back pocket, but he's not quick enough. Cas is armed, ready, and angry.
Bam. The bullet leaves the gun and hits Balthazar in the abdomen.
Bam. Balthazar looks down at the bullet hole in his stomach as Cas fires another shot into his head.
Bam. Balthazar's body hits the ground with ultimate finality, his eyes still open in shock as the warm blood pools around him, staining the floor red.
And then, there is ultimate silence as Cas stands still, looking coldly down at his cousin's body.
"Cas…" Dean whispers, eyes fixed on the body at his feet. "What just happened? That wasn't part of the plan!"
Cas just walks over to Balthazar's body and starts poking around his pockets, coming out with a key in hand a few seconds later. He walks wordlessly over to Sam and releases him from the chains, hoisting Sam's bloodied body over his shoulder.
"That was what I like to call plan B, and it worked a hell of a lot better than your plan. Balthazar was an ass who wanted to hurt you and I don't have time to feel guilty right now. We've got to go," Cas says coldly. "They would have heard the shots upstairs and will find the body soon. We've got to run, and now."
Dean only nods and follows Cas up the side stairs, baffling at how someone built like Cas can carry a guy like Sam. They're halfway up the staircase when Sam starts to come to, his eyes groggily opening.
"What's going on?" Sam slurs heavily, his head falling against Cas' shoulder.
"Sammy, its going to be okay," Dean whispers, pushing the hair out of his face. "You're almost safe now. We're getting out of here and we're going to be fine."
He doesn't get to say more though before Cas shoves open the door and runs into the night, finding Dean's Impala sitting in the cover of some trees. The night sky is starry, a sight that would have been peaceful under any under circumstance. Now it only was a reminder that daylight was on their tails and they had to be long gone before it hit.
Dean opens the door quickly and revs the car to a start while Cas gets Sam situated in the back. He looks in the rearview mirror anxiously as Cas straps Sam's unconscious body into the seat, grabbing a shirt from the bag Dean packed to mop up the blood on his chest. Dean knows all he can do now is hope Sam stays stable until they get out of state, and the fact that he can't do anything to help him makes Dean's stomach flop. He's always been there for Sam, the one protecting him from the dangers of the world they live in, and now he's hopeless and hapless and has the power out of his hands.
"He's pretty banged up, but I'm sure he's going to pull through."
Dean was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Cas slide into the front seat and lay his hand on Dean's shoulder. His body relaxes as he feels Cas' touch thrum through his system.
"It's just hard, Cas. I'm supposed to protect him and I failed. How can he forgive me for letting him get captured like that?"
Cas leans forward and wraps his arms awkwardly around Dean's frame. "You worry too much; it wasn't your fault that Sam got captured. None of this is your fault."
Dean just sighs as Cas releases him, driving the car off the Milton lot just as a scream loud enough to break the barriers of the walls reverberates through the air.
The Novak mansion is dark when Dean pulls up behind it, hiding the car once again in the cover of the massive oak trees on the lawn. Dean and Cas leave a sleeping Sam in the backseat and quietly sneak into the house, not daring to even say a word. Everything is quiet, too quiet in Dean's opinion, but he doesn't make a sound right now. He winces at the creak of the floorboards as him and Cas tiptoe up the stairs, and only allows himself to breathe when they are in the safety of Cas' room.
Cas wastes no time to throw whatever he can find into a duffel bag, Dean tossing him various items from his closet without looking.
"We've got to go quickly," Cas stresses, the nervous lines between his eyes appearing. "Who knows where they are and when they'll be back."
Dean only nods while he throws the last of Cas' shirts at him and is already gunning for the door while Cas grabs his things. This is it, he realizes. They are finally going to be able to be together without the family feuds, without the stress of hiding, without the threats over their heads. It almost makes Dean joyful, but he knows they are not out of the woods yet.
He is smiling as he opens the door, but freezes immediately.
Because he's staring right into the barrel of a gun, and the man who is holding it is someone Dean never expected to meet.
The only sound that breaks the silence is Cas' voice, and it says the words Dean never in a thousand years wanted to hear.
"…Dad?"
Note: Heh...yeah remember how I said the updates would get faster and then this one took three weeks? Funny how irony works sometimes. Sorry for the delay! I was in my best friend's wedding and then classes started up again right after, so I've had no time to write in the past few weeks. I really wanted to get this chapter right before I posted it, so sorry it took so long to update again.
I'm really wishing that I can get the next chapters posted faster, but with school being back in full swing I don't know if that will happen. Approximately there will be three more chapters and then an epilogue, and I really don't know when I will be able to write it all. Sorry if the updates get longer, but I can promise you that I will do my best to get it out as quickly as possible.
Thanks again for reading,Rae