Everything remained the same in the small town of North Willows. Life went on as usual. People went on with their jobs and lives, hardly noticing a certain blue eyed man was no longer in their town- except for 3 people: Dean and Sam Winchester and a certain waitress that had always had a soft spot for Castiel Novak.
Dean missed his friend, missing their conversations which was always much more interesting than the small, mundane chats he had with the other townsfolk. The younger Winchester had noticed his older brother had constantly kept his phone with him, checking it constantly before a look of disappointment be on his face before putting the phone in his pockets.
The younger Winchester had an intuition that his brother had something more than a friendship with the man he met only a few times and to be honest he didn't mind. Since he could remember, he was always tired of seeing the pretty young faces of girls leaving Dean's bedroom, usually their clothes crumpled and their faces flush red- makeup smeared and a hopeful look on their face hoping his older brother would continue to see them. They were all left disappointed. Dean never called the girls and Sam never saw the same face in their apartment twice.
"Just call him Dean."
Dean looked up from the takeout that he was eating, his face was blank for a second before he noticed that Sam was talking to him.
"What?"
"For God's sake Dean, you keep on looking at your phone hoping he'd call. Instead of waiting for him to make the move why don't you just make the first move?"
"Sam! It's not like that! We're just friends!"
Sam rolled his eyes, "Sure Dean, sure. Now hurry the fuck up and call him. I'm going out to a party, I'll be back late."
Sam hastily got up, his tall body towering over Dean as he packed up the boxes of food and quickly left the house, leaving Dean to sit alone on the couch looking at the phone on the coffee table. He picked it up and begun to type.
Hey Cas, how's your trip with your brother? I'm missing you a lot, I guess it's pretty boring now that you're not here. Hope you come back soon.
-Dean
His thumb lingered over the send button and quickly he erased the text.
Hey, Castiel. It's Dean Winchester. How's your trip with you brother? Hope you come back soon, I think I'm starting to get Castiel-withdraws.
He shook his head once more, and deleted the message.
Hi Cas.
He looked at the text and pressed send, cursing himself for sending such a short text and for acting like a tween girl giggling over sending a text to a boy that they liked.
'He did kiss me…' Dean thought, thinking back to a week ago when Castiel had sent him a text asking Dean to meet him at the park. He went, of course and that was when Castiel told Dean that he was going a trip with his brother. Dean didn't want him to go of course, knowing he was going to miss the man but his mind went blank when Castiel softly kissed him and waved him goodbye, leaving Dean sitting on the park bench with his mouth open looking like an idiot.
He looked at the phone but there was no reply.
"Fuck."
Dean noticed the time, it was already late. He had really spent a lot of time trying to come up with a good text- it was already midnight.
'He must be sleeping already…' He thought before heading towards the shower. He felt the hot water calm his nerves and soon, the message was at the back of his mind. He listened to the loud splatters of the shower and ignored the sound of the door opening and Sam's yell stating that he was home.
The phone that was sitting on his bed flashed.
One new message: Castiel
5 days ago
"Here's a case."
Balthazar said looking up from his computer screen. His younger brother was sitting in front of him with a, now, cold cup of coffee that he mindlessly sipped while reading the same page of the newspaper for the past 30 minutes.
"Cas."
"Huh?"
"Case. I thought it would be good for you to have a trial case… get back in the hang of things."
The younger man frowned at his older brother, he was just about to argue back but he knew he was right. He hadn't hunted for such a long time, years and he understood Balthazar's concern about him instantly taking on a large case. He sighed and nodded, "Yeah, where are we going?"
"It's actually in this town. Looks like a werewolf case. Couple of people have been murdered, hearts gone from their bodies- typical werewolf." Balthazar said, sipping his lukewarm tea which slid easily down his throat.
Castiel nodded and for the first time he took in the surroundings of the diner. There weren't many people and the customers were almost silent or they talked in whispers so soft he could barely hear. He could feel the tension in the air. He was truly out of practice- back in the days he would have noticed it straight away.
The two brothers quickly finished their drinks before going back to the motel and started to work on the Cas and after more research Balthazar gave Castiel a suit, badge and weapons before they headed off.
Castiel was starting to get used to it now, almost feeling nostalgic in the suit and at the routine that they went through in the next few days.
Agent Thomas Miller
The two 'FBI' agents were greeted warmly by the police force who did whatever they were told and soon, Castiel found that he was enjoying being with his brother. He often laughed and chuckled at how Balthazar flirted with the women who enjoyed Balthazar's attention.
"Mr. Johnathon Jones?"
The man in front of them snapped out of his day dream and smiled at the two men in front of them who were looking at them with suspicion in their eyes, "Did you hear what we just asked you?"
"Sorry, could you repeat that?"
Balthazar cleared his throat and leaned forward, his arms resting on his legs, "There were many witnesses that stated that you were with the victims before their deaths."
"Yes… Well, I knew some of them- although not well. We had a chat here and there." He answered, this time, putting his full focus on the two agents in front of him. Castiel observed the man, he was in his mis-40s but he looked much older. His dark hair had small bald patches and his hair was no longer dark but streaked with grey, his face was freckled and wrinkles aged his face. His eyes reminded Castiel of a man that had seen a lot, someone who was either very stressed with his job or had a hard life, they looked tired and wearily.
"What happened to your wife and child?" Castiel asked, noticing a small picture frame on the small table beside the couch he was sitting on. The photo looked quite old, perhaps it was around 10 years old. It was Johnathon standing beside a woman with a small girl in their arms, written in a messy writing was the date: 10 March 2003.
"Um… My wife… she… she left me with my daughter." He said softly.
"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that Mr. Jones but where were you 4 nights ago at 11pm?"
"I was at home."
"Do you have anyone to prove that you were at home?"
His eyes flickered between the two brothers, "Are you two suspecting me?"
"Sir, We're just asking questions."
"I'm not a suspect. I didn't do anything wrong, I was home, alone watching a movie alone. Now, if you gentlemen would kindly leave, I think we've talked enough." He snapped and ushered the two men out of his house, slamming the door with a loud bang.
"Well, wasn't he friendly." Balthazar sarcastically said, rolling his eyes.
"Balthazar… look." Castiel whispered, pointing towards a small window that must have been the basement. It was locked shut with a heavy lock that pecked from the flower bushes. The two brothers made their way to their car.
"It's definitely him, did you see the book he was hiding? About werewolves."
"Yeah… you ready for this Cas?"
"If I wasn't ready I wouldn't have come with you would I?" Castiel sighed before speeding towards their motel with a feeling in their gut that they were familiar with. They found the guy.
That night they drove towards the house, stopping a few houses down and walked up to his house. The were all off, and there was not much light apart from the half-moon that was shining brightly, illuminating the silhouettes of the two men standing beside each other.
"Good thing it's not a full moon right?"
"Come on…"
Balthazar quickly and silently picked the lock of the door and entered the house and drew their guns, making their way slowly before stopping in front of a door. They heard hushed whispers from behind the door, although they could not make out whose voice it was although one voice was calm and the other sounded like it was in a panic. The calm voice was definitely female while the other one… the other one was a male.
"Ready Cas?"
"Ye-"
"What are you doing here?"
The two men froze in the spots, Balthazar felt a cold metal against the back of his head and cursed out loud. Standing behind them was Johnathon with a gun against the back of Balthazar's head.
"You two aren't FBI are you… You must be hunters."
He received no reply but ordered them to open the door to the basement and nudged them down the stairs. The basement was dimly lit and small, cramped and damp from the pipe that did not seem to stop dripping. Castiel's blue eyes scanned the room, he was surprised. Tied to a chair in ropes was a man that he remembered talking to, there was dried blood against the skin of his temple and his eyes slowly closing and opening again. Standing opposite him was a small girl in what seemed to be rags instead of clothes, her skin pale but nonetheless she looked healthy, although a little skinny.
"Daddy, who are they? Are they friends?"
"Honey, these are, these people aren't your friends. They're your food and you know the rules…"
"Yes Daddy… Never play with food."
"Good girl."
Johnathon tied the two men to the chairs in the same manner as the other man as the little girl watched, swinging her legs while sitting on a table. Her father sharpening the knife in the corner while she looked curiously at the two new men, "Daddy never gives me more than one at a time. I guess today is a treat!"
"You're the werewolf." Balthazar stated, his eyes flickering to the two guns that were beside the girl- her father took them when he tied them up. The girl nodded shyly, looking away from the man, "It's my secret with daddy."
"So your wife and daughter didn't leave you, I guess I was wrong. I thought you were the werewolf Mr. Jones." Castiel said, making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard over the screeching of the metal knife sharpening.
"No, they didn't."
"Since I'm going to die… would you like to tell me what happened? As a dying wish." Castiel said
No one said anything for a while but the older man turned towards him, "Maria was bitten by a werewolf when she was young. Her first victim was my wife, took out her heart and just… ate it but she's my daughter! I… I have to do whatever it takes to makes sure she lives. Even if it means… killing you than I will." He said, his voice shaking but gaining slight confidence when he looked at the unconscious man beside Castiel.
"I see."
"You know, for a hunter… you don't have much determination to live."
"I don't have much to live for Mr. Jones."
He looked at the blue eyed man confused but he shook his head, "I don't understand you but I don't want to understand you. My first priority is my daughter. I'm sorry."
Castiel sighed and glanced at Balthazar who looked away.
"I'm sorry."
The man looked at him in confusion but a loud bang echoed in the small basement and following suit, the scream of a little girl who ran towards her father and crumpled to the ground, "DADDY! DADDY!"
Balthazar stood up, with a small, makeshift gun in his hand although it did not take form of a typical gun but a pen instead. He had always kept those in his pockets and each one was disposable, only carrying one bullet each.
Balthazar looked at the scene in front of him as he cut the ropes around Castiel. The little girl on her knees crying into her father's blood drenched shirt. His eyes blankly stared at the dark ceiling with the dim flickering light. His hands limp by his side while his daughter clutched tightly.
Castiel walked towards the gun and picked it up and walked towards the girl, kneeling down so he could be the same level as her, "Close your eyes… It'll all just be a dream."
The girl looked at him confused but she was fooled by the calmness in his eyes, she was almost hypnotised by the gentleness in his blue eyes she had almost forgotten that the man he was with killed her father. Between each flicker of the light, she saw his eyes glistening and he seemed so sincere the naive girl closed her eyes, smiling, "It's a dream… Daddy's not gone… Daddy… Dad-"
Balthazar closed his eyes as another shot rang out in the room and a soft thud was heard as the girl's body fell to the ground, the smile still on her face as she laid beside her father, blood drenching the material above their chest as a bullet ripped through their heart. He looked at Castiel who didn't have any expression on his face. It was cold and he was sure he did not feel sadness or regret for killing the small girl, even Balthazar felt a tinge of sadness as he saw the girl on the floor dead.
"What did you mean you didn't have a lot of live for." Balthazar's voice destroyed the silence in the basement.
Castiel looked at his brother, putting the gun back in the holster that was slung around his hips, "What?"
"You told him you didn't have a lot to live for…. What did you mean?"
Castiel looked away for a second before meeting his brother's eyes, "I don't. You know that Balthazar. You've always known I died a long time ago."
"I'm still here Castiel. I'm here even though they aren't, you have things to live for so don't say that again."
"Balthazar, I don't have much of a choice."
"STOP IT! I'll find a fucking way Castiel, even if I have to go to hell and back I'll find a way for you to live! I made a promise to Gabriel that I'd protect you, I'm your older brother, and I'm your family! You're the only family I've got so don't you EVER say that again!"
Balthazar pulled Castiel into a tight embrace which his younger brother returned. It was strange how they were rekindling their brotherly bond beside two corpses but he didn't care anymore, Castiel wanted to believe his brother even though he knew that he was wrong- he wouldn't be able to keep that promise. Castiel let go of Balthazar and looked at the two corpses lying side by side.
"Let's go."
"Do… do you want to bury them or burn them at least?" Balthazar asked.
Castiel shook his head, "They are monsters remember? We don't bury monsters. Her father was a monster and so was she. Balthazar, you were always too soft." He said before walking up the stairs leaving his brother behind. The older brother bent down, placing Johnathon's hand on his daughter and closed his eyes, they looked as though they were sleeping peacefully.
"If killing makes them monsters… then are we also monsters?" Balthazar whispered to himself before pausing, remembering how many lives he took, "then are we the devil himself?" he shook his head and he followed his younger brother up the stairs.
They drove silently to the motel but the silence was interrupted by the sound of a phone vibrating. Castiel pulled out his phone, his face slightly shocked although he hid it quite well.
One new message: Dean Winchester.
Hi Cas
He opened it and let out a small smile. He noticed the message was sent a while ago, he guessed that when he was in the basement there was no cell reception and wondered if Dean was asleep or awake. He wondered if the green eyed man missed seeing him and suddenly he felt a urge to kiss the man- although he knew he could not which made him ache more to be with the older Winchester brother again although he dismissed the temptations.
"Cas."
"Hm?"
"I guess you have more than me to live for."
A/N: Hello everyone! Another chapter! I might not update as frequently as the past few chapters because my exams are coming up next month (urgh) but I'll still try to write. I hope you liked this chapter though. Balthazar is questioning his morality and is Cas going back to his cold hearted ways or will Dean keep him the human Castiel? More of that will be explored in the story : ) Please leave a review, seriously when I get a review I get very happy : )
Don't read and run, read and review! (This is going to be my slogan)
LordPeanut: thanks for the tip. I was a bit confused about how to write and when I wrote it I thought it sounded weird but I decided to try what you suggested in this chapter and I must say it's pretty good- I was worried about repeating names so many times in a paragraph
