Title: So Close & Yet So Far

Chapter Title: Fallen Angel

Rating: Pg-13

Character/'Ships: Castiel, Chuck, Dean, Bobby, and Anna.

Summary: Perdition where one waits to get out of the hell of war and to safety in America. Captain Castiel tries to keep the peace in the war torn city of refugees, he follows a criminal to the Roadhouse. The Roadhouse is owned by Dean, a mysterious American who doesn't want to leave Perdition.

Perdition, the gate to the Americas if you have the right connections. On the west coast of Africa the city known as Casablanca is called Perdition by its residents who live to escape the hardships of the European hell of war. The land had once been owned by the French but war had changed its owner, now the Nazis ruled from Vichy France. The law was held down by locals loyal to those who paid them, at that moment it was the Nazis. The Captain of the law enforcement in Perdition was Castiel a hard talking Frenchman who knows a lot more then he appears to and loves to gamble. Those who want to barter passage on the airplanes flying out of Perdition have to go through him.

Usually the only trouble in Perdition is easily fixed and paid off by the shop and club owners, who don't want trouble for their well paying patrons. However Captain Castiel just received a call from his superiors. The Fuhrer's most trusted military advisor, Lillith was coming to Casablanca to inspect and report back to Lucifer himself. It did not bode well for the Perdition Captain for that morning two men who had in their possession a very important artifact that Lucifer wanted had been found murdered on the train to Casablanca.

"Sir we have followed the suspect but he was killed before he could talk." The officer stated from the door.

Castiel sighed, he didn't like disturbances in his city. "Well did you find the Colt?"

"No, he did not have it."

"Then who did he talk to before you killed him?" Castiel asked frustrated. He knew his brothers had sent him to Casablanca because they were embarrassed by him. He had been the runt of his class and Casablanca was as unwanted a position as one could get. He never thought he would be doing something other then interviewing potential flyers and deciding whether they would stay or escape Perdition.

"He was seen at the Roadhouse, talking with Lenny." The officer stated a little hesitantly. It was an open secret that Castiel gambled at the Roadhouse. He was found most nights at the Roadhouse drinking the best that Dean the owner could offer him. Their were other rumors that he had found something a little more pleasurable then drinks at the Roadhouse. He didn't care what his men thought of his private life as long as they listened and followed orders when it mattered.

"All right get together a squad we move in ten." Castiel stated. The officer looked surprised, Castiel started to get angry. "Now."

The officer jumped and left the doorway, he could hear the shuffling of feet outside in the hallway. Castiel wasn't dumb he knew why Lillith was coming down to Casablanca, the Colt was a very important weapon in the war. It was rumored that it might even turn the tides and finish the Allies completely.

Castiel got up and pulled on his jacket. He stepped out into the hallway where ten men stood in uniform waiting for him. "I will go in first and find our target. Enter ten minutes after me, make sure you block all the exits." He stated. He stepped into the awaiting car and drove down the street and out onto the dusty and unpaved road. Five miles outside of downtown Casablanca stood the roadhouse one of the most profitable and best clubs in the area, though Bella of The Blue Parrot would disagree.

As he pulled up, the doorman recognized his car and came to open the door for him. He got out smiling at the doorman. "How you doing this evening Chuck?" Castiel asked.

"Good, sir the place is rolling. You will want to choose the ruby snake eyes tonight." Chuck stated smiling. Chuck always had the best suggestions for what numbers to bet on at the roulette tables as if he was psychic. Castiel didn't tell anyone else because he liked to win, even if it was cheating. "How's Dean tonight?"

Chuck frowned. "You know what day it is?"

"The 2nd of May." Castiel states quickly, then he remembers the last three years. "Is Bobby taking care of him?"

"Yes, we're mixing his drink with water now, he's too drunk to know the difference." Chuck frowned even more.

"Make sure no one leaves from here tonight after we shake the place down." Castiel states placing money in Chuck's hand.

"I can't take this, I wont be needed." Chuck explained giving the money back.

Castiel shook his head in disbelief, pocketed the money and went inside. The room was heavy with smoke and the smell of alcohol and the Roadhouse specialty the American Burger and apple pie hung heavy in the air. The maitre'd recognized him and nodded to his usual table, but he shook his head. He was there on business. He walked casually to the back through the tables, watching the different patrons in the club. He knew most of them were criminals trying to sell something to get the right papers to get out of Perdition. He knew he would have to round up the usual suspects before Lillith came to town, but at the moment he would let them scheme. He saw Dean at his usual table, an empty bottle next to his empty glass. He was staring off into space, remembering the past, or trying not to. As he got to the back room which to anyone else would have looked like the kitchen he knocked three times.

The door was opened slightly and an someone looked out. He was recognized and the door opened just enough to let him in. He looked around the dim lit room and saw the man he was looking for at the poker table. He went to the roulette table and bet on the red two. He won the first bet and put his winnings back on the red two. He was enjoying himself so much that when he looked up to find Lenny in the smoke heavy room, he was gone. He left the back room, three of this officers moved through the tables to where Lenny now sat at Dean's table. He was talking quickly and panicky to Dean who didn't seem to be paying attention. As Castiel stepped up to the table Lenny suddenly became mysteriously quiet looking at Dean expecting him to do something.

"How are you doing this evening, Dean?" Castiel asked casually as he sat down.

"If your going to shake down and arrest my patrons Captain, kindly do it quietly. Disturbing the club is bad for business."

"On the contrary, friend". Castiel said making sure he made a point of looking at Lenny who's eyes were darting around the room counting all the exits and planing his escape. "I thought arrests were good for business. We're the only entertainment they have seen in months."

Dean didn't comment and it was at that moment that Lenny tried to escape. He didn't get very far before he fell down tripping on something. Castiel stood up and walked around the table; he noticed Dean bringing his foot back under the table. Lenny was picked up by two of Castiel's officers. He looked at Dean with disgust, "I thought we had an understanding?"

"I look out for myself and no one else. Your mistake was trusting me." Dean states his eyes bloodshot and uncaring.

Castiel tries not to care he turns to the curious onlookers most looking at him with dislike and mistrust. "Go back to your drinks ladies and gentlemen nothing to see here."

He sits back down at Dean's table and gets the attention of Anna, one of Dean's employees. He sees Bobby fills the flasks with water, Castiel doesn't care, because he doesn't drink. Anna brings the drinks over to the table, looking at Dean worried.

"Your going to have to clean up your act if you are going to survive the inspection this week."

"I'm not afraid of any lackey of Lucifer. You don't scare me and neither will she." Dean states pulling back the drink in one gulp. He looked at it as if wondering what it was, then the side of his mouth tweaks just slightly up. Castiel thinks that he might just see the man smile, but he is disappointed when something distracts them both.

A fight is occurring by the bar, from the sounds of the yelling it is between a frenchman and a German. Dean sits uncaring until a crash is heard. He then gets up, Castiel watching with curiosity at what he was going to do. Dean pushes the two men apart they are much bigger then him and have had fewer drinks. However he holds his own, because they all know him.

"Take the war outside this here is a neutral zone." Dean states gruff and shaky from trying not to sound drunk, or maybe he suddenly became sober. The girl who the fight had been over didn't move towards the exit with the two men. Dean looked at her with disgust. "You too, your the one who caused this mayhem I don't want you here."

The women looked like she was about to fight him, but someone stopped her and pulled her into the crowd. Castiel was about to get up and try to strike up another one sided conversation with Dean when he noticed someone else had tried to catch Dean's attention. Castiel recognized her because she was one of the potential passengers on the Wings of Heaven, that nights flight out of Perdition. He had given her only one option to help her situation. He wondered if Dean would help him in his pursuit or not.

"Please sir, may I ask you something?" The young dark haired woman asked. She bent close to Dean as if to whisper or it may have been to excuse her touching his arm.

"I don't do charity." Dean states immediately trying to turn around back to the bar and the drink in front of him, even if it was water.

"Please, I have seen you and Captain Castiel talking together, you are friends yes?" The women didn't let Dean answer the question. "Is it true the rumors I hear about him, is he truly the angel that will lead us out of Perdition on the Wings of Heaven?"

"What of it?" Dean stated, he didn't like thinking about leaving.

"I am a young women just married to my dearest Paul. We have come from far away over many miles to try and find a way to get to America. We used all of our meager funds..."

"Ask your question women so I may be in peace?"

"Is he to be trusted, if I do what he asked for him, will he follow through?"

Dean sat their for a long time not answering. The woman frowned and waited. She was about to get up when Dean reached out and touched her hand. "How much is he asking of you?"

"Thirty minutes." She states knowing he will know the currency.

"Where is Paul?" Dean asked.

The woman didn't respond, when Dean finally looked up she was looking at the back door. Dean sighed. "No." He stated getting up. "Go fetch your husband and find a place to stay. You should have never come to Perdition." He explained.

He saw tears grow at the sides of the woman's eyes as she turned to leave. He turned back to the bar where Bobby, Anna and Chuck were all staring daggers at him. He dismissed them and drowned down his next drink. Unfortunately his conscious wouldn't let him go. He grabbed a napkin and jotted down a few words on it. Then he handed it to Bobby and pointed him to the back door.

A few minutes after Bobby went into the room their was a large commotion of sound and cheering. The door burst open a little to widely for true secrecy and showed the young women kissing enthusiastically a young man who had a pile of chips in front of him. Bobby came out of the room grinning ear to ear and whispered quickly to Anna. Chuck had already started smiling.

"You have more heart then you think." Anna stated.

Dean shook his head at the commotion and their cheery faces. He turned to leave, maybe even to turn in for the night. Castiel was walking up to him a frown on his face. "Now why did you have to do a thing like that?" Castiel asked staring lonely at the happy couple.

"Just call me cupid." Dean stated trying to move away from the Captain.

"Dean, if your not going to let me have any fun with the refugees, I'm going to have to claim a little more of a payment from you." Castiel's hand came out to grab Dean's arm. Dean immediately reacted by pushing Castiel up against the bar harshly. His hand came up to his neck and a large knife pressed against the Captain's cheek.

"Dean!" Bobby yelled, but he was holding Anna back from stepping in between the two men. Anna had a soft spot for Dean but Castiel was her childhood friend.

"What makes you think I will allow you to take anything more from me then you already have." Dean asked leaning close to Castiel's stone cold face. No emotion broke out on the Captain's face. The other patrons seemed so desensitized by the fights that broke out in the Roadhouse that they were not paying attention.

"Release me." Castiel stated looking Dean directly in the eye. Castiel's hand pressed against Dean's groin. Before Dean's body could react he backed away allowing a good arms length between their bodies.

"I expect my payment tonight doubled for the loss you have just caused me." Castiel stated and walked away from the bar.

Dean glanced around the room. No one seemed to have noticed the confrontation between the Roadhouse owner and the Captain of Casablanca. He sighed relieved and let his body relax a little more. "Anna."

"Dean, why don't you just let him have the refugees?" Anna asked.

Dean didn't answer staring into his drink trying to understand his waring emotions inside his body. Why didn't he allow the Captain to have his fun with the refugees, it was just 30 minutes? They would leave the next day. Why was he acting so...jealously? Dean tried to shake the word and feelings from his mind. A crash of glass and silverware distracted him from his brooding.

He turned around and walked towards the sound. He saw Bobby bending down to pick-up broken glass. "Bobby what happen...?"

Dean froze as he recognized the person at the table Bobby had been serving.