AN: Thanks again for the reviews. You are keeping me going here. So, two chapters in two days. I think it's a new record for me. Actually, the last chapter would have been up sooner, but my internet was down for a couple of days. I hope you like this chapter. It's really just a lot of talking, but some things just have to be talked about, right?

Chapter 4

"Um, Professor Novak, could I talk to you for a sec? I promise I won't take up too much of your time." Sam stood in the doorway of the Cas' tiny office, book bag slung over his back.

Cas looked up at Sam and smiled. "It would seem that the distaste for making appointments must run in the family." He motioned for Sam to come in. "I appreciate the interruption, in this case. Your visit will happily delay the unavoidable task of reading some of the most atrocious essays known to man." He took off his glasses and sat them atop a pile of ungraded papers.

Sam sat down in one of the chairs across the desk and raised an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"

"Apparently I didn't do the best job teaching the material. I think my eyes might have started bleeding had you not saved me just in time. What can I do for you, Sam?"

There was no sense trying to skirt the issue, so Sam just blurted it out. "Please take Dean with you tomorrow."

Cas shook his head. "No, absolutely not. But if you can't come, I'll handle it on my own. I would however, like the opportunity to show you how a pre-investigation works."

"See, that's just it. I really don't care how it works. It's Dean you should teach." All he really wanted was a paranormal free life with a good job, a wife, kids, maybe even a dog. He looked up at the man, his eyes pleading. "Man, I just do this for Dean. I don't even really like it, but it makes him happy and…"

Cas put a hand up to stop him. "Just stop. I won't take him. I'm sorry."

"Why do you hate him? I mean I know he was kind of rude to you and Lt. Darrinport, but he's not really like that."

"I don't hate him. That's not why I won't take him." Cas sighed and got up from his desk to close the door to his office. "While your defense of your brother is endearing, it's not necessary. My decision was based on something else entirely."

"Sam turned in the chair to look at the professor. "Is it the flirting thing? Cause he even flirts with me and I'm his freakin brother. He doesn't mean anything by it. It's just…"

"A self-defense mechanism, I know." Cas finished his sentence, smiling. "Relax, I don't care about that. Actually, I find it rather amusing." He lost his smile and sat down on the top of the desk, facing Sam. "I just need to be sure it's safe first, before we involve Dean."

Sam pursed his brows, not sure when he'd entered the twilight zone. Did this educated man really believe there was something dangerous out there? That ghosts could actually hurt people? He almost had to stifle a laugh, except the serious look on the professor's face scared the hell out of him. "Okay, let me get this straight. You think there's something there and it's not safe for Dean. So what? You and me are expendable, but Dean's too precious to risk?"

"It's 'you and I', and no, we're not expendable." He hesitated a moment, knowing Sam thought he was nuts already, but so be it. "Sam, this isn't a normal case. It's something I've dealt with before and the thing that's in that house, it preys on people who don't have their marbles locked up as securely as they pretend, as your brother so colorfully put it."

"Wait, Dean's not psycho or anything. He's just… he's been through a lot recently and he's dealing with it 'Dean-style', that's all."

"Dean-style is exactly what this thing feeds on." Cas got off the desk and grabbed an old book off a shelf and handed it to Sam. "That's an accurate description of malevolent spirits and how they behave. Repression, guilt, co-dependency, use of drugs or alcohol as escape mechanisms; any of these things ringing a bell, Sam?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Your brother is the poster boy for unhealthy ways of coping with trauma. You asked me to help you with this case, and I will. But I need you to trust my judgment on this issue."

Sam turned the book over in his hand: 'Demonic Possession: An Introduction to the Church's Teachings on the Practice of Exorcism in the Modern Era'. Sam felt a chill run down his arm. He opened the cover and noticed a stamp for 'St. Raphael's Seminary' printed above the copyright date. He swallowed a lump in his throat and slowly put the book down on Dr. Novak's desk, not sure why he no longer wanted to touch it. "I think this is all a little above my pay grade."

"You're right, it is. That's why I agreed to help, but Dean stays home until we're sure it's safe. I won't risk everyone's safety just to please him or you."

"Yeah, okay. I'm gonna trust that you're not the one with a few marbles loose here and just accept that there's something to this. But you need to know that Dean's not a bad guy. Really, he could use a friend; someone to talk to that isn't me."

"I don't have time for friends, Sam." He put his hand over the stack of papers on his desk as an example. "I can help you with this case, but I can't help you with your brother. I'm no more qualified to be a therapist, than that flask of whisky he carries around is."

Sam, nodded and got up from the chair, throwing the heavy bag over his shoulder. "I get it. I'll let you get back to grading papers then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Sam started to walk out the door, but Cas suddenly felt bad for the guy. "What about you? Have you made any friends here yet, Sam?"

Sam turned around, a small smile on his face. "Well, I have Jess and now I know you, so I guess I'm working on it."

Cas reached over to a small corkboard and pulled a yellow flier off it and handed it to Sam. "There's an informal get-together planned for Friday night, a week and a half from now. It's for new students. You should take Jess, get to know some of the other students."

Sam looked at the paper, but tried to hand it back. "I'd like to, really I would, but on Friday nights, Dean and I usually hang out, you know, brotherly bonding type stuff."

"I'll make you a deal: You attend that party, make a few new friends, maybe check out some of the different activities offered on campus, and I'll babysit your brother. Deal?"

Sam grinned and cocked his head. "I thought you didn't have time for friends?"

Cas laughed. "I don't, but it just so happens that I'm taking my Continuing Ed call out to Brookside Cemetery that evening, kind of like a field trip. I want them to experiment with some of the newer technology that's available. Brian, one of my students, was dumped by his boyfriend a couple of months ago. He hasn't really been himself since and could also use a friend. I'll pair them up; maybe they'll hit it off."

"If you're gonna play matchmaker, you should know that Dean likes chicks too. Might be better to set him up with one of those." Sam looked down and immediately regretted the words, knowing how it made him sound.

"Sam, do you not approve of Dean's sexuality?" The words were slow and carefully chosen.

Sam shook his head. "No, nothing like that. It's just… Well, you're a guy. You know how we are. I mean, men are dogs. Dean gets attached and hurt and…"

"Last time I checked, I had no canine attributes what-so-ever, but I understand what you're saying." He smiled, relieved that he'd read Sam right, after all. He certainly hadn't pegged him as homophobic in the least. "There are a couple of attractive, single ladies in the class as well. But, if I were to be honest: If I had a brother that I was concerned about being hurt. I would prefer he become attached to Brian over the women. Brian's a nice guy. He just received his doctorate in engineering and teaches a few undergraduate courses here. He wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Dean's a nice guy too." Sam looked down and headed for the door.

Cas smiled. "I have no doubts about that or I wouldn't be offering to set him up with Brian, whom I both respect and admire. Do we have a deal?"

Sam smiled and tucked the paper into his bag. "Yeah, we have a deal." He walked out of the office and through the halls, stopping at the marble stairway to pull out the paper Dr. Novak had given him. It would be nice to make friends and have a normal college experience, but if and when Dean finds out it's a setup, all hell's gonna break loose.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." Dean put his beer down on the small coffee table and walked to the door. "Sheriff?" Dean smirked at the memory of how flustered professor blue-eyes got, insisting she wasn't a sheriff.

"Amusing Mr. Winchester. You're a one-man comedy hour all in himself." She pushed passed him and into the small living room.

"What do you want?" He looked down at his watch. "I have to be to work in fifteen minutes so…"

"I know that you don't have to be to work." She grinned at the deflated look on his face. "I'm the law, Dean. I know your little grease-monkey schedule. As a matter of fact, I know all about the secret that you're trying to hide away from beneath dirty cars." She paused for effect, grinning at the sour look on his face. "I know who you really are."

He glared at her, law or not he'd toss her out on her ass if she pushed him. "Fine, to what do I owe the pleasure of being big brother's most watched?"

"I'm here about Cas." She noted the lost look on his face. "Professor Novak… Cas is his first name. Maybe you should have put that into your memory banks before you started staring at his ass. Anyway, I'm here because I don't want to see him hurt."

Dean laughed and picked his beer back up, taking a swig. "Don't you think it's a little early for the 'I'll kill you if you hurt him' speech? I mean really lady, I haven't even gotten to first base yet." He put an emphasis on the 'yet' and winked at her for good measure. If she wanted to play, he'd play.

She eyed him up and down, smirking. He was nicely toned, but not overly muscled. Pretty eyes, full lips and long eye-lashes that completely contradicted the bowed-legs and tight ass. "You're cute, I'll give you that, but you're not his type. That's not what I'm here for."

He ignored the very obvious display of objectification. "Then please, do tell me what I owe the very un-pleasure of your company." He rolled his eyes at her. "Really, I can't wait."

"Sixteen months ago Castiel hung up his gear and left this ghost hunting business behind. You, my friend, have convinced him to get back involved and I don't like it."

Dean laughed. "Yeah, I think you may be blaming the wrong Winchester, sheriff. Sam's to blame for that one. The guy wouldn't piss on a fire for me."

She shook her head. "Nope. For some reason he likes you." She frowned. "He trusts you and I don't like it."

"Afraid of a little competition?" He could read jealousy when he saw it. Really, she was pretty. Long blond hair, pretty complexion, curvy enough. The chick was definitely offering it up on a silver platter. It made him wonder why the professor wasn't hitting that.

She huffed. "Like I said, you're not his type. Do I have to be rude about it?"

"Hell sweetheart, why stop now?"

She grinned. He was right, she was being rude. Hell, all this political correct business was hard work. "Look, I'm his friend. You, on the other hand, only want two things from him. One is help with this ghost hunting crap so you can bag a ghost and shoot yourself straight to reality show stardom. The other is to get in his pants. I'm not stupid Dean and neither is he. I actually care about him beyond all that. He's all the family I have."

Yeah, so maybe he deserved the judgment. He was essentially a stranger to them and maybe the flirting had been in bad taste at the time. "Look lady, you may think you know me, but you don't. What you may have read in that file folder, doesn't tell the whole story. So don't presume to know me, just because you happen to know the last job I had." He turned and pointed at her. "Which, by the way, isn't something I want anyone else to find out about."

"I didn't tell him and I won't. It's your business and believe it or not, I understand why you quit." She sat down on the small coffee table in front of him. "You're right, a file folder never tells the whole story, so why don't you tell me why I should trust you with my professor."

He realized that he wasn't getting rid of her without some disclosure, so he put his beer down and told her what she needed to know. "First of all, I'm not the celebrity type and I have no desire to get famous. I'm just a simple guy. I have no intentions of hurting Cas. I get that he's not interested. I'm just a flirt; harmless, I swear." He put his hands up to show his innocence. "It's just a simple investigation, probably just air in their pipes or something. What's the big deal anyway?"

She pulled a DVD out of the black bag she was carrying and handed it to him with a sigh. "This is the footage from his last investigation. This is evidence from an ongoing criminal investigation, so I'm trusting your discretion here. Don't share this with anyone else, including your brother."

He took the disk, but questioned her. "You aren't supposta let anyone see this, including me. By handing me this, you're tainting the chain of evidence. Now it's useless in court."

"This case would never go to trial anyway. He trusts you and he's a very good judge of character, whether or not he currently doubts it." She handed him the scrap paper Cas had written the EVPs from the Monroe phone conversation on. "He pulled these out of the recordings you gave him. After you watch the disc, you'll understand the relevance."

"You mean these two cases are connected?"

"It would seem so."

"Why the hell wouldn't he mention this?" He held up the paper. "Just Monday we were in his office discussing this case."

She frowned and head towards the door. "Just watch the video and I think you'll understand."

"Hey Sammy. How was class?" Dean smiled and handed Sam a beer before he even got all the way in the door.

Sam eyed him suspiciously as he plopped his school supplies down on the couch. "What's wrong? Did you do something to my shampoo again?"

"No, but it's been far too long since I did." He smirked at his brother. "Nothing's wrong Sam. Why would anything be wrong?"

"Because you never ask me how class was. I know you want something or did something, so spill it."

"Fine, you got me. I need a favor."

Sam nodded and sat down, exhausted. "Of course you do."

"I need something to 'come up' tomorrow so you can't go to the Monroes with Professor Novak."

Sam smirked and rolled his eyes. "Dean really. What? You want some alone time with him, so you can bat your eyelashes at him or something. I know you think you're irresistible and all, but please give it up, man." He knew Dean was still pouting about not getting to go, and he knew why, but if Dr. Novak was right and not completely off his rocker, believing there was something 'real' and 'malicious' in that house, then Dean really didn't need to go. As a matter of fact, he didn't need to have anything to do with it at all.

"Don't be a dick, Sam. I have more self-respect than that. It's something else. I found something out and I need to talk to him about it, alone."

"What?"

"It's nothing you need to know until I talk to him about it. Rachel brought me a file from evidence. It's the footage from his last investigation. I need to talk to him about it and I promised her that I wouldn't share it with you because of it being evidence in an ongoing police investigation." He saw the look on his brother's face and patiently waited for the impending demand for disclosure.

"Yeah, I get it, evidence and all, talk to him about it, but I don't think he's gonna change his mind about taking you." Sam noted the scowl on his brother's face. "Look, I tried talking to the guy and he just won't budge. You've convinced him that you're a jackass, now deal with the consequences." He knew it would go over much better if Dean continued to believe the professor just hated him. God forbid he found out the guy was trying to protect him. He'd blow a gasket, stream coming out of his ears and everything. Dean was the protector, not the opposite.

"Maybe you can't get him to budge, but I can. I promise to behave, but before anyone goes into that house, what's on that disk needs to be talked about. I ain't letting you step foot in that place until Dr. Novak and I clear some things up."

As annoying as Mr. Protective could be, Sam couldn't help but smile at the spark of the real Dean finally coming to the surface. "Dean, I can see where this is headed and it's not a good idea. Sometimes you try too hard and if this is part of a police investigation…" He patted his brother on the arm. "Dean, you don't need any more hurt."

"This is different, Sammy. What I found out, the reason he quit… It's bad."

"Yeah, I can tell by the look of 'I have to save this guy now' that you have written all over your face." He sat back, still studying his brother's features. "Dean, if this guy did something…" He had a hard time believing that a poetry professor could have some dark criminal past, but by the look on Dean's face, he had to wonder.

"He didn't do anything. Something was done to him and I just think that I'm the one best suited to discuss it with him."

Sam nodded, but the frown on his face was a sure sign he didn't agree. "Yeah, but just… Dean, you're not really the best one to be playing shrink. You have a boatload of your own issues."

Dean eyed his brother and sighed, getting up from the sofa. "Sammy, I'm fine. Really."

"No you're not. The fact that you're changing oil for a living is proof of that much." He turned to follow his brother's movements. "We came out here to start over, give both of us a fresh start. You try to save everybody, but just maybe you should save yourself first this time. If this guy's damaged, maybe we should just find the Monroes someone else to help them."

"Gee Sammy, thanks for the vote of confidence. Really, good job letting me know how much faith you have in me. I'm touched." Dean was angry. Sure, working at the garage was less money and a little dirtier, but it was easy and therapeutic. Something he needed right now. "I'll tell you this; if he's too damaged to be able to work this case, then so am I. So tell me, be honest; is it me or him that you're more concerned about?" The look of guilt and pity on Sam's face was all the answer he needed.

Dean walked back around the couch to stand over Sam. "Let me word this in a way you'll understand because you seem to be under the false assessment that this is open for debate. I am going with him tomorrow. You are staying home. That's it, end of discussion."

AN: I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading and please review if you can. Chapter 5 should be up soon. By the looks of my hand written copy, it's quite a bit longer than this chapter, so it may take a few days. I am a really bad typist, not exaggerating.