Little bit longer! Oh man oh man!

Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing here. Not my characters, not my universe.

CHAPTER 4

"So, meals are here in the dining area, kitchen is right there as you can see. You can what there is at anytime, but I gotta admit, it's pretty standard fare. But we have protein cubes in all the colors of the rainbow! Sit down meals are also standard. Dinner is around 1800 hours for your first meal aboard the Impala." Dean looks around with a plastic smile on his face as he gives the penny tour of his ship. Chuck timidly speaks up, "I think Sheppard Singer said he had something to share for dinner and that he was okay with helping cook."

Dean pauses, "Sheppard, huh. Well helping cook is fine and dandy." He looks at the preacher more closely now. Dean had barely looked before, but now he sees the tell-tale collar and grey dress shirt. But upon further inspection Dean noticed the harsh expression that Dean usually cottons to soldiers or those who have lived a less cushy life. Perhaps this guy deserves some respect, Dean thought begrudgingly.

Bobby responds gruffly, "Yeah, hopefully none of ya have delicate stomachs because I have my famous chili planned for tonight. Real tomatoes included."

Every member of the crew present either groans, whimpers, or eyes widen at this. They can't remember the last time they had real veggies that didn't come from a canned mush.

Dean returns to addressing his guests after clearing his throat, "As I said, you can visit the dining hall as much as you like. Other than that, I do request you stay in the passenger dorm area. The control room, engine room, and cargo bay are all off limits without an escort."

Finally Balthazar speaks up again, "Some of my personal effects are in the cargo bay. I would rather not leave it unattended for too long."

"I figure some of you might have luggage you might want to get into. So as soon as we finish up here, one of my crew would be more than happy to fetch them with you. Anyway, one last announcement! It sucks and we are all going to have to deal, but we have been ordered by Garrison officials to drop some special supplies off in Whitefall. It's a bit out of our way on the way to Boros, but thanks to our pilot, it shouldn't be more than a day off schedule. Any comments?"

Dean looks around at the group. No one says anything. As he turns to go he sees Trickster coming down the hallway to the dining hall, his attention focused on a chart in his hands. He doesn't look up when he comes in until he bumps into Balthazar. He looks up and it seems at first that he is going to snap, or maybe apologize if he knows what's good for him, but instead he freezes like he's seen a ghost.

Balthazar barely spares him a glance as he seems a bit too distracted with his thoughts, but he does send a confused look at Trickster. Trickster blanches mumbles, "excuse me", and then moves out of the dining area faster than Dean has ever seen the prank-prone pilot move. He'll have to keep an eye on Tricky, if anything to try and get a better idea of who he is.

Anna comes out of her shuttle a little while later and heads towards the cargo bay where she hears voices gathered. She spots Dean leaning against the railing of the catwalk above the hold and walks over.

"Hello captain. I came to see the new faces."

"Yeah, we got some newbies around. Seem innocent enough I suppose. I bet they will be honored by your spectacular and honorable presence," Dean mutters without feeling. There was a time that he might have flirted with Anna, but he's found that his heart is never in it anymore. Sam approaches from behind.

"Hey Dean, Anna. Did I miss the tour? Trickster and I were going over the charts to Whitefall. He seemed a bit twitchy though." Sam looked a little confused by this, but turned his attention to the passengers and his expression became one of curiosity.

Anna smiled and nodded at Sam and Dean before moving down the stairs, closer to the new arrivals. She first moves towards the Sheppard.

"I see that you are settling in nicely Sheppard. Is everything to your liking?" She asks sweetly.

"Ship shape and all that. If you don't mind me asking, but what do you do on this boat? Are you married to one of the crew?"

Harsh laughter erupts from the corner of the room as Meg walks forward, and with all the grace of a lumberjack in a cocktail dress butts into the conversation.

"Barbie doll here is a whore, Sheppard."

Bobby looks a little startled. And looks to Anna for conformation.

Balthazar pipes in as well. "I believe the term is companion. I've seen my fair share of these wonderful creatures to pick one out from a distance. And you, by far, are one the fairest." He leans down and kisses Anna's hand. Bobby grunts.

Dean was listening in of course and also broke in, "She kind of acts as our ambassador. There are plenty of planets that won't even let us dock without a reputable companion on board. This gonna be a problem preacher?"

Bobby answers "Ain't my place to judge, only guide." And he nods politely to Anna and finishes getting his luggage from the floor.

Dean turns to Meg and gives her a hard glare. Meg smirks and walks out of the hold.

Dinner turns out to be one of the most awkward moments in all 27 years of Dean's life. The chili ain't bad though. Not to mention that the Sheppard mentioned a bottle of scotch that he was willing to share after dinner. But watching Posh Spice and Mike Tyson poke at their food in distaste, Meg smirking at Anna, Trickster looking like he was trying to hide behind Sam's bulky frame and being curiously quiet when usually you can't get the guy to shut up, even with a mouth full of food, it was just weird.

Bobby looked un-phased and just dug into his chili. It seemed like Sam and Chuck were also acutely aware of the unnatural weight in the room. Both of them were trying valiantly to keep some semblance of a conversation going. Chuck would talk about the latest chapter in his book, where a traitor was found amongst the captain's crew. And Sam would pretend to be interested and ask questions about it. And then Sam would ask about the ships engine, and then promptly not be able to understand a word that came out of Chuck's mouth after that.

Of course, Dean might have been the start of this surreal dinner, when the preacher had asked if Dean would mind if he said grace. Dean's answer had been a curt, "only if you say it out loud."

Chuck was rambling through how the water heater of the ship had several aspects to its energy conversion pistons when Balthazar who had been stabbing at his food with a bit more force than necessary, broke in.

"Is it commonplace for the government to commandeer your ship for such errands?"

"Well, what is government for but to get in a man's way," Dean said without looking up from his plate.

Uriel spoke up for the first time since Dean heard him state his name. "This is a good thing. The Garrison is providing for those less fortunate on the outer planets. I have heard of sickness and poverty running rampant on the rim planets. We are doing our leader's work."

Dean lost his appetite after that.

Chuck, ever the curious asked, "So what is it you do Balthazar?"

Trickster tensed a little and seemed to zone in on Balthazar while still remaining in Sam's shadow. Dean took note of this.

"Well, I guess you could say I was involved in trade of certain items for certain wealthy customers for a while. Now I'm looking to take my expertise to market on the outer ports. I heard Boros is a good place to find an employer. "

Well that was super cryptic, thought Dean. But Meg beat him to it.

"Sounds a little sketchy there honey. Got something else you would like to tell us? What were those special items? Weapons, slave trade?"

She wasn't able to say anymore when Dean slammed his hand on the table and said very quiet and hard, "I suggest you stop pestering our guests and take a breather in your bunk."

Meg smirked again, Dean was really beginning to hate seeing her face do that. And got up saying, "I'm not paid to cater to guests." And she headed off towards the crew quarters.

And yet another awkward moment passes and Bobby asks, "What do you pay her for?"

Dean finally looks up at Bobby and says with a dazzling smile, "She is the ships shrink."

Later that night Sam goes up to the control room to find Trickster absently fiddling with his action figures. He is looking at a spot on the wall unblinkingly. The soft glow of the radar screen casting an eerie green glow on his normally golden complexion. Sam's face softens.

"Hey, I noticed you were kinda quiet at dinner. Is there something wrong? If it's about the shore leave I can try to get Dean to give us some time off after we sell the goods."

Trickster sighs, "I'm fine. Just thinking about some people from another life-time. And also trying to figure out if I can pull a prank on the preacher man without Dean-o getting too mad." He finishes with a flash of a smile at Sam. A warm feeling arises in Sam's gut when he sees this. Both of them turn to look at the stars out the window in a companionable silence.

Dean is in his bunk washing his face at the small sink in the corner. For a moment he feels refreshed, but then he hears Tricksters voice come over the comm.

"Dean, you might want to get up here. Got something you wanna see."

Dean enters the control room to see Sam and Trickster focused intently on the telecom screen.

"What's up?"

"Looks like someone tried to send a wave out to hail the nearest Garrison cruiser," Trickster said, for once completely serious.

"Tell me you scrambled it?"

"Like an egg at breakfast, but some of it might have still gotten through."

"Dean?" Sam's voice broke through him and he was able to shake out of his thoughts. He knew what had happened. And he was pissed. "knulla varje öppning!" (Fuck every orifice)

Trickster grunted and stated the obvious conclusion, "We have ourselves a mole."

Balthazar is down in the hold again inspecting the metallic box, face very serious and worried. He gently pats the top of the box before turning slowly to walk away, to only find himself facing a very angry looking Dean.

"Forget your hair gel?" and then Dean punches him hard enough to send him to the floor holding his jaw.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?!" Balthazar slowly stands up again, his face red with anger.

"What did you tell them? What do they know!?" This time Dean grabs his fancy lapels and slams him against the nearest wall and puts his face an inch from Balthazar's.

"Are you out of your mind? What are you talking about? Who?"

"I don't have the patience for games right now. I've had a very long day. Now you are going to tell me what you told your Garrison friends," Dean snarled.

"You're a lunatic," Balthazar said while trying to struggle out of Deans grasp.

"And you're a gorramn Fed!"

"Sorry to say it boy, but I think you got the wrong man." The Sheppard's voice came from behind them. Dean turned saw Bobby looking up at the catwalk. Dean swiveled his head and saw that Uriel had a gun pointed at Dean's head. Shit.