Chapter 16: A Hunting We Will Go
Two days later, found John and Castiel packing up the car. Dean watching from the door, arms crossed over his chest in silent disapproval. John could understand why, he probably wanted to go. Wanted to get out of here, and into something that got the blood pumping. Hell, it was why he was going out.
He looked over to Castiel, who was going over a checklist he'd made. Looking over the paper in his hands, file underneath it containing the details of the case. He was organized, John had to give him that. But he seemed to be questioning everything John said.
When they where finished, they pulled out. Sam pulling Dean out of the doorway and into the bunker. Once clear of the bunker, John looked over at Castiel, who was going over the witness testimonies, and news paper articles.
"So." John said, to break the silence. "What kinda hunts have you done in the past? Worked any werewolf cases?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Not many. I worked mostly in Demonic activity, a few other cases here and there. But mostly just the Demon stuff." He answered curtly.
"What, Demon's killed someone close to you or something?" He asked. He understood the majority of hunters who specialized in one creature usually harbored some kind of grudge.
"Five of my brothers." Castiel answered without looking up. John looked over at him, his face twisted in surprise. Boy came from a big family.
"Five of your brothers possessed?" John asked in disbelief.
"No, not possessed. Killed." Castiel answered simply.
"Do you mind me asking how?" John asked, watching Castiel for some kind of emotion. The mans face remained neutral as he spoke.
"We had discovered a very powerful Demon, the first Demon, Lilith. She was attempting to break the second seal to bring about the Apocalypse. We intervened, but we couldn't stop it. Lilith escaped, the second seal had been broken, the witnesses risen, and my brothers dead." Castiel told him, his voice remaining steady.
"All of you where hunters?" John asked, wondering what hunter in his right mind would have so many kids. "Where your parents hunters?"
"Don't know. I don't really know my parents. When I say brothers, I mean those that I grew up with, trained with." Castiel said simply. John listening to what he'd said, and thinking about for a moment.
Did that mean that Castiel was raised to be a hunter. By some kind of organization that took children, and trained them just for that purpose. If that where the case, why had he never heard of anything like that before? But it would certainly explain the fact that the guy seemed emotionally dead inside. May have been trained to keep himself in check or something.
"So, you've been hunting for how long?" John asked, deciding he would keep those thoughts to himself until he knew more.
"Most of my life." Castiel answered, flipping through the pages in the files. "I'm sorry, but this doesn't look like your average werewolf case. The lunar cycle is wrong. I think there might be something more to this." Castiel said, flipping through the pages.
"What?" John asked, the lunar cycle was right, he'd checked that himself. "No, it's a werewolf, I checked it myself."
"No, it looks more like a copy-cat. The attacks are happening a day too early or late. Barely noticeable unless you have a keen understanding of when a werewolf actually turns." Castiel argued. "Something is making it look like werewolf attacks. Could be some sort of Demon, or witch trying to hide what they are doing. The heart is useful for other things, powerful spells, rituals, maybe a form of tribute to some God. A sacrifice maybe, that requires the heart being cut out and eaten. That is if they are even eating it. They could just be making it look that way." He said, looking at the news paper articles, few pictures that there where.
This was going to be fun. John thought to himself, rolling his eyes. The guys was obviously too well informed, finding imanginary patterns in something simple.
Dean watched them go with a sinking suspicion that this was not going to go well. That whatever happened on this trip, one of them was not coming back happy. Maybe even not at all. No, he didn't want to think like that. His father was known for taking risks, but Castiel was going to keep them both alive.
Maybe he was just paranoid, and a bit upset. He wasn't going to see Castiel for at least a couple of days, putting a crimp in his mood. His main outlet for stress relief was leaving, though he had promised Dean last night he would be back in a couple of days. Telling him not to worry about them, and to rest. Talk with Sam about everything if he could.
Dean thought he should, not just the whole sneaking into each other's room at night thing either. The past few days, they had been sitting up talking about what Castiel would say to John if he got to nosy. How they would explain a few things, while convincing John that he was still human. While still incorporating quite a bit of truth so that Castiel could remember it. They also didn't know exactly how much Sam had told John, requiring a great amount of subtlety on Dean's part to get that information out of both of them.
They had eventually settled on a story they thought would work. Deciding that telling John that Castiel had been trained since childhood by some secret, underground organization like men in black, was the best option. The kind of place that let most hunters do their thing, while they focused on the big, end of the world stuff. It was half true. Dean told Castiel that it would stop John from questioning his stiff exterior, and maybe stop thinking he wasn't human. Just gone under some super intense training. Castiel had his doubts about how that seemed more believable then him just telling them that he'd just been a hunter for years, and he was a high functioning autistic. But he rehearsed the story over and over until he had it down, and could pass it off as the truth. Letting Dean know, in no uncertain terms, how cute he thought Dean's action movie fetish was.
Dean and Sam sat in the library, looking through the books Castiel had book marked for helping him. Dean finding nothing he thought would help as he poured over the pages of the books. The small, or hand written writing doing nothing to help the pounding in his head.
He closed his third book, and ran his hands down his face. Closing his eyes, he messaged his temples, trying to get rid of the constant pain. Or at least, try to give himself some relief. His head hadn't hurt this bad in a week. Not since he and Castiel had hooked up on the table he was currently sitting at.
"Dean." He heard Sam say from behind him. "Are you okay?" Sam asked him, sitting down next to him. A hand shooting up to his forehead, checking his temperature. "You do have a fever." He observed worriedly.
"I'm fine, Sammy." Dean bit out, batting his hand away.
"Sure you are." Sam said, rolling his eyes and pulling the book away from Dean before closing it. He walked out of the room for a few minutes, returning with a mug and a small cup of pills. "Here take those, and that tea is supposed to have calming effects. Maybe it'll help." He said, sitting down and opening his own book again.
"I don't need calming juice, Sam." Dean growled, rubbing his temples.
"Uh-huh." Sam said, already focusing on his book. Dean rolled his eyes, and downed the pills before using the tea to wash them down. The stuff tasted week, and bitter at the same time. He couldn't understand at all how it was supposed to help. Dean cleared his throat after setting down his mug, watching Sam.
"Yes." Sam asked, looking up from his book.
"Okay, so." Dean started, rolling his shoulders. "With Dad taking Cas on this hunt. We thought it was best to change the story up a bit. How we met, what Cas was doing before we met him, stuff like that." Dean started.
"I know, kinda figured it out when you where asking me what I'd told Dad. Your not as subtle as you think." Sam said, shaking his head. Dean sighed, rolling his eyes at his brother who was smirking at him.
"Alright, shut up." Dean said. "Look, we came up with a story that was full of half-truths, but I need you to go along with it. We both know what Dad will be like if he finds out Cas is really an Angel." He explained, staring at his brother leaving no room for disagreement.
"Yeah, your right on that. I can do that, but can Cas?" Sam asked, looking at his brother skeptically. "He's not exactly the best liar."
"That's why we kept a lot of stuff true. Just changing a few of the details. Cas'll be fine, we rehearsed it." Dean said, taking another sip of tea.
"So that's what you two have been doing lately. I'd thought..." Sam started, but then looked at his brother before shaking his head.
"What?" Dean asked, watching his brother.
"Oh, it's nothing." Sam said, getting up and walking out of the room.
John rolled his eyes for what must have been the twentieth time since coming to the police station to look at the bodies of the victims. It was obvious, Castiel was no good at dealing with people, and had no qualms about looking weird. If he's really been hunting for years, he should have a handle on people. But maybe he just hunted the monsters, and avoided the whole people mess. That would explain why he choose to work with Dean and Sam. They had the people skills to take care of the leg work, while he provided an extra hand in the actual fighting.
They had set up at a small motel, then went straight to the police station. Flashing the FBI badges and spinning a yarn that they where there to help with the strange murders.
"But these are animal attacks." The sheriff had said, looking at them suspiciously. His brown eye-brows raising in question.
"Or a copy-cat." Castiel had stated bluntly. Putting his badge back in his coat pocket. It was ninety degrees outside, how could he be wearing a coat. John assumed it was for intimidation, it sure had a way of making him look bigger.
"Copy-cat, of an animal." The sheriff said skeptically, looking at Castiel in bewilderment. "Okay buddy, sure." He said, chuckling. He turned to John in sympathy, shaking his head. "Must hate getting stuck with the rookies, huh?" He asked.
"Yeah, but what can I say. Someone needs to train them right." John said, chuckling uneasily. Castiel seemed to have something to say, but John stamped on his foot to silence him. "If you don't mind, we would really like to take a look at the bodies. See if there is anything too this."
"Sure, knock yourselves out." The sheriff said, walking them to the back of the building. "But I'm telling you, there's really nothing to see."
"Or maybe you just didn't look at everything properly." Castiel started, scribbling on a piece of paper. John rolled his eyes and poked him in the side.
"We're sure there isn't, but we needed to cover all the bases." John consoled, patting the sheriff on the shoulders. "You know how it is."
"All right." He said, opening the door, and showing them in. He walked them to a wall full of large drawers that looked like files cabinets. Pulling out one of the latest victims, and standing aside for them to look.
John stepped forward, taking in the torn look of the guy. The wounds looking a lot like claw marks to him. Castiel stood across from him, checking the guys hair, and finger nails, before bending down and taking a long sniff. John internally groaned, how the hell was he supposed to explain that.
"Did he just smell that dead man?" Sheriff asked, watching Castiel, horrified. John had to cough a couple times to come up with an excuse.
"He's a bit weird, you know. One of those beautiful mind, genius types." He tried to convince, taking a moment to glare at Castiel who was not looking at him. To enthralled in his observations. "Listen, why don't you go get yourself a cup of coffee. This might take awhile, and my partner...He's a headache on the best of days, I would hate to impose him upon you more then necessary. We'll show ourselves out when we're done." He said, hoping to give a convincing nod to the sheriff, sending another look at Castiel as if he thought maybe he should be calling the guys with the nice padded rooms, and hug-myself jackets.
Once the sheriff had left, he turned to Castiel. Running a hand down his face in frustration. He let out a long sigh, before starting in on the guy.
"Do you mind not sniffing the dead guy?" He asked, Castiel raising his head when addressed. Face showing confusion.
"Why not?" Castiel asked, turning back to the corpse. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't be able to tell you that this is not a werewolf. He smells like sage, and..." He leaned down to sniff again. "Metal, silver to be exact. A knife was used to cut into him." He stated matter of factually.
"Your a bit touched in the head, aren't you?" John asked, he had too. Why else would he have thought to smell the victim. Castiel looked at him, face twisted in confusion as he tilted his head to the side.
"Nobody has touched my head." Castiel said, as if he where clarifying something, but did not know why.
These next few days where going to go great. John thought sarcastically, running his hand through his hair in irritation.
Dean walked quietly through the halls of the bunker, taking a moment to listen down the hall Sam's room was in. Hearing nothing, he crept to the garage. They had gotten one of the cars running, and he needed to go out. He was not about to have a repeat of what happened when Castiel had come to his room the other day. Might as well go out before he gets back, and get some supplies.
"Dean?" He heard from behind him, slumping his shoulders, he turned around. "I thought you went to bed." Sam continued, walking over to his brother. Dean gave him a slightly guilty smile.
"I, uh, wanted to take the old Chevy out for a test drive. You know, make sure everything works right." Dean lied, shrugging his shoulders. Sam looked at him skeptically, before nodding.
"Well, okay. I'll go with you." Sam said, walking to the garage door and opening it.
"What.." Dean started, before changing tact. "I mean, re..really?"
"Yeah, I've never seen a car that old, it would be interesting. Besides, maybe we can stop by the liquor store, and get you a drink. I know you probably want to take advantage of Dad not here, and have one." Sam said, walking in and waiting for Dean. Dean squirmed a bit before walking into the garage after his brother.
He pulled the keys off the rack they had kept them, and walked over to the car. Sam followed him into it, before he started the car and pulled out. Reminding himself that old cars ran a bit differently, and he needed to be gentle about it. They drove into town, stopping at the gas station before continuing on further. They had only put enough gas in the car to get them to a gas station, and start it when needed.
They did stop at the liquor store, but only got enough for a day or two. Wanting to make sure that it would be gone before John and Castiel returned. They drove through town a bit more before Dean said he was feeling thirsty, and stopped at a drug store. To get a drink, he'd told Sam, opening the door, and getting out. Leaving the engine running and asking Sam if he needed anything. Sam shook his head and waited in the car.
Dean walked into the drug store, and went straight to the back. Knowing exactly what he wanted. He grabbed it quickly, and picked up a soda at random, remembering his excuse for coming here. He paid the cashier, who raised his eyes brows at him, giving him a flirtatious smile. Dean didn't return it, he wasn't here to flirt, and went back to the car. Dropping his bag in the back.
"I thought you where just getting a drink?" Sam asked, looking at the bag in the back seat.
"It's nothing, I just saw it and thought that I could use it." Dean said, passing it off and hoping that Sam would buy it. Unfortunately, he didn't. Reaching back into the seat, Sam pulled the bag to his lap and looked inside, before looking at his brother in confusion.
"What's this?" He asked, turning to Dean.
"It's nothing, Sam." Dean said, continuing to drive.
"Nothing..." Sam said, looking in the bag again. "Dean, this is a bottle of lube. Now I really don't want to know about your sex life. But I can't think of a possible reason why you would pick this up. Was this what you where really going in there for and the soda was just a cover?" He asked, looking at his brother in bewilderment.
"It's none of your business." Dean said, pulling out of the parking lot and heading back to the bunker.
"Dean, are you sneaking out to go see a girl or something?" Sam asked, putting the bag in the floor. But then a look of realization on dawned on Sam's face. "I knew it, I knew it. It's Cas isn't it?" He exclaimed, pointing at Dean in excitement.
"What? No." Dean answered quickly.
"Dean, don't lie to me. I've seen it, the shared looks, the private talks. How happy you've been, and I swore I heard something coming from your room the other day. I just thought you where watching something on your laptop." Sam listed, covering his face in his hands. Mortified at the images in his head. "How long has this been going on?" Dean sighed, it's not like he could hide it from Sam. His father was clueless in more ways then one, but Sam wasn't. He would have figured it out eventually.
"I don't know, few weeks." Dean answered, thinking back. "Since the night I went to the bar. Cas pulled me away from that fight, and laid into me for attacking those guys. I was drunk, I couldn't control myself." He explained.
"Finally." Sam said, looking back out the window.
"Well, don't act like you could see this coming or anything. What do you mean, finally?" Dean snapped, turning to look at his brother.
"Road, Dean." Sam reminded. "And Dean, it's been obvious since, like a week after you met him, that you where harboring the worlds biggest crush on the guy. It's about time you two finally did something. Cause I gotta tell ya, as a third party observer, it's very uncomfortable being the go between, and sitting with you guys. I'm not really a fan of the slow burn, and your two burn slower then anything I've ever seen."
"And the fact that Cas is a guy doesn't weird you out or anything?" Dean asked, he was scared of the answer, but Sam seemed to be very understanding.
"No." Sam answered quickly. "I mean, it's not like I didn't know. I kind of went to the same school as you Dean. I heard the rumors, just figured you'd tell me when you where ready. Honestly, I'm not the only one either. I'm fairly certain Bobby had some kind of bet going with himself as to when you would come out, and it would incidentally coincide with you and Castiel's marriage announcement." He half joked, looking at Dean with a smile.
"Then how come nobody bothered to tell me about this?" Dean asked, easing up on the gas a bit. "I've been going out of my mind for years, thinking I was seeing things that weren't there. Stopping myself from doing anything, too worried about what you would think." He said, thinking back to all those years, all the jokes the others had made about him and Castiel.
"Like I said, I figured you would say something when you where ready. I didn't want to bring it up, and you get all defensive about it." Sam explained. "You seemed to be working through it on your own, I didn't want to confuse you."
"Well, that's just great." Dean sighed, pulling into the garage. "Now I just have to find a way to tell Dad." He mumbled under his breath.
"He's the real reason you where hiding it, wasn't he?" Sam asked, watching Dean with a worried look. Dean thought about that for a moment.
"Yeah." He answered simply. Opening the door and walking into the bunker. Carrying his bag to his room and putting it in his nightstand. Sam watching him go without making a sound.
Hur-ray, another update. I occurred to me the other day that I could possibly have named this fic, 'You Love Is My Drug" but I had a feeling that Dean would have been mortified that I name a story with him after a Ke$ha song. So I think this is better.
Dean has come out to Sam, but now it's John he has to worry about, and trust me, I have plans for that one.
Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Just loving the feedback I'm getting from it, and wishing you all well.