AN: Thanks all of you for the lovely thoughts on making the nonSPN changes. So glad that you liked Bobby taytay127. Mummabro, now I wish that I had made Dean an ex-employee :) That would have opened up some interesting doors. Oh, well. I've also read the fic that you mentioned; it is a fun one. Also, legsinger and Master's daughter, you both say the nicest things. Thank you so much.
Well, here's the chapter. Hope you all enjoy.
Later that night the three of them left the salvage yard to have dinner at Sam's place. The drive was only going to be about 15 minutes but Cas felt his nerves already tense up at the thought of taking the truck. He was happy when he noticed that Bobby and Dean walked past the truck toward the warehouse at the far end of the property. Bobby was carrying a six-pack of beer and Dean was asking something about sand and paint removal. Bobby had been pleased with the bike, running his hand over it in a possessive way that made Cas smile a bit.
The Impala was parked inside the warehouse off to the side. Dean pulled out his keys and twirled them around on his finger before popping open the door and hopping in. Cas opened the back door to get in and Bobby said over the hood at him, "Why don't you sit up front? I don't mind the back."
"I really don't mind sitting back here, Bobby," Cas responded.
"Well, one of you needs to sit up here. I don't want to look like your bloody chauffeur." Dean called back to them. Bobby got in the back seat then, making it clear where Cas needed to sit. He closed the door and made his way to the front seat.
The drive there took almost no time. Dean had fiddled with the radio looking for a station, but before he could settle on anything, they were there. The house was a nice looking two story ranch house with a white paint job. The wrap around porch had a porch swing and two wicker chairs that faced out toward the vast fields that swept out from the side of the house. The dinner was going to be a late one and Cas found that his stomach was growling furiously as they made their way up the front steps. He punched at his stomach a little to quiet himself and saw Dean watching him.
"Hungry?" Dean smiled.
"Starving. I haven't eaten since lunch with M, and that was quite a while ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry about that. Should have showed you where Bobby hides all of the snacks." Dean reached up and opened the screen door to the house. Bobby pushed the doorbell and they heard Sam call them in from the other side, so they went in.
"Hey guys, you all have a nice trek out here?" Jess swooped over to give each of them a hug of welcome.
"Good to see you again." Cas said.
"Bobby did you bring me beer?" Jess reached down and took the six-pack from him.
"Yeah, but maybe you better let me test one first to see if it is safe." Bobby snapped one off of the rings and they all made their way to the dining room.
"Place is looking good Sammy. You been working without me?" Dean cast his gaze around the room.
"Nothing big." Sam answered then continued, "I just threw some fresh paint down and trimmed out the room. It really needed some baseboard trim." Sam carried a huge platter of steaks over to the table and Jess went into the kitchen to start retrieving the rest of the items.
"Oh, here let me help." Cas followed her and began carrying in a large bowl of mashed potatoes, while she carried a salad. "So this is where we will be slaving away next weekend?"
"Yep. Thanks in advance, by the way." Sam offered. They began passing around the platters and bowls until everyone's plates were heaped with food.
"Just so you all know, Sam and I have some news." Jess began as they sat down, "We are engaged."
"What!" Dean threw his brother a look. "You didn't even tell me, you sneaky bastard."
Sam smiled over at him. "Gotta have some secrets."
"Congratulations, Sam. This is great news." Cas smiled over at Jess, "You sure you want to do this? I mean you can probably do better."
"Hey, rude." Sam tossed a biscuit at him, but Cas caught it. "What is it with you and Dean always throwing food? I swear."
"Do I even want to ask?" Sam looked over to Dean for clarification only to find that Dean had turned a deep scarlet and would not make eye contact.
"No story, your brother just lacks social graces when pickle slices are on the table." Cas sent out a tiny save for Dean. He could see though that Dean was still avoiding the conversation a little.
Bobby chimed in, "So when is the big day?"
"Oh, we haven't planned out to that yet." Jess threw out. "Maybe next summer or something."
"So, that brings me to the next question." Sam looked pointedly at both Cas and then Dean.
Why is he looking at us like that. Shit, don't make some joke about double weddings. It is all I can do to keep this timid man from running. Cas looked over at Sam with a wary expression then asked, "What is it Sam?"
"Um, well, I am going to need some groomsmen. I already know that Dean will do the best man honors, but I am hoping that you would be willing to be in this too. So, how 'bout it, Cas, want to be one of my groomsmen?"
"Well, Sammy, I don't know what to say. Of course. I have never been in a wedding before." Cas felt rather special at this moment. He had siblings that had married and he had not been in a single one of their wedding parties. He had gone to all of them, of course, but he had never been close enough to any of them to be included in the actual wedding parties. Sam's inclusion made him feel like family, and that was something that he hadn't felt in a long while.
The dinner continued with talk of the wedding and then Jess brought out pie. She placed it right in front of Dean with the knife and serving utensils. "There you go brother. I think Sam said that you wanted me to make you some pie."
"Oh, I may have mentioned how great that pie was that you made last Christmas." Dean was smiling down at the pie practically drooling.
Dean cut into it and began sending around little slices to the people around the table. When it got to his turn, he cut out a gigantic slice and placed it on his plate. "Nice Dean. Not selfish at all."
"Hey, I'm a growing boy." Dean patted his stomach for emphasis.
"Did you even notice the slice that you gave to Cas?" Sam pointed at Cas' plate that contained a slice so thin that it could only be called sample size. Cas was fine with it, but it did look rather pitiful compared to the massive pile of pie on Dean's plate.
"Hey, Cas. You want more pie?" Dean said as he began shoveling down his own plate of dessert.
"This is plenty, Dean." Cas ate his meager slice and watched Dean with subtle glances. He was in such a jovial mood that it was a little infectious. He glanced over at Bobby next and found that his gaze was on him. He looked away, but Cas felt as though Bobby was seeing something in the way that he had been looking at Dean. I need to be more careful for Dean. Or maybe I don't. He thought the last when he thought about the way that Bobby looked. He didn't look like he was passing judgement. He seemed to just be observing. Cas resolved then to try to figure out just how receptive Bobby would be to his and Dean's relationship. Maybe tomorrow while Dean works on the bike.
After the dinner had been cleared away, everyone migrated to various seats in the living room. Cas went out onto the porch for some fresh air. Sam followed him. "I forgot what country sky looked like. There are so many more stars here." He said to Sam as he approached.
"Yeah, it's why I can't bring myself to give all of this up." Sam leaned on the railing with a beer in hand. "So, you and Dean doing okay?"
"Sure. Why do you ask?" Cas glanced over at him.
"I just wanted to make sure that things were going alright at Bobby's. I heard that he put you in my old room." Sam leaned onto the railing next to Cas.
"Yeah, it seems like it will be a comfortable room."
"So, are you happy with that arrangement? Better yet is Dean happy with that arrangement? Seems like if you two are a thing that maybe Bobby should just put you both up in one room."
"Hmm, I don't know what to say about that. I am happy with the arrangement. You want more information about Dean's feelings, you'll have to ask Dean."
"Ask me what?" Dean emerged then to join them on the porch.
"Oh, I was just basically asking Cas if you two would be sharing a bedroom at Bobby's." Sam used his most casual voice, but the teasing tone was certainly not missing.
Dean turned right back around and went into the house without a word. "Well, that went well," Cas said. He had to smile a little though at Dean's awkwardness. It was a little cute the way that he would get flustered and blush. It made Cas kind of want to mess with him a little too, but it would be too much if both he and Sam were to pick on Dean at once.
"He told me about his other job." Cas redirected the conversation.
"Did he?" Sam looked genuinely surprised.
"Why is that surprising?"
"He doesn't tell anyone that. It is kind of a big deal. He is constantly at risk. If it got out to anyone, what he does, he would not survive that. He has been working deep undercover for a while now. Did he tell you about the case?"
"No. We had to cut the conversation short to come here. He said that he would tell me more later."
"Now I get why he was acting all weird the other day. He was asking me if it was lying to not tell you about his other job. I told him that keeping information from someone was a type of lying. He didn't seem too happy about that. I think that he thought that you would not want to know him if he didn't tell you about that part of his life."
"I'm glad that he did. It would matter if he hadn't told me soon. We have only known each other for two weeks. It isn't like he needs to tell me everything right at the start." Cas looked over at Sam. "He doesn't have anything else going on that I should know about does he?"
Sam glanced over at him. "I don't know all of my brother's secrets. Geesh, you saw how he gets when I try to get information out of him."
"Yeah. He did tell me a little about your parents too. You never mentioned that they were both cops."
"I didn't?"
"Nope. I think that I would have remembered that little tidbit."
"Well, you should ask Dean for more back story on that. It will give you a greater insight into the man that is my brother. Then come to me for the rest of the story." Sam tossed back some more of his beer.
"I've been meaning to ask, but haven't had the chance. Is everything okay with you? Uriel mentioned that you were having a hard time?"
"Hmm, I have been weighing an ethical dilemma. Do you ever just get too overwhelmed by the things that our clients put in our heads?"
"I try not to think about it too much," Cas said.
"Well, sometimes I feel like I know too much. I get rather overwhelmed by it all. I am afraid that I have learned some things that I can't just put aside." Sam took another drink of his beer and added, "I don't want to share much about it yet. I would like to take more time with it before I burden you with it." Sam turned to Cas with a reassuring half smile on his face.
"It wouldn't be a burden, I'm sure." Cas tried to sound reassuring himself.
"I need to process this all first. I am just having a hard time knowing some of what I know about Niveus and some of its employees. Let's just agree that I will talk to you within two weeks no matter what I am feeling on the subject, good or bad. Sound good to you?"
"I can accept that." Dean reemerged from the house with Bobby in tow this time. Jess was at his heels.
"We need to get the old man home." Dean said as they all stood on the porch.
"Hey, I'm not that old." Bobby huffed. They all hugged good night and parted ways at the car. Bobby got back into the back seat and Cas road shotgun. The stars shone bright overhead and Cas felt a certain peace fall on him as he sat in the silence.
Review, Fav., Follow. This makes a little author happy. Since this chapter had a bunch of talking with Sam and such, the next chapter will be a fluffy evening with Dean and Cas. The next chapter is called, "Piano Man." 'Till then.