AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. Thanks legsinger for the shared anxiety; I hope you survive the torment too:) Thanks taytay127; I too think that the call was necessary. I am glad that you wondered about what has happened in Dean's perspective as I have future plans (that's all I'll say about that for now). Ah, Mummabro, is this really your fav? Thanks so much:) Winchestersliveon thanks for the kind words; your writing is quite lovely too. YoungHopeful, ah, thanks for liking this so far:) Lastly, Master's daughter, thanks again for the feels.
Now on with the long chapter. I hope that it works for you all as it really should have been multiple chapters. I just didn't want to break it up though. The chapter title comes from a Gary Numan song (actually Tubeway Army, but whatever); it is called Down in the Park.
"You didn't wake me up for the second watch." M said as she came downstairs into the living room.
"I didn't need to sleep. I couldn't have if I had tried." Cas had hung up the phone nearly an hour ago when it seemed as though it was close to the end of its battery life. He stretched out now and felt his joints pop with the effort. "I am going to go up and shower and change. Then I will take you and Lil someplace safe while I take care of a few things."
"What are you talking about? What are you going to do?" M reached out to him. "Don't you dare go stupid on me, Cas."
"Not stupid." He crossed his heart with his hand. A childish move, but he was trying to diffuse her worry. "Really, I just need to meet up with Dean and let him know that I am okay. I took off rather quickly last night, and he and Sam were worried."
"Nothing like a little drama to fix a soured relationship, huh?" She turned from him then and made her way into the kitchen. "You can't clue him in. You know that, right?"
"I know that I have to be careful with him, yes." Cas followed her into the kitchen. "Don't worry."
"Worry is my middle name now. So, where is this safe place that you have scoped out?"
"I gotta call him first, but I was thinking Dean's uncle's place. It is remote and he has guns. Also, unlike me, I think that he is not afraid to use them."
"Hmm, not sure I like relying on the kindness of strangers."
"He doesn't ask many questions. I think that we can make this work temporarily." Cas placed a hand on her shoulder then, "Please go along with this. I need to know that you are both safe."
"Okay." She turned back to the coffee pot, and Cas left the room to go upstairs. He planned to get ready quickly and get them out to Bobby's within the hour.
They arrived at Bobby's in caravan fashion. M and Lil followed Cas. He felt that they needed their own car and he would need the Triumph to return to the city. Bobby met them on the front porch. "So you brought me some company." He crouched down and looked at Lil at eye level. "What's your name?"
Lil ducked back behind her mom. It was clear that she was picking up on the discomfort that her mom and Cas were experiencing. The big scruffy man was not going to add any feelings of comfort. "Hey, Lil. This is my friend Bobby. He's pretty nice even if he is a bit rough looking." Cas added a smile to the words and glanced back at Bobby.
"I ain't that rough looking." Then after a pause he added, "Okay, maybe a little." Cheney came out of the house then and walked right up to Lil. He began sniffing her head since they were roughly the same height.
"Pony." Lil reached out a hand to the big dog.
"Not quite. He is just a very big dog." Bobby chuckled. "Why don't you all come on in and make yourselves comfortable. Sam gave me some details, Dean too. I cleaned out the guest rooms for you all too." Bobby gave Cas a look that let him know that he had remembered to take care of the pictures and telling signs of Dean's other life. Cas had brought it up in their earlier phone conversation by talking about how much one could learn from a family portrait. Bobby got the gist right away.
"Hmm, this is certainly an interesting home you have here, Bobby." M scrutinized the cluttered environment and all of the things that she and Lil would need to navigate around during their stay. As if she sensed that her words were too rude for the situation she swiftly covered with, "I honestly can't thank you enough for this. You're a saint Bobby."
Bobby ducked his head a little and said, "Well follow me and I'll show you where you can bunk." Cas stayed downstairs while they followed Bobby. He knew the rooms well enough without the tour. He made plans to head back into town. He would stop at his house and his office, to pick up his clothes and his phone. He would need to let Zach know that he was taking some time off. He felt like he would also need to talk with Gabe. He had gotten Gabe into something that could be trouble for him. Yet another thing to feel guilt over. The list just keeps on growing.
Bobby came down the stairs with M in tow. "You ready to head out?" Bobby asked.
"I think so." Cas turned his gaze onto M then. "I'll be back in a bit. I just need to get my phone and some clothes. You'll be safe with Bobby."
She came up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Be safe." She slipped the gun into his hand. "Please take this. I know that you are not a fan, but I would feel better if you had it." She still held him while she spoke. Bobby shifted about just behind them and M stepped back.
"Okay. Mind if I borrow a jacket, Bobby."
"There are a couple on the rack by the door. Take your pick."
Cas walked over to the door and snatched up a rough looking brown leather jacket. He put it on and zipped up the front. He put the gun in the pocket and turned to leave. He caught a look on Bobby's face. "This one's okay, right?"
"Yeah, it's Dean's." Bobby added, "I'll keep a good eye on the girls. Don't you worry none. You just get back to us safe." With that Cas left. He walked across the yard, the gleam of late afternoon sunlight glistening off the cars blinding him a little as he mounted the Triumph. Hopefully, Dean had the files. Hopefully, having them would be enough to save them. Hopefully, he could be the one to fix this.
The trip into the office was awkward. His secretary was filled with questions that he couldn't answer. He finally had to cut her off with, "Look, I am just going to need you to figure some things out for me. One of those things will involve cancelling most of my appointments. I won't be around for a few days." She wasn't use to harshness let alone from Cas. To her credit, she put on a face of stoicism and told him that it would be taken care of. He went into his office and retrieved his coat and phone.
Next he stalked over to Gabe's office. It was empty. He left a note on his desk telling him three things in bulleted form. One: Be cautious with all things Niveus. Two: If anything happens to me, take care of my things and contact my mother. Three: Thank you, for literally everything, from baby animals to meddling. You are without a doubt, exceptional. Thank you.
He made his way to Zach's office next. He was on the phone. Cas waited. When the call ended Zach beckoned him in with a wave of the hand. "So, you've got everyone all a buzzing. What have you gotten yourself into, Cas?"
"Apparently, the good people at Niveus have decided that I have stolen some of their files." Cas decided to go with candor where Zach was concerned.
"Hmm, interesting. Did you?" Zach quirked up an eyebrow at him with the question.
"I would like to think that you know me better than that."
"I would like to think that too. I still have to ask. Did you?"
"No. I did not. I am going to be taking a few days off to deal with the situation. I have my calendar cleared. To be honest there wasn't much to clear. Gabe can handle anything that comes up while I'm gone." Cas wanted to get going. The longer he stayed here the less time he had to deal with his other business.
"Funny thing, I had an unexpected meeting today with Ezra. Seems he was looking for you too." Zach threw out.
"What did he want?" Cas wondered if Ezra's concern for his whereabouts was connected.
"He didn't say. He just asked for an appointment when I told him that you were out today. He asked your secretary to pencil him in for tomorrow. I guess that she'll have to cancel that one."
Cas stood to go. "So, you don't mind my taking off?"
"I wouldn't say that, but it sounds like you aren't really taking off. It sounds like you are taking care of our clients. Make sure that whatever this is, that it gets fixed. I don't like messes." Zach stood then too. "I knew that Niveus was going to bring us a whole lot more than we bargained for."
"Turns out you were right. Next time I'll listen to you."
"If I remember right, you listening wasn't the problem. Take care, Cas, and keep me in the loop."
"I will." Cas shook his hand and headed out the door.
He made the trip into his house quick. He felt like the walls were looking at him. Nothing seemed to be out of place, but he knew that everything was out of place. Cas was a bit of a clean freak when it came to his home. He noticed when things were just a little off, and everything was off.
There was a slight twist to the green blanket on the couch that wasn't there before. The door to the guest room was opened just slightly. The drawers of his desk were closed, but the contents did not have the exact same level of straightness. He could feel the presence in the rooms that wasn't there. He could feel a tightening in his throat where A had pressed his hands around him. He turned on lights in each room as he moved from place to place. If this were one of Dean's horror films, he would leave the lights off and stumble about until the killer jumped out of a closet or something. He laughed uncomfortably at the thought that he now compared his life to horror films. He stepped into his bedroom and snapped on the lights. He had a duffle bag in the closet. The one that he should have used when he went on his weekend trip to Bobby's.
He pulled it out and unzipped it. He began pulling pants and shirts from the shelves and stuffing them into the opening. He had the bag nearly full then he stepped to the bathroom and began grabbing items from the medicine cabinet, his razor, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste. He was reaching out for a couple more items when he heard the sound. A clicking and scraping sound was coming from the living room door. He froze. All of the lights were on. There would be no hiding in the dark. He set down the duffle and reached into his jacket pocket. He could feel the handle of the Beretta as he slowly pulled it free. He rested his thumb on the safety. Slowly, he flicked it off and eased along the wall toward the front of the bedroom. The sound of his front door opening and closing greeted him next.
Footsteps. He counted the steps. They were long strides. One step, two steps, three steps. Closer and closer to his room. He held the gun low and contemplated raising it when the fourth stride brought the figure into view. "Oh, God, Cas. Don't shoot me." Gabe had Cas' keys in hand and shock on his face. He was frozen in the doorway. Cas snapped the safety back on and put the gun back in his pocket. "What the Hell are you doing?"
"I should be asking you the same thing. What are you doing in my house?" Cas was still coming down from the adrenaline of the moment and sounded more angry than he was.
"Well, Cas, it has never been a problem before. Plus, when your friend leaves you a note from crazytown, you tend to check up on them." Gabe took two steps over to Cas then and threw his arms around him. "Are you okay?"
Cas crumbled a little. "No, so far from it. I can't talk about it here either. My house is likely bugged."
"You do realize that you sound crazy, right?" Gabe took a tentative step back.
"Yes, but the truth often is." Cas sat on the edge of the bed. Gabe joined him.
"So, what can I do?"
"You know how to get a hold of my family, right?" Cas looked over to Gabe's face and saw him nod. "You know where I keep my papers and stuff?" Gabe nodded again. "Just make sure that everything gets handled. Oh, and I didn't say it in the note, but make sure that M's daughter gets taken care of too." Gabe looked at him, confused. "I made a promise. I want you to help me keep it."
"That is a pretty tall order. You are going to be okay, right?" Gabe looked really concerned. "Really, Cassie, I need to know that you are going to be okay."
"I'm not taking any risks. I will just feel safer if you have my back. Can I count on you?"
"Yes. You owe me so many explanations."
Cas got up and retrieved the duffle bag and zipped it up. He threw his arms around Gabe one more time before he left. "Like I said before, be safe." He threw him a half-hearted grin and slipped out the door, leaving Gabe to lock up.
He kept his hand in his pocket over the gun until he was back at the Triumph. The duffle was pretty full and took some effort to strap to the back of his seat. Dean would have done a better job. He pulled out his phone before starting the engine. He wanted to check the time. It was just after 9. He had just enough time to get to Skybar and to find his way through what would likely be a large evening crowd. He saw the message icon at the top of the phone and swiped it down to check it. There were ten texts from Dean from the night before. Each one was more frantic sounding than the next.
Are you okay?
Answer your phone.
Damn it Cas please answer your phone.
I swear to God that if you don't answer your phone, I'll kill you myself.
I didn't mean that. Answer the phone. Please.
Sam said that you were hurt. I swear I will kill him.
I'm freaking out now, Cas. Please be okay.
there is so much i need to say and i can't if you dont pick up your ph
Answer it
I'll never forgive myself you have to be okay
Cas turned off the phone and slipped it into his, Dean's, other jacket pocket, the one not containing a gun. The messages spoke of desperation. Cas had felt each of the messages like a punch to the stomach. He needed to see Dean for more than the files. He needed to see Dean because they had something more between them. He needed to show him that he was okay. He needed to show him that he still cared, despite everything that had happened. He needed to see him so that if this was the last moment that they had together, at least they would have this. At least Dean would know that he wasn't the only one that had feelings in this. I love him. In all of this, where everything mattered so much, he had that and he needed Dean to know it. No matter how it turned out, no matter how this ended, and it likely would end, Dean should know that he was loved, and Cas planned to tell him.
He shot out of the parking garage and onto the street. The night was painted in the lights of the city. The cars were packed into the lanes tonight. If it weren't for the bike he would have been late. He had weaved in and out of the lanes like a pro. His lack of confidence before had been fully replaced by the feelings of bravery that came with his new situation. He could see the Skybar sign up ahead. He pulled up to the curb, making his own parking space between cars. He skipped the line and walked up to the bouncer. "Here." He pulled out a $100 and added, "This enough to skip the line?" In answer the bouncer merely stepped aside and pocketed the money.
"Welcome to Skybar," he said as Cas passed.
"You want to check your coat?" The lady at the coat check smiled at him from just inside the door.
"No, thank you." He kept moving forward. The stairwell was thin and went straight up. There had been an elevator across from the coat check, but Cas did not want to be so confined. The place was not called Skybar because it was up high; it was called Skybar for the expansive glass ceiling that showed the world inside the sky. He reached the top of the stairs and took in the view for a moment before scanning the crowd for Dean. There were so many people crowded into the room that he feared that he would never find him. He began walking around the perimeter, darting his eyes back and forth. The band was loud. The room was sticky with sweat and alcohol.
"Hey, babe." A blonde leaned into him. "Dance with me." She pulled him a little.
"No, thank you." He pulled away.
"Whatever asshole." She stumbled away. Cas put his hands into his pockets to keep track of the gun and to keep from looking too approachable. He rounded the first corner of the club and spotted Dean at a table. A woman was trying to talk to him. He was feigning interest. His eyes were not on her though. They were scanning the crowd. Looking for Cas. He had not yet spotted Cas, though.
Cas zig-zagged his way through the people and found himself in the path of Dean's gaze. He could see Dean forming a dismissal with his lips and the woman turned and saw him in the crowd. She smirked and walked away toward him. As she passed him she said, "The cute ones are always gay, huh?" She didn't wait for a response and Cas didn't have one for her. He just kept picking his way over to the table and Dean.
"Making friends I see," Cas said when he was close enough to be heard.
"It's not my fault that I am so likeable." He had started to smile then his eyes fell to Cas' neck and the globs of discoloration that were likely visible even in the low lighting of the club. He got up and stepped over to Cas. His arms were around him in an instant. "I swear, I'll kill him. I will kill him." Cas could feel Dean breathing into his hair and he savored the moment in his arms for a bit longer before pulling away.
Cas sat down and Dean sat at the other edge of the table. "Do you have the files?"
"I do." Dean's gaze shifted a little. "I never intended for you to get pulled into this. When Sammy gave me these, I had no idea what taking them could mean to you." Dean reached out and pressed his hand to the back of Cas' arm. He ran his hand up to Cas' neck then, not just in affection, but to examine the damage that A had done. "It is killing me that I wasn't there to protect you, and that you even needed protecting because of me."
"Dean, I'm not mad. I need you to know that." Cas shifted a little. There was so much to say and not a lot of time to say it. He felt like he needed to get the files back tonight, if M was going to get signed back into the drug trials and if A were going to be called off before any real damage could be done, this had to happen now. "I also need you to know that I lo…"
But he was cut off by Dean's words, "M, what is she doing here?" Cas turned and saw where Dean was looking. And sure enough, there was M. She spotted them and made her way over to their table.
"What are you doing? You should be at Bobby's." Cas grabbed her arm as if to propel her back from where she came.
"Nice to see you too. Bobby and Sam may have let it slip that you had big plans tonight. Get the files from Dean here and take them to Niveus. Sound accurate? What I don't get is why Deany baby here has my files." M leveled her gaze onto Dean then.
"I merely have them now. I have a lot of connections, and I managed to call in a few favors when I heard how desperate certain associates of yours were. I can't have Cas in danger." He pulled out the files now and slid them over to Cas. M swooped in, though, and grabbed them.
"You two won't mind if I choose not to linger. These need to get back to Niveus ASAP. There is a lot riding on this. Dean, thank you. I guess you aren't as bad as I almost thought that you were." Her wry grin cutting through the darkened room. She started to head out, but Dean and Cas rose and followed her.
"Wait up. You can't go alone." Cas reached her elbow then and they headed out toward the back stairwell together. She didn't stop him or seem troubled by the company. She just shrugged and kept up the pace out of the crowd and down the stairs. The door at the bottom dumped them out in an alley. The cool night air felt refreshing after the pungent humidity of the club. "Where did you park?" Cas asked.
"On the main street there." She pointed out to the street, and just as she did the door behind them opened again and out stepped A.
"So, fancy meeting you all here. Looks like you have something for me, M." He raised up his hand. "Give it here." M started to step toward him. Dean was pressed against the wall near the door, while Cas and M were in front of A. Dean's hand was slowly moving into his waistband. "Tell your boy there, to stop moving. It's not that I would mind killing him, you see, I just don't want to bloody up my new shirt." He brushed a hand over the front of the shirt and then reached into his jacket to pull out his own gun. He trained it on M. "Now, like I was saying, hand over the file."
Cas nodded to Dean and then M. "We were just leaving to bring you the file. We managed to retrieve it."
"Yeah, took your sweet time," A sneered. M stepped up to A now, extending the file out to him. He kept the gun trained on her. Cas moved slightly toward her, wanting to push her behind him. She seemed to know what he was doing, though, and took a step away. That slight movement was enough to spark something in A. He pulled the trigger, and M took the shot. Cas saw the blood blossoming out from her stomach. It was like flames, red with fury burning their way from her body across her shirt. She fell back in a heap of limbs.
Cas was immobile, but only for a second as Dean threw himself on A. The gun went off again, but this time it was high. The bullet ricocheted off of the brick on the next building. Cas didn't know what to do. Dean landed a kick into A's groin. The gun fell. A rolled then and Dean went flying back. Cas scrambled toward the fallen gun intending to get it farther away from A, but A reached it first. He aimed at Dean then and laughed. "See you in Hell." The sound of the gunshot was loud. It echoed more so this time than it had when A had shot M. It was louder because A had a silencer on his gun, and Cas did not.
Review, Fav., Follow. I so hope that you all liked this chapter. Let me know.