Chapter 9.
In Dean's absence Jules had told Sam, Eileen and Anael as much as she knew about Castiel's visits with Chuck. It troubled Sam as much as it had bothered her and he was glad that Dean had decided to deal with it directly and apparently with more diplomacy than he often used.
They were all getting better at this stuff, learning to talk instead of getting angry. He knew anger would have been Dean's immediate emotion, not because he saw it as a betrayal, but because Cas had made himself vulnerable and Dean could not bear that thought.
It was, after all, why he hated the idea of Anael becoming human. He'd have preferred to be in a relationship with a human and had hated the idea of loving an angel, but he would rather accept that than see her become weaker, become mortal. Dean would never lose that fierce protective instinct, a force that Sam felt had left bruises on his soul, from their many fights.
He didn't hold that against Dean. Long years together had made him understand where it came from, but he was very pleased with the recent progress. The first instinct might be the burst of rage, but he controlled it now, calmed it and was able to talk reasonably and to listen.
Sam and Jules made supper together. It was a serviceable hunter's stew, not pretty, nothing exotic, but warming, comforting and filling. Eileen had dealt with the tableware and Anael had picked a bottle of wine from the bunker's plentiful supply. All that was missing was the rest of the family. The stew gad been simmering a while when they showed up.
Sam knew all was well when he heard Dean's voice. He was laughing, always a good sign. Cas wasn't, but then, he hardly ever did, but when Dean said, "I smell food!" Cas said, "Often from over a mile away." and the levity proved they were both in a good mood.
Sam stepped out of the kitchen to intercept them. "Hey," he said, "Supper's ready."
"Told you he's a keeper, didn't I?" said Dean to Cas.
Jules came out behind him and headed straight to Cas. "Are you okay?" she said.
"He's fine." said Dean, "New protocol. He can see Chuck as much as he likes, but he talks to me after, so Chuck never gets the last word."
"Sounds good to me." she said.
"We also agreed Dean will stay away from him." said Cas, "Sam, I need you to promise you will too."
Sam hesitated for a moment. He had no desire ever to see Chuck again, but the necessity might arise. On the other hand, it clearly mattered to Castiel. What was Chuck now, to any of them? They had left him broken, defeated and powerless. He didn't like the idea of Cas listening to that malevolent tongue, but short of killing Chuck, there was nothing he could do to silence it and he had no stomach for killing him when he was ... mostly harmless.
If Cas needed his word, he could give it. He nodded and said, "No problem. I never r want
to see him again."
Cas seemed relieved. "Thankyou."
"Whatever you need, Cas. Now and always. Come on, let's eat."
Sam served up the food. He was starting to understand why both Dean and Cas loved to do that. Finding home had been a long and complicated journey for him and he had held back from thinking of the bunker that way. Then, just as it had felt like a real home, Michael's massacre had made him recoil from it. He had hungered for home as much as Dean, but hoping for it always brought pain. Life had taught him to hope for nothing and learning the opposite lesson had taken time and effort.
This was home to him now, his family around the table, his wife and baby sharing the seat opposite him and both his brothers in harmony again. Dean's eyes widened at the sight of the stew and he started eating straightaway. Anael seemed to notice that too and she smiled at Sam. One of the sweetest things about her relationship with Dean was the way she enjoyed anything that brought him pleasure.
She seemed to like eating a lot more than Cas did. Cas ate with a detached air, glad to be included, but aware that he had no need of food. For Anael every meal was a chance to be more human. Sam didn't draw attention to either of them. Each was, in their own way, trying to navigate a world they feared didn't apply to them.
Jules was happy, now that Cas would no longer be hiding his visits to Chuck. It was always hard for her, Sam knew, balancing her need to respect his confidences with her need to protect him. Fortunately, he seemed to understand that and rarely resented anything she did. He never expected her to deceive the others for him, not since the deal with the Empty had come out into the open.
"This is good stew!" said Dean.
"Very good." agreed Cas, though head not eaten much of it.
Dean looked at Castiel's plate, but said nothing about his lack of appetite. "when are you planning to see Chuck again?" he said. There was a reason industry voice, but he was trying to hide it. Useless. He was an open book to everyone at that table.
"When I have to." said Cas, "If he turns up to work, I won't need to, which would be good, because I'm needed in Sioux Falls to do my actual job."
"Yeah, big stuff, right?" said Dean, "What are you working on right now?"
"Redemption." said Cas, "The path by which a soul in Hell can move upward."
"Ah. Important." said Dean, "So, you're going there tomorrow, you and Jules?"
Cas looked awkward. "Yes."
"Am I making you uncomfortable by asking about this stuff? I know it's way beyond my understanding, but I mean no disrespect."
A lifetime of self-loathing lay behind that apology for intruding on the great work. Sam almost said something, but Cas responded first.
"No, that's not it. I wanted to ask you a favour."
"Pretty much anything you want." said Dean.
"I thought perhaps you would come with me. If you're not too busy. I'd welcome your input and everyone there would like to see you."
Again the eyes widened. He hadn't expected the invitation. "Yeah, of course." he said.
Cas nodded. "Thankyou."
"Of course, I'm not great on the metaphysics."
"But you are exceptional on the humanity, which can be my blind spot."
"I'd like to go too." said Anael, with less confidence than was usual for her. She hadn't forgotten Castiel's first reaction to her relationship with Dean. "If you're both okay with it." she added.
Cas didn't seem troubled. "You might also have a useful contribution to make." he said, "I should warn you though, Crowley is hostile to your relationship."
"Why does Crowley have a problem with it?" she asked.
"Who cares?" said Dean, "He needs to get over it. You coming too, Sam and Eileen?"
"Nah," said Sam, "We have a supply run tomorrow, but maybe we'll swing by later."
"Bring the Impala." Said Dean, "Don't want Eileen riding a substandard car in her condition."
Sam pickled a little. "Eileen has a perfectly good car."
"Does she have an Impala?"
"No. You know she doesn't."
"Good. Then that's settled."
Sam was about to argue but he asked himself why he'd want to talk Dean out of letting him drive the Impala. "Okay." he said, "We'll bring the scan too. Bobby and Jody will want to see it."
"Jody might not be there." said Dean.
"She'll probably be along at some point." said Jules, "She spends a lot of time there."
"And if she isn't, we know where to find her." said Sam.
Anael looked uncertain. "Jody doesn't know about us, does she? Do we say I'm a friend?"
"Are you ashamed of me?" said Dean, half joking.
"No, of course not."
"I haven't been keeping this from her. It's time we told her."
"And she'll be okay with it?"
"Of course she will. She's like a sister to me!"
"She'll be happy." said Sam, "She worries about him more than I do."
Dean turned to Cas. "With your new powers, zapping me, Anael and Jules over there won't be a problem, will it?"
"It's actually easier to take you all to Bobby's place than to the centre of Sioux Falls. The house exists in two dimensions. It's largely a mental construct. The physical world is much harder."
"I'd teleport myself," said Anael, "But ... "
"But you can't use your angelic powers." said Cas, "It's not a problem. At least there's a use for my greater powers."
"Cas, you're always useful." said Sam.
Cas smiled at him, but he knew they were both remembering comments about a baby in a trenchcoat.