Castiel Novak was tasked with one thing by the Bureau of Investigation – find and capture public enemy #1 Dean Winchester. He was on a string of bank robberies that had left four dead on his last excursion in Ohio and had evaded capture for months.
Castiel had been to the crime scene and seen the victims, having to log them into his notepad about where they were injured, how they were found, and what his speculation was. Everyone was on high alert about the dangerous criminal who was not afraid to shoot anyone that got in his way. Luckily none of Castiel's agents had been harmed so far, but the search was picking up, and now Castiel was the head of the mission. It would be him and his men that either caught Dean Winchester, or killed him.
A cigarette hung from his lips as Castiel scanned over the wanted flier. The man in the picture was young and smug, a smirk crossing his lips while he held his arrest bulletin for the photograph. "So we know he hasn't been back to Lawrence in a couple weeks and he usually heads up there to resupply," Uriel was standing in front of his desk, going over the little information they were able to gather. "His brother Sam and his wife Jess live there now, their father abandoned them young, mother's dead," Castiel was nodding, his eyes never leaving the wanted picture. He was connecting his story with his face.
"Have the brother and wife been questioned?" Castiel asked.
Uriel nodded, looking up from his paper. "Yes, they were interrogated, and threatened that if they harbor him again, they will be arrested."
Again Castiel nodded. "Thank you, Uriel, good work. Keep me updated."
The work day had come to an end and Castiel had gone home. His mind wouldn't stop racing with the plans of how he was going to capture the most wanted man in the country. He was slipping over state lines like it was nothing, robbing banks like he was smashing open his own piggy bank at home with a hammer. It seemed effortless to everyone else, but Castiel knew that Dean must've been trying very hard not to be caught. All he needed to do was be there when he slipped up.
The radio lended him some peace as he settled in for bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and over his face, as if to rub the thoughts away so he could sleep. In the morning he had to come up with a plan for him and his agents to execute and take down Winchester, dead or alive.
The office was bustling with agents the next day. Phones were ringing and tips were pouring in about people who may have seen anything. The sunlight pouring in the windows caught dust dancing in the air as papers were shuffled, file cabinets were being dug through.
"How is he just hitting banks like this?" Castiel questioned, his face getting hot with rage at how someone could think they were so above the law.
"They're not prepared, they have no weapons. They just give over what they have in hopes he'll leave." Anna was standing in front of his desk, her red hair pulled up into a bun, allowing a few strands to hang loose. "He made way with whatever they had last night before closing. He hasn't been seen since."
There was not a lot Castiel could do. He ordered a few officers to stay up post just outside of the next few banks that seemed to be in the same direction Dean was moving – towards Kansas. He would take their family home. It was a long shot, as his brother Sam had been threatened if he were to help him again, but Castiel knew that family wasn't willing to give up so easily on each other.
Uriel gave Castiel a hard time about going alone to stake out the Winchester house. "And what happens if you get killed and no one knows, Castiel?"
He gave his agent a look. "I will be fine. He's most likely not going there, Agent," he said, as if to remind his friend who was his boss.
They were all dispersed to different areas. Uriel ended up partnering with Gabriel and they went to a town just outside the border of Kansas and Missouri. Anna and Rowena ended up going towards Little Rock based on a tip they'd received.
Castiel was driving into Lawrence and eventually pulled off the road, about a quarter mile from where the Winchester family home was. He leaned back and lit up a cigarette, letting the smoke roll out of his mouth. It was dusk, and the sky was growing dark. The purple and orange hue of the sunset soon faded to a dark blue, then black.
The spring air nipped at his face, and Castiel pulled his suit jacket closer, cursing himself for not bringing his overcoat. The plymouth rumbled quietly on the side of the road and he switched it off. There was little chance Dean would show up here, as he wasn't due back in this area for another week, so all there was to do was sit. Sit and watch.
It wasn't for another ten minutes that Castiel noticed the headlights of a car. His body tensed as it turned right into the driveway of the Winchester house, where his brother and his wife were already home.
"Shit," Castiel sighed, reaching into the backseat to grab his mauser pistol. He slipped out of the car and hurried across the road. Keeping back far, his eyes never left the door of the car, and when it opened, Dean was just visible by the light of the front porch.
Well, he tricked them this time, Castiel thought.
The wind picked up as Castiel rounded the corner of the house. The back porch was dark, and it was hard to see anything. He gripped his pistol tighter and moved forward as something slammed against his face, sending him to the ground and the gun flying.
"Fuck," he said, scrambling to stand up. Dean was holding the gun at him. The moon casted very little light down on them, but he could make out just enough. He instinctively put his hands up. His heart was thudding in his ears, and flight or fight was about to set in.
"Another officer come to take me down, huh?" Dean's voice was smooth. Up until this point he'd never killed a law officer.
"When you kill four people that kind of happens," Castiel retorted, spitting out the blood that was pooling in his mouth.
Dean looked amused at this. "That might have been my fault, but I didn't kill them." His look of amusement faded as he continued. "I'm not a killer."
"Oh, no, you are," Castiel said without missing a beat. "See, I'm the one who had to take down those notes about how those people died,"
"I said," Dean raised his voice. "I didn't kill those people."
Castiel's throat felt tight. He didn't know what to say because, well, it sounded like the truth, but he couldn't believe that. He had evidence. "Is that why you're threatening to shoot me?"
Dean was still holding Castiel's pistol, aiming it at his chest. "No, I'm telling you to go. You don't got to be the hero, man. This is bigger than you."
Castiel laughed but there was no humor in it. "I'm the one who was sent to take you down, and bring justice to the people you hurt."
"Leave,"
"No, I won't." Castiel held his eyes with Dean's. He wasn't going to leave.
Dean faltered and looked away. He had very little time to deal with this. "God dammit, man," He aimed the gun down at his foot and pulled the trigger. Castiel yelled out, his leg giving out and sending him back to the ground. He struggled to pull himself back up, and Dean was already starting to drag him by his arms back to his car. "You made me do it. At least I'm moving you back to the car so you can get the hell out of here."
As he was being dragged along he was fighting against Dean, but the pain in his foot had blinded him momentarily. He dragged him all the way back down the road, right where his car was. He had known exactly where he was the whole time he was sitting there.
Dean yanked the car door open as he dropped Castiel's arms. "Now get the hell out, and stay home. You don't want to be a part of this." It was the last thing he said before turning back around and heading back to the house. Castiel could see a silhouette in the doorway, which he would've guessed to be Sam. He heard faint arguing as he pulled himself up into his car.
Castiel had no choice but to drive himself to the hospital. He lost his gun and he had no way of letting his team know what happened until he got somewhere with a telephone and it would give Dean more than enough time to leave town again. But now they could arrest his brother.
The next few weeks for Castiel were spent on office duty. They waited to arrest Sam, and decided to see if Dean would show back up so they could intervene and take him into custody. The night played over and over in his head, and he was lucky to be alive, but not lucky enough to have stopped him. Now there was no sign of him and he couldn't help but feel like whatever he did next would be on Castiel's hands. Whoever he hurt next would be his fault because he didn't stop him.
Dean never ended up going back to Sams and they were getting ready to write out a warrant to search the residence when a tip came in.
"The tip said he'll be at a theater showing in Jefferson City," Anna read off her own scribbled handwriting.
"With who?" Castiel pressed.
She looked down at her page. "A friend of the family, Bobby, and other friends Jo and Ellen."
"Ok, three per group, go and watch that theater like a hawk, you don't leave until you take him, dead or alive. You understand?" Castiel asked Anna, who nodded and left to relay the orders.
"You're staying here, correct?" Uriel was in the doorway of Castiel's office, his hands in his pockets.
"Yes, Uriel, I'm staying here. You all can handle it, can't you?"
"I'm shooting on sight, sir. I knew when you went to that house something would happen." A smile crept across his face. "I can take him."
Castiel felt angered, but he nodded. "Very good." Then Uriel and the whole office were soon gone, and dusk turned to night as Castiel got ready to lock up for the night. The radio was playing Ruth Etting's Nevertheless I'm in love with you and the faint music echoed through the office as Castiel packed his things for the night, waiting on word from the theater.
"I do love this song,"
The voice startled Castiel and he hit his side on the file cabinet which in return sent a shooting pain to his foot, and he swung around to be met with Dean Winchester, who looked all too smug to be there right then. He tricked them. Again. Castiel let reality sink in for a good minute.
"You called that tip in?"
Dean nodded, still looking happy with himself. "And I knew you wouldn't be out in the field," his green eyes turned down to the obvious foot injury, which was still wrapped up and not holding any weight.
Castiel's hand went to his waist, which usually held his gun, but he had left it on the coffee table across the main offices. Dean saw him reach for it, and he instead held it up. "Don't leave your weapons lying around."
There was nothing he could do if Dean decided then to kill him. He was injured, had no weapon, and was backed into the room. "Okay, so kill me if that's what you're here for. Someone else will take my place and catch you eventually."
Dean let the gun fall to his side. "I don't want to."
The only sound was the radio for a second, humming softly in the background. "Why?" Castiel asked, unable to think of a better question. He was curious nonetheless.
"Like I said," Dean started, slipping the pistol back into his waistband. "I'm not a murderer."
A beat, then, "Okay, then put your hands behind your back."
Dean laughed. "No."
The back and forth was becoming nails on a chalkboard for Castiel. "Then what do you want? Why are you here?"
"I told you," his voice was serious. "It's bigger than you. Let it go,"
Castiel shook his head, still favoring his left foot and trying not to shift weight too much. "I can't."
They stared at each other, both unwilling to let go of whatever they had vowed to do. Castiel's vow was obvious-–to serve, protect, and bring criminals to justice, and he had no idea what Dean's motive for anything he was doing.
"Listen, I really don–"
"Castiel?" A sound interrupted them, and Dean jumped, slipping behind the door. Anna walked right to where Dean was last standing. It happened almost as if it was choreographed. "You look like you've seen a ghost.. You alright?"
He turned his eyes back to Dean, who was glaring at him, threatening him silently from behind the door. He didn't want a shootout between him and Anna. He couldn't take the guilt that would cause. "Yes, of course, just wrapping up here. I got to go ice the foot." He laughed dryly.
Dean's face relaxed and he pressed his back against the wall.
"Okay, there was no sign of Winchester tonight where me and Rowena were. Try again tomorrow?"
Castiel nodded.
"Okay," Anna turned. "See you in the morning, sir."
Dean was staring at him intently, and when Anna had collected her things and left, he came out from behind the door. "Thanks,"
"I didn't do it for you, I did it so she wouldn't get hurt." Castiel said, his voice void of emotion. "What makes you think I'm on your side?"
Dean looked back to make sure his agent was actually gone, then back at Castiel. "Because I need someone to believe I didn't kill those people,"
"I'm quite sure you do, Winchester, but I'm not helping cover this up for you."
"That's not what I'm asking!" Dean was frustrated, and was starting to seem anxious. The dim green pool of light from the lamp on the desk was flooding the room with a brilliant green hue. They stood still, not but five feet away from each other. The static from the radio was the only thing to fill the silence.
"Either this is going to end in you surrendering, or it's a shootout. It's up to you." Castiel said, making a move for his gun in the man's waistband and got an elbow to the face. He staggered back, cupping his face as blood began running out of his nose.
"I said I don't want to kill you, not that I won't hurt you, don't try shit like that,"
Castiel let out a groan, and when he looked back up, Dean was gone. He scanned around the room and limped to the door, peering out and not seeing him. He hobbled back to his chair and sat down, exhaling as he brought his shirt to his nose to soak up the blood. Dean thought he was smarter than all of them. Maybe he was.
The next few days passed slowly, and when inquired about his bloodied and beaten nose, Castiel waved it off as a criminal gone crazy when in holding. He could barely be out of the office with his foot, although it was starting to regain strength. He did everything he could to keep some sort of tracking on Winchester but it all failed. No one had the slightest clue where he was, and when the next ball would drop.
After another long day of paperwork, Castiel made his way back to his apartment. He turned his radio on while he changed the bandage on his foot, and stretched it out. While it wasn't back to being normal, it was enough to be let back out of the office and do his actual job.
"The Wilmington Bank now reeling with what is yet another robbery ending in a blaze of gunfire by public enemy #1 Dean Winchester, who is still at large. Lock your doors and windows, ladies and gentlemen,"
Castiel signed and leaned back in his chair. He would have to deal with that at work the next day. Maybe it would've been best for Dean to kill him, so he wouldn't have to bother with being made such a fool of. He had never had such a hard time catching and convicting a criminal.
The next day was full of Uriel shouting profanities about Winchester, and the whole team had to listen to him gripe about their failures in catching him.
"Uriel," Castiel checked him. "We will find him."
"Why are you so okay with what he is doing? Castiel, he shot you, he's killed four people,"
Castiel rolled his eyes at this. "I know what he did but I'm not letting passion blind my sight, Agent."
They discussed when and where they should stake out, and decided to wiretap Sam and Jess' house, along with Bobby, their family friend. Anna was in charge of listening in on Sam's telephone, while Gabriel and Rowena worked on Bobby, Jo and Ellen.
Castiel listened in on Sam's phone calls.
"Ruby, I don't know," Sam was whispering into the phone. "I can leave a little later, but.."
"Sam… you know you can't stay there. Just leave her, let her lead her peaceful little life."
Castiel glanced up at Anna, who stared back at him. They spoke without saying a word. Was this just a simple affair, or something to lead them to Dean? Anna slowly wrote the name Ruby on her piece of paper as they kept listening.
"You can't leave your family fending for themselves."
"Ruby, she is my family,"
"So is Dean."
The conversation ended abruptly as Castiel could hear another woman in the background, who he assumed was his wife. Anna and him placed the listening device down, staring at the table as they let the conversation work its way through their brains.
"Okay, I'll go keep track of Sam, you stay here and keep on ear on the telephones," He directed Anna who nodded in agreement. The office was busy with Agents on telephones and going through paperwork, busy with many other different cases that required their attention.
He grabbed his overcoat, and set off to Lawrence. It would take a couple hours, but he figured going would be a better bet than staying and once he pulled up to the house, he was glad he did. Castiel's car, which Dean had stolen, was sitting in the driveway. Dean and Sam were on the front porch, and almost as soon as he pulled up, Dean saw him and started sprinting to the back of the house.
Castiel put the car in park, grabbed his rifle, and ran as fast as he could, cringing each time his foot met the ground. It was not as healed as he had hoped. He dodged trees as they ran into thick foliage, and he could see Dean weaving in and out of the trees. "Halt!" Castiel yelled, stopping to pull his rifle up, and shoot at what he thought was Dean. Gunfire started ringing out into the air, and Castiel guarded himself behind one of the trees. Not a killer, he thought. Yeah, right.
"Cas, stop! I don't want to do this with you!" He heard Dean yelling. He couldn't have been that far from him. He stayed behind the tree, shielding himself from any shots Winchester would let off. He tried to steady his breathing.
"Give yourself up, Dean!" He shouted.
There was a stop in gunfire, and the two men, both behind trees to protect themselves, caught their breath. Neither wanted to die, and neither wanted to kill each other.
Castiel made the first move and came from behind the tree to move up and as soon as he did, Dean tackled him. "Fuck!" He shouted, rolling off and hitting a tree. His rifle fell out of his hands and he furiously tried to find it in the leaves. Dean charged towards him and Castiel swung, hitting him and sending him to his knees. He continued looking for his gun, finding it and aiming it at Dean.
"Don't move or I will shoot you," Castiel threatened.
Dean held up his hands, fighting to catch his breath. "Cas, stop,"
He was taken back by the use of that nickname again, as if they were friends. "Why did you kill those people?"
"I was working with someone, to save Sam, and he didn't give a shit who died," Dean said, shifting his knees around in the dirt.
"You really want me to believe you?" His grip tightened on his gun.
Dean didn't move. "Your buddy, Uriel, is in on it."
Castiel froze at his words. That was a big accusation for someone who was at the other end of a rifle. "You're lying,"
"I'm not."
Castiel didn't know what to do. He didn't let down his weapon, but he faltered. Uriel had acted suspicious at times, but he figured he was just a little off– not going against the bureau.
"I partnered with this asshole to get Sam out of a deal he made and then I tried to act like the hero and save everyone he had in his control," Dean was still out of breath but soon gained composure and pushed himself up off the ground. "I got wrapped up in it and people got killed but he did it,"
Castiel stared at him unconvincingly. "What's his name?"
"Crowley," Dean sighed.
The news hit Cas like a wall. He knew him very well, and at this, he knew Dean wasn't lying.