Bobby took a trip to the local thrift store with his two guests. He refused to even entertain the idea of Dean paying for anything, glowering through his beard at Dean until the younger man meekly backed off with a muttered thanks. Then he went to browse the tools section, instructing Dean and Cass to "shop 'till you drop." After quickly explaining to the worried dragon that this was a figure of speech and they were not actually going to be in this store until they collapsed, Dean led Cass into the clothing section.
For some reason, Cass was immediately drawn to a tan trench coat. Dean rolled his eyes and smiled, pointing out a shirt with a smiling bee on it that immediately made Cass brighten. Too bad it wasn't in his size. Still, it was nice to see Cass smile. He helped the dragon pick out a selection of clothes, chuckling to himself to discover Cass seemed mostly interested in picking out old suits and unimaginative ties. Judging by the available selection in the same sizes, Dean guessed they'd come from an estate sale of a former traveling salesman. Ah well. Cass could wear whatever he wanted.
A middle-aged woman was working in the shop, busy sorting through a selection of children's toys. She was quite distracted by Dean and Cass. Dean gave her a wink, and she blushed. "Sorry," she apologized. "I don't mean to stare. It's just that you're both so, well…"
"Attractive?" Dean suggested, striking a pose and giving her a flirtatious grin.
"Beaten down," the woman corrected, deflating Dean's ego like a balloon. "It's pretty clear you've been in a fight. Your friend over there looks like he's got some old bruises of his own. I don't mean to pry, but is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I just had a communication problem with some guy," Dean explained bashfully. "My friend had one, too. Don't worry, we didn't give these to each other. Er, we're not together or anything, either," he added quickly. "This isn't an abusive relationship or anything, or, you know, a relationship. We're just good friends."
"I'm glad to hear that." She gave him a serious look. "If that isn't the case someday, please pick up the phone. I volunteer at a shelter for domestic violence victims. We don't care if you're a man. All that matters is that you need help."
"Well, that's awesome," Dean admired. "Nice to know there's help available to anyone who needs it. I promise, though, it's not like that."
The woman seemed to relax. She smiled at him before her eyes flicked to Cass, who was still browsing through the old suits. "Work on your communication, ok?" she advised. "Oh, and since I'm being so nosey, I'll go ahead and add that you shouldn't let your friend stay out in this weather for too long. He looks like he's getting a little sick."
Dean looked back at Cass in alarm. Now that he was looking closely, he could see that the dragon's skin was a bit pale, especially against the fading bruises. Cass had dark hollows under his eyes. His shoulders seemed to slump. "You're right, he does look like he's getting sick," he agreed, worried. "Thank you. I'll make sure he rests."
After that, Dean hovered over the dragon like a mother hen. Once they'd paid for their purchases, Dean quickly rushed Cass into the car and turned on the heat before helping Bobby load the bags into Baby's trunk.
"Where you boys heading off to?" Bobby asked Dean as he loaded the last of the supplies they'd acquired.
"Stanford," Dean replied. "I've been trying for days to reach my brother Sam, but he's not answering. I know he's pissed at me, but even so, I would have expected him to respond by now. I need to check up on him, make sure he's ok."
"You sure that's a good idea?" Bobby asked calmly. "Think about it, son. If you're being hunted down, which you surely are? You're already at risk just by being here where they know a dragon's been spotted. Frankly, it's a miracle you two idjits haven't already been spotted by now, especially after he flew out the way he did. If I were you, I'd act like you have been and drive as fast and as far as you can before you stop again. The people after you are going to go through your past with a fine toothed comb, trying to figure out where you might go. But that also means these bastards have to know where your brother is. If he's not answering, there may be a bad reason for it."
Dean felt cold. "You think someone went after Sammy?"
"You told me someone already went after that other fellow, the one with Michael," Bobby reminded. "You said they did something to turn a loyal soldier into their puppet to use Michael. That's why you two ended up in this mess in the first place, and look at what they were pulling with you? They also weren't above torturing Donnie to break him. Stands to reason people who would do that wouldn't hesitate about trying to use your family against you."
"I have to try to get to him, Bobby!" Dean exclaimed, desperate. "Especially if there's a chance someone could come after him, I can't just…!"
Bobby had raised his hands. "Hold yer horses, I ain't saying to let your little brother go to the dogs. All I'm saying is that you need to play this smart. Since your brother won't answer, why not call the school? You could maybe pretend to be your daddy and say it's a family emergency and you're not able to reach him, could someone please find him and have him come to the phone? Then you could at least talk to him and warn him to keep an eye out."
Dean looked at Bobby in astonished gratitude. "I cannot thank you enough for everything you've done," he said humbly.
Bobby made an irritated noise and waved Dean off. "Forget it. I'm just an old vet who's seen too much bad shit happen to good people to be content with sitting on the sidelines letting it happen. You take good care of yourself, Dean. And watch out for Castiel. I know it's easy to think that he's tough by virtue of being a dragon, but your boy is sensitive. I also think he's getting sick. He hasn't looked well since you brought him back."
"Yeah, I see that. I guess he wasn't as immune to being naked in the cold as he let on," Dean grumbled. "I'll take care of him." He impulsively hugged the veteran.
Bobby chuckled and hugged him back, patting Dean's back gently before stepping back. "Call me any time. Ask for help or advice or just let me know how you're doing, but don't forget me."
"I couldn't if I tried." Dean climbed into Baby, giving Bobby one last wave as he pulled out. Then he was on the road, heading out of town.
A few hours of driving later and Dean was sure Cass was sick. The dragon's face was pale. He seemed listless as he sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly out the window. Dean was becoming more and more concerned. Cass the Magic Dragon couldn't be helped by strings or sealing wax, and Dean had no idea if human medicine was safe for him. He wasn't even sure what kind of medicine to give him if he'd been human. He needed to find a safe place where the dragon could rest. After that, Dean could focus on finding Sammy.
Mindful of what Bobby had said, Dean drove past Stanford and found a motel in the next town. He hurried Cass inside and all but forced the dragon into bed. Then he headed out. He stopped at a fast food place to get them both a bite to eat, then headed for a gas station. His eyes fell on something he hadn't seen in years - a pay phone, set up outside the station. Dean quickly paid for his fuel, got some change from the clerk, and picked up the phone, dialing the number Google informed him was the main line for Stanford. Dean was quickly patched through to Sammy's dorm building. "Hi, this is Becky, how can I help you?" a chipper voice answered.
"This is Col. John Winchester," Dean told her. "I'm Sam Winchester's father. We've had a family emergency and I haven't been able to reach him."
"Sam Winchester?" Becky echoed. "That tall hot guy with the hair? Um, I guess the police didn't tell you yet?"
"Tell me what?" Dean asked, his heart pounding.
"Weeeell, I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you," Becky said. "I mean, you should probably talk to the police because…"
"What's wrong with Sam?" Dean insisted.
Becky sighed dramatically. "No one knows where he is. Like, these military guys came onto campus looking for him and it was this huge deal, but he was gone. Poof, vanished without a trace." She paused. "Wait, you said you're a colonel? Why wouldn't you know about this?"
"I've been on a mission," Dean ad libbed quickly. "What do you mean no one knows where he is?"
"Just what I told you. They searched the whole campus and the surrounding town for him and can't find him anywhere. He was last seen with a friend of his, some weird British guy. Thing is, no one can find the British guy, either. No one saw him before he was hanging out on campus with Sammy, and no one's seen him since. Now he's got a police sketch along with Sam's picture out because they want to talk to them both. They're on posters hanging all over the place. I'm looking at one now." A rustling sound came over the phone. "There's a number to call if you have any information. Do you want it?"
Dean quickly put the number into a note on his cell. "How long has he been missing?"
"Um, it's been a few days, but not quite a week yet." She paused, and her voice grew softer. "Listen, it really sucks that no one told you. I know it probably doesn't help much, but I hope you find him and he's ok."
Dean thanked her and hung up. His legs were shaking. A British guy had showed up on campus? Dean's mind immediately went to Ketch. Could the lieutenant have been sent out to Stanford specifically to meet with Sammy, manipulate him to a point where Dean's brother could be taken away, hidden somewhere to be used against Dean? The idea was terrifying. Dean's moose of a brother could hold his own in a fair fight, but Dean already had firsthand knowledge that the people he was dealing with were anything but fair. As he headed back to his dragon, Dean placated himself by fantasizing about what he'd do to Ketch if anything happened to Sammy. Waterboarding was too good for that bastard. What about staking him out on an anthill, naked and covered with honey? That might be a good thing. Or he could have Cass slowly roast him, starting with his toes and moving up? That would serve the dual bonus of easing Dean's bloodlust and letting Cass get back at him at the same time, but no. Cass was a sweet, gentle dragon who aroused nearly as much of Dean's protective instinct as Sammy. Whatever went down between Dean and Ketch would stay between Dean and Ketch. Unless, of course, Sammy wanted to help? Dean had no problem with stepping back during Ketch's well-deserved ass beating to let Sammy get a few licks in.
Cass was sitting on the bed wrapped in a blanket watching TV when Dean arrived. If anything, Dean thought he looked worse now. "Hey, you're supposed to be resting," Dean scolded gently.
"I'm not tired," came the tired reply.
Dean sat next to him and passed him some food, realizing that Cass was wearing one of his new suits and his trench coat, and had still been wrapped in a blanket. The dragon was clearly sick. The two ate in silence, Dean lost in his worried thoughts.
"You're upset," Cass announced once they'd finished.
Dean nodded unhappily. "My brother is missing. Apparently, some British guy did something to him. Sounds like Ketch is in the neighborhood. I really need to do something about that bastard!"
"I'm sorry," Cass said, troubled. "Are you sure he didn't just run away like we did?"
Dean straightened, a sudden wild hope sparking in him. "Maybe he did," he mused. "Sammy's smart, smart enough to figure out something's up, no matter what bullshit Ketch fed him. He's way to smart for someone like Ketch to trick easily. Yeah," he said, warming to the idea. "You're right. Sammy probably ran away!"
"Where would he go?" Cass asked.
Dean thought about that for a moment. To their father was the obvious answer, or maybe even their stepmother. But if Sammy figured out someone was after him, would he lead them straight to his family? No. While Sam might have attempted to contact their dad, he'd be more likely to keep his head down afterward and try to stay hidden. But where would he hide? "Sam had a girlfriend," Dean mused. "Jess was her name, Jess Moore. I remember her because she was so far out of Sammy's league it was ridiculous. Anyway, she didn't live on the campus like he did. She had a place she shared with some other girls at the school. I think I remember the name of the street?"
Cass nodded, moving to stand. "We should check it out."
"No, 'we' will not be doing anything," Dean ordered, pushing him back down. "You're sick, Cass. You need to stay here, rest, and get better."
That did not sit well with the dragon. "Dean, I'm not sick," he denied. "I'm resting, I'm eating well, I'm taking my vitamins. There's no reason for me to stay here. I'll just…"
"You're sick. You're pale, you're shaky, you look exhausted. Please," Dean pleaded when Cass opened his mouth to protest. "I don't know how to help you when you're like this. It scares me, alright? I need you to be ok because I can't fix you if you're not."
Cass's expression immediately turned sympathetic. "Oh. Alright, Dean. I'll try to rest if it makes you feel better."
"What would make me feel better is for you to feel better," Dean soothed, moving to tuck the dragon in. He put a hand against Cass's forehead. It was cool. Was that good or bad? Cass's skin was typically warm. For a fire dragon, Dean supposed that made sense, but didn't that mean it was serious if a fire dragon felt cold? He slid his hand under Cass's shirt collar, frowning at the coolness of the dragon's chest. "What does it mean when you're cold?"
Cass sighed and gently pushed Dean away. "Go and find your brother," he ordered. "It's getting dark outside, so there's less chance you'll be seen. Just be careful. I really don't like that you're going to be away from me." He looked hopefully at Dean. "What if I came along and brought my blankets? I could just stay in the back seat, and…" He grimaced, seeing Dean's expression. "I really don't like us being so far apart, especially when you're doing something dangerous. What if whoever went after your brother is waiting for you?"
"Then it's even more important that you get better," Dean insisted. "Get healthy in case you have to rescue my sorry ass like a damsel in distress."
Cass grumbled unhappily, but settled into the bed.
Dean went back out and climbed into Baby, opening up his burner phone to check the map. A bit of scrolling produced a street with a familiar name, but how would he recognize Jess's place, especially at night? Well, nothing for it but to knock on some doors and ask. That was less than ideal. The more people saw him, the better the chance he'd be seen by the wrong people. Still, what choice did he have? He had to try to find Sammy, and right now, Jess was his best chance. With one last concerned look back toward the room housing a sick dragon, Dean started off.
