Fic: Supernatural: Jedi!Verse: Dean/Castiel: The Things We Do For Peace (2/2) - (R)
Note the additional warnings for this fic.
Title: The Things We Do For Peace (2/2)
Author: nicole9514
Rating:R
Warnings: violence, language, implied torture, and references to torture.
Genre: AU, Fusion w/Star Wars, action, romance, angst
Pairing: Dean/Castiel ( blatant pre-slash, eventual slash)
Spoilers: None
A/N: This fic takes place in my recently created Jedi!verse series of fics - where both Dean and Castiel are Jedi - with a forbidden attraction to each other.
Summary: Dean attempts to rescue Cas and Anna - and uncovers some disturbing information in the process.
Word Count: 3,709
New to the series; here's a Link to the Masterpost
So far so good, Dean thought as he stalked the rooftops.
He’d parked his hover car a mile back, and was using the cover of the recent darkness to shield him from prying eyes. He had the building that Cas and Anna were supposedly being held inside under observation. He was crouching down on the roof of a smaller structure, directly across from his objective.
He laid down on his stomach and pulled out his binoculars.
He spotted at least five men patrolling the roof top, and nine more guarding the doors.
Damn, they weren’t messing around.
He closed his eyes, searching for confirmation, stretching out with the force.
In seconds he knew that Cas was in there.
Any doubts about Bobby’s intel he might have had vanished, and he waited for an opening in their patrol.
It only took a few minutes to find one; one of the masked men decided to relieve himself over the side of the building.
Real classy.
Dean waited until the mercenary was completely focused on the task, then leapt, landing silently behind him unnoticed. Before the man finished, Dean dropped down from the roof to a small ledge a few feet below it that outlined the structure.
There were no guards here, because they assumed no one would be crazy enough to try and use it as a point of entry.
They were wrong.
It was only a few inches wide, just enough for his toes to rest on. He shifted his weight; finding his balance, then started very slowly making his way towards a window.
Dean clung to the side of the building, his body flush with it.
He did not look down.
When he reached the glass, he peeked inside. The room was dark, and he didn’t sense anyone inside.
He pulled out his lightsaber, and carved an opening in the glass, then slipped inside.
****
Dean was moving on instinct, his footsteps light, his senses tuned to maximum. He was following his feelings, and he hoped he wasn’t imagining this link he and Cas seemed to have developed.
As he moved down the hall, sticking close to the walls, and staying out of sight of any passing guards, Cas’s presence was getting stronger.
He heard voices ahead; Dean froze, making sure they weren’t going to walk right into him. When it became clear, they’d stopped further down the hall, he crept to the edge of the corner, and listened.
“I don’t know why you’re worrying about this. The information he gave us was good.” A man’s harsh voice, floated into his ears.
A woman spoke next, her voice was soft, and cruel all at once. “Yes. The Jedi were where he said they’d be - but who was he? I don’t like answering to someone else, Azazel.”
“I never saw his face, he was wearing a cloak, had the damn hood pulled over his face.”
A frustrated sigh.
“And who cares, as long as it gets us what we wanted - peace will never happen once we blow up this building with those two inside of it. Just have the men get the bodies of those zealots, and bring them inside. Between their corpses covered in residue from the device, the suicide holovid we persuaded them to record, and the dead Jedi, everyone will believe that damn sect was responsible.”
The woman laughed. “Then you swoop in, and save the day - after all, you did warn everyone they couldn’t be trusted.”
“That’s right.”
The sound of footsteps; she’d moved closer to Azazel. “You’re sure he didn’t want anything in return for this information?”
“He may have implied that once I was in power, he would count on my support should he call on it.”
A groan.
They started to walk away.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
Dean was clenching his teeth, and his body was so tense he felt as if he might snap. Someone had told them exactly where and when to get the jump on Cas.
And they had been wearing a cloak with a hood - as in something very similar to the Jedi’s standard robes.
Dean’s mouth went dry.
Cas had given multiple daily reports to the Jedi Council on his progress, and most likely his plans for the day.
Including information such as where he was, and where he would be.
Dean shook it off, he couldn’t go there, it could have been anyone. He was sure there were plenty of staff, and witnesses to these peace talks that could have slipped them the information.
That had to be it, an inside job, someone in the Imageth Sect maybe.
So why didn’t he believe that.
Dean swallowed down the bile that was creeping up his throat; he couldn’t worry about this now.
Focus Dean. There’s a bomb. You need to move fast. Save Cas and Anna, then tackle this next problem.
Dean waited until any remaining sounds had vanished, and pressed forward. The halls were simple, blank, tan, and dirty. He could hear small animals scurrying to and fro, and Cas was close now.
He heard more voices. He darted into a nearby refresher that hadn’t been in working order for awhile, and waited.
Two men walked past; they were both armed to the teeth.
After they vanished from sight, he continued forward.
He took another right turn, hugging the wall, listening, and saw a door with a key pad lock; two men were guarding it. If he took them head on, it would alert the others and he’d have an all out war on his hands, and the Hutt-spawn who had his finger on the bomb’s trigger might decide to blow it early.
He had to take them out quietly.
Dean looked behind him for another solution; he found it.
A small rat-type creature was scurrying along the floor; he caught it before it darted into a hole in the wall.
It struggled; he set it down at the edge of the corner, giving it a little nudge in the right direction.
It went racing down the hallway; he heard the men start grumbling.
“Another one. Menaces,” a man growled.
Dean took a chance and peeked around the corner; both men were turned around aiming their blasters at the creature.
Assholes.
Dean sprinted down the corridor, and reached them both before they even noticed him coming. He knocked one out with the butt of his saber, and delivered a firm right hook to the jaw of the other, and placed the saber near his throat. “Drop your weapon.“
The man complied, kicking it down the hall.
“Now open the door, and you get to live,” Dean hissed into his ear.
Again, he obliged typing his key code in; apparently he wasn’t getting paid enough to die.
Dean knocked him out, once the door was unlocked.
It slid open and his heart lurched.
Cas was slumped over; chains were hanging from his wrists and ankles, and he wasn’t moving.
Anna was nowhere to be seen.
Dean stepped inside, and moved to his friends side, whispering his name.
Cas shuddered, then his head lifted, and he blinked blearily up at Dean.
Dean started breathing again.
“Dean,” his voice was rougher than normal, his face a mass of bruises, his bottom lip swollen and split. His wrists were red, and raw where the chains had been digging into his flesh.
“I’m here,” he whispered, his own voice raw.
It took everything he had to not give into the call of his anger, and kill every single person here who had harmed his friend.
Dean focused on Cas instead of the rage bubbling within, struggling to gain a foothold.
Dean helped him sit straight up, and Cas’s fingers dug into his biceps. “I felt you,” Cas breathed.
Dean swallowed, and cupped Cas’s face, stroking his cheeks. “We have to go, now. There’s a bomb.”
Cas blinked, leaning into his touch briefly before his face hardened into steely resolve. “Get me free. They took Anna, used her to keep me under control.” His eyes flickered with intensity. “They threatened to kill her if I tried to escape.”
Dean should have seen that coming. Cas was too good to be taken easily, or held for long. He had a hunch that was how they’d gotten the Jedi Master to begin with. Anna was learning, and she had potential, but she was nowhere near competent enough to go against a group of well trained killers. If they’d gotten the jump on her - had a gun to her head -Cas would have surrendered.
Dean wasn’t the only one with strong protective instincts.
He carefully cut off Cas’s restraints, making sure not to burn his flesh, and helped him to his feet.
“You know where she is?”
“No, but I can find her.” Cas’s tone was certain, calm.
It looked like he’d been through hell the past few days, beaten, maybe tortured, and he was still the same old Cas.
Dean hoped one day he could even be half the Jedi Cas was - the man was amazing.
“They took my lightsaber,” Cas whispered, limping slightly as he walked towards the door.
Dean stayed close to him, hating that he wasn’t skilled in the art of healing, not that they had time at the moment.
He bent down and took the blaster from one of the unconscious men, and offered it to his friend.
Cas hesitated, his eyes flickering with some unknown pain, as he eyed the weapon with distaste. Cas swallowed, took a deep breath, and took it, his fingers trembling slightly. He stared at it a few seconds more as if it were a snake preparing to strike, then his expression hardened again, he exhaled, and checked the weapon.
“You okay?” Dean asked, his hand resting lightly on Cas’s shoulder.
Cas met his eyes, he could only open his right one half-way from all the swelling, and gave him a weak smile. “I’ll live.”
Dean nodded, knowing they didn’t have time to play twenty-questions. “Alright, let’s get Anna, then get the hell out of here.”
*****
They had drug the mercenaries into the room Cas had been held in, and locked them inside - it should buy them some time before they were missed.
Cas led them down a flight of stairs; voices echoed down below.
They paused in their descent and waited.
“Have you been able to raise Tekla,” a female mercenary spat. “We need to be out of here in ten.”
Dean and Cas glanced at each other; Dean readied his saber. Cas did the same with his blaster.
They had to get Anna now.
The time for stealth was over.
They leapt down; Cas’s hand was swiping out the moment his feet hit ground level. Dean heard a groan of pain and surprise, and made it down just in time to see the female slam against the wall, and crumple to the floor.
Dean kicked the other in the face, and sliced off his arm at the elbow as he attempted to fire at them. The man screamed in rage.
Dean silenced him - Jedi didn’t kill on a whim, but sometimes it was necessary. And today he didn’t feel bad about it.
Cas nodded at him, and stepped over the corpse.
They were now standing in front of a door just like the one Cas had been held behind.
Dean tried the code he’d seen the merc enter; it worked.
Score one for the good guys.
The door opened; Cas’s jaw tightened; Dean wanted to punch something.
Anna was chained up as well, her wrists bruised, her red hair a mess, and her clothing filthy. There was also a nasty looking cut on the side of her cheek.
By the force; she was just a kid, barely fourteen. She tried to be brave as the door opened and she faced what she presumed were her tormentors. Her chin lifted high, her eyes fierce, a slight tremble of her jaw the only indicator of how afraid she was - when she saw them -saw Cas- the relief and joy that rolled through her was humbling.
Cas rushed to her side; Dean covered the door, knowing their luck couldn’t hold out forever.
He saw Cas embrace her, heard him soothing her, heard her asking after him, and he smiled despite it all.
Cas was a good mentor; Anna was lucky to have someone like him as a teacher.
Dean watched Cas set her free, watched them stand, watched Anna emulate her Master, and put on a calm face as she controlled her fear.
He saw the pride in Cas’s expression; and he realized Anna wasn’t the only one that was lucky.
Maybe having a Padawan wasn’t always a horrible thing.
“Hey kid.” Dean winked at her. “You ready to get out of here.”
“Yes, sir.” She managed a grin, while Cas gave him a grateful smile.
Dean checked the hall - it was still clear for the moment.
He could hear people further down, yelling, and moving.
They knew something was up - which spelled trouble for them.
“Time to move,” he blurted, and they took off, heading for the nearest window straight ahead.
Dean burned a hole in this one as well; Cas told Anna to go.
As she climbed out, five guys came barreling down the opposite hallway firing. He didn’t see the ring leader among them; Dean was guessing he and his lady friend had bailed already.
Typical.
Dean deflected the shots, covering Cas as he jumped out.
They were near the ground, so Dean just jumped out backwards, never stopping deflecting shots even as he fell.
Cas was waiting for him, offering cover fire. Once Dean hit the ground, they all took off, racing down an alley.
They made it about half-way down when an explosion lit up the night.
Dean felt the ground shake, and he stumbled, as did Cas and Anna. They glanced back to see a cloud of smoke, and the angry glow of fire behind them.
Anna gasped; Dean knew she was realizing what her captors had intended her fate to be. Cas placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
“Come on.” Dean took point. “I’ve got a hover car waiting, follow me.”
*****
The next few hours were a blur.
Dean had pulled Cas aside and filled the Jedi in on everything he’d missed - Bobby’s confirmed suspicions about Azazel, and the possibility of a traitor in the order.
The worry on Cas’s bruised face, told him his suspicions about a traitor on the council might not have been as impossible as he’d tried to convince himself it was - they shelved it for the moment as there was nothing that could be done without further evidence and investigating.
It would have to wait until the other crisis was resolved.
Cas had wanted to go immediately to speak with the representatives of both groups to start mending fences.
After seeing him, Anna, and hearing their story - swift actions had been taken.
It seemed both the believers and non-believers had adored Cas- he had earned their trust.
Dean had never seen a figurative ball roll so quickly.
Both sides were talking again - leave it to Cas to get the shit kicked out of him, but still do his duty.
Most of the mercenaries had been killed in the explosion, but no trace of Azazel and a woman Dean know knew was known as Meg. He hoped to catch up with them someday and say hi.
Both of them had been treated for their injuries. Anna’s had been minor, at least the physical ones - but she had Cas for the rest.
Cas had been worse off - Dean knew signs of torture when he saw it. He hadn’t been in the room when the doctor had examined him, he’d wanted to be, but he had sat with Anna instead, knowing it was what Cas had wanted.
He’d seen the haunted look in the doctors eyes when he’d come out with Cas trailing behind, his limp still evident.
Dean had titled his head in a silent question.
“Nothing a little meditative healing can’t fix,” Cas had whispered, as he gave Anna a fatherly smile.
Dean nodded; his questions would wait until they were alone.
****
2 days later.
They were back at Bobby’s - the treaty had been signed, and everyone was smiling.
It was the story of the moment, and the entire galaxy was talking about Devon four.
The council was very pleased, so pleased in fact no one even questioned how Dean had ended up there.
Not even Crowley.
Neither Dean nor Cas said anything about the informant, he and Cas had decided it was best to keep quiet until they knew more. If there was a traitor in the order, it wouldn’t do any good to let them know they were onto them.
Dean would talk to Ellen when they returned, and they could figure out where to go from there.
Speaking of Master Harvelle - Dean noticed the opened package lying on the floor, empty. Bobby had an old blaster in his hands, and he was cleaning it. Running his fingers over it, the same way he’d caressed the packaging.
Dean flopped down on the chair next to him, while Cas was locked away meditating. “That what was in the box?” Dean asked nonchalantly.
Bobby raised his eyebrows. “Maybe. What‘s it to ya?”
“Just curious. It yours?”
Bobby sighed. “Yes.”
“Was there some reason Master Harvelle had it?” He pressed, fighting a smile.
Bobby glared at him. “I let her borrow it.”
“Really,” Dean grinned. “Just how well do you two know each other?”
The older man huffed. “That’s none of your damn business boy. We clear.”
Dean held his hands up in surrender. “Perfectly.” Dean couldn’t stop smiling; guess that was one more thing he had to ask Master Harvelle about.
*****
Dean hadn’t had one moment alone with Cas since he‘d rescued him. The Jedi had mediated for several hours yesterday, and had mended most of his injuries. The bruising was almost completely faded, and he wasn’t limping anymore.
Dean wished he could have helped, but he had never been good at healing. He could manage some very minor accelerated mending on a really good day - but overall it just wasn’t his thing.
Cas might not have been as skilled a healer as some other Jedi, but he had enough experience to get by. And he looked a lot better, but Dean could see through the cracks here and there, and some wounds couldn’t be healed that easily.
On the day before they were set to return to Coruscant Dean snuck outside to find Cas standing a few feet from the garage, looking up at the sun.
Dean walked up behind him. “Hey, Cas.”
Cas didn’t move, but he could feel him smiling. “Hello, Dean.”
Dean sauntered up alongside him. “Whatcha doing?”
Cas shrugged. “Nothing. Just…being still.”
Dean grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
“I like it here.” Cas added quietly. “It has a warmth about it.”
Dean smiled, surprised and happy to hear Cas saw it as he did. “Yeah. I like it to.”
Cas turned to glance at him, his expression turned serious. “I never thanked you for coming for us.”
It was Dean’s turn to shrug. “We have each other’s backs, remember.”
Cas’s swallowed, his eyes were bright, his hair blowing gently with the breeze. “Thank you, Dean.”
Dean bumped his shoulder against Cas’s. “It was no big deal; I was bored at the temple anyway.” He smirked. “That place is no fun without you there to annoy.”
Cas made an amused sound in his throat. “I’m sure you could have easily found someone else to entertain you.”
Dean chuckled, then remembered how his heart had almost stopped when he’d thought he might have been too late, when he’d found Cas with his head slumped forward. He shook his head. “No. I don’t think I could have.”
Cas stilled, but said nothing.
Dean took his turn staring at the sky.
A moment later he felt Cas’s fingers entwine with his; he was surprised at the gesture.
It felt intimate; more so than if Cas had kissed him. Maybe because he’d never really just held someone‘s hand.
Most of his romps had been quick, and only lasted one night. There hadn’t really been any hand holding involved.
Hell, there really hadn’t even been much talking.
Dean didn’t know what he and Cas were exactly - it seemed to change from day-to-day. He had to admit though, this was kind of nice. Even if it didn’t fit with his manly, bad ass personae.
Cas squeezed his fingers; Dean squeezed back.
“You wanna tell me what happened to you in that room?” Dean asked in a hushed tone.
Cas fingers stilled momentarily, but he didn’t pull away.
He was quiet for a long while, then he breathed. “Nothing that I hadn-,” he hesitated, took a deep breath, seemed to debate whether to continue then said. “Nothing that I hadn’t been through before.”
Dean froze, and felt his guts twist, but he didn’t press, he simply waited.
He could be patient when it mattered.
“I’ve had a lot worse,” Cas whispered. “Trust me, when I say, I‘ll be okay.”
That didn’t make Dean feel any better. His insides where churning at the thought of Cas being harmed in worse ways, at him suffering.
“Your deep-cover assignment,” Dean blurted on a hunch.
Cas didn’t seem surprised at the leap; he nodded in affirmation, but didn’t elaborate.
Dean didn’t press - it was more than he’d ever heard about that time in Cas’s life. He never really spoke of it. Now Dean was beginning to understand why.
“Damn, I’m sorry Cas.”
Cas actually smiled at him. “Don’t be. It made me who I am today; made me stronger.”
Dean got that, he really did, but he was amazed how at peace Cas seemed with the crap life had thrust upon him.
“Thanks for, ya know.” Dean rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand. “For trusting me with that.” He looked anywhere but at Cas, this mushy stuff was starting to become a habit when he was around the Jedi Master.
Cas leaned his head against Dean’s shoulder, and Dean relaxed. “Thank you for asking.”
Their fingers stayed interlaced as they stared upward, wondering what tomorrow might bring.
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Title: The Things We Do For Peace (2/2)
Author: nicole9514
Rating:R
Warnings: violence, language, implied torture, and references to torture.
Genre: AU, Fusion w/Star Wars, action, romance, angst
Pairing: Dean/Castiel ( blatant pre-slash, eventual slash)
Spoilers: None
A/N: This fic takes place in my recently created Jedi!verse series of fics - where both Dean and Castiel are Jedi - with a forbidden attraction to each other.
Summary: Dean attempts to rescue Cas and Anna - and uncovers some disturbing information in the process.
Word Count: 3,709
New to the series; here's a Link to the Masterpost
So far so good, Dean thought as he stalked the rooftops.
He’d parked his hover car a mile back, and was using the cover of the recent darkness to shield him from prying eyes. He had the building that Cas and Anna were supposedly being held inside under observation. He was crouching down on the roof of a smaller structure, directly across from his objective.
He laid down on his stomach and pulled out his binoculars.
He spotted at least five men patrolling the roof top, and nine more guarding the doors.
Damn, they weren’t messing around.
He closed his eyes, searching for confirmation, stretching out with the force.
In seconds he knew that Cas was in there.
Any doubts about Bobby’s intel he might have had vanished, and he waited for an opening in their patrol.
It only took a few minutes to find one; one of the masked men decided to relieve himself over the side of the building.
Real classy.
Dean waited until the mercenary was completely focused on the task, then leapt, landing silently behind him unnoticed. Before the man finished, Dean dropped down from the roof to a small ledge a few feet below it that outlined the structure.
There were no guards here, because they assumed no one would be crazy enough to try and use it as a point of entry.
They were wrong.
It was only a few inches wide, just enough for his toes to rest on. He shifted his weight; finding his balance, then started very slowly making his way towards a window.
Dean clung to the side of the building, his body flush with it.
He did not look down.
When he reached the glass, he peeked inside. The room was dark, and he didn’t sense anyone inside.
He pulled out his lightsaber, and carved an opening in the glass, then slipped inside.
****
Dean was moving on instinct, his footsteps light, his senses tuned to maximum. He was following his feelings, and he hoped he wasn’t imagining this link he and Cas seemed to have developed.
As he moved down the hall, sticking close to the walls, and staying out of sight of any passing guards, Cas’s presence was getting stronger.
He heard voices ahead; Dean froze, making sure they weren’t going to walk right into him. When it became clear, they’d stopped further down the hall, he crept to the edge of the corner, and listened.
“I don’t know why you’re worrying about this. The information he gave us was good.” A man’s harsh voice, floated into his ears.
A woman spoke next, her voice was soft, and cruel all at once. “Yes. The Jedi were where he said they’d be - but who was he? I don’t like answering to someone else, Azazel.”
“I never saw his face, he was wearing a cloak, had the damn hood pulled over his face.”
A frustrated sigh.
“And who cares, as long as it gets us what we wanted - peace will never happen once we blow up this building with those two inside of it. Just have the men get the bodies of those zealots, and bring them inside. Between their corpses covered in residue from the device, the suicide holovid we persuaded them to record, and the dead Jedi, everyone will believe that damn sect was responsible.”
The woman laughed. “Then you swoop in, and save the day - after all, you did warn everyone they couldn’t be trusted.”
“That’s right.”
The sound of footsteps; she’d moved closer to Azazel. “You’re sure he didn’t want anything in return for this information?”
“He may have implied that once I was in power, he would count on my support should he call on it.”
A groan.
They started to walk away.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
Dean was clenching his teeth, and his body was so tense he felt as if he might snap. Someone had told them exactly where and when to get the jump on Cas.
And they had been wearing a cloak with a hood - as in something very similar to the Jedi’s standard robes.
Dean’s mouth went dry.
Cas had given multiple daily reports to the Jedi Council on his progress, and most likely his plans for the day.
Including information such as where he was, and where he would be.
Dean shook it off, he couldn’t go there, it could have been anyone. He was sure there were plenty of staff, and witnesses to these peace talks that could have slipped them the information.
That had to be it, an inside job, someone in the Imageth Sect maybe.
So why didn’t he believe that.
Dean swallowed down the bile that was creeping up his throat; he couldn’t worry about this now.
Focus Dean. There’s a bomb. You need to move fast. Save Cas and Anna, then tackle this next problem.
Dean waited until any remaining sounds had vanished, and pressed forward. The halls were simple, blank, tan, and dirty. He could hear small animals scurrying to and fro, and Cas was close now.
He heard more voices. He darted into a nearby refresher that hadn’t been in working order for awhile, and waited.
Two men walked past; they were both armed to the teeth.
After they vanished from sight, he continued forward.
He took another right turn, hugging the wall, listening, and saw a door with a key pad lock; two men were guarding it. If he took them head on, it would alert the others and he’d have an all out war on his hands, and the Hutt-spawn who had his finger on the bomb’s trigger might decide to blow it early.
He had to take them out quietly.
Dean looked behind him for another solution; he found it.
A small rat-type creature was scurrying along the floor; he caught it before it darted into a hole in the wall.
It struggled; he set it down at the edge of the corner, giving it a little nudge in the right direction.
It went racing down the hallway; he heard the men start grumbling.
“Another one. Menaces,” a man growled.
Dean took a chance and peeked around the corner; both men were turned around aiming their blasters at the creature.
Assholes.
Dean sprinted down the corridor, and reached them both before they even noticed him coming. He knocked one out with the butt of his saber, and delivered a firm right hook to the jaw of the other, and placed the saber near his throat. “Drop your weapon.“
The man complied, kicking it down the hall.
“Now open the door, and you get to live,” Dean hissed into his ear.
Again, he obliged typing his key code in; apparently he wasn’t getting paid enough to die.
Dean knocked him out, once the door was unlocked.
It slid open and his heart lurched.
Cas was slumped over; chains were hanging from his wrists and ankles, and he wasn’t moving.
Anna was nowhere to be seen.
Dean stepped inside, and moved to his friends side, whispering his name.
Cas shuddered, then his head lifted, and he blinked blearily up at Dean.
Dean started breathing again.
“Dean,” his voice was rougher than normal, his face a mass of bruises, his bottom lip swollen and split. His wrists were red, and raw where the chains had been digging into his flesh.
“I’m here,” he whispered, his own voice raw.
It took everything he had to not give into the call of his anger, and kill every single person here who had harmed his friend.
Dean focused on Cas instead of the rage bubbling within, struggling to gain a foothold.
Dean helped him sit straight up, and Cas’s fingers dug into his biceps. “I felt you,” Cas breathed.
Dean swallowed, and cupped Cas’s face, stroking his cheeks. “We have to go, now. There’s a bomb.”
Cas blinked, leaning into his touch briefly before his face hardened into steely resolve. “Get me free. They took Anna, used her to keep me under control.” His eyes flickered with intensity. “They threatened to kill her if I tried to escape.”
Dean should have seen that coming. Cas was too good to be taken easily, or held for long. He had a hunch that was how they’d gotten the Jedi Master to begin with. Anna was learning, and she had potential, but she was nowhere near competent enough to go against a group of well trained killers. If they’d gotten the jump on her - had a gun to her head -Cas would have surrendered.
Dean wasn’t the only one with strong protective instincts.
He carefully cut off Cas’s restraints, making sure not to burn his flesh, and helped him to his feet.
“You know where she is?”
“No, but I can find her.” Cas’s tone was certain, calm.
It looked like he’d been through hell the past few days, beaten, maybe tortured, and he was still the same old Cas.
Dean hoped one day he could even be half the Jedi Cas was - the man was amazing.
“They took my lightsaber,” Cas whispered, limping slightly as he walked towards the door.
Dean stayed close to him, hating that he wasn’t skilled in the art of healing, not that they had time at the moment.
He bent down and took the blaster from one of the unconscious men, and offered it to his friend.
Cas hesitated, his eyes flickering with some unknown pain, as he eyed the weapon with distaste. Cas swallowed, took a deep breath, and took it, his fingers trembling slightly. He stared at it a few seconds more as if it were a snake preparing to strike, then his expression hardened again, he exhaled, and checked the weapon.
“You okay?” Dean asked, his hand resting lightly on Cas’s shoulder.
Cas met his eyes, he could only open his right one half-way from all the swelling, and gave him a weak smile. “I’ll live.”
Dean nodded, knowing they didn’t have time to play twenty-questions. “Alright, let’s get Anna, then get the hell out of here.”
*****
They had drug the mercenaries into the room Cas had been held in, and locked them inside - it should buy them some time before they were missed.
Cas led them down a flight of stairs; voices echoed down below.
They paused in their descent and waited.
“Have you been able to raise Tekla,” a female mercenary spat. “We need to be out of here in ten.”
Dean and Cas glanced at each other; Dean readied his saber. Cas did the same with his blaster.
They had to get Anna now.
The time for stealth was over.
They leapt down; Cas’s hand was swiping out the moment his feet hit ground level. Dean heard a groan of pain and surprise, and made it down just in time to see the female slam against the wall, and crumple to the floor.
Dean kicked the other in the face, and sliced off his arm at the elbow as he attempted to fire at them. The man screamed in rage.
Dean silenced him - Jedi didn’t kill on a whim, but sometimes it was necessary. And today he didn’t feel bad about it.
Cas nodded at him, and stepped over the corpse.
They were now standing in front of a door just like the one Cas had been held behind.
Dean tried the code he’d seen the merc enter; it worked.
Score one for the good guys.
The door opened; Cas’s jaw tightened; Dean wanted to punch something.
Anna was chained up as well, her wrists bruised, her red hair a mess, and her clothing filthy. There was also a nasty looking cut on the side of her cheek.
By the force; she was just a kid, barely fourteen. She tried to be brave as the door opened and she faced what she presumed were her tormentors. Her chin lifted high, her eyes fierce, a slight tremble of her jaw the only indicator of how afraid she was - when she saw them -saw Cas- the relief and joy that rolled through her was humbling.
Cas rushed to her side; Dean covered the door, knowing their luck couldn’t hold out forever.
He saw Cas embrace her, heard him soothing her, heard her asking after him, and he smiled despite it all.
Cas was a good mentor; Anna was lucky to have someone like him as a teacher.
Dean watched Cas set her free, watched them stand, watched Anna emulate her Master, and put on a calm face as she controlled her fear.
He saw the pride in Cas’s expression; and he realized Anna wasn’t the only one that was lucky.
Maybe having a Padawan wasn’t always a horrible thing.
“Hey kid.” Dean winked at her. “You ready to get out of here.”
“Yes, sir.” She managed a grin, while Cas gave him a grateful smile.
Dean checked the hall - it was still clear for the moment.
He could hear people further down, yelling, and moving.
They knew something was up - which spelled trouble for them.
“Time to move,” he blurted, and they took off, heading for the nearest window straight ahead.
Dean burned a hole in this one as well; Cas told Anna to go.
As she climbed out, five guys came barreling down the opposite hallway firing. He didn’t see the ring leader among them; Dean was guessing he and his lady friend had bailed already.
Typical.
Dean deflected the shots, covering Cas as he jumped out.
They were near the ground, so Dean just jumped out backwards, never stopping deflecting shots even as he fell.
Cas was waiting for him, offering cover fire. Once Dean hit the ground, they all took off, racing down an alley.
They made it about half-way down when an explosion lit up the night.
Dean felt the ground shake, and he stumbled, as did Cas and Anna. They glanced back to see a cloud of smoke, and the angry glow of fire behind them.
Anna gasped; Dean knew she was realizing what her captors had intended her fate to be. Cas placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
“Come on.” Dean took point. “I’ve got a hover car waiting, follow me.”
*****
The next few hours were a blur.
Dean had pulled Cas aside and filled the Jedi in on everything he’d missed - Bobby’s confirmed suspicions about Azazel, and the possibility of a traitor in the order.
The worry on Cas’s bruised face, told him his suspicions about a traitor on the council might not have been as impossible as he’d tried to convince himself it was - they shelved it for the moment as there was nothing that could be done without further evidence and investigating.
It would have to wait until the other crisis was resolved.
Cas had wanted to go immediately to speak with the representatives of both groups to start mending fences.
After seeing him, Anna, and hearing their story - swift actions had been taken.
It seemed both the believers and non-believers had adored Cas- he had earned their trust.
Dean had never seen a figurative ball roll so quickly.
Both sides were talking again - leave it to Cas to get the shit kicked out of him, but still do his duty.
Most of the mercenaries had been killed in the explosion, but no trace of Azazel and a woman Dean know knew was known as Meg. He hoped to catch up with them someday and say hi.
Both of them had been treated for their injuries. Anna’s had been minor, at least the physical ones - but she had Cas for the rest.
Cas had been worse off - Dean knew signs of torture when he saw it. He hadn’t been in the room when the doctor had examined him, he’d wanted to be, but he had sat with Anna instead, knowing it was what Cas had wanted.
He’d seen the haunted look in the doctors eyes when he’d come out with Cas trailing behind, his limp still evident.
Dean had titled his head in a silent question.
“Nothing a little meditative healing can’t fix,” Cas had whispered, as he gave Anna a fatherly smile.
Dean nodded; his questions would wait until they were alone.
****
2 days later.
They were back at Bobby’s - the treaty had been signed, and everyone was smiling.
It was the story of the moment, and the entire galaxy was talking about Devon four.
The council was very pleased, so pleased in fact no one even questioned how Dean had ended up there.
Not even Crowley.
Neither Dean nor Cas said anything about the informant, he and Cas had decided it was best to keep quiet until they knew more. If there was a traitor in the order, it wouldn’t do any good to let them know they were onto them.
Dean would talk to Ellen when they returned, and they could figure out where to go from there.
Speaking of Master Harvelle - Dean noticed the opened package lying on the floor, empty. Bobby had an old blaster in his hands, and he was cleaning it. Running his fingers over it, the same way he’d caressed the packaging.
Dean flopped down on the chair next to him, while Cas was locked away meditating. “That what was in the box?” Dean asked nonchalantly.
Bobby raised his eyebrows. “Maybe. What‘s it to ya?”
“Just curious. It yours?”
Bobby sighed. “Yes.”
“Was there some reason Master Harvelle had it?” He pressed, fighting a smile.
Bobby glared at him. “I let her borrow it.”
“Really,” Dean grinned. “Just how well do you two know each other?”
The older man huffed. “That’s none of your damn business boy. We clear.”
Dean held his hands up in surrender. “Perfectly.” Dean couldn’t stop smiling; guess that was one more thing he had to ask Master Harvelle about.
*****
Dean hadn’t had one moment alone with Cas since he‘d rescued him. The Jedi had mediated for several hours yesterday, and had mended most of his injuries. The bruising was almost completely faded, and he wasn’t limping anymore.
Dean wished he could have helped, but he had never been good at healing. He could manage some very minor accelerated mending on a really good day - but overall it just wasn’t his thing.
Cas might not have been as skilled a healer as some other Jedi, but he had enough experience to get by. And he looked a lot better, but Dean could see through the cracks here and there, and some wounds couldn’t be healed that easily.
On the day before they were set to return to Coruscant Dean snuck outside to find Cas standing a few feet from the garage, looking up at the sun.
Dean walked up behind him. “Hey, Cas.”
Cas didn’t move, but he could feel him smiling. “Hello, Dean.”
Dean sauntered up alongside him. “Whatcha doing?”
Cas shrugged. “Nothing. Just…being still.”
Dean grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
“I like it here.” Cas added quietly. “It has a warmth about it.”
Dean smiled, surprised and happy to hear Cas saw it as he did. “Yeah. I like it to.”
Cas turned to glance at him, his expression turned serious. “I never thanked you for coming for us.”
It was Dean’s turn to shrug. “We have each other’s backs, remember.”
Cas’s swallowed, his eyes were bright, his hair blowing gently with the breeze. “Thank you, Dean.”
Dean bumped his shoulder against Cas’s. “It was no big deal; I was bored at the temple anyway.” He smirked. “That place is no fun without you there to annoy.”
Cas made an amused sound in his throat. “I’m sure you could have easily found someone else to entertain you.”
Dean chuckled, then remembered how his heart had almost stopped when he’d thought he might have been too late, when he’d found Cas with his head slumped forward. He shook his head. “No. I don’t think I could have.”
Cas stilled, but said nothing.
Dean took his turn staring at the sky.
A moment later he felt Cas’s fingers entwine with his; he was surprised at the gesture.
It felt intimate; more so than if Cas had kissed him. Maybe because he’d never really just held someone‘s hand.
Most of his romps had been quick, and only lasted one night. There hadn’t really been any hand holding involved.
Hell, there really hadn’t even been much talking.
Dean didn’t know what he and Cas were exactly - it seemed to change from day-to-day. He had to admit though, this was kind of nice. Even if it didn’t fit with his manly, bad ass personae.
Cas squeezed his fingers; Dean squeezed back.
“You wanna tell me what happened to you in that room?” Dean asked in a hushed tone.
Cas fingers stilled momentarily, but he didn’t pull away.
He was quiet for a long while, then he breathed. “Nothing that I hadn-,” he hesitated, took a deep breath, seemed to debate whether to continue then said. “Nothing that I hadn’t been through before.”
Dean froze, and felt his guts twist, but he didn’t press, he simply waited.
He could be patient when it mattered.
“I’ve had a lot worse,” Cas whispered. “Trust me, when I say, I‘ll be okay.”
That didn’t make Dean feel any better. His insides where churning at the thought of Cas being harmed in worse ways, at him suffering.
“Your deep-cover assignment,” Dean blurted on a hunch.
Cas didn’t seem surprised at the leap; he nodded in affirmation, but didn’t elaborate.
Dean didn’t press - it was more than he’d ever heard about that time in Cas’s life. He never really spoke of it. Now Dean was beginning to understand why.
“Damn, I’m sorry Cas.”
Cas actually smiled at him. “Don’t be. It made me who I am today; made me stronger.”
Dean got that, he really did, but he was amazed how at peace Cas seemed with the crap life had thrust upon him.
“Thanks for, ya know.” Dean rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand. “For trusting me with that.” He looked anywhere but at Cas, this mushy stuff was starting to become a habit when he was around the Jedi Master.
Cas leaned his head against Dean’s shoulder, and Dean relaxed. “Thank you for asking.”
Their fingers stayed interlaced as they stared upward, wondering what tomorrow might bring.
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