Back to 10. Lull, or go to the Masterpost.

"Dean."

The hiss was soft, but fierce, and Dean was a light sleeper; he sat bolt upright, already reaching for the loaded gun on his bedside table. Castiel hovered beside his bed, tense, his eyes on the door, a hand stretched out to touch Dean's shoulder.

( Read more... )

Back to 9. Comfort, or go to the MasterpostLoud footsteps jerked Dean awake the next morning, and for a moment, he didn't recognize his surroundings. He knew he'd dozed off in the room that Castiel inhabited-slumped down in an uncomfortable wooden chair, the cat stretched out over his shoulders, soft puffs of air against his neck-but his memories ( Read more... )

Back to 8. Vengeance, or go to the Masterpost.

Dean left Castiel alone.

He got the feeling, of course, that if he strayed too far from the cabin's boundaries, Dean would know. As the creator of the modified Mournful Orb latched tight around his neck, Dean had some idea of Castiel's general location. But Dean did not dog him day and night; in fact, ( Read more... )

Back to 7. Division, or go to the Masterpost.

They were past the tree line, and Dean could feel Castiel preparing to ask him where they were going, when the voice rang out behind them.

"Dean. Just the man I was looking for."

He closed his eyes, counted slowly to three, and turned on his heel to face her. Castiel paused next to him, head tipped ( Read more... )

Back to 5. Ceasefire, or go to the Masterpost"So you've said," Dean commented. Castiel's grim pronouncements did not, apparently, have any effect whatsoever on the Winchester brothers. It was surprisingly annoying, yet another thing about them both that he was growing to dislike. "Still not clear on why they're keeping you around, though. Azazel ( Read more... )

Back to 4. Tenterhooks, or go to the MasterpostDean didn't come to see him again, and he got the sense, when Sam tiptoed in at half-past three in the morning, that everyone else in the camp had been banned from talking to him, too. Sam winced when he accidentally stepped on a squeaky floorboard, and took great pains to close the door without so ( Read more... )

Back to 3. Negotiations, or go to the MasterpostDean didn't visit again until two mornings later. Castiel estimated that he had been in captivity for nearly a week now, and he was declining more swiftly than he had anticipated. The housecat looked bedraggled, its coat ruffled and dull, like a creature suffering a terminal illness. He doubted he had ( Read more... )

Back to 2. Seneca State Forest, West Virginia, 2009, or go to the MasterpostThe truth was, they had all the information they could really ask for. It was just bad news, all of it ( Read more... )

Back to 1. Lawrence, Kansas, 1983, or go to the MasterpostHis quarry didn't move ( Read more... )

Back to A Short Glossary + Author's Notes, or go to the Masterpost.

We are the angry and the desperate,
the hungry and the cold;
we are the ones who kept quiet
and always did what we were told.
But we've been sweating while you slept so calm
in the safety of your home.
We've been pulling out the nails that hold up
everything you've known."Prayer ( Read more... )