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Tweak says, "Ad Exec & Teen r totally OTP"

Charlie Hanson (iaintready) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2010-04-26 07:54:00

Entry tags:

!closed, #complete, castiel, charlie

WHO: Charlie Hanson and Castiel
WHAT: Meeting over drinks.
WHEN: Around 10pm, following this.
WHERE: Harvelle's
RATING: PGish (to be safe)
STATUS: Complete!

Although Charlie's life had been far from normal since the day her son was born, she had to admit that even this was a bit much. Meeting an angel in a bar just seemed wrong, somehow. And yet she was going. Not because she trusted Castiel. Hell, she wasn't even sure she believed him completely. No, she was going because if he was up to no good and planning something, she'd rather meet him on her terms when her son was nowhere around. That way, if something happened to her, Bobby would still be safe. That was all that really mattered to her anymore, truth be told. Yes she still had those selfish moments where she had to wonder if she'd really done the right thing by keeping him, but she had stopped letting that make her feel like a bad mother a while ago.

Still, for all of her changes in personality, Charlie was still an inherently distrusting person. There were only a handful that she believed in, and even fewer that she would allow near her boy, and Castiel wasn't on either of those lists. That didn't mean she automatically assumed he was lying but... well, that wasn't true. That was actually exactly what she was assuming. And yet she was still agreeing to meet with him because, well, if he was out to get her, he didn't exactly need to set up a place and time to do it.

With that thought in mind, as well as some vague sort of hope that maybe the angel was telling the truth and wasn't going to kill her on sight, Charlie left the diner where she worked and made her way to Harvelle's. She had brought a change of clothes with her so she didn't have to smell like greasy food, and she had gotten directions from one of the girls she worked with so she knew where she was going. Now all she had to do was work up enough nerve to step inside and she'd be all set.

As it turned out though, having enough guts to agree to meet someone who might actually be plotting your death and having the guts to physically meet them were two different things entirely. So it took her nearly five minutes to step through the doors, and another couple to come far enough inside the bar that she could see the other patrons. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Maybe some death and destruction, possibly a strange looking human-shaped entity that was going to scale the ceiling then try to rip her head right off her shoulders. She really couldn't say. However what she did see was certainly not half as drastic as she had tried to prepare herself for it to be.

It was just a bar. A nice-looking, fairly busy, bar. There wasn't any piles of bodies. There wasn't a single possessed human in sight. Just people, enjoying themselves after a hard day of work, in a setting that was much more inviting than Charlie had anticipated. She felt herself relax just a fraction as she glanced around, searching for the angel who had contacted her. She still didn't trust him, of course, but she also had a feeling that she wasn't going to have to know where the nearest exits were or just how fast she could draw the gun inside her purse.

Maybe, Charlie thought as she stepped a little more into the room and did her best to ignore the low whistles of approval from a couple of men around her own age in the corner, maybe this wasn't going to be so bad. Maybe she'd been overreacting. Then her gaze landed on Castiel. Maybe I should have contacted Michael and told him what I was planning, was her last thought before she straightened her spine and, chin held high, began moving toward the angel who had requested they meet.

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heavenslancer
2010-04-26 12:27 pm UTC (link)

Castiel was tense. This new job was difficult and demanding. Few of his skills prepared him for this, bar his exceptional memory that allowed him to remember any order and the recipe for any drink, once he had learned them and there were many to learn. Joanna had been very patient in teaching him, coming in early with him so they had no interruption. Castiel could make almost any drink within the first week.

He was also very thorough and quick at clean up though he tried not to lean to much on his Grace. He was strong enough to move heavy furniture and he also made an exceptional bouncer.

That was the easy part. Customer service, that was hard. Castiel did not require sleep however he could tire and would need time to meditate to restore himself and few things tired him more than the constant concentration required to deal with so many customers. It was worse when they tried to engage him in conversation.

Tonight had brought an especially lively crowd. It was good for Jo to have so many come, not so much for Castiel.

He was relieved when 10PM rolled around and he was released from one duty to attend to another. That was part of the deal. He would work in the bar until his other duties called, those he could not ignore.

Castiel did not know Charlie Hanson on sight but he knew the moment she walked through the door, plucking her name, and only her name, from her mind though her searching expression was enough. Castiel put down the washcloth and moved over to her. "Hello Charlie. I am Castiel. Please, will you accompany me to the office?"

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iaintready
2010-04-26 04:31 pm UTC (link)

Charlie went still when he drew near and spoke to her. Her stomach instantly tied into tight little knots and she swallowed. Hard. This was it. If he meant her harm, she was about to find out. Then he spoke and the blond blinked once, twice, three times, before finally rediscovering her ability to speak.

"The office?" she repeated dully, glancing briefly around and wondering just how quickly she could get out of the bar if she absolutely had to do so. Not that it would matter much. If this was a trap, she was already as good as dead. So, might as well see it through, right?

"Right," she stated, looking back to the angel. "Sure. The office works. Mind if I take a drink with me?" She certainly needed one. Or seven. Possibly the entire contents. A nice, calming, alcohol-induced coma would really serve her right for being so damned stupid.

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heavenslancer
2010-04-26 11:49 pm UTC (link)

"You may bring whatever you wish," Castiel said placidly. When she was ready he let her to a small room full of folders, two desks and a filing cabinet. He gestured to the of the chairs and leaned against one of the desks himself.

"Charlie Hanson," he said. "You are one of my brother Michael's charges. He is concerned about the recent arrival of another sibling of ours. He has asked me to assist him in protecting you and your son in the event there is a need to protect you. There has been no direct threat made to either you or your son but Michael believes it is important to attend to the possibility. Do you have any questions?"

Castiel folded his arms in front of his body and waited for her answer.

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iaintready
2010-04-27 12:02 am UTC (link)

Charlie snagged a drink - Jack Daniels, on the rocks, thankyouverymuch - and followed Castiel back to the office. Taking a seat, she took a sip of her drink as he began to speak. Swallowing hard, she simply stared at him for a long moment after he'd finished talking. She wasn't quite sure what to say to all of that, truth be told.

Finally, she took another drink then sighed. "Yeah," she stated slowly. "Why ain't Michael here? I mean, don't get me wrong... Castiel, right?" She shook her head and took another drink.

"But where I'm from? The only angel I can trust is Michael," she explained in as calm of a tone as she could manage. The ice in her glass made a soft tinkling sound but, aside from that, the trembling that was going through her wasn't all that noticeable she didn't think. Another breath and she continued. "I don't know a thing about you, and frankly I don't know how much you know about me or my son. So maybe we should start there, because from where I'm sitting, all I have is your word that you're even helping Michael in the first place. Which, like I said, where I come from, the word of other angels don't amount to a whole lot of damn nothing as far as I'm concerned."

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heavenslancer
2010-04-27 12:28 am UTC (link)

Castiel nodded. The fact that this women had difficulty trusting angels sadly did not surprise him. It was also frustratingly true that trust was a difficult thing to win from humans. It often took some time.

"Michael's presence is not required. He wished for me to establish a relationship with you. Did he inform you of what he asked of me? Are you concerned he is acting under duress?" Again, that would be a legitimate concern. Castiel let out a faint sigh.

"I am aware of the special status of your son and the fact, in your reality, my brothers tried to kill him. All of them bar Michael. This is not my reality, you are already aware there are many. If I was there and my order was to kill the child I would likely have done so, or made the attempt." A lie would not help him here. "However I have learned to question any order that does not come directly from God and I have learned, also, the value of human life. I understand these are mere words. It is difficult to prove. I have a charge and I have done much for him as Michael has done for you, I have lost much, but he is not here to speak for me. I am to speak for myself.

Only know that Michael would never put you at risk. He would not offer you to me if he believed I would harm you. I am under only one order in your regard and it is from Michael. If you are his charge then he has been given an order from the One above him to protect you. That has become my order, though made as a request. Michael is my brother and I love him. He would be harmed by harm befalling you. I wish to avoid this. I will protect you. If I wished you to be harmed, trapped, despatched, either you would be or Michael would have already have impaled me on his sword."

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iaintready
2010-04-27 12:41 am UTC (link)

If there was one thing that Charlie could respect, it was honesty. She didn't always like it. Sometimes the truth really hurt and, well, just plain sucked. However, a hard truth was better than an easy lie, as far as she was concerned. And as she listened to Castiel speak - really listened - she realized that he was being as truthful as he could be. If he were lying, he wouldn't have admitted to what he would have done had he been in her reality and been given the same order the other angels were given. If he were lying, he wouldn't have said half of what he'd just said, in fact.

So by the time he'd finished speaking, the faint hostility that had been present in her posture and look had begun to fade. There was still a great bit of wariness but she figured that would take some time to get past. As she'd told him, she didn't trust any other angel except for Michael and she wasn't going to just pretend that she did. She'd be a fool if she went around blindly trusting all of them. She'd be a fool and a horrible mother, to boot.

Taking another long sip of her drink, Charlie swallowed then sighed softly. Her gaze flickered briefly down to the glass that she held. "He told me that you'd help keep me and Bobby safe," she muttered softly. Her gaze cut back up to him, searching his face for any sign that he might still be trying to trick her somehow.

She found none.

"It was God that gave the order, you know," she finally spoke again. Her tone was flat. Dull sounding, even to her own ears. There was a touch of bitterness there that she felt no guilt at possessing. "God ordered him to kill my unborn son and he decided not to. All of the other angels showed up and tried to do what he wouldn't. Finally, God sent Gabriel."

Charlie swallowed hard and took another swallow of her drink. Her gaze remained fixed on her glass as she added, "I know the Gabriel that's here ain't the Gabriel that's where I'm from. I know none of you all are the same angels. I get it. I just..." She frowned lightly and looked back up at him.

"If God gives that order again? If God changes His mind again? You can't stand there and tell me that you'd disobey it just to help out Michael. In fact, I don't think a single one of you angels can say that, really. And it's a little hard to trust someone knowing that all it takes is one... fickle deity to decide that humanity just ain't worth it anymore and it's gonna turn right back into Hell on Earth all over again."

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heavenslancer
2010-04-27 04:29 am UTC (link)

Castiel dropped his eyes for a second. "I am aware. I have spoken with my Father on a similar matter." He paused. He wasn't sure how much he should say of what He had told him. He picked his words carefully. "There is one God for all creation, all aspects are connected but all are separate. The aspect that ordered the execution of your son was not the same aspect from my reality and not the same one that is here.

I cannot speak of my Father's mind. I am not privy to His thoughts, his plan unless He wishes it. If He ordered me to kill or your son I would. I trust that he had good reason as He would not order such a thing without it. It is not my place to question Him. However, you have been there for some time and I have received no such order. This indicated to me that my Father does not object to your presence of that of your son. He is aware Michael asked me to protect you and He did not intervene in this meeting. From that I must conclude my Father wishes you both protected."

Castiel lowered his head a moment. This time last week he would have argued against that accusation. He would argue that his Father was constant, not fickle. Now he could only argue that of this aspect of his Father and that was difficult. He could no longer comment on God as a whole, in His entirety. It was just not that simple any more.

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iaintready
2010-04-27 10:39 am UTC (link)

She wanted to pretend that she understood just what he was saying. She supposed, in some way, she did. However the thought of there not just being One God, as it were, was a hard concept for her to handle. Multiple versions of angels had been difficult enough. The thought that somewhere, there was a Michael who wouldn't do the things that the one she knew had done was all but impossible for her to imagine. Now there was another version of God who, somehow, somewhere, might not have chosen to murder a completely innocent child?

Charlie wanted to call bullshit. Yet she knew, as sure as she knew her own name, that he wasn't lying to her. So instead she sighed softly and finished the last bit of her drink. The ice cubes clinked together in a muted, muffled tone as she set the glass down and pressed her palms into her thighs. She wasn't sure just what to say. Somehow 'oh' seemed a little lacking but words were really failing her as her mind struggled with a concept that was quite a ways out of her element.

Eventually, when she did speak, her voice was softer than before. Quiet and contemplative. Her eyes cut back up to his and she exhaled a puff of breath then let the words fall.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing God ain't changed His mind yet, at least." She gave a shake of her head, blond ponytail bouncing lightly, before she ran a hand down the length of her face then re-focused on Castiel. "I ain't talked to none of the other angels," she stated. "Aside from Michael, and now you, I've kept my distance."

Deciding whatever she was about to say wasn't all that big of a deal, Charlie all but shrugged the words away and instead tacked on a curious, "Do you have any reason why ya'll are all here?" Michael hadn't known. Charlie wasn't sure anyone knew. But it never hurt to ask.

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heavenslancer
2010-04-28 05:10 am UTC (link)

"It is fortunate this aspect of my Father is here," he said heavily.
He understood her caution in talking to the other angels.

"There is no requirement to speak to any of us. We can only request. It is your right to refuse. We cannot interfere with your free will, not without incurring our Father's wrath." Castiel really did not mind if she chose not to associate with his siblings. He was not here to advocate for them. Well, not directly. He cocked his head.
"Michael is concerned you are at risk from Gabriel. I do not believe his fears are founded, this is not the aspect of our brother you have experienced, but Michael has asked and I have accepted. You may refuse my protection though I request if you do refuse you inform Michael that is the case so he is clear on the situation."

Castiel gave a little shrug at her question. "We did not all arrive at the same time. We did not receive a summons. I was killed and this was where I woke but it is different for the others. Father had given us no indication of why we are here but He does know when another of us is to arrive. If there is a purpose to this I am unaware of it." Perhaps he may not be so open with another but this was Michael's charge and if Michael trusted her then so did Castiel.

"It is apparent to me that your son and yourself are not always in the same location. This provides a logistical difficulty. Until Michael, or you, decided the extra protection is not required I should stay with you whenever you are apart from Michael. I need to physically be by your side to watch you though, as it is Gabriel, it is probably safer." Castiel looked at Charlie with interest, waiting for her reaction to his offer.

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iaintready
2010-04-28 10:52 am UTC (link)

Charlie snorted bitterly. Something hardened, or perhaps simply jaded, shone in her eyes as she looked to Castiel. "Yeah, well," she drawled, "you'll pardon me if I know just how little free will really matters when push comes to shove." It was true, at least as far as she was concerned. God could boast about free will at He wanted, but if He changed His mind? That went right out the window quick and in a hurry. Then she gave a slight shake of her head and sighed softly.

"It ain't the same Gabriel," she agreed. "And I'm sure Michael knows that. He's just not taking any chances. Not when it comes to Bobby." Which, Charlie appreciated. Did she think he might be pushing things a bit far, being a bit too cautious? Yes. However she, too, wasn't willing to risk the life of her son.

Tipping her glass back, she let an ice cube slide into her mouth and began lightly sucking on it. She very nearly choked on it, in fact, when Castiel made his suggestion. Blinking in a rather owlish manner, she first looked into her glass then back up at him. "Didn't you, um, say you had a charge?" she asked first, not willing to agree or disagree with anything just yet. She needed a few seconds to mull it over. Needed to think, and that was hard to do in this situation. Idly she wondered if Castiel realized that, if maybe that was the whole point of this. Get her off-base so she'd just placidly go along.

If that was his plan, clearly he didn't know half as much about her as he thought he knew. Because she wasn't agreeing to anything until she'd bought herself a few moments. So in an effort to do just that, she tacked on, "Doesn't your charge need your help, too?"

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heavenslancer
2010-04-28 01:42 pm UTC (link)

"I understand Michael's concern. He brings with him experiences from another place. It is difficult not to react to those experiences. I have been here some time and I am still affected by some of them. It is a curious state because we are in an unknown position. We may never leave here, we may leave minutes from now. It is difficult to let go of something you may be called back to at any moment." Michael had not been with them long at all. "I would go to the same lengths for my charge. I would not leave his safety to chance."

When she fell silent he did too. She would need time to consider his words. He would allow it. He saw her put the ice in her mouth. He wondered what it tasted like. He had started wondering what everything tasted like. He stood patiently, waiting for her to be ready to speak.

He gave a little smile at her question. "There is little here that threatens Dean. I am called into service on occasion but largely he is able to live uninterrupted. He is free to live a life more of his choosing." This was good for Dean and Castiel was aware of it. It also freed Castiel up to pursue a life, even if he was struggling to find a direction for it. On the downside he saw far less of Dean. He was rarely required. He was lacking something he had always had. Purpose.
There was no need to speak on this. He had answered her question, it was enough.

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iaintready
2010-05-01 01:33 am UTC (link)

Charlie thought for a long, hard minute. Her brow furrowed a bit and she studied Castiel as though trying to decide just what she thought of him. It wasn't easy, when it came to angels. Michael was near impossible to read most times, and Castiel didn't seem all that different either. But she still tried because, well, she'd spent her life reading people by their expressions and body language and it was a hard habit to break.

"What if God told you to kill Dean?"

The question was out before she'd really thought it through. Once it was asked, however, she realized she wanted to know. She wasn't necessarily going to base her opinion of him solely on his answer but she was curious what that answer was going to be. He'd said he'd kill her son if God ordered it but also said he wouldn't leave Dean's safety to chance. So the real question, she supposed, was whether Castiel was capable of doing what Michael had done or if he would follow his orders as the other angels in her reality had tried to do.

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heavenslancer
2010-05-01 01:44 am UTC (link)

Castiel froze. His body went ridged. He searched her eyes in hope he could see some trace of humour there. He knew it was fruitless. He looked all the same. He swallowed, and again. He stared a her openly, his mouth open a little. His skin felt hot. His hands drew into defensive fists.

Then he settled, his expression dropped back into a robot stare. His hands relaxed, his shoulders didn't. He was the soldier again.
"If my Father, this aspect of my Father, ordered me to kill Dean Winchester I," tiny pause, barely a catch, "would do so."

He continued to stand unmoving apart from a gentle shaking that seemed to take his whole body. He didn't even seem to notice. If he had been human one may have said he looked like he was going to vomit. His voice was tight as he asked. "Is there anything else you wish to know?"

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iaintready
2010-05-01 01:50 am UTC (link)

Part of her had expected that answer. Part of her, however, had hoped that he would say no. That maybe, just maybe, there was another angel in this screwed up city that wouldn't blindly follow God. That maybe she'd found another one she could truly trust and not just respect for his brutal honesty. The disappointment was almost as strong as the guilt she felt for having asked in the first place but she swallowed both down for the time being. He wanted her to allow him near her son. She had a right to ask any damn question she chose.

So she didn't apologize. In fact, for a long moment, Charlie didn't say anything. When she did speak, however, her tone was almost flat. Not accusatory. Not guilt-laden. She just asked one word, simply and plainly.

"Why?"

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heavenslancer
2010-05-02 02:29 pm UTC (link)

Castiel took a deep breath. Thinking about this is such detail was almost as painful to Castiel as doing it.
He spoke slowly. "My Father loves me and His creation. He loves Dean. If he asks me to do something I trust it is for the good. I trust my Father. I trust he would not ask me to do such a thing out of malice towards myself or Dean. I trust He would not ask idly. He understands what it would cost me. If my Father asked me to do it it would be because He could see a valuable outcome that could not be achieved any other way."

Castiel felt a curious sickly feeling building in his gut. He stared at Charlie, his gaze level, his voice tight. "I do not know what answer you hoped to hear but that is my answer. There have been enough questions. Will you accept my assistance or do we need to contact my brother and inform him of your refusal?"

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iaintready
2010-05-03 12:49 am UTC (link)

Charlie wanted to argue. She wanted to object. She wanted to point out the flaws in his logic and make him see how not even God's mind was always made up one hundred percent on things. Yet she knew it was pointless. He wasn't any different than any of the other angels. Michael, it seemed, really was the only exception. She knew that was the way it was supposed to be - angels weren't meant to question God - but it also wasn't something she particularly liked. She really had hoped that Castiel would turn out to be different too. It would have been nice to know at least one other angel that would really help if push came to shove and everything fell apart again.

That, however, didn't seem to be the case. Charlie sighed softly and rose to her feet. "I'm sorry," she said. She meant it too. "But I can't let you near Bobby. I have to keep him safe and so far the only threats he's ever faced have been angels. I know, if God ordered it, Michael wouldn't hurt him. He died trying to keep him safe. He thought about it and he knew that it didn't have to be that way. And you seem nice enough, but... you can't see things the way Michael does. You follow God and that's all well and good, but God's the main threat against my boy."

Swallowing hard, Charlie glanced toward the clock on the wall then back to Castiel. "I need to get goin'," she added. "The babysitter's going to start worrying if I don't turn up soon." Moving toward the door, she paused once and glanced back at him.

"I hope you're right, Castiel," she stated in a quiet voice. "I hope your faith in God is a well-founded one and doesn't turn out getting tossed back in your face like mine was. I hope for both your sake and Dean's that you never get that order, too." And with that, she opened the door and left the office.

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