Not Until We Are Lost

Dean woke up lying on his side, and he was very surprised to see Jo sleeping in front of him, on her side, too. Her ribs were rising and falling as she breathed, and it was very peaceful. This would be really nice... if it weren't for the obvious change.

The bed was a real modern bed. Frame was metal. His clothes were back to normal, and Jo had jeans on, too. Dean rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand and sat up on one elbow, looking around the room.

There were windows with blinds on them, and everything had a very modern, almost sterile kind of quality to it. There was a coldness. Outside looked anything but, from what he could see through the half-open set of blinds just ahead of Jo. There were big tropical plants, palm trees, looked like a gravel road.

He turned his head, and there was a closet with big gray doors over there. He'd check it, but was happy to see his regular weapons--the knife he kept in his boot, the gun he always had on him--sitting on a metal bedside table that sort of resembled a locker or filing cabinet. More metal.

He put his hand on Jo's waist.

"Jo," he said. He was rocking her gently, trying to wake her. "Jo, honey."

Jo couldn't say that she loved life in this Wild West carbon copy of a town. The townspeople were getting restless and it was a lot harder to blend in a small town. Particularly when their group represented an influx of newcomers that had made somewhat of a splash. Jo hadn't personally contributed to any of that, but she'd heard stories. There were a whole lot of whispers about a man who could turn into a wolf. About someone who'd been hung and lived to tell the tell. About a man who'd packed a mean punch. Granted, Jo hadn't entirely escaped notice herself, what with drawing attention for digging up a grave to salt and burn some bones.

She'd finally found Mary and had heard the truth behind at least two of those accounts. She had to worry about how much longer they were going to be stuck in this world, because the natives were restless. In fact, she was pretty sure that this and the last world were the most they'd been noticed. And it wasn't a good thing. Then again, a good hunter stayed just on the outer edges of people's notice. They did the job and got out. And yet, this whole experience didn't allow for that.

She never thought that she'd see the day where she was eager for a planet hop, but she was. For now, she took to wandering the edges of town and spending a lot more time in the saloons than was proper for a 'lady' in this setting. She didn't much care for that, so she kept to herself in one corner of the saloon and glared at anyone who gave her a funny look.

Tonight, she had a nice whiskey on the rocks and a good view of the doorway. She always maneuvered for that. First, because it was always better to see trouble as soon as it walked in the door as opposed to being snuck up on. And second-she couldn't help but keep an eye out for the rest of their group. She hadn't yet seen everyone around. They were here, but she hadn't seen them personally. She still thought that getting everyone together was a good plan and it was her goal to talk to as many people as she could about their situation and about pooling their resources.

Jo was still getting her bearings in this new place. She didn't care much for the way men treated women here. Fortunately, she had years of experience in protecting herself from far worse than the unwanted come-ons from men in this land that John Wayne forgot. As for being underestimated in terms of her abilities, well... she'd learned to make that work in her favor back home. And she'd manage it here too.

She'd been here for a few days already and still hadn't found Dean or Mary. She'd found Rob and seen Sam though, so she wasn't completely alone. She'd also found the Doctor and she was more convinced than ever that the group needed to band together more. She didn't know how to do it, short of trying to meet everyone. There'd been some newcomers since the crazy Easter/Halloween planet and the meeting that Piotr held there. On the flipside, there'd been an awful lot of people who'd gone missing. Which made it even more important that they kept track of each other.

So she took to the streets of this town. She checked the saloons and the shops for anyone that she recognized. As it got darker, she couldn't help but notice the one house that had candles burning in every window and a fire going outside. Everyone else around here seemed more interested in conserving their candles and/or kerosene. Jo circled closer to the house and thought that she recognized the guy outside tending to the fire. She didn't know him by name, but she was pretty sure she'd seen him on the last planet-if only briefly. She approached slowly and held up her hand in greeting.

"Hi," she said once she was in earshot. "This is going to sound weird, but I think that you might be a part of our group?"

If she was wrong, then she was likely going to just seem like a crazy. Wouldn't be the first (or the last) time.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

Mere moments ago, he'd been with Dean and Phaedra and Annabelle, and they'd been on the verge of an important discovery regarding the world they were inhabiting. Now, for the life of him, The Doctor couldn't remember what that was. He knew Dean was still needed, that he'd found something everyone needed and still had it in his possession.

But now, as he looked about the TARDIS, without even opening her doors, he knew they were no longer on that world. You didn't travel through time or space with a Timelord and put one over on him.

No, you did not.

He opened the doors of the TARDIS tentatively, feeling exhausted. Outside, it looked like...

... Tombstone?

Well, maybe not. But something like. He remembered Tombstone, Arizona. Yes, he did. He'd quite liked Wyatt Earp.

His TARDIS was parked next to a general store, and beside her, a horse whined.

"Yes," he said to the horse. "Exactly."

Rob was upstairs telling Dean about his world right this moment. Or possibly right this moment. Jo didn't know the exact time, but she knew that it was happening tonight. And she wasn't invited. She was okay with that, because she wanted to do whatever was easiest on Rob. But she wanted to be the one to tell Dean what she knew. She'd hated keeping it from him. She also wanted to be there to make sure that no punches were thrown or anything. And she really wanted to be there to see how exactly all of this was going to shake out. She couldn't help but worry that this might cause issues for the two of them.

So while the boys were upstairs talking, Jo decided it was time to keep her mind off things. She still wasn't sure just how much she could push the rules concerning carrying weapons around here. Which irked her, because she could really use a hunt right now. Her trigger finger was a little itchy and tracking and killing something that would only hurt people if left unchecked almost always got her mind off whatever else might be going on. But she'd seen enough of this place to know that any small bit of rule breaking was treated swiftly and violently. She hadn't actually seen the violence, but she'd seen perpetrators carted off and had seen the fear as people watched the perps taken away. She'd sniffed around enough to get an idea of what happened to people who broke laws. Enough to know that they weren't often seen again.

So for now, she was playing the good, law-abiding citizen. Which meant that her only choice for distraction was to head to the hotel bar and try to drink until her head was fuzzy. An hour in, and she had a pretty good headstart on that. She'd chosen a table in a back corner of the bar. It gave her the best visibility on the room. She could see at least most of the doorways leading in and out. Just in case. Some might call it paranoid or twitchy, but most hunters simply called that survival. She never did like sitting somewhere that she couldn't see who (or what) was coming and going in a place.

Jo was thankful for the phone and the contact list that came with it. It confirmed that the people she was most concerned about were likely to be here. It gave her a way to reach them all. She would be calling everyone soon, but for now she wanted to explore. It might have had something to do with the fact that she was still processing the things that Rob had shared with her about his reality and more importantly, who his parents were.

She would need to talk to Sam, and then they'd all need to talk to Dean. She didn't know how the discussion with Dean was going to go. It had to happen and she had no intentions of keeping this from him for long, but she wasn't optimistic about how he was going to take it. She was worried for Rob's sake as much as for her own. Things with them were already hard to figure out and this was just going to muddy the waters further.

So instead of seeking out anyone, she took to exploring the hotel they were in. It was definitely swanky. She didn't really know what to feel about that either. From what she could tell, room service was on the house for her room. She would assume that the others had the same deal. The aliens apparently wanted them well-fed and sheltered here. She just didn't know why and that bugged her.

Currently, she'd found her way down to the lobby and set herself up in one of the couches in a place that provided a vantage point where she could watch people come and go. It might give a few more clues about the world that they'd landed in, the people within it, and the culture.

Waking up alone wasn't jarring for Jo, but rolling over enough to realize that her sheets smelled better and were soft enough that the thread count was probably sky high had been a shock. They'd shifted again. She was either getting really used to it, or this wasn't the worst place she'd woken up. Hey, at least there wasn't an elephant in the dining room. Then again.... she stowed away the brief flash of missing Betsy. She hadn't seen the 'mutant' lately and she couldn't help but worry that something had happened. Best case scenario, the aliens had sent her home. Worst case... well, Jo wasn't really prepared to thin about the worst case just now. Especially when Mary was currently missing Johnny as well. Whatever Jo's feelings were towards her daughter's undead boyfriend, she didn't want to see something bad happen to him. She didn't know how Mary was going to do if he didn't turn up on this planet change.

But there wasn't much she could do about that. For now, she needed to explore her surroundings. Once she ventured out of the bedroom, Jo noticed that she was in what looked like a two bedroom suite of sorts. It was well-appointed in that lush, high-end yet sterile hotel sort of way. The view from the glass doors that opened up onto a balcony made it clear that they were high above a modern day city. It was almost a sight for sore eyes after being stuck in two different versions of the past and on an otherwise deserted island. Yet, this wasn't any city that she'd ever seen before. She moved to check out the view and watched as a futuristic looking bullet train raced over a track weaving through the artistically modern skyscrapers.

"Whoa," she muttered under her breath.

Well, she supposed the only good thing about life with the aliens was that there was no chance of getting bored. She'd seen more than she'd ever imagined back when traveling the country with nothing more than her pick-up truck and an arsenal to hunt whatever she managed to track down had seemed to have its own sort of glamour.

Anna worked right up until the morning of her wedding. It had gotten to the point when she and Cas were questioning the same people over and over and not getting anywhere. It was frustrating, but two villagers were dead from what looked like an angel possession that didn’t take. They couldn’t rest, even in the days leading up to the ceremony. At least word seemed to be getting around hopefully everyone knew better than to say ‘yes’ to anyone or anything at this point. She hoped.

Once they’d done one last sweep of asking around and looking for any more clues as to the whereabouts of the rogue angel, they went their separate ways to get ready. It was an old, silly tradition that she was certain no amount of explaining would really get the point across to Castiel. Truthfully, she knew that it was dated and senseless, but there was a part of her that wanted it all the same. The part that had once thought she was human and nothing more and had dreamed of a fairytale wedding where everything was done according to tradition. That part wanted to observe some of the traditions. So she kissed her fiance goodbye and he headed off to get ready at the tavern while she met Jo and Mary at the house they’d been staying in so all the women could get ready together. That goodbye kiss was something she lingered over, and she pointed out that their next kiss would be as a married couple.

She knew, too, that the ceremony was for her more than anything. They were already joined in more ways than she could count-ways that were unbreakable by any method that she could fathom beyond the most final of partings. Yet, there was a part of her that really liked the idea of something official that could be shared with their friends. The part of her that still missed her Earthly parents even felt a little wistful that they couldn’t be here to see it. Even if Castiel might not completely care about the traditions associated with the rite, he was doing it for her happiness and that meant the world to her.

Jo and Mary bustled around her and while there was a little bit of a grim overcast on the day, both seemed happier than Anna had seen in awhile. She thought that this might be good for everyone-taking a day off to really focus on the things that made life worth living. Love, family, friends, celebrating the life that they had in the moment. She was under very few illusions that they’d get an entire day without incident, but damned if she wasn’t going to try.

Anna joined in on the conversation in bits and pieces but couldn’t have repeated a single word of it if quizzed afterward. She kept running her fingers over the satin of her dress and smiling to herself. She’d managed to keep it well hidden from her future husband and she couldn’t wait to see the look on his face. He had seen her in many forms and he seemed to appreciate all of them. And no matter how many times he looked at her in that way that he did-she would never get tired of it.

Finally, they were all ready and it was time. They strapped on a few last minute weapons, just in case, and headed out to the forest. Sure, it might be an untraditional bridal party but it also wouldn’t be a wedding with their group if people weren’t armed. She smiled a little at the, so to speak, ‘ladies in waiting’ accompanying her as they headed out to the place they’d agreed to set up the makeshift altar. There was no music because Anna didn’t like the idea of asking one of the town musicians to risk coming out to the forest, but that didn’t matter. The scenery was beautiful and the person who mattered most would be waiting for her at the end of the walk. That was all that truly counted on this day.

( A true hunter wedding... )

Jo hadn't seen Sam all that much since his arrival. Then again, she hadn't seen Dean all that much either. There was a part of her that missed sleeping in the same room as him, but she couldn't blame him for wanting to spend the time with his brother. This was how it was always going to be when Sam was around and she'd sure as hell rather have Sam in their lives than not. The last two years had taken a toll, and she knew that at least part of that was the fact that Sam had been missing.

She didn't mean to exactly, but it was easy to fall into the routine of this place. She kept watch over the wall. Usually on the night shift because she was the newest in the ranks and she didn't mind being up all night. She didn't sleep all that well these days anyways.

On this particular morning, she was relieved from her shift just as the sun started peeking out over the treetops. Most of the village was just beginning to stir and people started going about their business. She didn't mind being on the opposite schedule from most of the people in the village. There was something calming about seeing the people that she'd watched over through the night going to their jobs and simply living their lives just before she turned in to sleep for the day. It was a nice reminder of what she was protecting.

She thought that she spotted someone familiar as she moved through the city streets. It took her a second glance to realize that it wasn't Sam. But then, she almost always had that when she saw Rob. She frowned at the moment of mistaken identity and sped up a bit to catch up with her fellow abductee. She assumed that he was on his way to work, so she nodded and offered a "Good morning." as she fell into step with him.

Jo came to on a wall around what looked like a medieval city. On the outside, there was forest stretching out as far as they eye could see. And inside, there was a castle surrounded by houses of varying sizes. The further out from the castle and closer to the wall, the smaller and more humble the homes got.

It was perhaps a sign that Jo had almost gotten used to the whiplash world changes that she didn't panic right away. She had a gun in hand and chain mail over her clothing. She was actually better armed and protected than the last few worlds. That was a comfort. She looked out over the wall and at the watchman-or rather, watchwoman-that was just barely visible in a spot on top of the wall not too far from her.

So this was new, but she'd figure it out. She also had less worries about the people she loved because they'd been on each world. Of course, the islands had separated them but Dean had still been there and relatively safe. She was confident that she'd find them soon enough. She clearly had a job to do for now. She wasn't sure whose brilliant idea that was, but she put in her time and only left her spot when one of the watchwomen showed up to relieve her.

It was already night by the time she ventured into the village in search of her people and a place to stay. She wouldn't have said no to a tavern at this point either. She was a little impatient with the fact that some planets provided shelter and others just dropped them off with no hints as to where to go or not go to find a safe place to sleep for the night.

She found her way into an inn, hoping that she could at least get a beer-or some ale, whatever-and maybe a room, assuming she had the money for it.

Note: Backdated to just after this


Jo had a lot to think about. The conversation with Rob was something she wasn’t even sure she was ready to process. As a result, she’d spent a lot of time in her room on the spaceship. Or as much as anything that the aliens had created could be considered ‘hers.’ It wasn’t hers, no matter how many of her things were here. She’d discovered that TV was a thing that could be had on the spaceship. So she’d holed up and binge watched a few old sitcoms. Family Ties, Full House, things that she’d probably never admit to watching. She was secretly a little glad to have the room to herself for that. Besides, it was nice to just distract herself with some of the things she’d grown up watching. Of course, there was also the fact that she’d almost assaulted one of the aliens and it was probably safer to keep her temper in check at least until she could find a way to really hit them where it hurt, so to speak.

Currently, Jo was in full-on veg mode, complete with sweats and a tank top, when there was a knock at the door. She searched for something else to throw on quickly and then realized that she just didn’t have much time to do so. Whoever it was was just going to have to deal with the comfort clothing. Besides, it wasn’t like she was that much of a glamour queen even in her everyday clothes.

She opened the door, fully expecting Mary or Johnny who were, as far as she knew, the only people who knew where her room was. Her jaw dropped open ever so slightly as she saw Dean instead. It wasn’t that she’d been avoiding him. Not exactly. She just hadn’t felt much like looking for him and getting frustrated with not finding him. Not after that first day.

“Dean. Come in,” she said.

There were probably things that needed to be talked about. Things were certainly not easy lately. Then again, when were they?

( Though the truth may vary, this ship will carry our bodies safe to shore )

The Man of Letters needed to know that his family was okay, even if they weren't exactly his family. If they were, then he'd be in a bit of a fix without his father around. So, he had accepted they were his family one or two realities removed. This meant he'd have to look after them, even if at a distance. Keeping a distance wasn't going to be easy, not after talking to two of them.

Rob went searching for family, just to check on them, as well as for the Russian. He'd met Isaac who was interesting in definitely the right sort of ways, even if he was a little dangerous. Hell, Piotr was just as dangerous if not more so. There were also Betsy and Lucretia.

He meandered, getting a small snack in the form of a yogurt parfait - it wasn't overly masculine, but it was good and good for him. Enjoying his snack, he headed toward the observation deck and spied a blond head. He'd guess it was Jo, but he wasn't going to go say hi. Not yet. He sat down not far away where he could watch her to make sure she was okay. He wasn't exactly hiding, so she could probably see him.

Jo didn't have any luck finding Dean or Cas or anyone besides Phaedra and Mary. It wasn't for lack of trying either. She'd combed over the ship thoroughly before she decided to turn in for the night. As much as she resented the aliens and the pretty trappings they'd used to disguise the fact that they were all prisoners, she couldn't help the little feeling of joy at the prospect of having a hot shower and sleeping in an actual bed.

She didn't always have nightmares. Even with the life she'd had, sometimes there were good dreams. They just... didn't always look like other people's good dreams.

Tonight's feature was a replay of an old hunt in a way. Some of the details were off in that surreal way that dreams usually were. But what mattered was that it was Jo and her mom, side by side as they fought off a pack of werewolves. They would eventually outsmart the pack and manage to take each one of them out, but for now they were up a tree and discussing their course of action in rushed, worried tones while the wolves paced down below.

Jo still couldn't quite get her mind to wrap around the fact that they were all on a freaking spaceship. With aliens. And with weapons that ceased to be anything dangerous at all outside of their rooms. That was the kicker, really.

She was perhaps less happy than she had been on that damn island, and that was saying something. The only potential upside was that it seemed like their group might be entirely intact. All the same, she was getting tired of having to go searching for the people she cared about with every location change.

She wasn't really sure who she was looking for first as she roamed the halls of the dormitory area, for lack of a better word. She didn't know if everyone's rooms were in this same section but she couldn't find access to anywhere else on the ship, so she just had to hope that somebody she was looking for showed up soon.

Phaedra knew it'd been full, bright day just a second ago. She remembered moving further back in the cave on the island because of it, in order to give anyone else who might want that shelter as wide a berth as possible before going dead when the sun rose. She remembered it clearly.

So now, when she woke up in a darkened room, the vampire sat stock still considering the change.

Her clothes were next to her, though she still wore the outfit she'd had on the island. All her dark blacks, and the daggers sat neatly on top. Her boots were next to the bed she was lying on. There was a small portal on the wall, and it was dark outside of it. To the left of that portal was a small, thick-looking curtain; it seemed to be a chunk of that material she used back at her apartment in Seattle to block sunlight.

There was a wardrobe on the far wall, and slowly Phaedra got up and went to it. It opened easily, and inside was the green dress she'd worn on that other planet. She'd known it was green, even though it appeared in black and white. She smirked at it.

Excellent, she thought. Now it can be shredded.

She changed back into her own clothing, listening to the sounds of the ship on the water and listening for the minds of the people aboard. Once she had a dagger happily on each hip, she went to the door of the cabin and opened it, stepping into the hallway.

It was insulting.

Simon had many abilities, could do many things, going over to the other island, the one that he sat staring at now with the warm sand covering his toes, was easy enough. He knew who was over there. He knew that nobody was missing from this farce. He knew, also, that there were dangerous creatures in the water and vicious things in the sky, but even with those issues, he could still get across.

But it was so insulting.

As if a fairy could be kept from what he truly wanted by dangerous animals. As if he couldn't, should he choose, just protect himself from them, or make himself invisible to them, and go across. As if he couldn't just walk across the blasted water like the Christian Jesus if desired it.

Instead of doing anything helpful to anybody, Simon sat and pouted.

The first few days on the island were a blur. They'd found a place that was as out of sight as they could manage. With any luck, no one would notice that Johnny hadn't woken up yet. The less questions asked, the better. They'd gotten supplies out of the first aid kit in the cave, though Mary didn't dare trust sleeping in the cave. The wolf would know to find them there and there was only one entrance and exit. At least out in the open, they had more chances of hiding and getting away. She did her best to brush off the unsettling knowledge that Evan had told her he could track just about anything or anyone, even before he'd changed into a werewolf. That was a problem that she couldn't do much about so it was better to focus on everything else that needed her attention.

Nobody would allow Mary to take watches through the night on her own, which frustrated her to no end. Maybe she could understand it, since her injuries were still healing. But that didn't mean that she liked it. Not to mention that she wasn't sleeping all that well at night anyway. She was sure that they all heard her nightmares, but so far nobody had mentioned the fact that she sometimes woke up screaming. Jo had simply been there most times, comforting without question and without judgment.

It made Mary miss her mom-the one from her time-all that much more.

Johnny still wasn't awake, but he was breathing and his heart was beating. That was something. With the dragon, it had taken a week. She didn't know if the timeline would be similar with this type of injury of if he'd be out for longer. She still held on to her hope that he would wake eventually. He had to.

There hadn't been much time for Jo to ask questions and Mary knew she'd earned a bit of a grace period due to her recovery, but she knew that it was coming. Unfortunately, that chance came sooner than she would have hoped.

( Answers no one wants to hear. )

Arlene didn’t think of the women she took as people. She didn’t care to know their name or what they did for a living. Didn’t care for much beyond what she’d learned while staking out her prize, while following them and watching and waiting for the best opportunity to take them. She didn’t look at them as victims either. They were all a part of her grand plan. She’d left the bodies all over the city, adorned with her artwork and faces covered in mud. They could be anyone. They were anyone.

The blonde one that she’d taken wasn’t much of a screamer. That was... disappointing. Usually the good girls broke first. The other women, the broken, tarnished ones. They’d seen more, so it took longer. But this one? This one was surprising. The whore had broken before the good girl in this case. Instead of screaming, the blonde had doled out several threats that first day. There were less threats by the second day. Soon, she would scream just as much as the woman in the room down the hall.

Arlene wasn’t too worried about the friends and family that would supposedly find her and make her pay. No one was looking for a woman. And certainly, no one was looking for her. She lived a quiet life outside of this place. She visited the tea room regularly-there were so many lovely girls there. She walked her dog, ate in diners, made small talk with the neighbors. She was careful not to linger for too long with any of the ladies that she took. The neighbors might start to question things if she wasn’t home by sunset every night like clockwork. She certainly did make it home at that time, only to sneak out yet again so she could keep a watchful eye on her prizes through the night. And then she slipped home just before dawn so everyone could see her leaving in the mornings.

She would break this one too. In the end, they all welcomed oblivion. When she sensed that they were ready to welcome that final departure, she was happy to grant it like the merciful artist that she was.

----

Mary wasn’t sure if she’d been in the dingy room for hours or days. She thought it might have been at least a day or two because her kidnapper had had time to carve up both her arms and had fed her at least a few meals. The Slayer didn’t talk much but seemed to want to take her time with the torture. There was just as much time spent cleaning Mary’s wounds, feeding her, caring for her. And yes, her. It had been a surprise when Mary had gotten the first glimpse of her captor, who was a woman not much older than her. A woman who probably wouldn’t have looked out of place in one of those high society clubs. She was a classic beauty, and her expression was permanently fixed with a cold and remote stare. She never made eye contact with Mary, never made conversation. She only came in the room to carve more intricate designs in Mary’s flesh or to offer meals or medical aid.

Currently, Mary hadn’t seen the woman in awhile. She’d heard screams from somewhere else in the building and she couldn’t help but feel like she should be helping, not tied to a godforsaken chair. She was half-conscious and trying to call up the determination she’d had when she’d first come in, that knowledge that no matter what else happened, the people that mattered the most would hunt this woman down and make sure she didn’t hurt anyone else again. There had been a good amount of hope that they’d find her in time, but Mary was starting to lose hope. She was starting to let her mind wander down the darker path of what might happen to the people she loved if this didn’t have a happy ending. This was going to kill her parents, she knew that. And Johnny. What were the odds of something like this happening a second time to someone he cared for? And Rob. And Cas. There were a lot of people who were very good at blaming themselves and Mary couldn’t help but think that she was letting them all down.

Her head lolled to the side just a bit as she drifted in that half-conscious state, trying to get at least a little sleep before the torture started anew.

Mary was missing. That was the only thought running through Jo's mind as she left the Duchess. Mary was missing and there was a serial killer on the loose. Maybe it was unrelated, but did they ever have luck like that? She had to find Dean. Maybe things weren't great with them right now, but their kid was missing and she'd be damned if he was left out of that. Besides, Jo couldn't think of anyone she would want on the case more than Dean.

Which meant that she had to find where Dean was staying. It was a little frustrating that Johnny had seen him and hadn't gotten an address or phone number of any sort. There wasn't much time to waste, but she just had to hope that she could find Dean quickly.

Before she set off on the hunt for either her boyfriend or her future daughter, Jo stopped in at the boarding house. She could start her search there. There had to be a phone book or something she could reference to find motels and other places that a guy might stay in the area. Didn't there?

( Searching... )

Having to explain his trangressions to Anna the night he'd returned from the Simmons party, Cas had made a point to go to work and return home immediately after. He was well-aware that Anna had faith in his abilities and wished for him to do what came naturally, but he knew that on some level, she was just as concerned for him as he always was for her. And while a part of him did acknowledge that engaging in that fight was foolish, it had been much-needed and he'd done it because he'd disliked that man's treatment of both Jo and Piotr.

As it would have turned out, Harry also apparently let it slide. Apparently 'disrespecting a dame' was unacceptable, which was a relief to Cas. Had that not been the case, he only would have been infuriated further.

He was...definitely not tired, however. He came home from an afternoon shift at the bar and simply set to washing his hands and helping Anna prepare whatever meal she had in mind. Dean had always told him to find a woman who was capable of preparing a meal and though he'd never understood the necessity of it, he did have an appreciation for her cooking. It was better than anything that came in a box. As for helping her, he was merely pleased to make the task easier. She'd never needed to ask and even someone as inept as him could cut vegetables. The only problem was that he had the vaguest sensation in mind that he'd forgotten something. He didn't know what it was so much as he only had a distinct feeling, such as when he sensed something others could not. Assuming he was paranoid, he merely kept chopping.

"Am I...am I doing this right?" he asked, frowning at the onion on the board before him. "My vessel's vision is compromised."

His eyes wished to water and since he'd never shed actual tears and he'd only once experienced a particularly bad allergic reaction, he didn't know how to react. He only wished his vessel would finally cooperate, but then it very rarely did. He'd grown used to assuming there were many things wrong with it...yet, there was still something at the back of his mind that he very much doubted had anything to do with a malfunctioning vessel.