A/N: This is (the newly revamped) Episode Four of Series One of the A Rush Of Blood To The Head Series. It isn't necessary to read the first three episodes first, but I recommend it.
This story was co-authored with Guardian of Hope. I literally couldn't have written it without her!
Reminder: Sam's thoughts are BOLD, Dean's are ITALICIZED, and Cas's are UNDERLINED.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warning: This story does involve homosexuality. If you don't like it, then don't read it.
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A Rush Of Blood To The Head: Series One
Episode Four: Just A Kiss*
Part One: Somebody Help Me**
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Since Gabriel had woken up Castiel from his coma, Cas has refused to go to Heaven. Shortly after the Angel had regained consciousness, he went to go speak with Dean, but the two got into an argument. But now, Cas was back in both Sam and Dean's good graces. After that, Dean had been able to tell that something was wrong; that Cas did not really want to go back to Heaven. So, the hunter ended up asking Cas if he wanted to hang around for a while, and the Angel accepted. Cas was glad he was going to be spending more time with the Dean and his brother Sam - but mostly Dean. Don't get the Angel wrong, he did care for Sam, but not in the same way - or as much as - he did Dean.
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Sam was sitting on his bed with his feet out in front of him and his computer in his lap. Once again the younger Winchester was tasked with finding them a case.
Dean and Cas were sitting on the couch, watching TV. Since the two had made up after their big blowout, Sam had noticed that the Angel and his brother were growing closer, though you would have to look exceptionally hard to see it. The thing that really stuck out to Sam was that over the past week, the two had been sitting increasingly closer; although Cas had moved more so than Dean. The younger Winchester doubted that his brother even realized that anything had changed.
At present, Dean and Cas were debating the authenticity of Dr. Sexy MD. The hunter rolled his eyes at Cas's statement about Doctor Sexy not being a qualified medical doctor, then turned his attention to his younger brother. "Sam," Dean said, breaking away from the argument, "did you find us a case or are you watching porn again?"
Dean could feel the heat off his brother's 'bitch face' from there. "I found us some possible cases. One is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama: three men committed suicide by jumping off the roofs at their places of employment. The second is in Texarkana, Texas: a family claims they've been driven out of their home by a poltergeist. The third is in Enid, Oklahoma where apparently five men got into a bar fight and then they all disappeared."
"Tuscaloosa? Hey, doesn't Rosie live in Tuscaloosa?" Dean asked, leering at Sam. Their last encounter with the female hunter had left Dean with the impression that she was holding a torch for Sam, and vice versa.
"Rosanna Carlyle? Yeah, actually, I think she does. Want me to call her, see if she knows anything?"
Dean smirked at him, "Do you want us to give you some privacy?" Sam rolled his eyes. Dean smirked, "Come on, Cas, we need more beer anyway."
Sam watched as Cas followed Dean out of the hotel room and shook his head. He detached his cell from the charger, found Rosie's number in his contact list and dialed.
"Holy shit!" Sam pulled the phone away from his ear as her ring back tone threatened to burst his ear drum.
"Hallo!" A cheerful and slightly tipsy woman carolled over the sound of a throbbing beat.
"Rosanna Carlyle?" Sam said, raising his voice against the noise.
"Who's calling?" The woman asked, half shouting.
"This is Sam, Sam Winchester."
"Sammy!" The woman said, "Hold on, 'kay." The noise level decreased appreciatively, "Alrighty then, hi Sammy. Yes, this is Rosie, you don't have to call me by my full name everytime we talk." Right, Sam thought as he remembered the dirty looks Rosie gave him every time he called her Rosanna, "What's going on?"
"Well, I was just checking online for a new case when I noticed the three suicides in your town. You know, the ones where some guy jumped off the roof of the place he worked?"
"I know, weird, right? I'm trying to figure it out, hence the noise."
Uh, what? "What does the noise have to do with the case?"
"All of the guys ended up at this club a couple nights before they died. One of them was married, his wife was trying to file for divorce and had him followed here in fact. The other two talked about this club to their co-workers. The dead guys' colleagues were happy to chat with a news reporter if I put their names in the paper."
Sam sighed, "Rosie, you should be careful. You don't know why they killed themselves."
"I'm fine, Sammy, honest. You read something online? I bet it's my by-line, I've been working this for a while now. Whatever gets these guys does it on Tuesday nights and they're dead by Thursday mornings."
"Do you think you need help, though? Dean and I could be there in a less than day." Probably a lot less if Dean's in a mood, Sam thought to himself.
"That'd be great, Sammy. I just got wind of this big story in Wisconsin. Remember that big to-do about the collective bargaining rights? I've got a source that can get me in with someone close to that Williams guy. He's got some deep pocket friends who would hate to find themselves with a whistle blower."
"That sounds fun," Sam said dryly, "We'll be there ASAP to see what we can do about your suicides."
"Thanks, my boss wasn't too happy about me digging around anyways. 'People don't want tragedies Carlyle, they want scandals, big scandals!'" Rosie laughed as she finished mocking her boss, "I'll leave my notes at the paper, just tell them you're from a magazine called The Pyramid and your name is Chet. And I'll leave a key under my welcome mat."
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"I mean," Dean said as he pulled into the liquor store parking lot. "I just don't get it. Why are there so many creatures out there that can turn humans into flying monkeys?"
Cas, while looking out the windshield, squinted his eyes and shook his head, "I'm not aware of any creature that can turn humans into flying monkeys."
Dean sighed. "Not literally, Cas. I meant mind control."
Still squinting, Cas looked at Dean, then tilted his head, "I don't understand the connection between flying monkey and mind control, Dean."
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply, "Just forget it, Cas." Dean killed the engine.
When they entered the liquor store, Dean and Cas split up. Dean grabbed two six-packs and found Cas in the whiskey aisle.
"Cas, what, uh, what's with that," Dean asked, indicating the four different brands of whiskey in the angel's arms.
"Remember that time I, 'got smashed'?" The angel asked.
Hesitant and curious, Dean answered "Yeah?"
Cas looked down at his collection, "Well, these were the brands of alcohol that I found most appealing."
Dean saw that one of the bottles was Jack Daniels and smiled, "An Angel after my own heart." Dean slammed his eyes shut, what the fuck, Winchester? Dean shook his head and went to pay for the alcohol.
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Dean and Cas returned to the motel. When Dean turned off the car, the angel's cellphone rang. Cas answered it and after about a minute of speaking in a language Dean didn't understand, he hung up.
Cas frowned, "That was Gabriel. He needs me to do something."
Dean wouldn't admit it out loud, but he didn't want the angel to go. But he was curious about Cas's expression. "What's with the long face? I mean, why so glum?" Dean thought the angel would be happy to be doing something for the good of Heaven, or mankind, or whatever his brother needed.
Cas sighed, "I was looking forward to the Jack Daniels."
Dean smiled and laughed, "Well, you can take it with you."
The angel looked at the hunter with annoyance, "Dean, I have to do what Gabriel tells me and I can't take the liquor with me while I do it."
"A joke, Cas. That was a joke." Dean took a deep breath and added, "Don't get yourself killed, ok? Again, I mean."
Cas gave a small nod, "I will do my best, Dean."
With a flutter, the angel was gone. Dean sighed and laid his head back against the headrest briefly before getting out the car.
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Sam frowned at Dean as he walked in the door, "Where's Cas? And what's with all the whiskey?"
Dean's mouth twitched slightly before replying, "Cas picked them out before Gabriel called him and told him to do who knows what." He set Cas's whiskey on the table and the beer beside it. "Anything on your case?"
"Well, Rosie thinks it's definitely something suspicious, but she can't investigate it," Sam replied. "Her boss wants her to go to Wisconsin for a story. Since she had the original write up on our case, she said she'd leave her notes at the Gazette for us to get."
Dean popped open a beer and took a swig, "What about the case in Edna?"
"You mean, Enid? Sam asked, "I called Hank. He said he'd take care of it."
"So we're going to Tuscaloosa then." Dean cocked his head and grinned, "Too bad your Rosie's going out of town."
Sam dropped a fist onto the table. "She's not mine, Dean," he snapped.
"Doesn't mean she couldn't be," Dean replied playfully as he plopped onto his bed and began flipping through the channels.
Sam huffed and closed his laptop, then retreated to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
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*Just A Kiss is a song by Lady Antebellum
**Somebody Help Me was the theme song to the TV show Tru Calling, and it's by Full Blown Rose.