FicWad

Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or the characters in it. I also don't own any rights to Intervention by Arcade Fire, and I make no profit from this writing.

The bar was not the quietest or most suitable of places for a meeting, but Castiel did not have time to wait for the Winchesters to get back to their motel room. When he entered the room, he found the two brothers stood by the bar, beer bottles in hand and Dean discussing the various merits of something called Metallica. Dean had his back to the door of the bar, and did not see Castiel enter.

"I'm telling you man," Dean said to Sam, whilst inclining his beer bottle towards the younger man as if to help prove his point. "It's classic rock all the way. If I ever see that iPod of yours in my baby again, I won't be responsible for whatever gets ganked!" It was, unfortunately, karaoke night in the bar, and most of the 'talent' had been cringe worthy at best. He paused as he watched the next person step onto the stage; a young girl, maybe in her mid twenties, with wavy blond hair and an athletic body. At least this girl would be good to look at while she assaulted their ears.

"Anyway," he went on. "How about we grab a burger and head on out to a different bar? You know, a bar where the music is fully pre-recorded?" He winced at the cute girl's too loud and too drunk rendition of "You're so vain", stopped speaking as he realised that he did not have his brother's full attention. He turned around as Sam nodded in the direction of the door.

"Well," Dean said, keeping his voice low so only Sam could hear. "He didn't wait to surprise us at the motel. Must be important."

"And he didn't bring our favourite human hating friend," Sam added, and Dean nodded in acknowledgement as Castiel walked towards them.

"Dean, Sam," Castiel said, nodding at the brothers as he stopped at the bar beside them.

"Cas," Dean said, as Sam nodded towards the angel. "How's things going in God's back yard?" The girl's song was coming to an end, and as if in defiance, she had started singing even louder. He had to raise his voice in order to be heard.

"Not well," Castiel replied, also having to raise his voice over the noise in the bar. The song finally finished, and the girl's friends fished her back off the stage. The guy running the karaoke told the bar that there was time for one last song. Joy. The drunk girl was trying to convince one of her quieter friends to sing next. "I'm afraid we need a favour from you. It's very important."

Sam sighed. The angels weren't his biggest fans, and the feeling was starting to become mutual. "When don't you need our help, Cas? Maybe you should just hang up your wings and let us do all the work!"

Castiel narrowed his eyes towards Sam in response. "Be my guest," he replied, his jaw clenching as he paused for a moment. "I hear hell is very cosy this time of year."

The quieter girl had been persuaded up on to the stage and was currently choosing the song that she wanted to sing. Dean figured it would probably be best to get out of the bar before his eardrums were assaulted yet again. "Quit your bitching, both of you," he growled, then said to his brother "let's at least find out what he wants before we tell him where to shove it."

As Castiel started to explain how Lilith intended to break another seal, Dean was amused to hear what sounded like church organ music coming from the stage. Castiel didn't seem to notice, until the girl started to sing. After a few moments, Dean noticed that Castiel had trailed off, in the middle of his sentence, and was staring wide-eyed at the girl on stage.

"Castiel?" Sam said, a quizzical look on his face as he tried to catch the angel's attention by waving, and failed. Dean followed Castiel's gaze to the girl on the stage. She was curvier than her friend, and seemed a lot more talented at singing as well. She had seemed nervous at first, but was now getting into it and her voice was strong and clear as she sang.

Castiel was lost. He knew that he had an important mission to pass on to the Winchesters, but he could not think as the words the girl was singing washed over him:

"Working for the church while your family dies," she sang. "You take what they give you and you keep it inside. Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home. Hear the soldier groan, 'We'll go at it alone."'

"Cas?" Dean echoed his brother as he also tried to catch the angel's attention, and also failed. He followed Castiel's gaze again and looked over at the girl. She was certainly good looking to him, but as far as Dean knew, angels didn't scope out girls in bars. Was it the words of the song that were getting to him?

With what appeared to be a Herculean effort, Castiel tore his eyes away from the singing girl and focused on the Winchesters once again. However, his gaze lacked the single-minded focus that it usually had.

"You okay man?" Dean asked, and Castiel narrowed his eyes in response.

"I'm fine," the angel replied, his voice clipped, and the two brothers exchanged a sidelong glance. Ignoring the humans, Castiel gave the orders that he had been sent to deliver. "This town has a central library with an occult section-"

"Wait," Sam interrupted. "I went to the library this morning, and there's definitely no occult section."

"It's in the basement,"Castiel went on, ignoring Sam again. "Closed to the public. There is abook there that Lilith wants. We need you to destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands."

"What's so bad about this book that it needs to go?" Dean asked, and Castiel frowned.

"It contains spells for binding an angel to the user's will," he replied. "If it got into the hands of a demon, I do not like to think what would happen."

"So why don't the angels just swoop in there and take it?" Dean asked. Castiel looked uneasy.

"It has a spell already on it?" Sam asked, and the angel nodded.

"We can't go near it,"Castiel said. "So I'm afraid it's up to you. And the demons are on their way. The book has to be destroyed immediately."

"Is this a 'once you've finished your beer' kind of immediately?" Dean asked, hopeful to be able to finish his drink, but the look on Castiel's face did not bode well. "Guess not," he grumbled, turning away from the angel and slamming his bottle onto the bar just as the girl's song came to an end. "Are you staying to watch more of the show?" he asked, wondering if Castiel had plans for the girl as well as them. But when he turned back to the place where the angel had been standing, he had already disappeared from sight.

*

Castiel sat on a bench in one of the City parks that he often visited when he needed to think. He had shown - weakness - in front of the Winchesters of all people. He needed them to be strong, and thiswas the example that he set them. It was unacceptable.

Contrary to the brothers' belief, it had not been the song that had disconcerted him, although the lyrics had stuck in his mind somewhat. It was those big, dark eyes and the chestnut hair; smooth and shiny this time instead of matted and messy, but the same hair nevertheless. Since the moment he first laid eyes on this girl, not a second went by when he did not wonder if he had done the right thing. If she would ever recover from what he had allowed to happen to her.

Wonder? Call it like it really is, Castiel though to himself. Doubt.

No. He did not doubt. Doubting was for the Fallen, for her. And he was not like her, would neverbe like her.

But he still found himself wondering how long it had been. Time sometimes moved unexpectedly between heaven and earth. He was - glad- to see that the woman seemed to have recovered. She had friends, and that was what humans did; make friends, find a mate, have a family. Fall in love. All things that were quite alien to him.

She was unimportant. So why could he not stop thinking about her?