||CHAPTER NINETEEN // WHERE'S CASTIEL||
When Dean finally calmed down Dakota, they went to Jack's house. Dakota was quiet on the ride, looking out the window as Sam and Dean chatted idly. They kept glancing back at her, but she didn't join in, just stared blankly. They knew that the conversation wouldn't be over, Dean didn't want it to be--he wanted Dakota to open up, but he knew it would be hard. She watched them keep their emotions in for too long, picking up on the terrible habit.
They made it to Jack's house, finding him in the backyard. Dakota trudged a couple feet behind them. Jack states blankly at the plants he's watering, they approach him after exchanging a couple looks.
"Jack Montgomery?" Sam speaks up, alerting Jack of their presence. "I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother--Dean and his daughter, Dakota. We need to talk."
Jack glances at each Winchester, Dean looking away as his eyes fall on him. Dakota scoffs at her father's attitude.
"About?" Jack questions, shaking his head.
Sam swallows awkwardly. "About you." He informs. "About how you're changing."
"Excuse me?" Jack asks, his face turning into a slight glare.
"You're probably feeling your bones move under your skin...and your appetite's reaching, you know, hungry hungry hippo levels." Dean speaks up, staring harshly at Jack. "How am I doing so far?"
Dakota punches Dean's leg for being so rude, he merely ignores her as he keeps his gaze on Jack.
"Who the hell are you guys?" Jack asks.
"We're people who know a little something about something." Dean informs, sliding his hands into his pockets.
"We can help you." Dakota speaks up, directing Jack's gaze down to her. Sam nods before continuing for her.
"Please, just hear us out."
Jack pauses but ultimately agrees with them. Sam and Dean exchange a look before they take turns explaining to Jack what he is, Dakota jumps in occasionally with details she overheard.
"A-a what?" Jack asks, rubbing his forehead.
"A rougarou." Dean and Dakota answer at the same time, Dakota smiles at her father but he rolls his eyes at her in amusement, a smile curling at his lips.
"Sounds made-up, I know, but, believe me, it's not." Dean continues after the small exchange with his daughter.
"All right, I've noticed certain things." Jack allows. "I mean, some strange things, but I just...I don't know. I'm--I'm sick or something."
"You father was one of these things." Sam informs. Jack gives Sam a look, Sam rolls his eyes. "Your real father. He passed it on to you."
"No." Jack denies, squeezing his eyes shut briefly. "Are you guys listening to yourselves? You sound like--"
"Skip the whole 'you guys sound crazy,' shall we?" Dean snaps. "You're hungry Jack. You're only gonna get hungrier."
"Hungrier for?"
"Long pig." Dean answers ominously. "You know, a little manburger helper may have crossed your mind already." Dean tilts his head back with a slight squint as he watches Jack closely.
"No." Jack denies immediately.
"It doesn't have to be like this, Jack." Sam steps in. "You can fight it off. Others have." Jack continues to say no.
"We're not gonna lie to you, though. It's not gonna be easy." Dean informs. "You're gonna feel like an alcoholic swimming around in whiskey. But I'm telling you, you got to say no, or--"
"Or what?" Jack cuts him off, almost challengingly.
"You feed once, and it's all over." Sam says. "And then we'll have to stop you." Dakota looks away from them all.
"Stop me?" Jack questions, his eyes tearing up slightly. "My dad--did, uh, somebody stop him?"
Sam hesitates. "Yes."
"Get off my property right now." Jack hisses. Dean rolls his eyes and Dakota sighs sadly. "I see you guys again, I'm calling the cops."
"Jack, your wife, everybody you know, they're in danger." Sam urges.
"Now!" Jack shouts. Dakota jumps away from him, frightened by the sudden change in volume. Jack's neighbor, who was trimming a bush, looks over.
Sam and Dean glance over at the neighbor, wearing matching glares as they look back over at Jack. They both turn to leave, Dean holds out his hand for his daughter, she quickly grabs it as they walk.
"Good talk." Dean says sarcastically as they leave. Sam presses his lips together and Dakota sighs again.
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The three Winchester watch Jack from the Impala as the man sits on a bench listening to voice mails. He hangs up the phone, staring up at a woman through the window, gasping. He gets up from the bench, walking forward in an almost trance like state.
"Damn it, Jack, no!" Sam hisses, reaching into the back seat for the back. Dakota dodges his hand as he flings it back, almost hitting her. Sam and Dean each grab a blow torch.
"Come on." Dean says, before turning to Dakota. "Stay in the car."
Dakota protests but they ignore her, shutting the car doors as they leave. She waits a few moments before slipping out after them, shutting the door quietly before racing off. She makes sure to stay far enough behind them that they don't hear her, but close enough to not lose them.
She ducks behind a corner as Dean kicks down the door to the apartment they saw Jack climb to. The woman inside screams.
"We're here to, uh, save you." Dean says before they realize Jack's not there.
"We should go." Sam chimes as the woman says she's calling the police.
"Yeah." Dean agrees, they turn to leave and Dean catches a glimpse of a small head of blonde hair from behind the corner. "Dakota!" He hisses, going over to her and grabbing her arm, she yelps in surprise.
He drags her out to the impala, scolding her the entire way as they quickly move. Dakota apologies profusely, saying she didn't want them to get hurt so she followed for back up.
"You don't know how to hunt! You could've gotten hurt!" Dean insists, pushing her, gently but still enough to move her, towards the backseat of the impala.
"I'm sorry, dad." She mumbles, climbing into the car. Dean almost stutters at the name, not liking that she's calling him dad sometimes, it means she's growing up.
"Just....when I say stay in the car, I mean stay in the damn car." Dean sighs, rubbing his forehead.
"We gotta go." Sam urges, wanting to be gone before police arrive.
They start to make their way back to Jack's house.
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"Now, stay in the car." Dean says to Dakota as Sam gets out. "I mean it, Kota. Do not leave this car."
"Okay." She sighs in response. He leans back and kisses her forehead briefly. "Be careful." She mumbles quietly to him. He nods his head before following Sam.
"I guess now we know where Travis is." Dean says, looking over at Travis's truck as he goes around the impala to meet Sam.
"That stupid son of a bitch." Sam replies as they walk towards the house. Dean looks at him.
Dakota watches them anxiously as they slip into the house. She takes a sharp breath as her dad shuts the door behind him. She has a bad feeling about this, she prays that they'll be alright.
She waits for awhile, nervously bouncing her legs as she watches through the curtain covered windows, barely seeing anything. She rolls down her window to see if she can hear anything.
She starts to hear yelling and banging, recognizing her uncle's voice as he screams. She hesitates, whimpering, before she leaves the car slowly. Inching towards the house, hearing Sam yell at Jack.
"It's not safe in there, Dakota." She hears behind her as she reaches the front steps. She jumps, gasping, and wheels around to face the noise.
"Castiel?" She questions, spotting the angel standing a few feet from her.
"Do not go in that house." He warns, staring at her with caution in his blue eyes.
"But...my dad and my uncle. They need help." She insists, pointing towards the house as Sam continues to yell, she hears Jack calling back to him angrily.
"Like your father said, you know nothing of hunting. You can't help them." Castiel urges, she picks up concern in his tone.
"I can try!" She shouts, breathing heavily. She hears Sam and Jack arguing, growing nervous as she doesn't hear her dad's voice.
"There is nothing you can do. They will be fine." Cas answers, unaware that he's hurting Dakota by saying she's useless to help.
"I can't just wait! They could be hurt!"
Castiel sighs, watching Dakota try to control herself. He watches her with calculating eyes, like he's thinking about something. She breathes heavily.
"I can't wait." She repeats, going to turn but before she can, Castiel places two fingers against her forehead and everything goes back for her.
"I'm sorry, Dakota. It's too dangerous for you to go in there." He says, scooping her off the ground and placing her back in the backseat of the impala.
He leaves quickly after, casting a glance towards Jack's house, the windows flash orange right before he leaves.
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Dakota groans quietly as she wakes up.
"I'm doing it for Dakota." She hears her uncle say. She groans again, sitting and placing a hand to her head.
"Morning sleepy head, you slept through the whole fight and most of the car ride." Dean teases, giving him a soft smile.
"Where's Castiel?" She question groggily. She shakes her head, like she's clearing it, looking around the car.
"Cas? Kota, we haven't seen him in a while." Sam chuckles, glancing back her. She stares at him for a moment.
"I thought...I could've sworn..." She looks away, mumbling quietly as she thinks.
"Baby?" Dean questions, glancing at the rear-view mirror with concern.
"Nothing. I'm fine, I just probably had a dream." She brushes off, shrugging. "What'd I miss?" She questions instead.
Sam and Dean exchange a glance that she catches, drawing in a sharp breath as she understands what the look meant.
"Oh." She looks up at both of them, before giving them a small smile. "I'm glad you're both okay though."
Edited 4/27/19