Fic: Precious (Chapter 2/3)

Author: clueless_psycho
Fandom/Genre: AU/Drama/Slash
Pairing(s): Dean/Castiel
Rating: R
Word Count: 20,304
Warnings: AU, deaths, but not the major one, war, gore




The following morning Dean woke up just before dawn. Without thinking he put his clothes and went out to chop some woods for the kitchen. Castiel didn’t show up to collect the wood but Dean could see him through the kitchen window, moving about to prepare breakfast. Dean smiled. He really needed to get out of this house. All he did was eat, sleep, bath and do house chores. He would get rusty that way. And pot bellied.

He brought the woods to the kitchen and received a soft smile as a thank you. He could see marks of creased pillow case on Castiel’s cheeks and sleepiness hanging at his eyelashes. Dean wanted to touch the marks and feel the warmth of the skin. But instead he asked, “What’s for breakfast?”

Before Castiel could answer, Ash came barging in, panting as he clearly had been running very, very fast, and he screamed in horror, “Kubrick’s dead!”



* * *

Kubrick lay facedown near the gate of the house. At first Dean wasn’t sure that it was really Kubrick. The clothing suggested an Afghani: tunic, pants, even headscarf. Then he turned the body around and found that it was really Kubrick.

Judging from his physical condition, Dean would say that he had been dead for at least twenty hours, which meant, he died not long after he had breakfast the previous day. Dean couldn’t really tell what caused the death except that Kubrick‘sheart stopped suddenly. There didn’t seem to be any injuries, internal or external, except when he fell and his face hit the tiny rocks between the grasses.

Meanwhile Ash quickly rummaged into Kubrick’s clothes, the folds and pockets, and found nothing but a Jesus figurine and a rosary with a silver crucifix. Dean remembered that those two things were missing from Kubrick’s personal stuff in the bedroom. He could be leaving his wallet and gun and knife, but he never left the figurine and rosary.

Which meant: Kubrick was really trying to leave. That was why he took his most precious belongings with him.

Meanwhile, Ash looked disappointed to find that Kubrick indeed hadn’t stolen anything from the house.

They carried Kubrick’s body into the house, to the patio so Castiel could prepare him for the burial. Naturally, no autopsy to determine the cause of the death could be done as no one had the skill. Besides, it didn’t seem important. Kubrick’s dead, that was the simple reality. Ash took Kubrick’s dogtag and pocketed it. Who knows if we’ll make it back to the base camp,” he said.

“Where are we going to bury him?” asked Dean.

“There,” Castiel pointed out at the small forest.

Ash gave Dean a meaningful side-long glance.

They got two shovels from the storeroom and went to the forest. Jake stayed to help Castiel prepare Kubrick for the burial.

“We should be careful that we don’t dig someone else’s grave,” Ash said.

Dean snickered. “I thought that’s what you want to do, to get some hard evidence that this area is really a cemetery. Maybe we can find Bill, Victor, and George’s bodies here. Or their bones.” They were the people in the journal.

Ash gave him a face, then they settled on where to dig.

“I can’t believe this,” Ash said. “We were in the house, doing things, going on with our lives, and Kubrick died not far from where we were, and it took us twenty hours to find him.”

“We didn’t expect it,” Dean said. He didn’t remember if he checked the gate when he searched the yard yesterday.

“Yeah, that’s the irony. And what killed him? He was a tough one to kill. He was strong, healthy and he took care of his body. He couldn’t just drop and die.”

“It could happen.”

“Dean, what happened to you? Why don’t you get suspicious? Aren’t you at least curious? Strange things happen here. Jake’s wound healed in a matter of hours. Kubrick died trying to leave the house. There’s hot water in the bathroom all the time while there’s no electricity or gas here. There’s someone else’s journal in the library talking about some kind of curse.”

Dean didn’t know what to say. He just didn’t feel any danger in the house and if he didn’t feel that way, he didn’t know why he had to be so concerned with things. If anything, it was Castiel who should’ve been afraid of them. But he knew he had to understand Ash’ anxiety. ‘“Okay. Look, if you really want to, after we bury Kubrick, let’s leave. Let’s go back to the base camp, or at least try to.”

Ash looked at him in shock. “Are you crazy? We could bump into some Taliban and get ourselves beheaded.”

“So, what’s the better option? We don’t have any communication means here but our legs.”

Ash stopped shovelling and dug his teeth into his lower lip. Castiel and Jake were coming, carrying Kubrick’s body, which was wrapped in a clean bedsheet.

Jake fished something out from his shirt pocket. He had been very quiet. Dean knew he was in a big shock. He reached out to hand them toDean. “Here. Kubrick them with him.” was the crucifix and rosary.

“You want me to bury them with him?” Dean asked.

“I think that what he must’ve wanted. He never let anyone touched them. My personal Jesus, he always said.”

Dean set the figurine and rosary next to Kubrick and then Ash hauled him up and they finished the burial. Castiel closed his eye with his hands pressed together under his chin, he was reciting something that didn’t sound like Arabic or Latin. Jake was praying too, his lips were trembling.

Dean found a small branch of a tree and used it to mark Kubrick’s grave. He knew that it wouldn’t last long, but at least, for the time being, it would look like a normal grave.

They went back to the house in silence. Dean wondered how many people were buried there and why. Were there also people from the villages around the house? Why did they even bother to take dead bodies that far to get buried? Were there more travelers who didn’t have their luck to find Castiel’s house before hunger and thirst beat them to death? Or were they like Bobby, Bill, Victor and George? What happened to them? Did they just drop dead in the yard like Kubrick?

Dean wondered if he should read Bobby’s journal completely. He wasn’t comfortable with reading someone else’s journal. He wondered whether Bobby had died too like his friends. Maybe there was a reason he left the journal in the house, maybe he wanted people who had the luck to stumble into the house to learn something.

“I’ll prepare something to eat,” Castiel said quietly, his voice as gloomy as his face. “I know it’s probably difficult,” he paused, swallowing hard, “but you didn’t have any breakfast and you did some hard works.”

“Cas, we’re stationed in a war zone,” Dean said. “We see dead bodies everyday. If we let that affect our appetite, we would’ve been dead ourselves a long, long time ago.”

Ash nodded although he didn’t seem to be as high-spirited as he used to be.

“But you’re tired too, so please don’t trouble yourself with preparing food for us. We’ll do it when we feel like eating something,” Dean added, ignoring Ash’s face which suddenly looked annoyed.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Castiel shook his head. “You’ve done a lot, all I can do is feed you.”

“If you insist,” Ash quickly said before Dean managed to say something saintly again.

Castiel looked terribly happy now. “Okay.” And he went to the kitchen.

Dean decided that if cooking made Castiel happy, then he shouldn’t get in the way. In the meantime, he would just take a bath because he reeked of sweat and soil. To stay in the kitchen and later in while he was still dirty like that looked like a dishonor to Castiel’s meals.

As usual, he felt better after taking a long hot bath. He wondered if there was something in the water that could lift people’s mood and energy. He put on a clean shirt and BDU pants, but he chose a pair of slippers instead of his military boots. He didn’t see Bobby’s journal on the night stand anymore so he assumed that Ash had put it back wherever he took it from.

As he was passing the weapon room to go back to the kitchen, Dean found himself allured to the weapon room. He didn’t know why, he just felt that he needed to take a look at the weapons.

And he found that the empty holder wasn’t empty anymore. A beautiful silver knife rested there, shiny and gleaming as if it had just been polished.

Dean stared at the weapon, stunned and amazed. It was one beautiful knife. Simple but very well made. And he knew that Ash was right, one didn’t use such weapon to slaughter a goose.

Then, if Castiel didn’t use it to slaughter an animal, where had it been previously?

Dean touched the knife very with lightly with his fingertips, feeling the cold metal warm under his skin like a cat curling when someone stroked his neck.

Dean supposed he really shouldn’t be bothered too much.

He resumed his trip to the kitchen. When he passed the living room, he steeled himself in order not to poke his head inside to see if the cigar box was there.

Ash and Jake were already in the kitchen when he arrived. Castiel made a huge pot of beef stew and flat bread and Ash and Jake had started to eat without waiting for him. Dean sat down and Castiel put a bowl of the steaming stew in front of him. Then he sat down, keeping his distance from Dean, although he too had a bowl of stew in front of him.

They ate in silence, Jake and Ash seemed to bethinking, although one could tell that they had different concerns. He tried not to think too much, he was still pretty shocked at Kubrick’s death but he wouldn’t show it to his friends. They would get even more anxious. Instead, he watched Castiel eat and found that it made him happy.

It was Jake who spoke first after he washed his lunch with a glass of ginger ale down the throat. “You see, because I’m good now, I think we should leave. We have disturbed you enough.”

Castiel stiffened In his seat. I... I don’t mind,” he said. He sounded hurt. “I rarely have guests. You are all nice people.”

Jake took a deep breath. “Please don’t get me wrong. If it’s up to me, I would love to stay here for the rest of my life. You’re a terrific host, even if we can’t do anything to repay your kindness. But we have duties and we should go back.” He paused. “We have to report Kubrick’s death.”

“They might think that we all are dead already,” Ash snickered. “We’ve been missing for … I don’t know… four days?”

Dean nodded.

“Well, they’ll be in for a big surprise,” Jake said.

“Are you really up to walk back to the base-camp?” asked Dean.

Jake nodded confidently. “Yes, I’m sure I can do that.”

“Just because the wound has closed doesn’t mean that you had completely healed,” said Castiel. “You could get an infection, or... or the healing flesh breaks...”

“I’ll be fine,” Jake held his ground. He could be stubborn when he wanted too. “I just can’t let people think that we’re all dead while we’re not.”

Ash laughed. “You sound like you’ll make it out alive from this country.”

“Why not?” Jake shrugged. “I tell you what. Why don’t I go alone, back to the base-camp? It’s easier to move when I’m alone. I can disguise myself as local, like Kubrick did. Maybe I can get a horse, or a mule, or a jeep and I’ll get to the basecamp faster. Then I’ll come back here with an adequate vehicle, a helicopter perhaps, to pick you all up.”

Ash curled up his nose.

“Why don’t you wait for another day?” Castiel asked carefully. “We’re all shocked by Kubrick’s death, we might not be thinking clearly right now, no offense. Why don’t you take a rest and tomorrow when you’re much better, you can go. It’ll be much easier for you.”

“Sounds like a better idea to me,” Ash said.

Jake gave up and agreed.

* * *

Although a nap sounded terrific after spending all morning digging and backfilling, Dean felt restless. He cleaned the kitchen, noticing that Castiel slipped away as soon as he began washing the dishes and that made him laugh under his breath. He was pretty sure that the main reason why Castiel wanted them to stay was so that he could use them to do house chores.

He found that he didn’t mind IN the slightest.

With the kitchen clean and shiny, he decided that he could chop some wood or tend to the farm to while away the time and also forget about Kubrick. It was tragic, but he wasn’t going to muse over it for the rest of this life. People died. Life went on.

Half way towards the chopping wood place, Dean caught a glimpse of Castiel and turned around to get a better look of him. Castiel was on the patio, Dean just realized that he could see the patio very clearly from where he was standing. Castiel was filling a jug with the water from the fountain. Dean tilted his head, wondering why Castiel used the water from the fountain to fill the jug. Why didn’t he use the water in the kitchen? He decided that he would ask Castiel later. He kept on watching until Castiel finish filling the jug and took it inside. He picked up the axe, chose some wood to put on the chopping blocks and began the hard work.

At some point he again caught a glimpse of Castiel at one of the windows on the second floor. He remembered it to be Jake’s bedroom. What did Castiel do in Jake’s bedroom? Wasn’t Jake napping?

Ash showed up, stopping his train of thoughts. From the dirt staining his jeans, Dean could tell Ash had been tending the farm again. Dean put the axe down.

“Did you put the journal back in the library?” Ash asked. “Because I didn’t see it in your room or in the library.”

Dean frowned. “I thought you put it back in the library.”

“Nope,” Ash shrugged. “I’ll look in the library again.”

“I think you should leave it there. You shouldn’t read someone else’s diary,” Dean said.

“He’s dead. Bobby.”

“We don’t know yet.”

“If he weren’t, he would be very old and probably suffering Alzheimers. Most likely, he didn't sound too sane, all that talk of curses.”

“Ash,” Dean pursed his lips.

Ash gave him a look, then said, “Okay.” He slipped his hands into his pocket, then he furrowed his eyebrows. “Oh I forgot.” He fished into his shirt pocket, and pulled out two cigars. “I took them from the living room. Here, have one. Relax a bit.” He handed one to Dean. “Now we know that Kubrick didn’t steal anything.” He grinned.

* * *

Dean wasn’t very much into smoking, but he made exceptions for good cigars like the one Ash gave him. He took it to the porch and sat down on the step. He wished he had a beer. He’d kill for a can of very cold Heineken. But he lit it anyway. He took a deep drag and tried not to grin at the rich taste of the tobacco leaves.

“Thanks for chopping some more wood,” he heard Castiel speak. Castiel sat next to him and he had a mug in his hand. “Here, I’m sure you need this.”

Dean laughed and took the mug. It was cold. It had some gold colored liquid inside that looked suspiciously like beer. “Beer?” he asked, hopeful.

“Apple cider,” Castiel answered.

He laughed again and drank it. It was good. Still didn’t beat very cold beer though, but he could live with it.

He set the mug on the step and took another deep drag of the cigar. “I saw you in Jake’s room,” he said before he could stop it.

Castiel gave him a side-long glance. “I saw Ash in your room,” he said.

Dean smiled. “I explained.”

Castiel shifted his head and stared into the horizon. “Do you want me to explain?” he asked.

Dean laughed. He decided that it was the tobacco that made him feel light and easy to laugh. He leaned his head closer to Castiel and whispered in deep, deep voice, “Are you like… jealous?” Castiel smelled of spice and ash and a little sweat and cotton and musky and lavenderish, and it made Dean feel heady.

Castiel stiffened but he didn’t say anything.

Dean sipped his cider again and continued smoking.

“Jake will be ready to travel tomorrow,” Castiel said.

“Nice to know that.”

Castiel got up. “I’m going to start cooking for dinner.”

Dean caught his hand, stopping him. “No, please, don’t worry about it. Just sit down with me.”

“You’ll get hungry soon.”

“I’ve starved before. It won’t kill me. Please, just sit down.”

Castiel looked at him, flustered, but he sat back down again.

Over the horizon, the Sun had begun to set.

* * *

Naturally, Ash complained at the lack of proper dinner and at the sandwiches Dean prepared from flatbread, cold smoked beef, some lettuces and sliced tomatoes. Castiel looked devastated, but Dean gave him a threatening glare every time he tried to get up from his chair. Meanwhile, Jake looked much, much better than earlier, in fact, Dean had never seen him better before even when they were going through tests to enter Special Force. Jake went about topping up their empty mugs with more ginger ale or cider and slicing tomatoes. Dean was convinced that Castiel would want him to stay here. Jake looked to be the right person to repair the roof and the attics.

At the end, Dean gave up. Castiel got up, saying, “I’m going to make something for Jake to take up tomorrow.”

Ash’s face lit up right away. “I’ll help.”

Dean knew that Castiel would end up having to cook double. He got up too. “I’m going to call this a night,” he said.

Castiel smiled. “Thanks, for everything.”

“No worries,” Dean smiled back.

Jake stayed in the kitchen, and Dean had the idea that Castiel would get him to scrub the giant cooking pot that had seen better days.

He went straight to his bedroom, took a bath – he felt like he had grown an addiction to the hot water – and put on a tunic and a pair of loose pants from the wardrobe. He found that they were very comfortable. Maybe they were well-washed before. Well-used too. He only shrugged and went to the window.

The full moon had changed into half-moon, sort of, although Dean believed that it was more the clouds that hid half of the moon behind it. He could see the rocky mountains from where he was standing, but he couldn’t see the snow topped peaks.

He suddenly wanted to go up the tower to have a good look of the mountains. He was so going to miss the mountains. He missed them already. However, he wondered if Castiel would allow him to go up there himself. There seemed to be some secrets etched along the walls of the corridors that led to the tower.

He was about to leave the window and go to the bed when he saw a silhouette of someone entering the patio. He thought at first that it was Castiel, judging from the gamis the person was wearing, after all it was too dark in the patio to see things clearly. Besides, his bedroom was pretty far from the patio. But he stared until he could see that it was Jake and Jake was filling his water bottle with the water from the fountain.

“Anything interesting?” again, Castiel’s voice behind him surprised him. Dean turned around, smiling sheepishly like a little boy getting caught with his hand in a cookie jar. “No. Just Jake. He’s filling his water bottle with the water from the fountain.”

Somehow that surprised Castiel. “No, he can’t do that. He shouldn’t do that.”

Dean frowned. “Why? You gave him water from the fountain,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but...”

“Am I disturbing?” Dean heard Ash ask. He turned his head to see his friend standing at the door.

“No, no, we’re just talking,” he said. Castiel didn’t look too happy to see Ash.

“I can come back later,” Ash mentioned and that made Dean want to laugh.

“Why?” he said as he casually took Castiel’s hand and led him to the bed. “Why don’t you just sleep in your bedroom?”

Ash looked shocked. “Are you kidding?”

Dean furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you scared, Ash?”

“Dean, we have just buried Kubrick today,” Ash blurted.

Dean nodded. “So you’re scared.”

Ash sighed but he definitely wouldn’t admit that he was scared.

“Okay,” Dean shrugged, then looked at Castiel.

“I… I’ll go back to my room,” Castiel pulled his hand from Dean’s.

Dean smiled gently. “There’s plenty of space in the bed.”

“Yeah, right,” Ash quickly padded towards the bed and climbed up. “You can sleep in the middle.”

“I can read you a bedtime story,” Dean added.

Castiel smiled. “If you wish.”

Ash groaned. “But not that scary story about the Wendigo again,” he said as he slid under the blanket.

“What about the Wendigo?” Castiel asked as he climbed up the bed and settled between Ash and Dean.

“Ah, we were young and we were stupid,” Dean started.

“Yeah, damn right. You and Sam. Stupidest people on earth.”

“But we survived,” Dean insisted.

“What’s a Wendigo?” asked Castiel.

“A Wendigo is a human who turns into a monster because it consumes human’s flesh in order to stay alive,” Ash said before Dean could beat him into it. “And indeed they live forever.”

“Oh,” Castiel chuckled.

“But that’s not even the scary part,” Ash added.

“Are you going to tell him or are you going to let me tell him?” Dean cut in.

“Yeah, okay, right. You’re there, you can say things accurately. I’m still in the opinion that you and Sam are the stupidest people in the world,” Ash said as he pulled the blanket up his head. “I’m going to sleep now.”

“Good,” Dean mocked him.

Castiel looked to want to laugh but he didn’t. Dean shifted closer to him.

“So what’s the story?” asked Castiel.

“Well, like I have just told you, we were young and we were stupid,” Dean pulled up the blanket to cover his and Castiel’s heads and when he heard Ash moan, he threw his leg over Castiel’s and kicked Ash’s leg.

* * *

He must’ve been sleeping for only a couple of hours when he woke up. His watch told him that it was a little before midnight. Castiel slept soundly next to him, he looked peaceful and terribly happy. He wasn’t disturbed at the slightest by Ash’ loud snoring.

Dean got out the bed, putting on the slippers and walked out of the bedroom. He went to Jake’s. The door to Jake’s bedroom was slightly ajar, so Dean took a peek and saw that Jake wasn’t sleeping. He was reading.

He knocked on the door gently and announced his name and Jake told him to come in.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Dean asked.

“I couldn’t,” Jake shook his head. He had put his book aside and Dean could see that it was a Tom Clancy novel, not anything from the library. “I tried. I couldn’t. I feel like a five year old getting too excited at the thought of going on a camp tomorrow.”

“But you will need the energy,” Dean pointed.

Jake shook his head again. “I feel very strong. I’ve never felt this healthy before.”

“That’s good, but I’m still in the opinion of...”

“I’m fine, Dean. I know it’s the water that heals me. Castiel cleaned my wound using the water from the fountain. It has a thorough effect in the body. Imagine if I drink it.”

“Oh yeah, about the water. I saw you filling your bottle with the water from the fountain.”

“Yeah.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Who told you that?”

“Castiel.”

“And why shouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know. He said you should’ve taken the water from the kitchen.”

Jake frowned. “What’s the difference?”

“I don’t know, but he’s our host and we have to respect him.”

“It’s only water and I only took a bottle. There's plenty more in the fountain, it’s like a spring, it doesn’t stop. I’m going to need the water to survive the desert.”

“Can you put the water back in the fountain and refill your bottle with the stuff from the kitchen? Please?”

Jake looked at him like he was out of his mind, but he said,”Okay. If that worries you so much.” He climbed out of the bed and took his water bottle.

Dean wanted to follow him to the kitchen and make sure that he swapped the water, but he decided that he should trust Jake.

He went back to his bedroom and snuggled next Castiel, breathing the scent of his body as he slowly drifted back to dreamland.

* * *

Castiel woke him up. Judging from the dark sky outside the window, it wasn’t even dawn yet.

“Jake’s gone,” Castiel whispered.

“What?” Dean jumped out of the bed. At the other side of the bed, Ash rolled over, muttering something incoherent in his sleep.

“Jake’s gone,” Castiel repeated as if Dean was too dumb for words. “He’s not in his bedroom. I checked.” He stopped. “He took the water with him.”

Dean looked up. “He had swapped the water with the one from the fountain,” he said.

Castiel frowned. “Did you see it with your own eyes?” he asked.

That stabbed like a Swiss army knife to his guts.

“He should’ve taken the water from the kitchen, not the fountain,” Castiel said.

“What’s with the water from the fountain anyway? Anything I should’ve known?” Dean snapped. “He’s going to brave the desert, he needs water to survive, I don’t see the difference between the water from the fountain or the kitchen.”

“The water is…,” Castiel started again, but Ash interrupted him, “Look, if you want to have some lovey dovey fight, do it somewhere else. I’m trying to sleep here.”

* * *

Dean took time to take a leak in the bathroom, wash his face and brush his teeth. When he exited the bathroom, Castiel was standing rigid by the door. Dean took his hand, closed it around his fingers to soothe him and led him out of the bedroom.

Jake had taken his stuff with him, there was nothing left, as if he didn’t plan to come back. Dean didn’t blame him. He sat down at the edge of the bed, thinking.

“If you’re so worried about the water, I can go after him and take the water back,” he said.

Now Castiel looked at him with horror in his face. “You’re leaving too?”

Dean got up. “If I have to.”

“No, actually, the water isn’t so important.”

“You don’t seem to think so,” Dean teased him.

Castiel’s face flushed deeply. He turned around, giving Dean his back. “I’ll go prepare breakfast.”

Dean let him go. He watched as Castiel glided away, then he took a deep breath.

He searched Jake’s bedroom once again, making sure that he didn’t miss anything, then he left, closing the door tightly behind him. The room next to Jake’s was Kubrick’s former bedroom. The door was ajar.

Without thinking, Dean entered the bedroom. It was still as it was when he searched the room the day before. They hadn’t decided what to do with Kubrick’s stuff. Dean supposed if they left it there, there should be no problem. Except, well, Castiel might not like to keep a dead man’s stuff.

He was already at the door when he felt something familiar. He turned around and saw the Jesus figurine and rosary with silver crucifix on the nightstand.

* * *

Dean didn’t go to the kitchen right away. He decided to check the yard, the gate and the whole perimeter. He didn’t find Jake’s dead body at the gate like Kubrick, but that didn’t make him feel relieved. They didn’t know about Kubrick until after twenty hours, although he had searched the entire estate.

He stood, staring at the cemetery, wondering if he should go after Jake. He didn’t really want to go. He felt... happy there. He had never felt like that before, although he had grown up in a perfect American family. But there was something about Castiel, he seemed lonely and could use some company, and he didn’t mind doing that.

He supposed he could send Ash to go after Jake, but that would be selfish, like plunging Ash into a pool of crocodiles. He didn’t doubt Ash’s combat skill, it was just that if it was his idea to go after Jake, he was the one to do it.

He would come back here to collect Ash. He just needed to make sure that Jake was all right. And maybe he could talk Castiel to go with him to Kansas City. That would be perfect.

He went to the kitchen.

Castiel cooked enough for a party of fifty. He seemed to be very distraught that he used cooking to calm down. He didn’t even seem to notice that Dean had arrived in the kitchen and sit at the table until he turned around and almost squeaked in surprise.

“I didn’t see you coming,” he said.

“You were busy,” Dean smiled. “What do we have to do with these?” he jerked his chin at the food on the table.

“Eat them?” Castiel offered an opinion.

Dean laughed. Castiel took the coffee pot and poured a cup for him. “Anyway,” Dean said as he entertained himself with the intoxicating aroma of the steaming coffee, “I’ll go to make sure that Jake is all right.”

Castiel put the coffee pot on the table, his fingers were trembling.

“I’ll come back,” Dean tried to sound convincing.

“And just how are you going to find Jake?” asked Ash who showed up in the kicthen like a Jack in the box.

Dean shrugged.

“I drew Jake a map last night,” Castiel said. “If he follows the map, he’ll be in Badakshtan around mid-day today.”

“Maybe the cell phones work outside this area,” Dean said. “We have a sattelite uplinked ones.”

“Then maybe I should go,” Ash offered. “I missed my cell phones.”

“Worth bumping into some Taliban?” Dean mocked him.

Ash shrugged.

“I’m sure Jake will be fine,” Castiel said as he sat down at the table.

“Let’s wait for a couple of days. If help doesn’t arrive, one of us should go find Jake,” Ash said.

“Fair enough,” Dean nodded.

* * *

Ash mentioned that he didn’t want to work in the farm again, so Dean volunteered. He noticed that some crops were ready to harvest: potatoes, carrots and parsnips. He was becoming a big fan of food made from freshly cut crops like that. Just thinking about baked potatoes with melted cheese on top made his stomach grumble although he had just had a huge breakfast.

He was about to carry the basket full of crops to the kitchen when Ash showed up. He was waving Bobby’s journal. “I found it,” he said.

“Where is it?” asked Dean.

“In the library,” Ash answered, shrugging. “I didn’t remember putting it back there.”

“Maybe Cas did. After all, you’re stealing his books.”

Ash looked offended. “I’m only borrowing them, okay?” He saw down on a rock and began thumbing the pages of the journal.

Dean said. “I gotta take this to the kitchen. You don’t really need an audience for your reading session, do you?”

Ash stared at the book. “I’ll read it later then.”

Dean laughed. “Why is it so important that I should listen to your reading? Why don’t you just read it and give it to me later to read?”

“It’s not fun that way,” Ash closed the journal and slipped it into the back pocket of the jeans.

“Whatever,” Dean shrugged. “I gotta take a bath after this. You can meet me in the bedroom if you want.”

“Okay.”

Dean was half-way towards the kitchen when Ash called his name out. “What?” he yelled back, turning around.

“Do you think Cas is also Christian?” Ash asked as he jogged towards Dean.

“I don’t know. Why does it matter now?”

“Because, I found a Jesus figurine and a rosary in the library, just like the ones Kubrick had.”

* * *

Dean thought that he shouldn’t do it, it was like doubting Castiel. He still thought that as guests, they really shouldn’t stick their noses where they shouldn’t. But he couldn’t hold himself back. He took a bath after delivering the crops to Castiel, then he went to the library.

Like Ash said, the Jesus figurine and rosary sat on a small table and they looked exacly like Kubrick’s. The more he examined them, the longer he stared at them, the more he was convinced that they were Kubrick’s. But how could they be Kubrick’s? He put them next to Kubrick’s body before filling the hole with soil. He buried them with Kubrick. How on Earth did they find their way back to the library? Did Castiel dig them out of the grave? He didn’t think so.

Even from the library, he could smell the aroma of lunch being cooked. He smiled. It was always a pleasure to try to guess what Castiel cooked. Castiel never seemed to run out of ideas or ingredients. He wouldn’t be surprised if one day Castiel served them sardines or salmons.

He walked slowly towards the kitchen, entertaining himself with the aroma. They said anticipation was already half the fun, and he took his sweet time for that. Still, hunger didn’t stop him from visiting the weapon room again. After all, it was next to the library.

There was nothing unordinary about the weapon room. Dean had reached the point where he had memorized everything, not only the kind of weapons but also where they were placed.

He started examining them one by one, not sure what he was looking for. The weapons seemed to have come from various era, different timelines. He stopped at what looked like a hunting knife, also made of silver. It wasn’t like the knife that was thought to be missing the other day, it was a different kind of knife. It was big and bulky and Dean could imagine it was used to hunt big bears like kodak or grizzly. The handle was covered by leather and he noticed a small engraving at the base of the blade.

He lifted it up and tried to read it. It said: Ellen & Bill, 1970.

* * *

Continued at part three