[h3] Dean and Duke [/h3]

Mika stepping up and hugging him caused Dean’s shoulders to fall just a bit more. He needed the closeness, even if right now, his whole body felt like it was on fire with conflicted emotions and adrenaline from being punched out of nowhere. He settled, crossing his arms over his chest as Mika explained what she thought was the best method to break through to Nat.

Dean didn’t like the idea of approaching Natalia this early, but Mika was right about the way to approach it. Nat wouldn’t want to hear reasoning, or explanation. She wouldn’t want to hear any sort of ‘greater good’ lies, when she would be able to tell that Dean was lying. Dean had left Cason behind for no other reason than he wasn’t willing to fight for him, and would rather Nat not be around him. He would rather Cason be dead, than with his sister. 

“No explanations…no lies…” Dean whispered, nodding his head with a sigh. The thought of even standing in front of his sister gave him a nervous pause, his heart hammering in his chest as he moved himself so that he could also see out the window. Of course it was Esme that was trying to diffuse the situation. She had always been so good with quick anger, and reasoning. Dealing with himself and Duke, she had to get good at it. Mika pulling his hand away from his chest caused him to look down at their hands for a moment, and he sighed.

“I can do my best. I mean…I don’t know how to be the caring brother. That’s Sam’s job…” Dean started, his eyebrow twitching with the awkwardness of having to open himself up to Nat, when he had always wanted to portray himself as the strong, quiet boss of the family. But that was the exact opposite of what Nat would want to hear from. He was broken from his thoughts by Sam coming through the back door, and keeping his head down.

“Sam?” He called out to him, but Sam just marched straight over to the bags, grabbing his own and then Anna’s. Dean nodded, not moving from his spot, as he was definitely not feeling being punched in the face by Sam, of all people. After his outburst, he was a bit surprised that Sam hadn’t already decked him.

He listened to Sam and Mika talk, and hearing that Anna was scared of him, Dean clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, letting a sigh leave his nose. Duke shifted a bit at his side, and came to stand next to him with a shrug.

“It can’t be that surprisin’ from what I heard…” Duke muttered, and Dean simply shook his head.

“No. It’s not surprising.”

“Looks like a famous Dean Winchester apology tour.” Duke teased him, as Dean saw Mika hand Sam a set of keys, after he missed Sam saying that he and Anna were headed out overnight. He straightened a bit, as Duke reached an arm over and squeezed Dean’s shoulder, “Don’t you dare chase him. Let them go…C’mon. Fresh wounds. Let him go.”

Dean didn’t move, just watching Sam from the corner of his eye until he couldn’t see him anymore. He heard the door open and close and he let his brother go.

“That’s my boy…” Duke murmured, patting Dean roughly on the chest. “Now, lets get you simmered down enough to go talk to that little sister of yours.”

[h3] Cason and Anna [/h3]

Cason didn’t say anything when Nat was working through her emotions, wrapping up on him a bit tighter. He knew the renewed anxiety was her fear of being left alone with a very pissed off Dean Winchester. He could understand the sentiment. Dean was pretty terrifying on his best day, and he was at peak terror inducing when angry. Cason didn’t even want to think about the look Dean had given him, before trying to kill him at the barn. It’s a look that most demons don’t survive.

As Nat held onto him, oddly asking Esme for help, which surprised him, Anna suddenly approached but didn’t say anything. She just stood to the side of the metal awning and wrapped her arms around herself. Cason perked up and glanced over Nat’s shoulder, before wrapping his fingers around her wrist to remove her hand, “Hey. I um…I’ll be right back, alright? I’m just gonna check on something.”

He slipped off the hood of the car, nodding to Esme to tell her to stay and talk to Nat, and to keep an eye on her. He then crossed the small gap between the cars and covered bay, where Anna was standing.

“Are you good? I don’t want to get roasted.” Cason teased, to test Anna’s mood. Anna didn’t say anything at first, just tightened her arms around herself, before sighing.

“I’m going with Sam.”

“That’s a good idea. Actually, I think that’s a great idea.” Cason beamed at her, causing Anna to narrow her eyes at him, before sniffling. She then remembered out of nowhere that she was wearing his jacket, and she began unwrap herself and shrug the jacket off her shoulders. “You can take it.”

“No. Because I don’t know if I’m coming back…” Anna muttered honestly, removing the jacket from her arms and holding it out to Cason. Cason sighed, frowning at the thought of her running off with Sam…and possibly Ruby. But he didn’t say anything. He just took the jacket from her, and then nodded his head toward the Impala.

“C’mere…” He muttered, holding his hand out to her. She didn’t take his hand, but she did follow him as he walked over to the busted window of the Impala, his boots crunching in the pile of glass next to the car. He carefully reached into the backseat through the window, and pulled Anna’s jacket, shaking it a bit to make sure it wasn’t covered in glass. “I thought you might want this.”

Anna reached out and took her jacket, her face softened and neutral. Cason reached into his pocket as he watched her put her arms through the sleeves, pulling the front around herself. He pulled out a vial of his blood, holding it up in front of her face. Anna reluctantly took it from him, placing it into her pocket as if he was giving her illegal drugs in a parking lot.

“That will help, if you guys are gone for a few days. If you’re gonna be longer, Sam can summon me. I give full permission. Don’t…take anything from Ruby. Nothing. No matter what she tells you, or tries to convince you of, you summon me…only me.” Cason explained and Anna nodded, her eyes tearing up again with a bit of fear. “Hey…don’t cry. You’ll be safe with Sam, remember?”

Anna nodded as Sam came out the back door and walked over to her. Anna stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Cason’s waist, causing him to pause for a moment, before he wrapped his arms around her, patting her back.

“You’re gonna be fine.” Cason muttered against the top of her head, before letting her go. She grabbed Sam’s hand, stepping back from Cason slowly to head over to Mika’s car.