Castiel and other alt Dean

[tiredofurinating]

Castiel had been wondering how to navigate that another version of Dean lived all by himself in the woods, but close by. His chance came when Lucy informed him that the other Ruby and Sam wanted to get married privately. They had told no one else. Of course Cas considered himself a friend by extension and offered his service in person to officiate for them. The two of them seemed to like that.

As for Dean, he offered to be the one to inform him when Lucy and he were talking. The cabin in the woods was easy to find when he pictured it in his mind; logs were neatly staked on the side of the structure, the long blades of grass swayed in the breeze, and inside where a fire crackled was the familiar face. Cas willed himself to cross into that space.

"Hello, Dean," his voice neither echos nor does it not carry his presence inside the cabin. "I hope this isn't as awkward for you as it is for me." He looks around the space but touches nothing to warrant Dean lashing out at him. What was it that people say sometimes? Oh yes, this was 'starting from square one again.'

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[donttrustmyself]

They all did what they needed to do to survive. There's no need or desire to play the blame game.

Dean's other self hadn't listened quite as well to that advice, but it had worked out in the end. Dean sometimes wonders if it had worked out the way the angels had intended or if they'd rebelled, however unconsciously, again. Dean purses his lips, considering Sam's suggestion of talking to Castiel about this town. He's gathered some information from the various residents. "Apparently, it used to be this bizarro demon 1950s compound situation, which explains a lot." Including the influx of classic cars which means that Dean has a great deal of work should he want it. Seventy-five-year-old cars, no matter how well taken care of, need attention. It also happens to be something that Dean loves doing. He's fixed a few cars for people in trade for things. He's considered, at Lucy's prodding, opening up a mechanic's shop. No one has really taken up the current shop in town. "A bunch of people cleared out after they came to their senses. Lucy wasn't one of them." His tone of voice says he's judging her sanity on that front. "But they've got a stash of goods to rival most preppers, houses aren't owned by anyone and everything is still hooked up to utilities so..." he gestures with one hand like all of the supernatural and alternate timeline people make sense. In a way, he supposes it does.

Dean nods in agreement with Sam's comment. He is adjusting as well. "Seems too good to be true. Like someone is going to yank the rug out from underneath us at any minute."

[tiredofurinating]

No doubt there will be some unanswered questions going forward. Sam sees Dean's reaction and opts to let Dean figure out for himself what he wants to do from there. Castiel would talk to him should he come around Lucy's or pray out his name even in thought. "Some things never seem to change, but that's what I heard, too," he muses hesitantly. These days he stood back and talked to people less. He knew a handful in town still saw him as Lucifer and it stood to reason the story had traveled around. It was good at least Dean could talk to them without a strange look (not that he ever blamed folk). Rather than talking to people for information, it had been Lucy to talk his ear off about what happened to the town. The old mechanic shop would be a good place for Dean to take over. Lucy had mentioned that she brought it up, but Sam only had seen the building remain empty and dusty in passing as the indication Dean hadn't yet decided to. "Everyone seems happy with the town." The ones that survived, he means. It is a touchy subject and he treads carefully between phrasing it as a question or a statement. Sam fills in the what Dean means in passing is that the town is satisfactory to those that moved him. He feels himself partly sigh in relief that the few that made it can have something decent again. "I don't know about that. This town has some upsides, don't you think? Food grows on the outskirts of town, and there's plumping again." Part of that is to stand up for Lucy, but mostly to see where Dean stands currently. "In a few more years, this place could really be something." It's harder for him to be hopeful and optimistic but he tries not to be a downer whenever he remembers. The world doesn't need two.

"It's like coming back from war. You never get used to it, but I think you play along the best you can..." It sounds like a question more than a statement. He, too, hasn't any answers or solutions beyond agreeing in his own way.

[donttrustmyself]

Sam and Ruby have their own share of gossip about them, but because they're a couple, the gossip is different. Lucy likes people; she likes socializing and entertaining. She likes helping people. Because she knows the other Sam, Ruby, and Dean, she wants to help this version of them find, if not happiness, at least contentment in this life. She thinks that Charming Acres can be their second chance. It's been her second chance in any case. Dean nods in response because everyone does seem happy in this town. However, there's enough normal strife and tribulation to assure Dean that it isn't some sort of enchantment or possession or any other weird magic thing making people happy. "Oh, it's definitely got it's advantages. I didn't realize how much I missed hot showers until I moved into my place here." In all honesty, the cabin Dean lives in is fancier than he really needs, but he supposes it was meant to be someone's vacation getaway. Which makes Dean's brow furrow, "where are you and Ruby living? In town? Or somewhere on the outskirts?" Somewhere remote the way he does. He can't imagine Ruby being someone's neighbor, but he's not sure he ever really knew her before. "As long as the place doesn't grow so big that I end up with neighbors."

Dean purses his lips and nods a little at Sam's assessment of this life. He knows that Sam has changed because of what they went through; he's not sure anyone could go through all of that and not change. "At least we're not sleeping in bathtubs instead of real beds." He pauses and casts Sam a side glance. "You're not sleeping in the bathtub, are you?"

[tiredofurinating]

Lucy will be in the lives for a long time, if not forever. Someone like her has easily wormed her way into the hearts, lives and threads of family of those in town. Sam, at least, finds her actions harmless and something to thank her later for.

Surely that is something both of them looked into separately when they heard about the town's history. As far as Sam could decipher, the magic hadn't contaminated the water. The people that remained or found a home in town were happy to have free will again. It's been a long time since he heard Dean talk about something that made him happy. Sam nods thoughtfully. But he has to block out the urge to apologize for that. That's a whole other beast he will have to live with on his own. "Yeah, actually that's one thing I can't argue with." He noticed when he came in that the luxuries were still fairly sparse on the counter but the place was fully furnished. "You have a great place here. Did Lucy..." he doesn't finish that sentence. Whatever reason Dean ended up moving in to it is great. Sam quietly alludes that he believes his brother deserves it. His place has fewer comforts (square footage), but at the end of the day, he was was happy Ruby took charge in deciding where it was. There was a proper kitchen, a bedroom-living room and a bathroom in a smaller cabin on the opposite end from this one. It was heated by a wood stove. Sam had no complaints of all the blankets had gathered to decorate. Sam tilted his head back to the door. "Other side of... the outskirts of town. It's a twenty five minute walk from the center. The path is overgrown in some areas. Ruby found it." He smiles fondly at how clever his soon to be wife is. Ruby said something similar to wishing their cabin stays remote. "You might have to get involved in the town politics if it does. Get them to build outwards in another direction." He had said something similar to Ruby, too.

Lucifer had absolutely ensured that the annoying creature comforts that his human host needed were luxurious. Sam scraps his teeth over his lip, trying not to think back. He felt a pang of guilt at least that bathtubs were substitutes for beds, knowing better than to say anything. Instead he nods. He shakes his at the question. "No, um, Ruby would never. It's a comfortable place we have. Our cabin." The worst for them had been the hard floor made barrly any better by a thin blanket the first couple of nights. But they had each other to distract from that. "Lucy saw that we got a mattress. I assume she did the same for you." His way of asking that the tub isn't still a thing with Dean.

[donttrustmyself]

Dean is glad that Sam doesn't apologize. At some point, he has to stop apologizing for everything Lucifer did (and for his part in allowing Lucifer the opportunity) and focus on living what's left of his life. Dean is just trying not to do more harm in his own life. "Yeah. When I first got here, I was in some standard apartment. It was fine but Lucy called it a transitional placement." He rolls his eyes a little to show he's not sure he believes it. "She brought coffee and pie over one day, talked to me a little then the next day brought me keys and drove me out to the cabin. I tried to argue with her and tell it was too much; the apartment was fine. You can imagine how that went." Lucy doesn't argue. She simply smiles, nods then does what she wants anyway. You can go along with it or you can get bulldozed in the process. Dean frowned at Sam's suggestion. "No thanks. I'll let Lucy fight those battles." You couldn't pay him to get involved in politics. He'd end up moving further out into the woods in a tent if necessary.

Dean nods a little at Sam's reassurance that he's not sleeping in bathtubs. Most nights, Dean sleeps in bed as well unless he's just not sleeping at all, and he still has those nights. "That's good," he says after a moment. Whether Sam believes it or not, Dean believes that Sam deserves comfort and good things in life. Yeah, it took him a long time to forgive Sam for saying yes to Lucifer. Still, in the end, he'd just been glad that he no longer lived in a world without his baby brother, even if his relationship and feelings toward his baby brother is complicated. "Yeah, practically brand new with some sort of brand new fancy protective cover on it. Clean sheets, blankets. She set me up." He has always assumed that Cas had something to do with that.

[tiredofurinating]

He agrees with more of a look in his eye than a nod. "Sounds like it all worked out anyway. Last I heard the apartment has a waitlist now." Lucy has a way of knowing what people need and some part of Sam still wonders if she is clairvoyant in her intuition. The fact Lucy moved Dean to the cabin worked out to delay the housing problem for a tiny amount of time.

Sam isn't surprised when Dean shoots down the idea and shrugs a shoulder. "Right, pretend I said nothing at all..." There's an awkward pause before Sam opens his mouth again. "Glad you're comfortable, man."

The talk of sleeping is bathtubs is a little bit concerning. "You aren't either, right? Sleeping in a tub?" It's odd enough of an idea that he has to ask the question back. Having a sleepless night is another story. He expects they both have those and won't ask about that. If Dean asked, Sam would eventually tell his brother Ruby helped him a lot to come to terms with ordinary life again. Everyday Lucifer was more behind him. Sam sought to mend things with Ruby as a way to make up for being gone so long. Doing good for the community, like politics, had been a suggestion Lucy gave him and he'd been considering. He resisted the urge to inform Dean that the cover was waterproof. Lucy had also given Ruby one for their mattress. "This place. Sounds like you really like it here. You deserve it."