Didn't Run Far Enough

Chapter 20

If all goes well, this should be the last time Castiel has to sneak into this godforsaken office building. It was never truly a nice place, but it's really gone to shit over the last decade and a half. This is where most of the Hunters were staying when Castiel first joined the gang, and every time he comes back, he's struck by some bittersweet memories.

With the three envelopes in one hand and a roll of duct tape in the other, he climbs the stairs in the darkness. At least there's still a little sun coming in through the windows. It doesn't do a damn thing to illuminate the staircase, but at least the rooms themselves have some light.

He's almost finished climbing the second staircase when he hears a noise on the third floor and he freezes. He wasn't expecting anyone to be here. The Hunters had stopped using this place on the regular before Castiel had even left, though for the most part, other gangs stayed away from it just in case. He'd assumed it was still considered Hunter territory if this is where Dean had decided to meet, but if that had been the case, he would have expected it to stay empty.

He pauses for a few seconds, weighing his options. He could tape the letters to the wall on the second floor and just hope that if Dean comes by again, he sees them there. He could leave and come back later when the third floor will hopefully be empty. Or he could head to the third floor anyway just to see what's going on.

The last option had been more of a sarcastic take on the situation, but when he realizes the sounds he hears from above appear to be sobs, he actually starts to take that one seriously. He has absolutely no idea what to expect and he knows he won't be a welcome surprise, but maybe if whoever up there is a Hunter, they can tell Dean about these letters when they get the chance. And if it's not a Hunter, as long as they're not in another gang, he can probably just leave the letters here anyway.

Castiel puts the roll of duct tape and the three envelopes in his left hand so he can hold his gun in his right. He keeps it down by his side and he climbs the rest of the stairs. He doesn't want to come off as a threat, but he doesn't want to walk into this unarmed, either. He finishes climbing the stairs and...

"Jack?" Castiel slips his gun back into his holster. He's pretty confident he won't be needing it.

Jack's head snaps up to reveal his tear-stained face. "Castiel?" He immediately wipes his eyes, as if that will do anything to hide the fact that he's been crying. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I..." He holds up the envelopes for a few seconds. That's really the last thing on his mind right now, so he puts them back down by his side. "What's wrong?"

Jack sniffles. "Nothing. I'm --" He forces a very obviously fake smile. "I'm fine."

CastieI frowns. He's very much not fine, but Castiel has a lot of experience pretending to be, too, and he doesn't want to push. He doesn't want to do nothing, though, either. After a brief moment of deliberation, he decides the best response is probably just, "Well, if you decide you're not fine — or even if you are — and you want to talk, I'd be more than willing to lend an ear."

Jack hesitates. "Dean told me to be careful what I say to you."

CastieI waves that off. "Don't let Dean's paranoia fool you. If I wanted you in jail, you'd be there already."

"Oh." Jack thinks about that for a moment. "I guess you have a point."

CastieI gives him a small smile. "So if you want to talk, I've got nowhere to be. If you just want me to leave, that's fine, too."

Jack takes a minute to think it over. Finally, he asks, "Do you promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise," Castiel replies.