Reckless [Dean Winchester]

14. The Cassity Farm

14. The Cassity Farm

I think I would rather take battling demons any day of the year than this. This right here is hard, manual labor, something I was never trained for. It's something my body is struggling to cope with due to my lack of strength.

Ellie put the three of us to work in the barn. Our task: cleaning out the horse stalls. Boy, are some of these loaded with shit. At first, I started out fine. But now, I'm winded almost every minute, so my stalls don't get cleaned as fast. Meanwhile, the boys are chucking manure and hay away into a nearby wheelbarrow.

I use the shovel as a crutch, observing the hard-working Winchesters. I lean against the stall wall, where a beautiful horse is sticking its head out. I smile and try and reach for its soft muzzle. All it does is blow its hot breath on my head.

"Hey, this is a group effort, Maxipad," Dean scolds me. "We can't be doing all the heavy lifting." He tosses a pile into the wheelbarrow.

"Sorry if I'm not built like a guy. You have to remember where I came from. I'm not strong."

"Don't worry, the minute we get back to the bunker, we'll fatten you up and help you grow some muscle. It's not fair that we have to clean up your mess that you're supposed to clean up."

"Oh, quit whining, you big baby," I retort. "I'll make you miss a spot."

Dean goes back into his assigned stall as Sam comes out to toss some shit and hay into the barrow. "Crap-she literally meant crap." He grunts and dumps another shovel-load.

"What else would she mean, Dean?"

He saunters over to the horse who I'm trying to befriend. "I hate you."

"Don't be so mean!" I threaten to jab him with my shovel. "It doesn't know any better!"

"Look at you, animal advocate."

"Do you guys ever shut up or at least try to get along?" Sam groans.

"I don't care," comes a higher, new, female voice. "Do I look like a hippie?"

All of our attention goes to Ellie arguing with a woman at the barn's entrance.

"Organic food is better for the cattle," Ellie argues.

"My land, my animals, my money, my way-end of story." The lady stalks off, leaving Ellie by herself. I can't understand how she deals with such a lady with an attitude problem.

"She's a real piece of work, huh?" Dean speaks up, loud enough for Ellie to hear.

"Alice Cassity's a piece of something, all right," Ellie says neutrally. "But what are we gonna do? She's the boss."

"Drink?"

I roll my eyes, and I see Ellie crack a smile before she leaves us be. I'm glad she doesn't stick around long enough to see my lack of work ethic. I blame it on my health, one-hundred percent. And what surprises me more is that Dean doesn't rat me out. He's too busy hitting on Ellie, that's why. He forgot about it. This isn't a get-lucky mission; it's a Hellhound mission.

"So, what are we thinking?" Sam asks.

"What, deal wise?"

"You guys have been thinking about it?" I ask. "I'm just trying to not pass out from the smell in here-or is that Dean?"