Debunked

Chapter 4

"We already have a room," James tells Castiel as they pull into a motel parking lot, "but if you want a bed, we can —"

"I don't sleep," Castiel says plainly.

James looks at Emma, sharing a confused look before looking back to him. "Oh. I guess that works, then."

"Well, what do you do at night when the Winchesters are sleeping?" Emma asks.

"It depends," Castiel says. "Sometimes I would research things. Sometimes they'd send me to get them things."

"What, looks, midnight shopping?" James says, amused.

"No." Castiel pauses. "Well, usually not, though Dean did occasionally ask me to buy him beer. Usually, it's more like when I went to Syria and fought a bunch of djinn to pluck some fruit from the tree of life."

"You fought some djinn in Syria all alone?" Emma repeats, gaping at him.

"Yes."

"But what if something happened?" she asks. "What if the djinn killed you? Or put you under their spell and drained all your blood? There are so many things that could've gone wrong, and the Winchesters would have been on the other side of the world!"

Castiel shrugs. "I suppose they just knew I could handle myself."

Though, in all honesty, they didn't know what to expect. If Castiel hadn't sweet talked his way into marrying the queen, who knows what would have happened? And Sam and Dean wouldn't have noticed for a while, possibly until they gave up and got the fruit themselves. Emma was right: a lot of things could have gone wrong.

And Sam and Dean just didn't care.

"You know," Emma says, "I'm really starting to hate the Winchesters."

"They're good men," Castiel says, and he truly does believe it. They do their best.

"Maybe they are," she says, "but they're shitty-ass friends. And, honestly, that kinda makes them shitty hunters."

"They're some of the best hunters on the planet," Castiel says. Judging by Chuck's interest in them, they may even be the best.

"A good hunter doesn't leave another hunter alone," she says. "Not for something that dangerous, or that far away."

Castiel isn't sure how to feel about that. It hadn't even occurred to him that this may not be normal. This is just how they've always treated him. He was never their equal. He just did what he was told, and tried not to mess it up.

"We're not gonna do that to you," Emma says. "If you're part of the team, you're really part of it. We're not gonna send you away all the time like that."

Castiel smiles to himself. "I appreciate that."

"And, for the record," Emma adds, "if I ever meet the Winchesters, I'm going to fight them."

"And you're going to lose," Castiel says.

"No, I won't."

"How tall are you?"

She looks taken aback at the question, but answers, "Five foot six?"

"Sam Winchester is 10 inches taller than you," Castiel says.

"Well, I'll fight them anyway," Emma says. "I'll lose, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"I think I would rather you stay alive than die protecting my honor," Castiel says.

"Maybe you would, but I want to punch them in the face," Emma says. "So it's more for my sake than yours."

Castiel chuckles. "I would be lying if I said I never had the same thought, but I would rather you not punch them." Partially because he doesn't truly hate them, and partially because Dean would punch her right back, and not very lightly.

"Then I'll try not to," she says. "But no promises."

"Compromise," James says. "She'll just punch one of them."

"No one's punching anyone," Castiel repeats, but he has to admit, he does find their insistence entertaining.

"Okay, but hypothetically," Emma says, "if I got to punch one of them, which one would you let me punch?"

Castiel thinks this over for a moment. He and Sam have never had the strongest bond. At the same time, though, it's Dean who's been nothing but rude to him for almost a year, and that's what drove him to leave. Realistically speaking, if she punched Dean, he would punch her back without question, probably breaking her nose or rendering her unconscious -- or both. Sam has always been more patient, so he may hesitate before punching a young girl. Castiel rather likes Emma, even if they've just met, so that may be the better path.

"Sam," Castiel says finally.

"Okay, if we ever meet the Winchesters, I'm punching Sam Winchester in the face," Emma says.

"This was hypothetical,* Castiel reminds her. "Please don't punch Sam in the face."

"Again I say, no promises."

Castiel chuckles to himself. He likes this girl. She may be even more fun than the Winchesters ever were.