"Hey, Dean?" Castiel asks a minute or two after they start walking, when the silence becomes too much to ignore. "If I were to try to make small talk, is there even a chance you would go along with it?"

"No."

Castiel nods. "That's what I thought you'd say."

And then it's silent.

It's probably for the best, Castiel reasons. There are officers listening in on everything that happens. They probably don't want to hear the two chatting, and Castiel doesn't really want them to, either. It's just so awkward walking around in complete silence.

Castiel typically does his best to stay out of gang territory, so he's really not sure where he is right now. Thank god Dean seems to have some general idea of what he's doing, because that makes one of them. His eyes dart around nervously, just waiting to see a gun trained on him. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst; that's his motto right now. But walking out here alone, not a single Vamp to be seen, is neither the best nor the worst; it's just a needless extension of his paranoia. He just wants to get this over with.

After a few minutes, Castiel asks, "Are you sure the Vamps still live here?" He's pretty sure this is around where they hung out when he was a Hunter, but if the Hunters have all moved since then, maybe the Vamps have, too.

Dean is less than thrilled at the question, and he responds with a sarcastic, "No, I'm just walking around here for the fun of it."

"Look, I'm just saying," Castiel says, "I feel like we should have seen at least one other person by now. The place practically looks deserted."

"They're Vamps, Cas," Dean deadpans. "They're practically nocturnal."

"But shouldn't there be someone out here?" Castiel asks. "Or at least some sign that someone was here?"

Dean rolls his eyes. "And if you walked into Hunter territory, would you see any sign that we were there or would it look like a bunch of abandoned buildings and rundown apartments?"

Given that the only possible response to that would be to admit that Dean is right, Castiel just shuts his mouth. He's still not entirely confident, though. Someone should have seen them by now. You can't walk around in Hunter territory for this long without running into someone, in the middle of the day or the dead of night. Why are the Vamps any different?

That's when he hears it.

"What are you doing here, Novak?"

Castiel turns around to find the source of the voice. Sitting with his legs hanging out of a second-floor window with what appears to be a rifle sticking up next to him is a very familiar face, if a lot older than it was the last time they met. It's been a long time since he's seen Gordon Walker. The guy was only a teenager when Dean gave him the boot from the Hunters for harassing little Sammy. He'd heard rumors that Gordon had become a Vamp, but this is the first he's seen it for himself.

Castiel rests a hand on the grip of his gun. He manages to keep any sense of fear he's feeling from showing, and hopefully the reach for his gun makes him look more threatening and not more threatened. "Gordon Walker." He clicks his tongue disapprovingly. "You always were a bit of a dumbass, but joining the Vamps? That's embarrassing, even for you." Admittedly, it is not the worst thing he's seen Gordon do (his less-than-pleasant interactions with Sam comes to mind), but he wasn't sure what other sarcastic remark he could make.

"You're one to talk, cop," Gordon says, spitting the last word like it's venom.

Castiel rolls his eyes. "It's a blessing in disguise, Gordon. Call it..." He clicks his tongue. "Manipulating the system."

"I'd say you guys should get a professional lookout, too," Dean adds, "but I don't think you have enough braincells between the bunch of you to keep that ruse up for long."

"Right," Gordon says skeptically, "because I'm sure he was doing the Hunters a big favor when he disappeared for a decade."

It was not, in fact, a decade, nor was it anywhere close to that.

Dean snorts. "Don't tell me you really thought he was gone for all that." He puts an arm around Castiel's shoulders and puts their heads together. "He loves me too much to leave."

"Yeah, I do," Castiel gushes, and he presses a kiss to Dean's cheek to make his point. Thank god the cops can only get audio; it's embarrassing enough without them seeing what's going on.

Gordon rolls his eyes. "Alright, alright, keep it in your pants."

Dean heaves a dramatic sigh. "Fine." He drops his arm from Castiel's shoulders. "I didn't come here to talk about my boyfriend, anyway -- although I do love to do it." He gives Castiel a flirtatious smile, then turns his attention back to Gordon. "Where's your daddy? We need to have a word."

Gordon chuckles. "And what makes you think I'd tell you that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Dean drawls. He drums his fingers on his gun's grip. "I just have a feeling the cops wouldn't find a body all the way out here for a long time."

"And call it a hunch," Castiel adds, "but I have a feeling that even if they did, they wouldn't look much into it. Hell, maybe a little birdie would tell them it was probably infighting among the Vamps and they'd turn their sights on you guys." He shrugs innocently. "I really think letting us talk to your leader would be a good idea."

Gordon narrows his eyes. He considers that for a moment, and Dean smirks. Castiel can just tell he's daydreaming about shooting the guy. Hell, if the cops weren't listening to their every move, he's sure he would -- and once upon a time, Castiel would have cheered him on for it. Oh, how he longs for simpler times.

Gordon nods at Dean. "I'll bring you, but I ain't letting a cop in here."

"Oh, Cassie's not a cop right now," Dean assures him. "He's something much, much worse."

Gordon cocks an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"A pissed-off uncle."

He smiles to himself. Dean sure as hell knows what's talking about. Castiel would do anything for his family. He couldn't save his nephew, but he can sure as hell get his revenge.

"Oh, come on," Gordon groans. "Don't tell me that kid was your nephew."

"He sure was," Castiel says. The fact that Gordon knows exactly what they're doing here is a little disconcerting, though he tries not to think about that. Dean said he assumed the Vamps would be expecting him after what they did to Jack. It looks like he was right. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a word with the man in charge, m'kay?" He plasters on a falsely sweet smile.

Gordon hesitates.

"I'd listen to him if I were you," Dean remarks. "When talking doesn't work, his methods of persuasion are... well, let's just say they get more violent as things progress."

"Well, don't tell him that," Castiel wines. "I wanted to show him!" He crosses his arms and pouts. "I never get to have any fun."

"Oh, I don't know, babe," Dean says. "Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll ask for a demonstration. I know I would love to watch."

"Awww." Castiel looks up at him with a smile. "That's why I love you."

Gordon rolls his eyes. "I forgot how unbearably infatuated with each other you two are."

"Well, don't worry," Dean says, "Cas and I will make sure you never forget again."

"Ew." Gordon makes a face. "If I bring you to the old man, will you both shut up?"

"Mm..." Castiel hums. He looks up at Dean, who seems jokingly reluctant to agree. They exchange a series of facial expressions that really don't mean anything except that they're having fun (which is something he really didn't expect to happen today), and finally, Castiel says, "Yeah, sure."

Gordon hops out of the window, landing gently on his feet without so much as a grimace of pain. How he manages to stay so spry in his older years, Castiel will never understand. He gestures with his rifle for the two to follow him, and after sharing a look, they do.

Castiel has never been this deep in Vamp territory before. He's been on the outskirts, usually trying to get his kicks in because it felt like such a thrill when he was younger, but he's never made it this far. Even with Gordon leading them, he's still afraid he could get shot at any moment. He'd like to think the Vamps trust each other enough that they wouldn't shoot the two men Gordon is escorting through the premises, but they're not the most civilized group of people.

Gordon leads them to what appears to be an abandoned neighborhood -- one Castiel didn't even know existed. Some of the houses have broken windows; others have been spray painted all over. But there's one house that looks to be in pristine condition, and Castiel knows immediately that this is the one they're going to. Even when their leader was just a kid, he was all about fancy stuff. He would never live in some rundown shack.

It seems Dean comes to the same conclusion, because he reads the address aloud. Though he sounds judgemental, Castiel knows he's just telling the cops. "Not a lot of space, but it's pretty; I'll give you that."

Gordon knocks on the door, then takes a step back. Dean and Castiel step back as well, and Castiel nearly falls on his butt. He didn't realize the stair ended right there. Fortunately, between his own recovery and Dean's assistance, it's barely a stumble. Dean gives him an amused look, and Castiel just ignores it.

The curtain in a nearby window moves, but as soon as Castiel looks at it, it moves back. After a pause, the door opens just a crack. "Who're your shadows?"

"Visitors," Gordon says, and Castiel is surprised whoever's on the other side of the door doesn't recognize either of them. Off the top of his head, he's not sure he's ever met any female Vamps (except Andrea, of course, but he knows Benny's ex-flame would have recognized them). Maybe it makes sense that she doesn't know them.

"Visitors for who?" the woman on the other side of the door asks.

"The old man."

"Yeah," Dean says, "so open up, will you? I don't have all day."

The door opens to reveal a woman, probably a few years younger than them, eyeing them skeptically. It's definitely not Andrea, so Castiel can't put a name to this face the way he did when he saw Gordon.

"And who's this little princess?" Dean asks.

She crosses her arms. "Who's asking?"

Dean shrugs. "I am."

That earns a small smile from her. She holds out a hand. "The name's Jenny."

"Nice to meet you, Jenny." Dean shakes her hand. "I'm Dean."

Jenny raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "Not Dean Winchester."

"In the flesh."

"Hmm," she hums, dropping her hand. She turns her gaze to Castiel next. "And that makes you...? Another Hunter, I'm sure."

"Castiel."

The smile falls from her face. She grabs Gordon by the arm and pulls him inside roughly. Dean and Castiel don't seem to have the same invitation, so they wait outside. It doesn't matter; they can hear just as well from here.

"He's a cop, Gordon!" Jenny hisses. "Why the hell would you let him in here?"

"You know that kid that killed Connor and Dale?" Gordon asks quietly.

"The one that finally got what was coming to him?" Jenny asks. "Isn't that just more reason not to let a cop in?"

"Apparently that was his nephew," Gordon tells her. "He's not here for any kind of legal justice. He wouldn't have brought Winchester if he was."

That's exactly the wrong conclusion Castiel had hoped they'd reach. It's nice to see that he didn't have to nail that one in.

"And isn't that even more of a reason not to let him in?" Jenny asks.

"The old man knew Dean Winchester would come and he knew he wouldn't come alone," Gordon says. "I know this isn't exactly what any of us were expecting, but I don't think he'd take kindly to turning them away without talking to him first."

Jenny hesitates, then gives a single nod. "But if he gets mad, it was your idea, not mine."

"Then I'll go tell him," Gordon says. "You can stay here and keep our 'guests' company."

With that, Gordon disappears up the stairs, and Jenny reluctantly turns back around to face the two visitors. "Sorry 'bout the kid."

"No, you're not," Dean and Castiel say in unison.

"Nah, I'm not," she admits. "He had it coming."

"And for saying that," Dean says, "I've decided you have it coming, too."

Jenny snorts. "You're gonna hurt me in my own house? Surrounded by my brothers?" She shakes her head. "I don't think so."

"Oh, I never said I'd do it now," Dean says. "But you gotta leave the house sometime, and I have a lot of people I could get to keep an eye out."

Castiel elbows his arm. Ordinarily he'd be fine with threats like that, but with the cops listening in, he's a little more wary. It would be one thing if it was a threat now that he obviously won't make good on, but the cops already have a skewed view of him. They don't know that this is just an empty threat. He wouldn't put that much effort into payback for one rude remark, even at Jack's expense.

"Sure you will, buddy," Jenny says sarcastically. "Sure you will."

They lapse into silence, which is probably for the best. Dean puts an arm around Castiel's shoulders, and Castiel leans into his embrace. It's just like old times — except he's not sure how sincere this is and there's a much higher chance of getting shot at any moment than there was in old times. (Once he sees their leader and remains bullet-free, he'll allow himself to believe he's making it out of here without a scratch.)

"Oh, aren't you two adorable?" Jenny says insincerely.

"Yes," Dean says with a cheeky smile. "Yes, we are."

Castiel snorts. Dean really proved his point with that one; he is adorable.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs draws their attention, and Gordon returns. "He said 'send 'em up.'"

"I'm telling you, that's a bad idea," Jenny says.

"Then, by all means, take it up with the old man," Gordon says.

Jenny narrows her eyes, but that's all she says on the subject.

Now for the fun part: seeing the man himself.

This is going to be interesting.

A/N Is it even Supernatural if Jenny's not in it?
         -- Dabb circa 2020, probably