After two years of working side-by-side with Castiel, Charlie's gotten to know Michael fairly well. A few years ago, he'd just been this abstract concept ruling over the FBI, but Castiel's told her more than enough embarrassing childhood stories for her to realize he's no one she needs to be nervous around.

But she's a little nervous around him right now.

She's never had to speak to him alone, and, fortunately, that includes right now. As much as she'd rather be standing here with Castiel, she can deal with sharing this office space with two other agents. Kevin Tran and Ash Harvelle may both look calm and collected, but Charlie knows that deep down inside, they're just as concerned as she is. Why did Michael call them in here? He usually just drops case files off at their desks and tells them to get to work. Sometimes he calls Castiel and Charlie in for a quick debriefing, but that's usually because he likes to talk to his brother. He can't make time to do that for everyone, so this must be important.

"I don't know if you've heard," Michael says, "but the Bloody Valentine killer is on the loose."

Charlie gives a minute nod. She has cable and she has WiFi. They'd have to be living under a rock not to know by now.

"I have been discussing this with the president," Michael says, "and we've both agreed that you three are best equipped to handle this case."

"Why?" Charlie asks before she can stop herself. With Cas here, she wouldn't mind asking questions, but this feels a little more formal without him by her side.

Michael, fortunately, doesn't seem phased by the question. "Partially because you all have fantastic closure rates, and we need our best men on this if we want to prevent another string of murders." He looks at Charlie as he adds, "And partially because Castiel Novak is the only living member of the original team that went after this guy. He's 'on vacation,' but technically, I'm assigning both of you this case so he can legally know all the details." Michael does finger quotes around the words "on vacation," which Charlie takes to mean Castiel wasn't joking when he said there are fun vacations and not fun vacations, and that this is the latter.

"So he's working the case from home?" Charlie asks, confused. What type of vacation is that?

"He's just there to answer any important questions you may have," Michael says. "If you want to talk to him, you talk to me first."

Charlie nods once. "Yes, sir." Hopefully this doesn't include talking to him as a friend, though, because she's definitely texting him as soon as she's out of here.

Michael explains what's happening now, and what happens next. Currently, every officer in a 50 miles radius of Pelican Bay is on high alert looking. His picture has been sent to every airport, and the president himself has asked people to be on the lookout. If anyone finds him or his victims, these three will be the first to know. Until then, they're off to California, right at ground zero. That's where they think they'll find him, and they need to be nearby when it happens.

"Tran, Harvelle, you're dismissed," Michael says. "Bradbury, stay here for a minute."

Charlie glances at her new partners warily, but they leave the moment they're told they can. No one wants to be in Michael Novak's office longer than they have to be, with the possible exception of Cas. Now it's just the two of them, and Charlie would honestly rather face a serial killer. She'd been trained for that, but the only training she got when it comes to her superiors is "Don't screw up."

"Yes, sir?" Charlie says, hoping to god that he can't tell how uncomfortable this is. Usually it's Castiel sticking behind after Michael drags them in. This is much less comfortable.

But with the other two gone, Michael stops looking so officially, and now he looks as wary as Charlie feels. "You and Castiel are friends, right?"

"Yes?" Charlie says uncertainly. God, that's not where she thought this was going to go at all.

"And has he told you anything about the Bloody Valentine killer?"

"No, sir," Charlie says immediately. "Nothing that wasn't released to the press."

Michael shakes his head. "I'm not talking about the rules, Charlie. I'm asking a genuine question. Has he talked to you about the Bloody Valentine killer?"

She's not entirely sure what answer he's looking for, so she has to go with the truth. "He has."

"So you know that this man has been infatuated by him for years?" Michael asks.

"I do," she says.

"Good," Michael says, much to her surprise. "Then you know as well as I do that he might come back for him."

Charlie pauses. She hadn't even thought of that. Sure, she knows the dude used to call Cas all the time, but is he that obsessed? Although, if she's being completely honest with herself, Castiel visited the guy three times in the first year of their partnership. That was kind of asking for trouble.

"Castiel wants nothing to do with any of this," Michael says. "I meant it when I said you need to talk to me first before you talk to him about any of this. I don't want to get him involved at all. He is a last resort."

"Yes, sir." He already said all of this. Why the hell is he repeating it again?

"And that includes your cell phone," Michael says. "You cannot give him a single update. You cannot tell him you are on this case at all."

"What? Why?" Charlie asks, and she knows she shouldn't be questioning authority — especially when said authority is the highest ranking official in the Bureau and also being very, very serious — but this just seems like excessive security, especially when Castiel is technically on this case too. How would it be breaking any rules to discuss a case with her partner?

"Because he would kill me."

Charlie fights back a laugh. Michael Novak, one of the most important people in the country with more pull than just about anyone, is afraid of his little brother? That is priceless.

"Don't give me that look," Michael says. "Dean Winchester has single-handedly ruined Castiel's life. He almost cost him — cost both of us — our little sister. Twice. If he finds out I sent his partner after this guy..."

Charlie presses her lips in a firm line. So maybe that wasn't as funny as she had thought. She knows exactly what Michael's talking about. Castiel had said that Anna was never the same after that attack. Castiel had to invite her to move in with her after about four years so she wouldn't call him in the middle of the night because she had a nightmare or she thought she heard footsteps or she just didn't want to be alone. Everyone had thought it would get better, and it never did. And then, just over a year ago, she'd tried to end it all. If Castiel hadn't flown home early...

So Charlie really understands what he's talking about, and she really does sympathize. "Don't worry, sir. Castiel won't hear a thing."

"Thank you," Michael says with a small smile. "You are single-handedly saving Novak family dinners."

Charlie can't help but laugh. Michael never cracks jokes. She likes this version of him.

"Now go," Michael says. "You've got a plane to catch."