REVIVE ▸ d. winchester [2] ✔

Chapter 30

A soft darkness flows throughout the hallways of the bunker, providing a calming hue to the only man inside the expansive structure. Bobby sits alone in the kitchen, leaning back in a chair with a beer in his hands and his feet placed heavily on the ground front of him. With his eyes glued carelessly to a television mounted on the wall, he takes his first opportunity in a long time to relax- or at least relax to the best of his ability. 

They had failed in their goal of killing Azrael, losing him to the wind and misplacing Dean in the process. But with word of Dean's somewhat healthy state in a hospital and with Sam on his way to retrieve the lost brother, Bobby found himself capable of breathing easy again. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders, something he was grateful for despite the remaining stress.

So he turned on the television to a news channel and cracked open a beer, enjoying the silence that was sure to be short lived. He hardly paid the tv channel any attention, though, instead zoning out the news anchor's words and becoming swamped in his own thoughts. He couldn't help but do so, and until he was dragged out of his mind by the entrance of another into the kitchen, he stayed quiet, unmoving. 

"Bobby, I didn't expect to find you here."

Castiel slowly walks through the entryway, approaching Bobby as the man breaks free of his thoughts. 

"Cas, what a surprise."

Castiel gives a small shrug, then glances around the rest of the space. "I'm here to see if Sam and Dean are back. I gather they aren't."

Bobby sits up straighter in his chair, adjusting his position as he sets down his half finished beer. "No, they're not. But they should be back any minute, I suspect. Take a seat, stay a while," Bobby offers, pushing out the chair across from him with the toe of his shoe. 

Cas accepts Bobby's offer, willing to wait for the Winchesters' arrival. After all, in addition to wanting to ensure Dean's well being and to receive an explanation of his whereabouts the past few days, he had his own bit of information to share. Information that, in the light of recent events, would change everything. 

"Everything good?" Bobby asks once Castiel shifts in his own chair. The older man looks out from beneath his baseball cap, studying the angel's face for an answer.

"Relatively," Castiel responds with a short nod. "The other angels are still looking for other Hands of God. I'm not sure how successful that will be considering Azrael most likely has other Chimeras in his ranks that we don't know about, and they'll be out in search of the artifacts, too. But, what else can we do."

The angel's blatant answer and lack of confidence doesn't go over Bobby's head. The hunter lightly shakes his head, refusing to accept such a pessimistic status report. Bobby is well aware of their odds and the difficulty of their task, but he didn't think this was their only possible course of action. 

"Those Chimeras didn't seem to be much of a force... I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. If we get our hunters out there, out there killing 'em just as we did just a few days ago, then that at least solves that issue." Bobby takes a sip of his beer after offering his own opinion. "Azrael can't build his ranks if we tear them down."

"I suppose you're right." Castiel doesn't say anything more despite having the weight of a new discovery on his shoulders. He didn't want to say anything until both Winchesters were present, but he was sure that if Bobby knew what he did, the hunter wouldn't be so optimistic. 

Cas is caught off guard by a bark echoing through the bunker, its deep tone reaching the kitchen and causing both Bobby and the angel to look towards the doorway. Castiel, assuming the bark had come from Zeke, stays in his chair, surprised at the dog's presence. Bobby, on the other hand, stands and leaves his beer behind as he heads for the door. "They're back," he offers as an explanation before disappearing around the corner and following the distant barking.