呃，用英文。 广大人民群众看见啥词儿拼错了，语法错了，不吝赐教，多谢多谢。 
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Part I. First Night
The thing about Jared, Jensen decided while watching the meeting with a Mr. J. D. Morgan went down the drain fast and furious, was that he didn't see the point of tactics. It wasn't that Jared thought himself above strategies and 'crap like that', to borrow a phrase from the man. 'Why bother?' was an honest question from him. It was really just that Jared was the simple kind of man, who liked his women busty, his whisky straight and his problems solved the simplest way possible, which, most times, meant the town streets got a bunch of corpses for decoration for a few days or weeks.
It was a miracle that he was still alive, the way he pissed off powerful people like J. D. Morgan left and right. It was one of those unsolvable mystery how he made it to a place where Mr. Morgan had to come to talk to him, waited in the waiting room and all, when the old boss wanted a certain small time crook who was believed to be hiding out in Jared's territory.
Then again, Jared was a force of nature if Jensen had ever seen one, like hurricane, or a tsunami, or a volcano. Destructive and unstoppable, leaving wreckage of whatever that was in his wake. Somehow over the years, he ended up with an office decorated with the gaudiest taste money can buy, loaded with luxury but comfy furniture and essentials like huge flat screen TV hooked up with both a PS3 and an xBox. And owning half of the town. And gaining grounds.
Jensen considered all this from the corner of the big soft white genuine leather coach he currently sprawled on. It was a big room, big and bright, lighted with fancy lights that has real crystal hangings that reflected colorful spots all over the room. So much stepped up from where they started, a small room smelt of wet dog and dirty laundry, yet felt right, somehow.
Jared didn't change much though, he still had that disarming smile that was warm and toothy and dimply. Your regular friendly street punk kid, who was able to dish out violence and death at the drop of a hat. Jensen was happy, though, that Jared had ditched most of those pinkish shirts with weird printed parsley patterns that he was so fond of back when they first met. Now he settled on plaid shirts and designer jeans, looking like a kid playing house sitting behind a huge mahogany desk talking with Morgan in impeccable dark suite, which was, no doubt, tailored for him by someone across the ocean, no less.
Jared shook his head and said to Morgan apologetically, all sincere and earnest, 'Sorry, man, you know me, I always take care of me and mine. I can't do that.' Morgan smiled, breathed in deep and breathed out slow, used his most reasonable voice: 'Come on, son, we know that he is hiding out in that whore house of yours.... seriously, Jared, Gabe is scum, he is not worth it.'
Jensen felt all his hair stood up at that soft reasoning tone, especially he knew that everybody knew how Jared always lost it when someone called him 'son'. He saw a flash out of Chad's half-hooded eyes. Never let it be said that Jared's second in command was not shrewd, despite the douche-baggy way he acted and the bling-bling gangster fashion style he sported.
Jared checked his temper this time though. He shrugged, kept his smile in place, though it took on a sharp edge, nodded and said: 'Yeah, you are right, Gabe is the scummest scum out there, but he is my scum.' Jensen raised half an eyebrow at Chad, question in his eyes 'since when is Gabe his scum?'; Chad looked surprised too, but did his lip shrug move and went back to looking bored and listening to whatever rap his iPod was blasting, in stead of every single word said in the room.
Morgan rose to his feet by way of concluding this meeting, said: 'This is regrettable.' Jared stood up from his leather chair too, answered: 'Yeah, regrettable, very.' They smiled at each other like two sharks. Then Morgan left.
The silence in the office was so loud that it was deafening, then Chad muttered: 'Shit.' Jensen rolled his eyes, finally asked Jared: 'Dude, really? We seriously are going to war over... Gabe?' Jared gave him a half-hearted smile, said: 'Well, they want a war, they get a war. You think it matters how it starts?' Chad made a face as if he wanted to say not over Gabe, then he shrugged, said in stead: 'Yeah, the man got a point. It's been quiet for a while. They ain't happy about us, ya know, expanding our biz venues.'
Jared nodded his agreement enthusiastically, smiled big at Jensen, happy and innocent.
Jensen didn't buy it for a second. Something was up.
***
When Jensen got back to his place later that night, a little drunk and quite high, he was definitely not prepared for a fist connecting with his jaws right after he staggered out of the elevator. Then a couple more hits landed in his stomach before even the first shock set in. He crumpled to the floor, muttered to himself: 'Crap! Fucking debt collectors.' then out loud to the hallway, 'Aw Paulie, don't be like that. You kill me, you ain't getting a penny of your money back. Even a moron like you should know that.'
The answer was not angry yells from Paulie, but quiet voice from an amused Misha:'You know, I don't think insulting anybody is going to get you any favours.'
Jensen found the wall with his butt, hugging his stomach, righted himself slowly, then greeted the man: 'What are you doing here?'
Misha's lips twisted into a little smirk, he said calmly: 'To inform you that you don't owe Paulie anything as of tonight.' Misha was the right hand man of J. D. Morgan, like J. D. Morgan, he was dressed in suit and tie. Unlike Morgan, whose attire was always impeccable, his tie somehow always managed to be askew and the suit just a half size not fitting on him.
'So that's where you went, to buy off my debt from Paulie....' Jensen nodded to himself, added, 'Well, please do fucking tell Mr. Morgan, I will get his money to him. I am an honest gambler, everybody knows that....' Then something struck, he asked: 'Huh, Paulie never sells any debt, he is like a bulldog or something, how did you get him to sell?'
Misha made a barely there eye-roll and minimum air quote: 'Mr. Morgan made him an offer that he cannot refuse.'
Jensen barked out a laugh, said: 'You guys taking mobster101 from Godfather the movie?' he shook his head, 'God, I don't believe your people. Well, please be so kind as to inform Mr. Morgan that I will make good on my debts.'
'Well, you don't have to worry about your debt.' Misha's voice was level, bored.
'How so?' the second time of the night, Jensen felt his hair raise.
'Just that..... Mr. Morgan likes you in case you haven't noticed.' Misha said, considering him with coolly measuring eyes, asked with real curiosity, 'Why do you run with those punk kids anyways?‘
Jensen laughed a little to himself, ain't that the million dollar question he didn’t have answer to. After graduating college, he told his folks that he was going to see the world before settling down. He kissed his mama, shook his fathers hands, gave his sister a tight hug and slapped his brother on the shoulder, then he started driving. His drifting didn't have a system, but he had planned to go from the east coast to the west coast, then from south to north, after that, Alaska and Hawaii.
This town was supposed to be a one-night stop, up until the point when Jared cut through an angry mob and barged into his life. That fateful night, Jensen played poker with local people and won their bi-weekly wages. Never a graceful winner, he pissed off the guys. When he came out of the bar, there was a mob of close to twenty very angry man waiting. Jensen took the mob on with a crazy laugh, he was almost mulled to the ground when the crowd broke and grown men ran like the devil was on their tails, then he saw Jared, crazy hair and crazier grin, white T-shirt bloody, a few cuts in his face dribbling blood. Jared had asked him: 'Ya wanna hang around with us?' Jensen had said al'right and that was that. Now, it was almost 10 years later. He had hang around a kid with crazy hair and ridiculous shirts for almost 10 years now. It was getting dangerously close to settling down.
He told Misha: 'I will get back to you on that. What does Morgan want?'
'Gabe.' Misha said quietly, as if he was not sure that was really what they wanted.
Jensen sighed, 'I am not his keeper. Don't you know already where he is?'
Misha shrugged, 'Ah well. You were at the meeting, so you know.....'
'Yeah yeah yeah, What? Morgan wants me to feed him information? over my fucking gambling debt? Ain't that cheap.' Jensen felt mildly insulted.
'We want Gabe.' Misha repeated without much conviction.
'Fucking ain't got him.'
'Well, you can lure him out in the open, then we call us even.' Misha proposed almost as an after thought.
'Ain't happening. Shit. He is......' Jensen couldn't resist making an air quote of his own, 'our scum.'
Misha almost smiled, but he didn't. He gave Jensen a final intense stare, nodded at his goons and left.
***
The moment Jensen stepped into his apartment, he knew someone was in there. The bedroom door was half-closed, while he knew he left it open. Besides there was this telltale undertone of perfume mixed in the night air. Jensen always kept his windows open when he could, he liked the fresh air, especially now that it was almost summer.
He went to his fridge, grabbed the bottle of vodka, strawberry flavoured, poured himself one, and asked without looking for the guest, 'Should I pour you one too?' He heard clothes rustling before a rich melodic female voice answered 'You know it's weird to keep your vodka in the fridge, right?'
'That a yes?'
'Sure, why not.' the voice was musical, almost siren song.
Jensen got another tumbler out and filled it to the brink. He didn't hear the heels click, because this woman moved like a cat, but she was there by the time he was done pouring. Jensen tossed his back, but before he could swallow, red red lips were on his, and clever tongue worked its way into his mouth and sucked out his drink. The woman pulled back first, huge green eyes sparkling, smiled rather smugly at him, 'You know I always like it better this way.'
'Jeez, Carla.' was all that Jensen could manage, he grabbed her tiny waist, slotted her body into his. Then they kissed, deep and dirty, as if they wanted to devour each other right then and there. The next thing Jensen knew, his pants were down, Carla's dress was up, her long legs wrapped around him, and him deep inside her, trying to get deeper still. Their lips never parted, getting their tongue down the other's throat apparently more important than breathing.
They came up for air only after their orgasms. Jensen rolled away from Carla, panting and wondering how they made it to the bed. Carla said breathlessly 'God, I needed that.'
'Bad day?' Jensen put his hands on her cool smooth thigh almost tenderly.
'Try bad life.' Carla huffed a bitter laugh, 'I am going to have a smoke, if you don't mind.' She sat up and lighted up without waiting for Jensen to agree or disagree.
Jensen laughed, running a hand up and down her thigh.
'Yeah, bad day, spectacularly bad day.' Carla picked up the conversation after inhaled half a cigarette with one long drag, 'Gabe is missing.'
'That is good all around.' Jensen couldn't even pretend to care.
'He is going to get killed. Morgan is after him for something.' Carla said in her low, worried, quietly pleading voice, the one she used to move mountains.
'Well, even better.' Jensen was harder to move than a mountain.
Carla sounded rather tired when she said, 'He's my brother, Jen, I can't let him get killed.' She was really pleading with him now, none of those melodramatic gestures.
Jensen snorted, unimpressed, 'Of course you can. He is your pimp, for fuck's sake.'
Carla slapped him, hard, hissed 'He is my brother.'
Jensen rubbed his cheek, sighed, 'Fine, he's your brother. So? What's it to me?'
Carla would have slapped him again if he didn't caught her hand. Then she was gone in a wind of impotent fury that smelt like summer flowers.
Part II The Next Day
Jensen woke to the sound of someone moving around in his living quarters. This someone walked quietly, but not deliberately so. Jensen figured whoever wanted to hurt him wouldn't be tooling around in his kitchen, apparently messing with his coffee machine, but he got his gun from the night stand anyway and walked cautiously to the door.
Jared was digging, really digging into his fridge, ass up in the air and head buried deep inside. Jensen relaxed his gun hand, thought about going back to bed. But Jared had heard him, no matter Jensen was barefooted and making minimum sound. He said without pulling his head out of the fridge 'Man, you know it's weird to have vodka in your fridge, and....pretty much nothing else, right?' He gave the vodka a better look, and laughed a little, 'Girl vodka at that. Man!'
Jensen was hit with a such a strong sense of déjà vu that he was at lost for words for a second, then he grumbled, 'There are stuff in there too!' He tossed his gun on his bed, walked up to the fridge and pushed Jared out of the way and found his milk carton.
Jared looked suspiciously at it and asked dubiously 'That's not yogurt yet?' Jensen flipped him off while took a swig from it. Definitely not yogurt yet, well on its way, though. He made a face, and threw the thing into the garbage can. Jared laughed. He was in a V-neck T-shirt that revealed too much of his chest, artfully faded jeans with designer holes and a pair of old sneakers. He looked like a kid a couple years out of college, Jensen marvelled again, rather than a crime boss.
'You woke me up this early to make me breakfast?' He asked, grumpy.
Jared's grin was way too bright this early, he said 'Well, sorry that I had to disrupt your beauty sleep. But, it started.'
'What started？' Jensen hadn't quite woken up yet.
'Hmm, the war...' this time Jared made an air quote, 'with Morgan.'
'What?!' Jensen was awake in less than a split second. 'Come again? We just had that meeting last night!'
Jared shrugged like it was nothing, said 'It's a long time coming.' then he got serious, said to Jensen 'Stan was shot last night. We are going mattress.'
Jensen rolled his eyes, mumbled 'Going mattress? Going mattress? Who even says that?! You seriously do study the Godfather for being a mobster?'
Jared laughed again, carefree, continued 'Are you coming with? to the safe house? Hide out?'
Jensen shook his head no, explained 'Morgan wants your ass dead. He wants my ass working for him or something. Misha stopped by last night, told me Morgan bought off my debt off Paulie.'
Jared nodded, pointing to his cheek, asked 'That from Misha?'
Right then, his coffee machine beeped. Jensen evaded answering and got himself a mug. That scratch on his cheek was from Carla, when she slapped him with her heavily ringed hand. But Jared didn't need to know that, he went on as if Jared did not ask the question, 'So, I think I am safe, from Morgan anyways.' He took a sip of the coffee and sighed with contentment, a sense of rightness of the world.
Jared was quite the genius when it comes to morning foods, coffee, pancakes, scrambled eggs and what not. For the longest time, everybody, Jared included, had believed that he was taking over their family diner, the one his father started and finally paid off. Then the old old boss decided to run his father out of business because he wanted the diner prime location. Old man Padalecki was a stubborn man, and the old old boss employed some rather harsh way of persuasion. Old man Padalecki died of heart failure after he was viciously attacked. Young Jared played predator until the old old boss died of his own heart failure, caused by a puncture wound through the heart. The punk kid became the new force. Jensen was a witness and conspirator to it all. He knew of the violence and power that lied just under the surface. It fascinated him.
Jared said 'You know, you should have let me settle the debt with Paulie.'
Jensen returned rather curtly 'I settle my own debts.'
Jared raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, said 'Fine, fine.' He sighed like an old woman about his friend's stubbornness, then as if something hit, said 'It's good that you'll hang around here. You can keep an eye on Carla.'
Jensen stared at Jared blankly. Jared laughed, went on to explain, 'I put Stan on protection detail, you know, he was not much good for anything else.' Jensen nodded. Stan used to be on the police force, made detective for half a year when Morgan decided the police force needed a lesson as to who really was the boss. Stan was just important enough but not too important to be the lesson. After the whole thing fall through, Jared took him in like the two stray dogs he had, and Stan had been more loyal than those dogs.
'OK, so Carla needs protection, why?'
There was a faint blush creeping up Jared's cheek, he turned to look out of the window, then turned back, resolutely pulled a small velvet looking box out of the back pocket of his jeans, handed it over to Jensen, asking 'Uhm, you know more about this stuff, you think this is good for an engagement ring?' It was so cute to see Jared acting all shy and not sure of himself.
Jensen opened the box, where a sparkling diamond ring snuggled tightly in the holder. It was a beautiful thing. Expensive too. He whistled.
Jared looked at him hopefully, asked, 'This is good, right? She'd say yes, right?'
Jensen sighed, pushed the box back into Jared's hand, said 'Jared, if the girl is going to say yes, she'd say yes if you put a pebble on a soda can ring.' Then something clicked, Jensen cursed himself for not putting two and two together faster, he said, incredulously, 'You are shitting me! You are going to propose to Carla?! That why Gabe is our scum now?'
Jared was calm, too calm, when he asked, 'Uhm, yeah, and why shouldn't I?' Jensen knew this calm, it was the calm of the eye of the storm, he knew he should stop insulting Carla, now Jared's fiancee, but he was burning with a rage out of nowhere, a rage he didn't understand.
'She is a whore! for starters!' Jensen yelled at him, then snarled 'You should know, she works in your whore house!'
'Hey, I own the whore house, you works there, sometime. Hi, kettle, meet pot?' Jared answered rather mildly, apparently puzzled by Jensen's sudden outburst of true anger, 'and what is it to you? I know you two fuck, but it's not like you like her, is it?' He looked at Jensen curiously, studying him.
Jensen deflated just like that, suddenly he felt his old frustration, the one that kept him driving all those years ago, seeping back. He rubbed his face a few times to clear his head a little, then tried to reason again, 'She is playing an angle, Jared, she is.'
'Everybody is playing an angle.' Jared said matter-of-factly, like he never expected anything more from anybody. Jensen wanted to weep all a sudden. Then Jared huffed a little laugh, gave him a mischievous grin, added 'Well, everybody except maybe you. What's your angle? You know, I am starting to think you hang around because you like me...' Jared said with a leer, ran his tongue over his lips, and tried on his seductive act, 'you know, I can...'
'Finish that sentence and I will cut off your dick, your little prick!' Jensen had heard his share of pretty boy jokes, from Jared nonetheless.
'Oh, but there is nothing little about my prick.' Jared nodded at him, hiding a smile, winked at him and gave him the eyes.
Jensen sighed, surrendering, remembering all to well how Jared got his way every single fucking time, including this one, he said, 'OK, OK, OK, I will look after your whore house...' seeing Jared's pointed look, he added, 'and Carla.'
'Especially Carla.' Jared stretched while yawning, 'I am going to ask her after this whole thing goes down, if I don't die.'
'You are serious about getting married? What for? You can, you know, fuck her whenever you want, if you wanna be her exclusive, that's easy too.' Although Jensen was a few years older than Jared, the idea of marriage seemed to him so far away on the horizon, it confused him that someone younger than he was wanted to get married.
Jared considered him, answered seriously, 'Ah well, I am turning 29, time to be a responsible adult, get married, got a wife, birth kids, yada yada yada, picket fences and all that shit.' He did not sound too excited about the prospect.
Jensen shook his head in wonder, asked incredulously 'What? Let me get this straight, so you are going to marry Carla, a prostitute in your own whore house, just because it's time?!'
Jared laughed, said 'Well, it does sound silly if you put it this way. But, my dad, when he was 28, my brother was, like 3, already. So, I really should, you know, start...' Jared waved a hand, continued, 'I do care about Carla, and I don't want my babies ever get called bastard, ya know, so yeah, I am going to make it legal.'
Jensen rubbed his eyes again, this was getting familiar. He tried again, feebly, 'But do you have to marry a whore?'
'Do you have to use that word?' Jared looked at him, annoyed.
'Hey, I call a spade a spade.' this comeback was easy, 'Jared, man, you know half of the girls in this town will jump at the chance of being Mrs. Padalecki.'
'Yeah, I know.' Jared got that pinched look, he let out a heavy sigh, not looking at Jensen, explained 'But, I need someone who knows the deal, right? It's not like I'mma gonna just fuck one person from now on out, and I need someone who won't turn on me 'cause I have killed and might kill more people and calls me evil, like she hasn't been living off on all that blood money I brought home.'
Jensen muttered, only half to himself, 'God, seriously, your people in this town, you have a mobster reading group on the Godfather? Man!'
Jared laughed easy and happy at that.
**
Jensen made his way to the gentlemen's club shortly before dark. By then the gun shots rang throughout the town the whole day had died down a little. The civilian part of the town people took the war in remembered practice: streets were deserted, kids were herded inside and all the curtains and shades and shutters were closed.
Carla opened the door for him even before he knocked. He walked in, the girls were all hushed, wide-eyed and white-faced. He gave them a reassuring smile, said, 'Don't worry, nobody will do anything to your girls. We all like you way too much.'
Carla answered coolly for them all: 'Thank you, that makes everything so much better.' Then she dragged him into an empty room, closed the door, her eyes huge and pleading, looking at him. She was worried for different reasons. He sighed, asked 'You want me to find Gabe?' Carla nodded, 'Can you? Please. You have to, I don't have anybody else. Gabe called, and he he.... he is in so much trouble.'
Jensen asked idly, 'What do you mean you don't have anybody else? You can always ask Jared.'
'No, I can't.' Carla sounded so desperate, almost despair.
'Why not? You know Jared got in this war over Gabe, 'cause he is his scum now. And Gabe is Jared's scum 'cause of you.' He pointed his finger at her nose playfully.
'That's exactly why I can't ask him. Don't you get it? Whatever it is, Gabe is scheming with Morgan, before it went bad anyways. I might be a whore, but, I won't use Jared like that, I can't.' Carla said .
Jensen looked at her, really looked, asked her: 'You know Jared is going to ask you to marry him.'
'Yeah, So?' She didn't sound surprised, she didn't sound excited, she sounded tired and sad.
'So you don't need Gabe.'
'You are a cold bastard, aren't you.' Carla cursed without much heat, 'He is my brother, we grew up together, in this whole wild world, only us shared the same last name.'
'You won't be, not for long. You are gonna be a Padalecki.'
'What does that matter? He is still my brother, we are blood. Even you don't need me to explain blood to you, do you?'
It was more the resignation in her voice that made Jensen said to her, 'I am not going to go around the town looking for him. Works better if you tell him to find me. I am sure you have his cell or something,'
He turned and left.
****
Part 3 The 3rd day and night and the aftermath
Jensen dutifully made his round in the morning, to look after Jared's property. It was bad. Somehow he was sure that Morgan's side of town looked worse.
This time it wasn't Carla who let him in the house. The petite red head who opened the door for him led him to Carla's room, not that he needed the direction. A cloud of blue smoke rushed out when the door opened. Jensen walked in, coughed, said 'Jeez, how long have you been at it?'
Carla's voice was jagged like an old woman, but no less musical, she said by way of explanation 'It calms me.' She sounded tired and defeated. It was then that Jensen noticed that she was not wearing make-up, her face was pale and her eyes dark. She looked more naked than when she was actually naked. For a split second, Jensen wondered whether Jared ever seen her like this, whether she'd let Jared see her like this, vulnerable, her inner constellation laid bare. Then he remembered Jared had always been good at seeing people, he wondered whether this was what Jared saw.
'You know I always had this dream, nightmare.' Carla said in a faraway tone, 'We used to live on a street where there was this dog, it was mean, and it always chased me. I always dream about it. Running from the dog. I'd be so scared when I woke up, then I'd go find Gabe. He'd hold me, and tell me it's just a dream, the dog was dead, he killed it, dead, and everything's fine.' Carla laughed a little laugh, continued, 'It's bullshit. I know it's bullshit. But I need to hear that bullshit.' She drew in another half of ciggarette, continued 'Oh, don't think I don't know, know that Gabe's next big scheme is going to land us in a bigger mess. I know. Too well. Just, I need him alive, telling me it's ok, the dog is dead.' She turned her eyes to Jensen, dark and glistening, whispered, 'I need him to be alive.'
Jensen nodded, told her 'I will keep him alive. Promise.'
***
Some time around noon, Jensen got a call from Jared, asking him to come pick him up at his old house later that night. Jensen was surprised, they'd scouted out a safehouse for Jared and his people to crash, he asked 'Didn't you gone mattress?' Jared laughed and told him, 'I have to go get my dogs. Chad should pick me up, but, ya'know, he's busy.' Chad was crashing in another safehouse. It was the smart thing to do. Jensen laughed too, it was hard not to laugh, said 'You and your mutts.'
He passed the rest of the day hiding out, more or less, in his own apartment. The gunfire was turning sporatic, like they were waiting for a chance of that killing strike.
****
Jensen was on his way to Jared's house when he saw the flame in the direction. He floored the gas pedal and got there when the fire got on in earnest. Jensen was out of the car even before he put it on park, yelling for Jared, not caring he could be shot at going in like that. He saw the two dogs milling around, agitated, when he got to the front yard. They let out a whine that sounded like a cry, and nudged at his hands.
For a sickening moment, Jensen thought somebody got Jared. Then, he saw someone walking out from all that smoke and flames, skin gleaming from sweat, like some hero out of the saga of Homer. It was Jared, wearing only a used-to-be white wife beater and sweat pants, bare-footed. His hair a crazy mess. Only then did Jensen realize how much Jared's hair had tamed over the years.
A flood of relief washed over him, so much so that he felt light-headed. Then he took in Jared's outfit, asked 'What happened?' Jared had this crazy grin in place, said 'I was showering, then Sadie and Harley here,' the two dogs abondoned Jensen in favor of crowing Jared, Jared scratched their ears and continued, 'came barking at the bathroom door. Soon as I turned off the water, I heard people, so I got out from the window and the fire started.'
'Morgan's people?' Jensen asked, kind of dumbly.
'No, my long-lost uncle got rich and wants me to inherit his fortune.That's his man calling.' Jared gave him a sharp look, 'Of course Morgan's people. Six of them. Who else would it be?'
Before Jensen could come up with a smart retort, Chad's car screeched to stop in front of the yard. He flew out, not squinting for once, yelling 'Jared! Ja-red!' Jared waved at him, said 'Here, here. I am fine.'
The three of them stood there watching the house burn. Chad was stressed and pissed. He glared at Jensen, and asked Jared 'How did those fucker know you are gonna be here? Who else know?'
Jared shrugged, trying to palcate him, said rather nonchalantly 'Shit happens. Morgan is not stupid, he started it with a plan. He might have this place watched or something, who knows.'
Chad shook his head, firmly, said 'No, no way, you haven't been back here for ever. Nobody even knows about this place anymore.'
Jared shrugged again, universal gesture of how the fuck should I know.
Chad was glaring daggers at Jensen, couldn't help but accused 'I heard Morgan bought all of your debt.'
Jared spoke before Jensen even opened his mouth. He said 'Chad. ' Just the name, but full of meaning and warning, then he added 'It's Jensen.'
Jensen's brain was working overdrive, and suddenly it hit him. He asked Jared 'You had company?'
Jared shook his head at him, confident, 'It's not her.'
'Then who?!' Jensen felt his anger rose up fast in his chest, 'How do you know it's not her, she wants Gabe alive, she traded information. Told you she is playing an angle!'
Jared turned to look at him, dead calm, said 'I know it's not you, that's how I know it's not her.' he paused, eyes turned back to the fire, then said 'if I were wrong, I deserve whatever I got. But I am not.'
Chad snorted. Jensen didn't have anything to say to that.
****
Jensen was not completely surprised to find Gabe sitting on the floor right outside his door, apparently waiting for him. He struggled to to his feet, seeing Jensen coming close. Jensen opened his door and waved Gabe inside, asked 'What are you doing sitting outside? You know Morgan's people stop by, you'd be so dead if they see you.' Jensen was surprised that he sounded like he cared. He didn't.
'Man, you'd shoot me so fast, if I was in there.' Gabe explained, somewhat relieved by Jensen's remark. Gabe talked fast, like he expected people to cut him off mid-sentences, so he tried his best to get all his words out as soon as he opened his mouth.
Gabe was, once upon a time, handsome. Jensen knew because he had seen a picture of him with Carla, one that Carla kept in her wallet. It was yellowed by time, crinkled at the edges, cherished by a woman fiercely. In that picture, Gabe was just over 20 and Carla a couple years shy, both still hadn't lost all the innocence despite the harsh life they had led. Their eyes had sparkles of hope and softness of the youth. Nowadays, though, Gabe took on a distinct look of alley rats, greedy and hungry, jittery all the time.
Jensen nodded slightly, the guy had a point.
Gabe started to babble when Jensen started to move around the apartment, loosing his boots, getting comfortable. His words slurred and jumbled together, hard to make out anything that he was trying to say. Jensen had seen Gabe scared, because the guy always always managed to get on the wrong side of some big shot, but he had never seen him so scared, like he knew his days were numbered and death was imminent. Jensen couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for him. He got up and poured something strong, pushed the tumbler into Gabe's hand, said 'Drink up.' Gabe gulped it down, and finally finally started talking sense.
'You have to get me out of here. You have to.'
'Why's that?' The pity was gone instantly, all Jensen felt was irritation.
'Carla said you'd help me. You would, wouldn't you.' Gabe was all nerves and jumpy, eyes wide and crazy, he continued almost smugly with a crooked grin that Jensen had to suppress the urge to knock off his face, 'Besides, I saved you, you know.'
'You saved me? When? How?' Jensen was more curious than he cared to admit.
'Just the other day, I was following Carla, I saw her get into your building. I know she got a thing for you. Ya'now, carrying a torch for you or something. Then I saw Stan, tailing her. So I shot him, so that words doesn't get around to your boss that you are banging his girl.'
Jensen was speechless for a second. This war started because Stan was shot, and Jared assumed that Morgan's men shot him. Then the realization hit him like a thunder bolt. He asked carefully, slowly, 'You were following Carla around these days?'
Gabe shrugged, eyes shifty, tried to go for light, 'Yeah, sure, why not.'
Jensen lowered his voice, 'Don't lie to me, or I will shoot you right where you stand.' He was serious too, his gun was out and pointing at Gabe's midsection
Gabe paled, words flowing out in a rush, 'No, I didn't follow Carla, not in person. I was tracking her cell, GPS, thing, ya know, on a computer. She is my sister, I have to look after her. Always. I gotta know where she is at, that she is safe.'
Jensen didn't relent, gun pointed at the dead center of Gabe's chest. Gabe went down on his knees, honest to God tears streaking out, he clasped his hands in front of his face as if praying, begged, 'Don't kill me, please please please, I don't wanna die. Who is to look after Carla, my baby sister, when I am gone? She has nightmares, you know. I have to look after Carla, I have to, who else is going to do it? Who? I can't die, I can't, please please, please.... Carla said you promised, you promised her, you promised...'
It took all two seconds for Jensen to decide what to do. He said 'Fine, get up. I promised Carla that I'd get you outta here in one piece. I will get you outta here in one piece. Let's go. Now.' He cut short of Gabe's gushing gratitude with a hard shove, and they were on their way out.
****
They drove out of the town with the headlights off, the moon was bright enough though and there was practically nobody on the road. Gabe started to relax as soon as they went past the town line. He finally stopped peering into the rear-view mirror every other second and sunk back into his seat, sighed heavily, his dirty little smirk made a reappearance.
Then the car made some weird sputtering noise a couple miles out of town, Gabe went tense instantaneously, he sat up and asked nervously 'What's that?'
'Crap..... I was going to take the car in for a tune up. It's leaking engine oil.' Jensen said, tense too. He kept on driving though, in a litany of Gabe's muttered 'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.' A few more miles down the road, the sputtering sound became clanking noise, then the engine died.
Jensen got out of the car, gave it a good kick, then gestured Gabe to come out, raised his voice impatiently when Gabe didn't comply, 'Come on, we need to hide the car.' Gabe got out only because he did not have a choice, his eyes shiftier if that was even possible, sending furtive glances up and down the road. He licked his lips nervously, asked 'Why?' Jensen rolled his eyes, told him 'If you want whoever happens to pass by to take a shot at you, fine by me. I don't know why I am saving your ass in the first place.'
Gabe grunted unhappily, but started pushing. They got the car well into the trees and hid it well. Gabe was looking left and right as if figuring a way out, and right then Jensen asked quite conversationally 'Why did you sell out Jared?'
Gabe froze, eyes went wide in surprise, disbelief, desperation and above all, the realization that he was about to die. That moment of silence was all Jensen needed, what he'd call a moment of truth, he could almost feel sympathy for the guy. Only he didn't.
Then Gabe's gear kicked back, he sputtered, 'No, I didn't, man, you know I didn't, why would I?'
'Stop lying to me. You sold out Jared, only he didn't die and now you are running for your pathetic life.' Jensen said with disgust, more talking it out than trying to get a confession, 'It was a trap, that thing of you with Morgan. For what? Your last scheme? You owe Morgan a lot of money? You followed Carla, more likely, you tracked her phone. You just told me that was how you found her at my building. That how you got the address?'
Gabe stared at him, suddenly defiant, finally nodded, 'Yeah, I tracked her phone. '
Jensen nodded, 'I figured. Soon as you told me you tracked Carla to my building, I know it had to be you. The only thing I don't get is why? Why'd you do that? If only you hang on for a couple more days, Jared is going to make an honest woman out of Carla. You know Jared, he'd be your protection, 'cause you're his scum now. So, why?' He turned to look at Gabe in the eye, really wanting to know.
Gabe stood there open-mouthed, staring at him. For a moment, Jensen thought he was not going to get answer out of him. Then Gabe stood up straight, pulling to his full height, like he was making a final stand, which was mostly true. He spat out: 'I didn't know, al'right? Not at first, when the thing with Morgan going down. And you think Carla getting married, be a Padalecki, is good to me? How?! She will be Ms. Padalecki. What am I supposed to do? huh? Hang around like a dog waiting for scraps? Fuck that! We got a good life! She does what she does, and I do what I do. We are a team, us against the world! Now she wants to be all respectable and whatnot.... She's a whore! And she is good at it! She turned her first trick when she was 15! I know 'cause I was right fucking there!' His voice kept on rising until at last it was a high-pitched screech, drenched with indignation and self-pity.
For the second time of the night, Jensen was speechless. 'Jesus fucking Christ! You are the scumest scum!' was what he muttered when he finally found his voice.
Gabe deflated just as fast when he saw Jensen's gun pointing at him. He got down on his knees again and begged, real tear streaming down his cheeks, 'Please please, you promised Carla you'd get me out alive. You promised!'
'I lied.' Jensen told him when shot him, twice, once in the heart, once through the head.
****
Aftermath
Things settled down so fast that it was ridiculous. Jared was so pissed about his dogs almost got burned alive that he didn't even pretend to be civilized any more. Jared had always been fiercely protective of what's his, so much so that Jensen often felt bad for the sorry ass who dared to mess with him, then had to bear the fury of Jared Padalecki.
Even so, Jensen wasn't prepared for all the killing in the next few days. He hadn't realized how much Jared had tamed over the years, the blood bath that turned his stomach only put a sneer on Jared's face.
Somehow in the chaos, Misha managed to dispose of his old boss and become the new force. He also managed to negotiate a truce with Jared, then he started to walk around everywhere in jeans and sweater vest. He kept on telling people that was why he did it. On some level, Jensen believed him.
****
The wedding was schedule a week after Gabe's funeral, the same day Jensen was leaving town. He waited outside of the graveyard for the mourning crowd, composed mostly of Carla and her friends and Jared, to come out. Carla was the only one who shed true tears, and Jensen couldn't help but think what a lucky bastard Gabe was.
A man died and a woman wept for him. It was the most ordinary thing in the world. Yet Jensen knew it wasn't all that ordinary. The scummest scum that ever walked the earth had someone wept for him, someone that would never wept for another man like this, not even her own husband, should life turn out that way.
Carla spat on the ground when she saw him. Jensen was pretty sure she would have spat on him if she could have. Truth be told, she would have put two holes through him if she could have gotten away with it. But that was all she did, she spat on the ground, glared at him with pure hatred, then turned silently and walked away stiffly. Jensen felt a stab of guilt and pity for her, despite himself.
Jared strolled up to him, glanced towards Carla's retreating figure, turned to look at Jensen and said 'You know you really don't have to go.' He ducked his head after he finished the sentence, unsure of what's next. Jared was dressed in dark suit and dress pants for the occasion. He looked strangely grownup and weirdly young at the same time.
'Oh, but I really really do.' Jensen tried to explain, 'It's not about, you know.....' he waved a hand to indicate what he meant. Jared nodded at that, like he knew exactly what Jensen was talking about. Jensen continued 'It's just that.... I have to go.' He looked at Jared, willing him to understand without him saying more.
He knew that Jared and Carla was going to be a steady couple, celebrating their 50th anniversary if they lived that long. They'd grey, and Jared would have softened by the years of soft living, maybe even support something like a belly, Carla would retain all her grace and most of her looks. They'd share a sweet kiss in front of family and friends, and go home to separate bedrooms. They each respected the other too much to embarrass the spouse with open affairs, though they'd definitely fool around, but they would be loyal to each other where it mattered. They would raise their family behind a white picket fence, in a 2 storied house with a huge back yard. Or more likely, in a mansion with guarded gates. Carla would turn to bottle for comfort, and Jared would have a series of mistresses on the side to keep him entertained. Together, they'd do fund raising for their kids' schools, and donate generously. They'd show at their kids' graduation dressed to the tee and act the proud parents they really were. Just below the surface, there would always always be something missing.
Something as mundane as blue sky.
Jensen knew it all because he walked away from a situation exactly like this. He didn't realize he walked into one in the making.
When Jared kept on looking at him expectantly, he wished like never before that he'd accept face value was all the value that there was, but he shrugged and somehow found his usual attitude, said with a smirk 'The road goes ever on and on.'
Jared laughed 'You should stop quoting the damned hobbit.
'Well, it's true.'
Jared smiled, sad, 'So you are not going to settle down here, in this town?'
Jensen shook his head. Jared nodded, slapped his shoulder, said 'Don't be a stranger and don't change your phone number. Or I will hunt you down, where ever you are.'
Jensen grinned at that, he had no doubt that Jared meant every word, at least for now, and said 'Sure.', hesitated and added almost reluctantly, 'I will swing by if I can.'
Jared's rueful smile almost broke his resolute, he got in the car before he changed his mind, and drove away.
Chasing blue sky.
the end.