Part 3

Caleb did not like being ambushed, but that was what had happened lately. Bobby getting hurt, Michael's Sword, Lucifer's Vessel, memory loss, the Angel of Death rising, then Mac and Esme's marriage, not to mention the fact The Guardian-To-Be was having second thoughts.

Caleb was a psychic; he did not like the unexpected, he usually had forewarning . The Serenity Prayer came to mind: accept the things you cannot change. He could accept Mac and Esme's marriage because his dad would be happy. Caleb would be happy eventually too, as long as Mac met his demands. The rest he had to change.

The Winchesters had been a hard fix with time being the mending agent more than anything. They were growing into their roles as Guardian and Scholar where more was expected of them. He knew of no other hunters who had dealt with demons, angels, and tricksters who were really angels to the level they had. He expected more from them, especially Dean. Caleb stomped up the stairs to get his jacket. He came down in the same mood.

Dean waited at the door, jacket on. "You want me to drive?"

"You mind taking the train?" Caleb had already made up his mind he wanted to use the subway.

"Suit yourself." Dean shrugged.

They were quiet as they went down the train station stairs with the subway arriving to meet them as they reached the bottom step. When they exited at the stop closest to Mac's place, Dean grabbed Caleb's arm. Caleb attempted to jerk away but Dean held firm.

"What's going on with you?"

"I'm mad, and feel jerked around," Caleb answered, loving the fact that in New York the sidewalk was crowded and no one paid them any attention. "What is going on with you? You have to be The Guardian. I thought you were getting into it, wanted it."

Dean shook his head and kept on walking a slow pace, easy for Caleb to match. "Damien, it feels like I'm going to be the President of the United States for my whole life. There is a reason why there's a term limit."

"It isn't a life sentence." Caleb never thought of how long they would be The Triad just that they would be The Triad. "We can be the longest running Triad, then retire and let someone else takeover."

"Who is going to want the job after me?" Dean snorted. "Have any candidates in mind?"

Caleb did not have an answer. He thought maybe Sam would have kids, maybe Dean eventually, but in the least Joshua was getting married and children would soon follow. There were others, too, younger than them they could turn to. "Not now, but The Brotherhood is going to go on. Is that what you're worried about?" He always believed The Brotherhood was bigger than its hunters.

Dean shook his head. "I get those kids, Damien. How they are stuck and want to home. I'm taking on the responsibility of stopping the apocalypse, losing my freedom, but I broke the first seal so it makes sense that I should be in this position."

Caleb scuffed his boot on the pavement. "So you and Sam are doing this out of guilt?" It wasn't what he wanted to hear.

Dean looked up to the high buildings and squinted before watching where he was walking. "I don't know if I can shoulder The Brotherhood, too. I'm not Mother Theresa, wasn't planning on being a saint… life as a sinner is way better." He smirked. "If it all goes bad then The Brotherhood will be over. Ellen and Jo died, Damien, and I thought we were going to buy it too."

"Being The Guardian doesn't make you a saint. And it is a triad, three people. You are not alone. The Brotherhood has been around a long time, survived a lot. It is what's needed when we're facing the apocalypse. What we've been trained to step up to." Caleb wasn't talking about The Triad, but all hunters.

Dean put his head down, then tilted it up. "I want this for you, Damien. I do. I want this for Sam because now more than ever he needs it. For me, I'm damned tired of making apologies."

It went without saying that Caleb wanted it for Dean, but Dean needed to want being The Guardian for himself. "Then stop saying you're sorry, man. I can see, Sam, Bobby, Mac, everyone can see by your actions that you have nothing to be sorry for. You're a leader, Deuce." Caleb gripped Dean's upper arm. "So much so that you're Michael's Sword. The Vessel."

Dean smirked. "I wish I never told you."

"You didn't. Sam told me that part."

Mac's building was up ahead, Dean stopped. "Dude, I'm going to go through with it. What choice do I have?"

Caleb let Dean enter first, wishing his friend saw he had set himself on this path of his own choosing for awhile now. Caleb gave a two finger salute, flashing his ring, to the security detail in the lobby. Dean did the same. Caleb wondered if he could convince Mac to stay at Esme's place in Virginia, a house was easier to protect, especially if a witch lived there.

Jocelyn answered the door. Caleb hoped he covered himself. He was thrown that Jocelyn had made herself comfortable so quickly where he used to feel the same instead of a bit awkward. "I am happy to see my step-grandson, but not too happy because I already have a lovely grandson." She kissed him on the cheek.

Maybe this he could get used to, he didn't want to replace Cullen, but a grandmother was totally different, a good addition. Jocelyn greeted Dean just as warmly.

Esme came out from the kitchen area. Caleb hid his pang of jealousy of seeing Esme greet him in his father's home, now their home. "Your father is in his office, but we were planning on sitting down for lunch. Can you stay for a bit? There are plenty of leftovers from last night."

"Are there any more of those scallops wrapped in bacon?" Dean asked with a fondness for food beyond hamburgers.

"Plenty and some spanakopita," Esme replied.

Dean shook his head, but followed to the dining room. "That's that spinach triangle- Sam likes those."

Jocelyn hooked her arm around Caleb's elbow. "I guess you're staying for lunch."

Mac was happy to see them, even though they had parted less than twenty-four hours earlier. However, he hadn't been spending much time in New York- he had only spent time in with Mac when he had amnesia. Then Caleb realized that happiness was more-his father should have been married a long time ago. He felt guilty for holding his dad back. He greeted his father with a hug, which Mac did not seem surprised by. "I'm glad you boys came by. Ethan and Elijah have confirmed they can attend the ceremony. I thought they should be there because of Gideon."

"That'll be great," Dean said flatly. Caleb glared at him, but it wasn't enough for Dean to add some enthusiasm. They took a seat at the table and began passing the smaller trays of food around the table.

"What brings you boys by? Where's Sam?" Mac asked with Esme on his right.

"Deuce brought a gig to my doorstep," Caleb replied and they explained how Dean had been followed by the children. Caleb fished the phone from his pocket and hit play on the recording.

Mac smiled, and placed his hand on Esme's giving it a visible squeeze. "It's Mozart's Requiem. I would have thought you boys would have recognized it… it was one of Pastor Jim's favorites."

Caleb thought about the classical music in Jim's home that the preacher used to set the mood for writing a sermon when he wasn't inspired by one of his boys' antics. "Yeah, well, they all blended together."

"My taste ran a little different than Jim's." Dean smirked. "I used to think it was torture."

"It was Mozart's last symphony," Esme commented. Her plate was filled with a variety of the food they had eaten last night, but in very small quantities.

"Which he wrote under mysterious circumstances." Mac completed the sentence.

"How mysterious?" Dean put down his fork to listen.

Mac raised his brows up and down to create playful suspense. If Caleb did not know better he would have thought there was no impending apocalypse with the lightness at the table. "Not our kind of supernatural. He did not know the patron who requested it. Allegedly while he was writing it he had thoughts that it would be his last symphony."

"It was finished for him, more or less, by Sussmayr," Jocelyn chimed in. It seemed they all had knowledge about classical music, but Caleb did not know if it revealed anything about their case.

"Do you need any help?" Mac asked, readjusting the napkin on his lap. "I have a few issues, but I only need a couple of hours. . ."

Dean pulled the napkin from his lap to place it near the dish to say he was finished, but Caleb saw untouched food on his plate. "No, I think we got it. Sam and Joshua are at the library, but can we talk to you for a minute?"

In a fluid motion, Esme put down her wine glass while Jocelyn pushed away from the table. Caleb stood up to pull out Jocelyn's chair and let her out; Mac did the same for Esme. "We'll take care of the dishes,” Esme said with a smile. “Make some coffee and bring out the dessert."

Caleb could sense Dean's explosion, and tried to head it off, but was too late.

"How do you expect us to do this?" Dean motioned to the surroundings. "You're here in an office. The Impala is my office and I've got to be out there-"

Mac leaned forward. "You have support, and this administrative stuff I can still handle until you are more settled. Bobby can help too." Mac relaxed back. "I don't want this to be overwhelming for you, and it won't. I promise. But, I can't be everywhere and a Triad is needed out there."

Dean fell back into the chair. "Mac, I know you're happy and I don't want to take that away from you-"

Caleb had stopped listening to the conversation. As much as he wanted to be a part of it, he was forced to concentrate on what appeared in his mind’s eye. Faintly he heard his father ask, "Caleb, are you all right?"

He was in a frilly bedroom: all pinks, purples and princesses. Sleeping, with only her head above the sheets, was a blonde haired girl. Caleb could hear a humming, the same Mozart song, and he understood he was there as the monster to take the little girl with him. The being needed the little girl to continue on. With a gasp, as a young looking female hand reached out to the girl, he disconnected and was back in Mac's apartment sitting in the dining room chair looking up at the ceiling. His neck hurt.

"Son, are you with us?"

Caleb brought his head back to a neutral position and gave his father a nod. A cup of tea was placed in front of him with a pat on his shoulder by Esme. He usually did not feel embarrassed by his visions, but on the other hand, he usually did not have an audience. Jocelyn peeked out from the kitchen and winked at him. He cleared his throat. "Thank you," he said as he carefully picked up the teacup. He hadn't realized Mac owned teacups. Growing up with Mac had been all about mugs.

"What did you see?" Dean was having a cup of coffee in a mug Caleb recognized.

Caleb drained the tea cup and the mild side effects he usually got from a vision were gone, even the crick in his neck. He stared at the dregs for a moment puzzling at the tea's content. "We don't have much time. She's going to strike soon."

"She? It's a woman?" Mac seemed surprised.

"Yeah, on the younger side," Caleb explained. "There was nothing sexual going on, like a siren or a succubus, but she was taking the girl's life essence."

"Are shrtigas always male?" Dean asked, finishing his cup of coffee.

"No, not necessarily, but they always come to the person in a cloaked and bony form." Mac rubbed his chin.

Caleb recognized his father's pensive side, which he used to be able to satisfy before, but not since he had to keep The Brotherhood going.

"It fits in better with what the kids were telling us about whatever it is looking like their moms." Caleb reiterated what he and Dean had mentioned before.

"Sam and Joshua should have some information on how the kids died. That should give us a lead." Dean stood up. "We're going to get going. Are you up for it?"

Caleb nodded. The vision left him no worse for the wear. "Let's go. Dad, we'll tell you what we come up with and if we need any help."

They both said their goodbyes to Mac, Esme and Jocelyn. Esme gave them a wrapped package of food. "Take this back to Joshua and Sam."

Dean carried the brown paper bag to the elevator. "I could get used to this."

Caleb agreed. They were sorely missing a woman's touch, having gone for so long without motherly figures. An emotion of fierce protectiveness came over Caleb. He gestured to the bag, and then leveled his gaze at his friend as they boarded the elevator. "Mac is the happiest I have ever seen him. He should spend some time enjoying life with Esme. I think we all owe him that." They went through the lobby again with a scant wave to the security guard.

Dean gave a quick glance to the elevator they had just come down. "We do. I do. Your dad has always come through for me and Sammy." Dean gave a curt nod. "While you were off on your side trip to vision land he said he'd still handle a lot of the day to day activities." Dean rolled his eyes. "I hate paperwork."

Caleb smirked. "You've never done paperwork. But, I'm glad we're on the same page when it comes to Mac." Caleb moved to take the bag from Dean. "What do you think is in there?"

Dean crinkled his nose. "Probably those spinach things Sam likes. I swear, Sam's her favorite."

"Dude, I think her son is her favorite, but I am right up there." Caleb put his hand up high. "What’s there not to like?"