Light Stuck in the Middle
You idiots! You're all going to die.
Crowley wasn't kidding when he came to find the moose and squirrel with Mother Winchester and his sort of favorite angel holed up in a barn. Though he couldn't quite say the same for his sweetheart, whom he was surprised to see since he knew that she was the kind that stuck close to what was hers aka the little rugrat that was also Sam Winchester's kid. Yes, he knew since it wasn't that hard to figure out.
It was more surprising when his sweetheart marched over towards him and gave him a slap. He had been slapped by her twice before but it still surprised him that she would be so… female about it. He couldn't help but demand, "What the bloody hell is it with you slapping me?"
Crowley had known about Angela for a long time. Long before he formally introduced himself to the Winchesters, he met her when she sought him out on the nature of deals. From day one, he knew that she was a force to be reckoned with even if she had the most annoying habit of putting her life on the line for all the bags of puss she'd met and had yet to meet and especially for the brothers Winchester. And the deal was made sweeter when a little birdie told him that there was more to her in a celestial sense when Amara came into the picture.
As a demon, he would have done everything to go after her. After all even the lowly rats that serve him could feel how valuable she was though they would just try to kill her. He though was a businessman. He saw the world as it functioned and that in order to make things run smoothly you had to, pardon the phrase, deal with the devil. In this case, it had to occasionally keep up pressure but for the most part leave her alone since the effects could be devastating. She was more useful alive than dead and he learned the hard way what happened when she was angry beyond all reason.
It was never far from his mind how she almost dissolved him into oblivion. Though he was certain that would make his mother happy. It had been a mistake on his end and Sam was the one that got hurt, severely enough to suffer in agony and that was after he may have found out too late that she was tied to Dean because of the Mark. And he may have had a hand in killing someone that had been a friend. In the end, she came after him with the intent to kill in seek and destroy mode and she did it to anyone she perceived was contrary to her goal. He was still reeling from the damage control of Hell since she pursued him there. If it hadn't been for Dean and that cute little thing of an angel Castiel… it would have been like Hell never existed.
So Crowley was intent on keeping Angela on her good side with the occasional bits of annoyance. Which was why he gave strict orders to leave the new Mama Winchester and her rugrat alone. Of course there would be bound to be ambitious ones and he was perfectly content to let her deal with them. Just as he was somewhat content to let her deal with Ramiel but not completely.
Crowley had been in the business of making a deal six years ago when he brought the Lance of Michael and the Colt to the Prince of Hell. He also was kind of in the mindset of seeing what would happen if his sweetheart and Ramiel ever met in a fight. It certainly was one to speculate on since he had heard about Azazel and Lilith and she literally bossed Lucifer around and, as the rumor mill hinted, was currently bossing a prepubescent angel and a near immortal Librarian and still was standing up to God himself on occasion. It was a thing to think about. He never thought that the gifts he brought that resulted him being named King of Hell would come to this.
He had made a deal with Ramiel to make sure that no one disturbed him. Otherwise there would be hell to pay. Knowing Sam and Dean, they probably had no clue who it was until they knocked on the door. He was seeing the surprised look on all their faces as he told them about Ramiel. He also recognized that look in his sweetheart's eye. Of course the name would be familiar but he doubted they ever met since it was Azazel that led her on her path to being a prisoner of hell. And it was his story that earned him a second slap.
"Bloody hell, will you stop slapping me?"
"No. Since you're not worthy of a punch."
When put like that Crowley had to be masochist and tease, "Well then, I guess I'll keep my standards if you put it like that."
It was fun and a nice commitment to memory the glare she shot at him before turning her attention back to Castiel. He wanted to scold her that her powers wouldn't work though he got the impression she knew that and was trying anyway. He would never fully understand that but it was something to think about as he turned his attention to Dean as the squirrel demanded that he help or leave.
Crowley wasn't sentimental but he knew the meaning of benefit. Yes he told Castiel that he didn't care that the Hardy boys were being kept in some government facility and he went so far as to tease the angel about his sweetheart driving everyone crazy with her hormones, but he sort of did. But only in the investment sense. That was why he was out here in the cold night air trying to intercept and make Ramiel see some sort of reason. Of course it wasn't easy when the bastard said that he had not one but two angels to hunt.
"I admit they don't sound like much but every Armageddon, every bloody 'this is the end of all things,' the Winchesters have stopped it along with the Malachi. Like it or not, they're an asset we can't afford to lose."
That was sounds reasoning he laid. And it was like he said: he didn't have friends or make them. He made deals and even he knew that every kingdom needed allies. That's what the Hardy boys were to him as well as his sweetheart. They were allies since they got it despite the persistent threats and near deaths he almost had at their hands. She was the only one that came close and deliberately missed.
"So you have the Malachi? Interesting."
That should have been a warning but Crowley didn't take it. Instead, he found himself flying through a barn wall. The blow stunned him but he was awake enough to see that the Winchesters were attempting to hold Ramiel with holy fire. Very clever and would have worked if the demon in question didn't have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Crowley was not one to get his hands dirty if he could help it. Yes, he did have to with the whole Purgatory thing and then the thing with Amara but for the most part, he preferred to watch and see what would happen. And watch he did and he was reminded why she was his sweetheart despite the repeated attempts of her saying otherwise.
The fact that she wasn't blown back by Ramiel's power spoke volumes of increased strength and ability. She looked like a goddess as the wind rippled her hair as she stood there clenching her blade in one hand and that chakram in the other. Ramiel had the lance and it looked like Crowley was going to see his what if after all.
She moved fast and it was a blur but Crowley didn't miss the fact that he could see the faint outlines of wings. That was new. The blood smeared on her forehead… little grotesque in his opinion but she did look good in war paint. She moved like she had never had been pregnant, no hints of slowly down or anything that indicated someone getting back into shape as she moved to counter the lance. Sparks flew when Absolution and the lance collided. Made sense since they were both weapons that had celestial creation within them.
It felt spoiled when it was Sam that drove the lance through Ramiel. But if he admit it, the moose did fairly well and in a creative way. Crowley wasn't blind that Sam and Angela were meant to be together and how they worked together. That annoying thing they did of talking without talking… a bloody nightmare and quite useful at times. It had him curious about what it was since it was a bond not unlike what she had with Castiel since he did see her hissing in pain from the angel's agony of being stabbed by the lance and a few choice other things. And yet it was useful here.
Angela was on the offense and defense… he could never bloody hell keep track. She was swinging her blade to block and counter. It was then that Sam managed to get a hold of the lance. It was beautiful as she moved in, rolled against Ramiel and then Sam followed through with a stab. And he was right in that demons go bye-bye in a puff of smoke. But that wasn't the half of it.
As he told Ramiel, Crowley didn't have any friends. He made deals and yet seeing Castiel starting to go through the final stages and his sweetheart doing everything she could to slow it down… He really couldn't claim that as the entire truth. He really, really couldn't understand why she was persisting. Her hands were glowing and those tattoos were on full throttle including the bloody ones she drew on her forearms and she was fighting a losing battle. He was a sook for certain when it came to her. In truth though he didn't want her to come after him if something happened to the angel.
It was then he remembered that conversation when he first gave the lance to Ramiel. Of course that was the answer. At least he thought it was and he knew enough about spellwork to know that it was all in how you wrote the charm work. He did toy with the possibility of letting the angel die but he was rather fond of his skin. So he broke the damn thing and didn't look back and everything was how it was supposed to be. That is until he found out that the Colt was missing.
He was in the middle of a search party when he felt the tug at his navel. Oh bloody hell he was being summoned. And with his luck, it was in the middle of a devil's trap. Unless it was a crossroads deal but he didn't really do much of that any more unless it was special circumstances like trying to get the moose and squirrel to stop trying to close the gates of hell. Still he had to obey the summons even though he was powerful enough not to. So he went and found himself out at a crossroads.
"Thought it was appropriate considering all things."
Crowley turned to see none other than his sweetheart. Cleaned up of course but she was there and the beautiful specimen she was. He replied, "Just like old times. Right sweetheart?"
The slap was expected and Crowley put a hand to his cheek and retorted, "Bloody hell woman."
"I am not your sweetheart," Angela replied with a coy smile as she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest.
Crowley straightened up and dusted himself off. He tried to look dignified as he asked, "So where are the moose and squirrel? Reconnoiter?"
"They're at the room," Angela offered with a shrug. "I'm alone. Well… not completely alone."
Crowley heard the growl and emerged two Wilder pups. He looked at them with a disgusted and wary look and then up at her. "You think I'm going to try something? After everything we've been through?"
"Considering that the time before Amara I wanted to utterly destroy you for what you did to Sam and Kieran…" Angela shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, I'm never alone when I travel. Much like you always had a stoolie on call."
"Touché love," Crowley conceded. He straightened up and decided to make the whole thing professional. They were civilized after all. "So what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned by the Malachi of Absolution? How is the rugrat by the way?"
"None of your business on the latter," Angela replied. She had her eyes narrowed at the demon. "As to the former, it is a business transaction."
Crowley narrowed his eyes warily. This was a new development. And since he had taught her how to make and break deals like a demon would… "What kind of transaction are you hinting at?"
"The kind that we work together but we both get what we want kind." Angela looked at him and said, "I know that you gave Ramiel the Colt."
"No."
"You did. I figured it out after you gave your little story. Knowing you, you would do something to make sure that the one sure fire way of killing everything except five things on earth was locked away. Plus I remember how you said we shouldn't have been aware of its existence."
Crowley had to hand it to her. Once again he underestimated how her mind worked. He grinned, "Well then is this a partnership to find it?"
"I have suspicions of who."
"Kiss and tell."
"Only if you do what I say and you can go back to playing with that dog that tormented me in the cage."
Crowley knew that he was getting into something that may not prove to be the best deal for him but the benefit was that whatever was going on was something that really bothered her to come to him and not to her two champions. "I'm not going to ask how you know since you'll probably start on something that involves scrying or…"
"I smelled him on you."
"Stop doing that!"
"Perks."
Crowley scowled at her, "Alright fine. What do you want?"
"I need you to find out what you can about Mr. Ketch. British Men of Letters."
Crowley saw the light somewhere. It was faint but it was there. So his sweetheart didn't like them. Now that was something. Maybe it would work to his advantage. "Alright. Kiss and tell."
A/N: Crowley reflects on his sweetheart after everything and notes how she has grown. Tag to I'm Stuck in the Middle (With You). Enjoy.