A/N: Ya, not very good at titling. Have some angsting Crowley and shipper!Ellen and Karen. All has a happy ending I promise. Enjoy.
~Alorev
Crowley's expression softened as he lifted Bobby's soul from the cardboard box, waving a hand at Ajay, he didn't watch too closely to what the Reaper was doing, instead just focusing on Bobby. "Give me an hour, then you can take him where he's meant to go."
The rogue Reaper sighed and grabbed the box. "Alright, but after this we're even." He stepped out of the room in a few long strides, leaving the Demon and the Hunter alone and closing the door to Crowley's study softly behind him.
"I know you didn't have to come to Hell now since I forfeited the deal but...well I couldn't resist Robert. I'll miss you, I really will, but in a little bit Ajay'll take you up into heaven where you belong."
Bobby's soul pulsed in Crowley's hands, unable to take form but still trying to communicate. Crowley could feel the distress.
"I know luv, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you down here but I...well you know." Bobby's soul still radiated distress and Crowley frowned before holding to him just a bit tighter. "I'm sorry darling, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't be here, I should've let you go in peace. This isn't right. You're right to not like it here, it is Hell after all."
Bobby relaxed slightly as though forcing himself to and sent off an affectionate ping. Crowley let a small smile appear on his lips and leaned against his desk, stroking the pure soul. "You're welcome luv. You deserve Heaven, you deserve to see your wife and friends again. A few more minutes please? Before we part for good?"
There was a quick panic before Bobby clung to him, a soft affirmative feeling coming from his soul and Crowley nuzzled him gently, sad smile alighting on his features. "Thanks darling. Oh Robert...you're all I really care about you know? But I...will it make you feel better is I promise to protect those boys? I'll even help Feathers."
Bobby's soul emanated shock and Crowley chuckled. "Just for you luv. A parting gift before you go."
Bobby pulsed gratitude briefly but Crowley still felt the strange undertone of distress and his face fell. "You need to go. You're not happy here. I've kept you too long. Ajay!"
Bobby's soul was now crying distress as Ajay reentered the room and Crowley kissed him gently, attempting to soothe him. "It's alright, it's time for you to go home."
Bobby clung to him as Crowley attempted to transfer him back to the box and Crowley could only assume he wasn't ready to let go of that last human-like touch and go back to the cardboard box before he was off to Heaven.
He slid Bobby's soul in as gently as possible anyways. "Take care of him."
"'Course." Ajay shrugged and Crowley turned his attention to Bobby.
"Say hello to anyone I know for me. Enjoy yourself. I'll miss you."
The distress levels went sky high and Crowley waved Ajay out the way he had earlier, looking away and trying to ignore the instincts within him screaming at him to cling desperately to Bobby and fix the mess they were in. It would only upset Bobby more. "Go."
The doors shut and he slumped down behind his desk, tears already making tracks down his cheeks.
/
"You! Don't you dare leave!"
Bobby took form slowly, only to open his eyes and see one angry Hunter and his wife stomping towards him, Ellen looking like she wanted to shoot someone and Karen had an eyebrow raised and mouth set in a firm line. "Uh…"
"Not you, him. You ain't really got a choice Singer." Ellen pointed at the Reaper and glared. "You stay right where you are. Understand?"
The Reaper held his hands up in surrender. "Ya, alright. Whatever."
Karen fixed Bobby in her own glare. "Bobby, I love you, I really do, but I do not want you here."
"Uh…" The response came even more eloquently than the first time.
Ellen moved to back up Bobby's wife. "You need to go back. What were you thinking, leaving him?"
"It's not like I meant to!" This time Bobby exploded, feeling a little angry at what they were assuming he'd done. "Look, I did my best for Sam and Dean and least my death meant those boys living a'right?"
"Not them Singer!" Ellen rolled her eyes dramatically. "Crowley. That Demon boy you been seein'."
Karen put a stilling, relaxing hand on Ellen's shoulder. "Bobby, you love him and he loves you. I know you love me as well and I feel likewise but you and Crowley need each other, more than we ever did."
"You mean-" Bobby gaped at the two women for a moment.
"Yes you idiot." Ellen threw her hands in the air. "We've been watchin' it all. And I mean all. Which, for the record, Jo would like me to tell you that you have a lot of energy for your age."
A blush lit up his cheeks and Karen chuckled while Ellen smirked.
"Come here." Karen motioned him forward and Bobby obeyed. She waved a hand and it was as if the clouds parted to see down below.
Directly into Hell. Focusing on Crowley's study. The Demon was hunched over his desk, shoulder shaking as he sobbed and breath hitching.
"He sent me away." Bobby's voice was soft and Karen planted a kiss in his hair.
"Because he thought it was best for you, not because he wanted to."
Then there was Crowley's voice and it took Bobby a moment to realize he was hearing the King of Hell's thoughts.
'What was I thinking? I should've never promised to protect those boys. Bobby was...Bobby was all I had, was everything. How did I do this before him? How can I...I can't. I can't do this without him. I'll do...I'll do what I promised him. I'll give the boys everything I've got, even control over my subordinates and hounds. Then I'll...ya. I'll ask Dean to do it. Ask him to run me through with that blade. 'S all I deserve now, 's all I want now. I shouldn't have brought him down here. I should've let him go right away and then just gone to Sam or Dean or Castiel and just asked for a quick death. Should've got them to kill me in that hospital and died next to him. I didn't deserve him, didn't deserve any of it. He deserved so much better.'
"No…" The word escaped Bobby as a shaky plea and the scene disappeared as he stood abruptly from where he'd been kneeling.
Karen put a hand on his shoulder and kissed him gently. "After you made that deal he created a place in Hell, just for the two of you. To keep your soul from becoming demonized and to keep you to himself. Now go back before he does something stupid."
Bobby whirled around to face the Reaper. "We're going back."
The Reaper only stared at him incredulously. "You want to go back to Hell?"
"Yes." Bobby gave him a level stare. "And I want to be able to be like this while I'm there."
"Alright." The Reaper sighed. "Crowley so owes me for this."
Bobby turned back to Ellen and Karen for a moment. "Say hi to everyone for me, I'm sorry I couldn't…"
Ellen hushed him. "Bobby, you kept those boys alive and they've done so much more than any of us could've ever done. John knows too and Mary...well she said to say thank you."
Karen stepped forward to embrace him. "Bobby, I wish my death hadn't consumed you the way it did but I'm proud of you. You raised those boys like your own kids, it takes a strong man to do that. And I love you, you know that." She kissed him one last time. "Now go."
Bobby turned back to the Reaper and he touched the Hunter's forehead. "Off we go."
/
Texting was a horrible option and Crowley couldn't care less if Dean heard his voice breaking. "Dean, I have a favour to ask of you."
"You think I honestly want to-"
"Just listen to me-"
"Don't you dare listen to him." A hand plucked the cell phone from Crowley's hand. "Dean, don't listen to him. He's being a sentimental bastard."
Crowley stared at the figure in front of him, eyes wide as his heartbroke. It was Bobby. But it couldn't be Bobby, couldn't be. It had to be some torture of Hell.
He could feel tears falling.
"Yes, it's me you idjit! ...I'm in Hell. ...No, I didn't sell my soul again. ...I chose this Dean. ...Look, we'll talk more about this later. ...I'll get Crowley to call you back. ...Just don't listen to him when he asks you to kill him. ...He wants you to kill him because I'm dead. ...Just… I don't have time for this Dean, I gotta go. Keep Sam and Cas outta trouble. Stay safe. ...Ya, bye." Bobby snapped the phone shut as Crowley stared up at him speechless.
The Crossroads Demon was a mess, hair mussed from gripping it, tears tracking down his face, still falling in fact and wetting his lashes. His suit was a crumpled mess and his skin was tinged red.
Bobby hauled Crowley up, pulling him in as tightly as he possibly could and burying Crowley into him. He could feel Crowley's back moving with every sob as he held him and Bobby sighed.
"You're going to disappear aren't you? ...This is all...this is all just...another… another piece of Hell." Crowley was beginning to pull away already, words and breath shuddering from his lungs. "Bobby's gone and you're not him. I...I sent him away. I made sure he would be happy."
"You idjit." Bobby kissed the top of Crowley's head. "Of course it's me. I made sure your Reaper friend brought me back here. Back to you."
"No...Please. Please stop." Bobby's eyes widened as Crowley started to struggle to pull away. "You're lying."
Crowley tore away when Bobby loosened his grip, looking away. "Bobby isn't here and you aren't him. He's in Heaven. He's happy. He's got his wife and his friends and he can watch over the boys from there." His hand edged toward the phone and Bobby grabbed it, hard.
"No. I will not let you do this Crowls. I swear it's me."
"Stop. Please." The words came as sobs and Bobby let Crowley slide his hand out from underneath the Hunters. "I don't...anything, anything but this. Any torture but this. But me back on the rack but not this. Just let me die in peace."
Bobby's mind raced, feeling as though it was breaking into pieces in the process. Crowley really did believe he was gone, that this was some apparition of Hell. He was so grief stricken his senses weren't even working well enough to identify Bobby as a soul.
Then it hit him. Crowley could taste souls. He did that everyday as a Crossroads Demon and had mentioned it once.
Bobby grabbed Crowley forcefully and planted their lips together. There was a moment of tenseness before Crowley fell into him, going limp in Bobby's arms as they broke apart.
"It...it really is you. Robert…"
"I came back. Had to." Bobby smoothed Crowley's hair gently. "You were being an idjit."
"But you weren't…" Crowley buried himself into Bobby and Bobby moved to occupy Crowley's desk chair, Crowley in his lap. "You weren't happy here. I could feel it."
Little hiccups interrupted Crowley and Bobby kissed his forehead, running a hand soothingly along the demons back. "'Course I wasn't happy. You were saying goodbye and I wanted to stay. I was trying to tell you but you didn't figure it out."
Crowley allowed Bobby to gently wipe the trails of tears down his cheeks away. "Why? Why me? What about heaven Robert? I don't understand."
"I love you. I need you." Bobby chuckled softly. "Ellen and Karen nearly steamrolled me in the process of getting me back here. Not that I needed any convincing to come back. And then you attempted to get yourself killed, which is absolutely not happening."
"You would've been happy. Robert you don't have to be here, it's...this is Hell." Crowley nuzzled into Bobby's neck.
"I'm happy so long as I'm with you." Bobby tightened his grip momentarily. "Don't ever doubt that. I could never leave you."
"Thank you." Crowley managed a small smile. "I love you."
"I love you too." Bobby hesitated. " Crowley would you...would you really have gone to Dean? Or Cas or Sam if Dean said no?"
"Maybe Sam would've been a better choice. He's more likely to have done it." Crowley mused before answering fully. "I...yes. I think I would have. I honestly wouldn't have wanted to continue. Before Hell and being King and making deals satisfied me but now...without you nothing's really worth it anymore."
"Well, I'm here and I'm not leaving so don't you dare leave me." Bobby took Crowley by the chin, forcing him to look up. "And for the record, I'd want you to be happy without me."
"I won't leave you, not ever. And I'd rather be happy with you." Crowley leaned up and captured Bobby's lips.