My Girl
I've been looking too hard, I've waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find
I only know it's a matter of time
When you love someone
When you love someone
It feels so right, so warm and true
I need to know if you feel it too
Maybe I'm wrong
Won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong
This heart of mine has been hurt before
This time I want be be sure
Forigner, Waiting for a girl like you
It had been a week of restless wandering and lost sleep.
Sam put his ennui down to the lack of work and being trapped in the bunker. He felt like he'd read til his eyes bleed, watched every movie Dean could think of and eaten way too much good food.
He paced now, biting his lip and wringing his hands as Dean sat at the table looking at the computer. Or at least Dean thought he was.
Dean cleared his throat and Sam looked at him.
"Sammy, I need you to do me a favor" He said, reaching into his pocket.
"Sure Dean, anything." Sam said, anxious to get out.
"I need you to take this money, go to town, find a bar, find the drunkest girl you can find and don't come home til morning, ok?"
Sam ignored the cash Dean was extending. He flashed his brother a look.
"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been anxious and irritable for about a week." Sam said.
"Oh, really, I hadn't noticed. Yesterday you woke me up screaming at the toaster because your toaster waffle was too dark."
"I wasn't screaming." Sam defended.
"No, No, you were't. You threw it against the wall. I have to go get a new one later. And this is very unlike you. Actually it's more like..."
"You?" Sam said.
Just then there was a knock on the door. They both looked at one another. They walked to the door, grabbed guns as they went. Sam looked out the peep hole. There was a woman there, a very beautiful woman.
She was exotic, dark hair and hazel eyes, delicate features with high cheek bones and a wry smile. Those eyes were ancient, intelligent and quick.
He looked at Dean and opened the door. Dean trained his gun on the doorway.
Sam looked around the door, kept his head inside the building.
"Can I help you?"
She gasped noticeable and was silent for a long moment.
"Sam," She breathed and her voice sounded like the prayer of a saint.
"Do I know you?" He asked. She shook her head.
"No, but I've heard a lot about you. From Suri." She said.
The name hit him in the chest like the kick of a horse and he stepped back.
"Come in, is she ok? Where is she?"
The woman entered, Dean glaring at Sam like he'd gone crazy.
"Sam, who is this? No Templar thingy." He motioned to his chest as if to point she wore no lapel pin.
"No, I'm not a Templar. I'm Sarah, Suri's mother." She said.
That caught them both off guard. Finally, Sam closed the door and shook his head.
"Her mother? So, she's still with the Templars?" Sam asked. He showed her into the main room and offered her a chair. Dean crossed and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and three glasses. He held the glasses up in offer to Sarah. She nodded.
Once you got passed the glamour of her raw beauty, Sarah looked like she was having as bad a week as Sam.
Dean studied her. It was like watching some unicorn in a field. Every movement seemed planned, graceful and determined. Her eyes drank in everything that surrounded her and they held a million stories. There was something about her, too, like some aura, being near her he felt himself relax.
"Are you really a descendant of..." Dean blurted. Sam gave him a dirty look that said "Don't embarrass me." Dean ignored it like he always did.
"Jesus?" She asked. He nodded.
"So I'm told, though He isn't one to make the reunions." She said. It took him a minute to tell if she was serious, then he let out a single barking laugh.
She had the hardest time taking her eyes of Sam, and he could tell Sam was noticing. He had they vaguely uncomfortable posture he got when really hot chicks hit on him. Lot of chicks dug that shy stuff.
He'd also seen the electric shudder that went through Sam's body at the mention of Suri. She's be fourteen or so, now. Lot of water under the bridge.
"So, where is Suri?" Sam asked, focuse honed in on that one subject.
"I don't know." Sarah replied, just mantaining her calm.
"She and I were visiting the US and we had an argument. She wanted to go to some concert, I said no. I thought it was inappropriate for her to see a band whose biggest hit is entitled 'Jailbait'."
"I'm with you on that." Sam nodded.
"So, I went out to run some errands and when I came home, she, the Madonna and her stuffed animals were gone. "
"She still has them?" Dean asked with a smile. The day at the carnival with her came back to him. Sweet and serene. He grinned.
"She sleeps with them. Their names are Dean and Sam." She answered. "She's hiding from me. I mean, we live sort of like you do, except with a Templar."
"Where was her Templar?" Sam asked. He had the same look on his face that their dad did when Sam ran off to college. Annoyance. Hurt. Fear.
"The little minx drugged Ariel. She made her a smoothie with over the counter sleep aids. She knows how to run the credit cards and blend when she wants to. I know she's been thinking about you a lot lately." Sarah said and looked at her hands. "You have that affect on people." She added.
Sam almost asked her what she meant, but Dean could tell his brother's mind had already flicked to another subject. "Where were you when she took off?"
"Kansas City. I've been looking to see if any of her alias' come on on the system, card transactions or surveillance. But I'm afraid we taught her too well."
"That's my girl." Dean offered with a grin. Sam and Sarah glared at him and he shook his head, dropped the smile and poured more whiskeys. He handed each of them one.
"So, how can I help?" Sam asked.
"She's hiding from me. But she's looking for you." Sarah said.
"So I should let her find me." Sam said. Sarah nodded. "I have missed her."
"When she talks about you she ways 'My Dad'" Sam grinned and took a sip from his glass.
"When I think about her, I think "My daughter." He confessed. "Do you have a current picture?
She nodded and took out her phone. A moment later there was a picture of a beautiful 14 year old girl, tall, lithe and smiling. There was one of ballet classes, horse riding lessons. Pictures with friends. She looked like a regular teen ager.
"I'll email these to you. I should have been sending them all along, I guess."
"I have no right..."
"You have every right, Sam." Sarah said and almost touched his face, her eyes drinking him in. He caught that look and that primal, animal thing kicked him, locking him in the passion of that look.
"I can leave you too alone." Dean offered and stood. The two of them kept looking at one another. "So, I'll just… be… in my room or… on fire." He walked out of the room and left them alone.
After a long moment, they shook out of their trance.
"I am so..." She said.
"Sorry, I don't know what came over me..." He blushed. "Um, Suri. So where would she look for me."
"She knows you travel, so she might be looking for the Impala. If you still have it." Sarah offered.
"Dean will be buried in that car. So, she a computer kid?" Sam asked.
"A little brainiac. Takes after her father in that and her stubborness."
"Sounds like a hell of a guy."
"The very best. Great love of my life." Sarah said.
"Well, so all I need to do is go drive around and get on a traffic cam." Sam offered.
"Good, yes. I need to go back to my hotel and conference with the Templars. I really think you are the best chance we have." Sarah offered.
"My pleasure. And when I find her..." Sam said, sounding very parental.
"Please, feel free. Handcuff her if necessary."
"Dude, you totally have to hit that." Dean said.
"You have this magical way out of sucking the romance out of everything."
"Romance all you want. She is totally into you."
"She's just being polite. I'm helping find her daughter."
"Fine. I would hit that." Dean said and looked back at the road. "So, you sure you want to do this in Topeka?"
"Close to Kansas City, far away from the bunker. If we're going to get on a traffic cam..."
"Yeah, not in our own yard." Dean sighed. "So, what's the play when we find her?"
"Ground her til she turns 40?" Sam offered.
"Yeah, that's going to work." Dean offered. "You have no enforcement juice."
"I guess I'll talk to her. You remember how hard it was being a kid."
""Whoa, yeah. Puberty, schools, demons."
"So do you think there is anyone in the world better to handle this then us?"
Dean shook his head. "I just remember how hard you too it last time we had to give her up."
"I'll be fine. Let's just find her," Sam said and looked pensively out the window.
Dean had sped through a million red lights in his time, but this was a first. Intentionally trying to get a ticket. He was actually beside himself with joy at the prospect.
Late at night on the main drag of Topeka Kansas, he and Baby sat alone in the electric light of the street lamps. Sam was besde them but he didn't count.
He put his hands on the steering wheel and gunned the engine three times. He turned on the tape player. AC/DC's "Thunderstruck' erupted onto the speakers. Dean savored the moment, let the music build.
Sammy looked at him from the passenger seat and sighed.
"Can we just..." He started Dean shushed him.
"Sh, there are certain moments that happen once. This is one of them."
Sam shrugged and looked out the window. The piercing voice of Bon Scott began to sing.
"I was caught
In the middle of a railroad track (thunder)
I looked round
And I knew there was no turning back (thunder)
My mind raced
And I thought what could I do (thunder)
And I knew
There was no help, no help from you (thunder)"
Dean hit the brake and the accelerator at the same time and the engine roared to life, screamed and groaned under the restraint.
Sam, in horror scrambled for his seat belt and snapped it in place.
Finally, the light turned red a block away and he released the brake and the wheels spun, trying to find friction. When they did, they launched Baby forward at a reckless speed and roared through the light. There was a satisfying click of the speeder cam and Baby careened into the night.
"Are you crazy?" Sam charged.
"I think that's pretty much been established. You reading along here, Sammy? Have you met me?"
"All we needed to do was speed a little through town, not set a land speed record."
"All work and no play makes Sam an asshat." Dean intoned. He slowed the car to stay under the radar from here on out. "Back to the motel?"
Sam nodded and swallowed deep. "I made sure to use one of the aliases we used when she stayed with her when we checked in."
Dean nodded. He started singing under his breath with the song. "Thunderstruck!"
"It's been two days. I don't think she's going to show." Dean offered.
"You don't have to stay with me." Sam returned and continued staring out the window.
"No, no. I care about the kid as much as you do." Sam turned back to look at his brother.
There was a timid knock on the door. They looked at one another and grabbed their guns.
Dean looked out the window and smiled, Sam sighed in relief and ripped the door open.
There she stood, tired, dirty, holding a backpack and the Madonna. Before she could speak, Sam launched himself at her and pulled her up into a bear hug. He squeezed his eyes shut hard to stop the tears, but it didn't work, they fell anyway.
He pulled her into the room and held her back to look at her. He grinned. "You look..."
"Like you need a shower and a burger. Maybe some pie." Dean offered. She pulled away from Sam and went over to hug Dean.
"Uncle Dean. I missed you both so much." He pushed her back and looked at her face.
"I missed you too, kid." He said. He looked at Sam over her shoulder. The happy was wearing off the situation and the annoyed and terrified were emerging.
"I'm going to get you some food." Dean offered. He kissed her forehead and exited, giving Sam his best supportive look.
She stood still for a moment and then turned to Sam. "I know what you're going to say..."
"Oh, do you?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm irresponsible, I made a lot of people worry."
"You're in huge trouble." He added. She took a deep breath and looked at him. He glared at her for a long moment, and then broke and pulled her into his arms again.
"I was so scared something had happened to you." He whispered in her ear.
She froze for a moment. "I… I'm sorry Dad." She said.
He pushed her back and brushed her long, dark hair out of her face. "I have to call your mother."
"Why?"
"Because, she's worried sick, too and half the Templars are looking for you and you're fourteen and need to go home."
"I can take care of myself." She said and turned from him peevishly.
"But you don't have to. We all love you and want what's best for you."
"I'm not a child." She said.
"And you aren't a grown up either." He responded, his temper growing.
"And I'm not ever going to be." She blurted and it was his turn to freeze. Confusing fell on his face.
"What?" He asked.
She dropped to his bed and kicked off her shoes. He sat down next to her and made her look in his eyes.
"There is this thing called 'the flaw in the line' It's a blood disease that occasionally flares up. It's thought to come from an early king who married into the line. It's incurable and I have it." She said.
"Wait, you guys are healers..."
"Even Messiahs have to play by rules. That's what the doctors said. Mom is going to have another baby and..."
"No cure at all?" He asked, his mind frantically trying to find a way out of this. "I mean, thanks for playing but time for plan B? There has to be something..."
"Well, might as well not be. My father's bone marrow. But he's been dead for a long time."
Sam looked around. He sighed and pulled her into a hug. "Daddy, I'm afraid to die." She said and started crying. Sam cleared his throat.
"I'm not going to let you die. I'll think of something." Sam said.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm a Winchester, we cheat death all the time." He pushed her back and gave her the brightest smile he could muster. "Go shower. Dean should be back soon and then you need to sleep."
She nodded and stood. Impulsively she threw herself into his arms. "I love you, Daddy." She said into his chest.
"I love you too, honey." She disappeared into the bathroom with her backpack.
"What do you mean, she's dying?" Dean asked. He frowned hard. "No way."
Sam motioned for him to be quiet. He moved the phone to his ear and listened to the Voicemail message.
"Yeah, Sarah. Call me when you get this. We need to talk. I have her and she's safe. We're taking her back to the bunker in a few hours. Thanks." Sam hung up.
"What can we do?" Sam asked. He didn't look Dean in the eye.
"What we always do, we come up with some plan and we fix it."
"It's not like we can go back in time." Sam said. Dean stopped and thought.
"Maybe we can." He said. Sam looked at him. "We've done it before. Plenty of times."
"I don't think that's something we should do frivolously."
"Frivolously? Sam, the kid is dying." Sam sighed. He was trying to not be selfish, to do what he thought the world would call the right thing. But no. he had earned something for all the bullshit and pain he'd given the world. He deserved this. Screw the right thing.
"Ok, so how do we do that?" Sam asked.
"We take her back to the bunker so she's safe and I'll call Cass." Sam nodded.
She was asleep in the back seat when they got to the bunker. Sam leaned in and tried to shake her awake, but ended up having to carry her. It filled Dean with nostalgia.
A moment later, they disappeared into the bunker. Dean had stayed outside for a reason.
"Cass?" He called. "Cass..." A hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Yes, Dean." Cass said as Dean wheeled to face the angel.
"I need a favor."
"Of course."
"I need you to send me and Sam back to 2002." Dean said bluntly.
"Why?" Cass asked. Dean sighed.
"You remember Suri?" Cass nodded. "She's really sick and we need to get her father's bone Marrow to save her life."
"Alright." Cass said.
"Alright? No questions? No diatribe on the continuity of time?"
Cass shook his head. "It's kind of my job to watch out for her. It's just the Templars won't let me do it."
Dean nodded. "They are kind of asshats about it, aren't they?" Cass nodded.
"OK, give us five minutes to get her settled and we can go."
"How do you plan to get this bone marrow, Dean. It's a surgical procedure that requires needles and sterile conditions."
"I figure the guys going to die anyway, we just stick him and run."
"I see you have thought this out as carefully as you do most of your plans." Cass offered.
"That was almost sarcastic. Cass."
"I am endeavoring to learn."
Sam laid Suri on his bed and took off her shoes. He grabbed a spare blanket off the chair and covered her. He stood there for a long moment, watching her sleep.
A moment later her eyes fluttered open. "Where am I?" She asked, sleepily. He sat behind her on the bed and brushed the hair out of her face.
"My house. It's a bunker, actually. Warded against everything. You're safe here."
"Can I stay?" She asked.
"For a while. Look, Dean and I are going out for a while. You stay here and rest. There's plenty of food in the kitchen, lots of book. I just ask you don't touch anything you can't identify. A lot of this stuff is magical and dangerous. And try to eat toward my side of the frig."
She nodded. "Where are Sam and Dean?" She asked. He looked at her for a second.
"Oh, your animals." She nodded. "Here." He walked over to her pack and pulled them out. He came back and sat on the edge of the bed again and gave them to her. She wrapped them in her arms and laid back down. He covered her with the blanket again.
"Sleep. I'll be back before you know it." He offered.
"You going to get mom?"
"No, I can't get in touch with her. So we're on our own for a while."
She smiled. "Good news." She said and fell asleep again.
"Sammy, Cass is outside. Road trip! I'll grab the road beers, you get the syringes."
"On it." Sam said. A moment later they were outside the bunker, with it locked securely behind them.
"Can you find this guy?" Sam asked. Cass smiled and nodded. He put his index and middle finger of each hand on one of the boy's heads and there was a fluttering sound.
A moment later, Dean's ears were assaulted by Nickleback singing "How You Remind Me." He sighed. He opened his eyes and he was in a dive bar.
"OK, I remember. 2002 sucked." He said.
"We aren't hear for a musical tribute. We're here to find Suri's dad." Sam hissed.
"I need to leave." Cass said and vanished.
"Cass, where..." Dean spluttered.
He looked up and a much younger Sarah walked into the bar. Sam turned and caught sight of her and just stared. Dean reached over and pushed his mouth shut. Sam looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
"You were attracting flies." Dean offered.
She was coltish, like Suri, and had an easy smile. Sam was walking to her before he knew what he was doing.
"Sam, Sammy. Maybe we should..." Sam slid onto the bar stool next to her.
"Hi." he said. She lifted those emerald eyes to him and he melted. "Wow". He uttered.
"Yeah," She breathed back.
"I hate to interrupt this touching scene, but Sammy, I need to talk to you." Dean said through gritted teeth.
The two men on the other side of her suddenly stood. One of them grabbed her. The other pulled out an Uzi and sprayed the ceiling. Everyone hit the deck, except Dean, Sam and Sarah who went into battle mode.
Sarah pulled a long stiletto knife out of her belt and Dean pulled out his own knife. Sam, unholstered his automatic and fired at the demon with the Uzi. It fell back long enough for Dean to shove the knife in it's back and the eyes and mouth of the creature burned with red fire as it died.
Sarah took her own knife and stabbed the Demon behind her in the leg, it howled in pain and the wound sizzled. It released her and she whirled, slitting it's throat.
"We need to get you out of here." Sam said and grabbed her hand. She grabbed back and they moved for the door. Dean followed and they all ran once they hit the concrete of the sidewalk.
"So, You don't look like Templars." She said when they were finally a distance from the bar.
"I'm Sam and this is Dean. Winchester." He said, looking down.
"Sarah Grimaldi. It's nice to meet you both. Now, what are you?"
"Hunters."
"I thought so. Damned good ones, too." She said.
"Well, you're pretty good for a holy grail, Sarah." Sam responded. She stopped and glared at him.
"How do you know that?" caution laced her voice.
"It's a long story. We should get somewhere safe before..." In the air there was a sound like the flutter of huge wings and the air around them stirred.
"Damn," she cursed under her breath and fumbled for her stiletto.
"What the hell?" Sam asked, looking into the black night and seeing nothing.
Suddenly, large, clawed talons reached down and grabbed Dean. He pointed his gun up and unloaded, but to no affect.
"Leggo!" he scream.
Sam pulled out his own gun and fired at the creature. The bullets bounced off harmlessly as Dean started to rise in the air.
"What the hell?" Sam gasped.
"Gargoyle!" Sarah told him.
With three swoops of it's powerful, gray wings, the gargoyle disappeared into the night sky, leaving only Dean's faded cursing echoing in the alley.
"They're… they're real?" Sam asked.
"Just be thankful it isn't a demon, or a unicorn. At least your brother has a chance of surviving with the gargoyle."
"Just when you think you've seen everything." Sam uttered and followed her into the night.
Sharp claws tore into Dean's shoulders, blood dripped down his chest and he was very high in the air.
"Let me go you son of a bitch." He yelled, reached in and got his silver knife and stabbed at the foot. Luckily for him, it had no effect.
They moved through the sky, Dean occasionally looked down and his head spun. He had never been aware before that he was ever so slightly acrophobic, but then again, he had never before been kidnapped by a giant bird thing.
Soon, it gently set Dean down on the ledge of a building. A very tall building.
"Awesome." He said. He looked down. This was the crown of the building, no access to the floors below and the closest balcony was a thirty foot drop. If he hit it on the way down, at best, a broken leg,
There was a recess in the crown. He stepped back there. Some old rags were gathered into a kind of nest and the place reeked.
"This just keeps getting better." He said and sat. At that moment a high gale kicked up and almost knocked him over.
"Cass?" He yelled. No answer. "Never an angel around when you need one."
Castiel looked around him. He'd been summoned by something very powerful and was in a circle of Angel oil that burned and danced.
He knew this place, had been here when it was build. A secret chamber under the Temple mound in Jerusalem.
He became conscious of people around him, sitting in a circle.
"Who are you? Why have you called me?" He asked.
"We ask the questions here, Angel." Came the voice. A man came out of the shadows in front of him, dressed in a suit. On his lapel was a pin, a white field with a red cross.
"Templars." Cass breathed.
"Why are you here, Angel, and why were you so near to the Vessel?"
"I am simply watching over a few charges." Cass offered.
"Don't scam a scammer, Castiel. I was not born yesterday. We sensed the time alteration and we know a thing or two about Angels. You are not a guardian. You are a soldier. So tell me, does heaven mean to try to reclaim the bloodline?" He asked sternly.
Cass sighed. "No, I have not been sent to reclaim the bloodline, but, as an agent of heaven, I am sworn to protect it. I know you don't trust me, but I promise you, I am simply here to try to protect the bloodline."
"That is our job. You will return to your correct place in the time line and stay away from the bloodline."
"I can't leave, I have friends here. If I go they'll be stranded."
"Angels have friend in your time? More angels?" Cass shook his head. "Humans, then. You're charges? I know you are not a guardian."
"Not Charges. Friends. It's difficult to explain."
"You'd be surprised the convoluted stories I can follow. Priory of Sion, Illumanti, Grassy knoll."
"Fine. In my time line, some friends of mine befriend the next generation of the bloodline. A child named..."
"No names. No predestination, please."
"Fine. The child has the curse and they wanted to return here to find the cure."
He considered this.
"And heaven approves your interference?"
"Heaven sort of lets me have my head these days." He replied.
"You are odd for an angel." The Templar said, looked at him.
"You can say that again." Cass replied.
Sam closed the door of Sarah's apartment behind him and checked the lock. The room looked like a million others in the city, modern furniture and TV and cable box, some art. It seemed almost staged.
She threw off her sweater and walked to the bedroom door.
"All the action happens in here." She said.
"Dean would have a clever comeback for that." he thought. He followed her into the bedroom which looked more like a medieval laboratory. Beakers and vials, roots and plants and books on every flat surface. In the corner was a bed, disheveled and a small chest of drawers.
"I love what you've done with the place." He joked.
"Well, decorating is a passion of mine." She returned. "Can you go into the other room and get me my grimiore? It should be next to the sink."
"I know I always keep my spell book in the kitchen." He teased.
"I like to read. It's an addiction. When I was a kid, it was an escape the only fun I ever had."
"Me too. I read everything I could get my hands on." He said.
"I read the La Morte De Arthur when I was nine and it was surreal."
"The grail reading about the quest for the grail?" He grinned. "I always loved Percival." Sam said.
"Me too. He was my favorite. He wasn't the strongest or the smartest or the best knight..."
"He was the one who was true to himself." Sam finished. Again their eyes locked for too long and they both looked away sharply.
"He was also the one who found the Grail. So it looks Like I've finally found my Percival." She smiled and his heart fluttered. "So, you go and get that book and we'll whip[ up a spell to find your brother."
"Ah, yeah." He turned and went to get the grimiore.
"OK Dean, think. What the hell was that and what are you going to do?" He ventured another glance over the side, but the height was dizzying. He fell backwards into the recess.
The cold was setting in so he reached over and grabbed one of the horrible smelling blankets. As he pulled it, human bones clattered out of it. One fell over the side.
"Could this get any better?" He muttered.
In the distance he heard the screech of a huge bird and the flapping of wings.
"Damn it."
He reached into his pocket and made a quick inventory. A silver knife, a flask of holy water, some Coltsfoot in a plastic bag, a free burger coupon, a silver coin and a receipt from Bill's gas and go. He sighed. He also had his wallet and car keys.
"So, Macgyver, what now?"
Cass frowned. "Are you going to let me out of here?"
"Why would we?"
"You have no right to hold me."
"I will not allow you to leave until I find out why you were with the Vessel."
"I told you that I was watching my friends."
A young man walked into the room and handed the Inquisitor a folder. He opened it and sighed.
"Part of your story holds up. Are these the two men?" He held up a picture of Dean and Sam and Cass in the bar.
"Yes, that is Sam and Dean Winchester." Cass said.
"Never heard of them."
Cass held his tongue but his mind flared. How did they not know about Sam and Dean unless… Someone was hiding them. "Can I go now?"
"Not just yet. I have more questions."
"Bureaucrats." Cass sighed and glared at him.
"You're pretty handy around a spell." Sarah said as Sam poured a measure of goblin blood into the dish.
"I was good in chemistry in school. Same thing, really. Except when Chemicals blow up you don't have to worry about being turned into a frog."
She giggled. She lit a match and dropped it into the Crucible they were using.
"In nomine sanctissime deo readch lapideum cor malum finem intentum ut benedicas!" She intoned and there was a flash and an acrid smoke. Beside the crucible, a stone had been places and slowly it began to vibrate. Small amounts fo dust fell away.
"Now we wait." She said.
"How long?"
"About an hour."
"Why so long?"
"The spell is looking for a rock in a city of rocks." She returned. "So, while we got time..."
"Dean?" He asked.
"Gargoyles take a long time to eat their prey. But it is very important that we find him soon. He's probably cold and scared."
"Dean scared? No, he's impervious."
"Well, right now he's probably on the ledge of a skyscraper." She said.
"Hum?"
"They live on top of buildings, duh. I hope it wants to eat him." She said Sam looked up in alarm.
"Why?"
"Because the only other reason a gargoyle would steal someone away is to... Mate with them." She sighed.
Sam thought about that for a minute.
She sat down on her bed, Sam pulled over a straight back chair and sat in front of her. "What's your story?" She asked.
"I'm a time traveler." He said.
"From when?"
"Twenty sixteen. A few years ago, by my reckoning, I met a little girl named Suri. She was lost. Actually, I found her Madonna."
Sarah nodded. "Let me guess, she's about fourteen?"
He nodded. "Anyway, her father died before she was born and..."
"She has the curse."
"Can I tell the story?" he asked and he laughed.
"I'm sorry. Go ahead. I like listening to your voice, anyway." He smiled at that.
"Suri's Templar had been killed when I met her and I kept her for a few days and got very attached. She's a gorgeous kid, Sarah. Smart, funny."
"You sound like a fan."
"She calls me Dad. So I came here to find her father and get the bone marrow. So do you know who he might be?" He asked.
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. He leaned back and shook his head.
"No, we shouldn't. I mean... her father."
"Think about it Sam..." Sarah said. He leaned back and looked at her, searching her face and shook his head. "You are her father."
"Me?" He said, surprised.
"The instant attraction, you being bamboozled into coming back here..."
"Bamboozled?" He asked.
"Hopefully you will never get used to Templar manipulations." She said a little sadly.
"So, she IS my daughter?" He asked and a gentle smile crossed his face.
It took a minute to sink in, but the idea settled in to his brain. He smiled and leaned forward and kissed Sarah as deeply as he could.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" She asked as he kissed her neck. His hands traced the curve of her back and pulled her closer.
"I do now." He sighed in her ear and pressed his lips over hers a he pushed her back on her bed.
Dean opened the holy water and held the knife in front of him. The creature was flying just outside his abiulity to see, but he could feel the wind of it's wings and sense it's movement.
"Come out and fight me." He said. He was shivering in the cold and angry.
The gargoyle swooped in and he got his first real look at it. It was about eight feet tall and looked just like the gargolyes you see on French churchs, bird beak, talons, wings. It's eyes, though, little pinkpoints of gray light, something depressing and dark was there.
He struck at it with the knife, but to no avail. It landed near him with something in it's mouth and then stood back and looked at him expectantly with black stone eyes. It leaned forward and dropped a dean rat before him, shoved it closer.
He stared at it for a minute. His mind was blank with possibilities.
"Is, is this some kind of gift?" He asked.
It skwaked loudly and jumped up and down.
"Well, Um, thank you, I guess. But I gave up rat for Lent." He said. It looked quite disappointed, then grabbed the rat, swallowed it and flew off again.
"Bring me a burger and we'll talk!" He yelled after it.
"As angels go. You seem to be one of the good guys" The Templar said. He came to the edge of the circle and looked at Cass through the flames.
"Give it time. You will find that my good intentions are the road to ruin."
"Then why shouldn't we kill you now?"
"Because the damage is already done. I am not from the time."
"How do you come to be friends with humans."
"Dean I rescued from Hell. Sam I rescued from Lucifer."
"That should be quite a tale."
"Well, you'll just have to wait for it to come out on DVD because I don't do spoilers." Cass said.
"You are not like any angel I have ever met."
"No, I am flawed, and prideful and prone to think more of myself then there is. I love well, but not wisely. Kill me if you have to, but first let me take my friends back. They are needed in the future. They have to save your Vessel."
"And you would return here for death if I gave you this chance?"
Cass looked down and nodded. "I give you my word."
"Why?"
"Because it's the right thing to do."
"You make a choice of conscience?"
"There is no other kind."
The Inquisitor stepped back into the dark crowd for a moment and there was a lot of murmuring. A few minutes later he returned.
"You may go. And don't come back, Castiel."
"Or you will kill me?"
"No, because the future needs you." he said and turned away. The flames died and Cass thought of Dean.
Sarah held the stone out. "Turn here." She said. Sam followed her, his hand on her shoulder. It gave him comfort to touch her.
"Up there." She pointed to the top of an impossibly high skyscraper.
"Oh..." Sam uttered. "How do we get up there?"
"I will assist with that." Cass said from behind them.
The gargoyle sat across from Dean watching in great anticipation as he ate the burger. He looked up at her.
"You are a genius. This is the most amazing burger..." He said and took another bite of the burger.
She used her nose to push the pie closer to him.
"In a minute. You want a bite?" He asked.
She make a gutteral noise and he broke off a piece of the burger and tossed it to her. She caught it in the air and swallowed it.
Cass appeared beside him and the gargoyle let out a violent cry. She turned on Cass.
"NO!" Dean yelled and she turned and looked at him. "He's with me." he told her. She settled back into a sitting position across from her.
"We should go." Cass offered.
"In just a minute." Dean finished the burger and took out the pie. It was a full pie, coconut cream and it was perfect. There was fresh cream and real coconut milk and ht took a fork and reached in and took a big bite.
"I love her." He said through the pie.
"The feeling is mutual." Cass replied, his voice almost sarcastic.
"What?"
"She wants you for her mate. She is plying you with gifts..."
"Um, mate?"
Cass nodded 'Yes, she wants..."
"Stop!" He looked at the gargoyle. "Um, look this has been really nice, but I'm a free bird, you know. Rolling stone…"
She stood and began looking at him intensely.
"OK, we can leave no." Dean said A moment later he was standing beside Sam and Sarah.
Dean looked at Sam, who was holding Sarah close.
"Take pictures for me. Of every moment." Sam leaned down and kissed her.
"I'm glad the two of you will get to meet someday." She said. "Usually the Templars don't let fathers get involved.
"Well," Cass said, "As far as I can tell, they don't know about the Winchesters."
She turned to Cass and looked at him knowingly. A silent communication moved between them. She nodded.
"I'll take care of it." She replied. Dean made a note to inquire about that later.
"She's a great kid. So..." Sam leaned over and kissed her deeply.
Dean turned away, and then grabbed Cass and turned him away.
"Bye." Sam said.
"I think 'So long' is more appropriate." She smiled and Cass turned and touched them both on the forehead.
They were standing outside the bunker.
"You need me to go in with you?" Dean asked Sam. He could tell his brother was going to have a serious talk with Suri. A really important one.
"No, I got to do this myself. Thanks, Cass, I owe you big."
"No, It was an honor to serve the bloodline. Thank you, Sam. And, congratulations on becoming a father."
Sam heaved a heavy sigh and nodded. "I'm a dad." He said.
"Suri is a Winchester." Dean said and patted Sam on the back.
"Poor Kid." Cass sighed. Dean glared at him.
She was sitting at the computer playing some video game. He came in and walked over. She stood and threw her arms round his neck.
"Did you find my dad?" She asked brightly. He pushed her into the chair and sat down across from her.
"We need to talk about that. It seems… I'm your dad."
"Shut up! You mean you and my mom...Gross!"
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Well, at least you can get the treatment." He offered.
"And I got the best Dad in the world." She said suddenly.
"And I got the best kid."
"So, I can stay here with you and Uncle Dean!" She jumped up and twirled around.
"Suri, let's take things slow, ok? No way are the Templars going to let you stay here."
"But you said yourself it's safe."
"And your mom, and there are things you have to learn that I got no clue about."
"Like?"
"Gargoyles for start. One of the grabbed Dean. Fell in love, apparently. She plyed him with cake and burgers."
"So, I guess she knew him?" She grinned.
"Look, you have to go home with your mom." She frowned but he pushed her chin up to look at her. "And you are still in a huge amount of trouble."
She looked at him in disbelief. "Not cool."
"I'm not cool, as Dean he'll tell you in elaborate detail." She nodded but frowned and thought for a long moment.
"So, if I'm your daughter, does that make me a Winchester?" She said.
"Kid, you're about as Winchester as it's possible to get." Dean said from behind them. He crossed through the room and vanished in a doorway.
"It has a nice ring to it." Sam added. "OK, I have to call your mom again and set up this procedure. You go read a book or something. And stay out of Dean's candy stash, I know you found it."
"How do you know that?"
"It's not really well hidden." He said.
I talked to your mom on the phone. She got called to Brazil and won't be home for a month or so. She said it's ok if you stay here. Then, back to Boston for school." She sighed.
"And we have to talk about some things. I still need to punish you for your little stunt. Your mom left it up to me." He said.
She turned on him. "OK, so what grounded to the bunker for a week?
"Oh no." Sam said, trying to be parental. "Do you have any idea what trouble you caused?"
"Everything was fine. I was fine." She argued, not looking up.
"Everything was? You drugged someone, Suri." Sam said. "You could have killed her. And she's going to be here tomorrow, by the way. She's annoyed."
Suri looked away. "I'm sorry. I mean. I just..."
"Look, I was a kid once, too. It sucks. But there are certain lines teen rebellion just can't cross. Suri. You scared the crap out of us. You could have been kidnapped by demons or monsters or the Thule not to mention the usually horrors out there for 14 year old girls."
"I'm not the usually girl."
"No. You're not. You're a Winchester and a Grimaldi. That puts a target on your back. And clearly, you showed you aren't mature enough to have certain rights, so..."
"You are such a fascist!"
Annoyance flared in Sam.
"You think I'm a fascist? OK, I can do that."
"What are you going to do ground me?"
"Oh no." For the next month you will work at a homeless shelter. At least three hours a day, five days a week. No allowance. And to make up to Ariel, for the next two weeks, you will be her squire. Wash her laundry, make her bed. Whatever she needs."
Sarah's eyes got wide.
"That is so unfair."
"Welcome to life!" He announced.
Suri stormed out of the room. He heard Dean enter the room.
"That was hard." He said.
"Yeah, dude you totally sounded like Dad there for a minute.
"Are you going to be helpful or..."
"What about you and Sarah?" Dean asked. He took a bite out of a cookie he was carrying.
"We talked and realized that neither one of us does well with relationships, so, for now, just friends and parents." He offered.
"Bummer." Dean offered.
"Yeah. Well. It's part of who we are isn't it?"
Dean nodded.
Dean found Suri in the kitchen, banging things around. He entered quietly and got a beer out of the frig.
"So, how long you in for?" He asked and twisted off the top of the beer.
"A month."
Dean looked shocked but then shrugged. "Well, you did drug someone."
"It's horrible. I have to go to a homeless shelter."
"It's not that bad once you get used to the smell." Dean told her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Besides, I suspect that's where you are going to find yourself."
"Did you have to?"
"Only for a week, but It was enlightening. Look, kid. you screwed up. You were a jerk and you hurt a lot of people. Suck it up."
She stopped. "Uncle Dean?"
He smiled. "Yeah?"
"You suck at pep talks."
He gave her a look. "All I'm saying is, your life is going to be some kind of roller coaster. On top of all that blood crap, you got the Winchester curse. I would not change places with you. Seriously. You are looking at a serious ass kicking."
"Not motivating."
"But, you have a family that will do whatever they need to to help you. Including kicking your ass. Including wading into hell to save you. Including loving you when you are being a total asshat. We will never give up on you. So, stop being a jerk and go hug your father."
She looked at him for a long time and then sighed. She smiled and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks...Jerk."
"Bi… Takes on to know one." She smiled and left the room.
Sam was sitting in his room, filling out medical papers for Suri's proceedure. Cass appeared at the foot of his bed.
Sam Jumped. "Oh for!" he bellowed.
"Sam, you should be careful." He said
"Why?"
"I suspect part of the reason Sarah kept you out of things is… the Templars are..."
"Are what?"
"Manipulative asshats. And they know about you now. About the fact that Suri cares for you. That makes you a pawn."
"Thanks for the heads up, Cass."
"I suspect heaven is at work here, too. A combination of Winchester and sacred blood… Protect Suri, Sam. She is more important then we can imagine."
Sam nodded. Cass vanished. He decided to just live in this minute for once. He went in to find Dean and Suri making a mess in the kitchen. And it was good.
Babe you know
You're growing up so fast
And mama's worrying
That you won't last
To say let's play
Sister Christian
There's so much in life don't you give it up
Before your time is due
It's true
It's true yeah
Your motoring
What's your price for flight?
In finding Mr. Right
You'll be alright tonight
Sister Christian, Night Ranger