Title: Louder than Sirens
Author: Lady_Lyonnesse
Rating: T
Characters, Pairings: Ruby, Gabriel, Castiel Slight Ruby/Castiel
Summary: Castiel wants to go convince a reluctant brother to go help - but Ruby doesn't see why he wants her to go with. AU season 5 where blonde!Ruby is still alive and awesome. Pre-5X19.
"I still don't get why you had to drag me along." Ruby grumbled as she followed Cas through a rusty gate and up a long windy path. It was presumably a front garden - but what with the over-grown grass and weeds, the empty bottles of beer and not so empty take-out cartons, the condom packets and even a broken Wal-mart trolley, that was to be debated. The house which the path led up to was even in a worse state - the shutters hung off the broken windows, fluttering pathetically in the breeze. The bricks were dirty and half the roof was missing as if ripped apart by a tornado. And Ruby was not keen to enter. But since Castiel was striding up the path and not appearing to be in a talkative mood, Ruby trudged after him, grumbling under her breath. If she'd known switching sides meant being a moody angel's side-kick she would in no way have agreed.
They reached the front door which seemed surprisingly new and clean; so shiny that Ruby could see her face in the paintwork. Castiel reached out and rapped the brass knocker three times - and the door swung open.
"Very Edgar Allen Poe." Ruby muttered. "Hey wait!" she reached out and grabbed Castiel by the tail of his coat as he went to step over the threshold. He stopped and looked at her. Castiel had this way of making contact seem like the most awkward thing you could ever do. It even unnerved Ruby, but she wouldn't ever admit or show it, dropping the coat only to fold her arms and give him her trade mark glare. "You're not seriously thinking of going in?"
"We need to go in." Castiel stated, simply.
"Well yeah, but what if its a trap. What if Zachariah's in there or something?" Ruby argued. "We don't all have almighty angelic abilities, fly-boy."
"Don't worry Ruby, if it's a trap I will protect you." Castiel assured her before turning around and walking straight into the house.
"How valiant." Ruby muttered but followed him all the same. When Ruby had officially joined the boys on their quest to kill Lucifer, she hadn't been that popular. Sure, she'd known that killing Lillith would've meant freeing the Devil but she hadn't cared. She'd just wanted Lillith dead. Except she hadn't seen the aftermath. She was travelling with the boys for her own protection rather than an actual desire to do good and they knew that - but that didn't make her an invaluable source on Demon knowledge. And after a while, Sam had actually began to start trusting her again. Dean took longer to come round but even he hadn't said anything the first night she'd slept on the sofa in the boy's motel room as opposed to the nights spent shut in the Impala.
Castiel however, had been an entirely different matter.
When she first started travelling with them, they'd ignored each other completely. Considering that he was always off trying to find God and she was always busy either killing Demons or finding Demons to kill, they rarely saw each other anyway. But then there had been one night when she'd been locked in the hotel room while Dean and Sam had been out visiting Bobby and he'd just appeared. Boredom - and the fact that Ruby had already washed her hair twice and found nothing good on the porn channels while Castiel sat awkwardly in a chair - resulted in the two striking up Angel and Demon small talk. Something that intrigued Castiel and both thrilled and scared Ruby - who knew that as they talked, he could turn on her any moment and she wouldn't have a chance. A risk that Ruby quite enjoyed. Since then the two had come to an almost understanding. Castiel trusted Ruby and to a degree Ruby reciprocated - but that didn't mean that she was thrilled about following him into the house with no back up.
But she did anyway.
She followed him through a dank hall, with peeling wallpaper and floor boards that had rotted so badly, Ruby was careful where she placed her heeled boots.
"If I fall through this floor you're paying the hospital bill." She warned him. Castiel just gestured for her to be quiet and led her into a large room, with furniture all covered by large white sheets, the breeze which came down the dilapidated chimney making them waft about eerily. Ruby shivered involuntarily, pulling her jacket around her tightly.
"Whatever the hell we're doing can you please hurry up?" she hissed at Castiel, tapping her foot, crossly. Once again he gestured for her to be quiet - infuriating Ruby, taking all her strength not to clout the angel around the head.
"Hello?" Castiel asked into the room. "Are you here?" The room was silent in reply, the sheets continuing to waft in the wind - and then they stopped. The whole room became still. Ruby, hating to feel as vulnerable as this, drew out her Demon-killing knife and then for good measure, drew her Angel-killing one as well.
"Castiel?" there was definately a voice - but no one was to be seen. Then suddenly a shadow moved from one of the sheet-covered arm chairs, straightening up and walking over to them. "Hey bro! What brings you 'round this neck of the woods?" Ruby almost rolls her eyes.
"You're kidding me?" she demanded Castiel, sheathing her knives. "You brought me on a family visit?"
"OOh, Cas. You got a girl-friend?" The guy asked, leering at Ruby. "Or is it a present for me?"
"She's a Demon, brother." Castiel told him, a slight edge of exasperation in his voice.
"She's blonde." the guy replied, undeterred.
"She's getting pissed off with being referred to as if she's not here." Ruby cut in, scowling at the guy.
"Easy sugar," the guy held up his hands in fake defence. "A guy can appreciate the things in the shop window even if he's not buying can't he?"
"Bite me." Ruby snapped.
"Ooh feisty!" the guy grinned at both of them, looking thrilled. "I may have to take you up on that, sugar."
"Not that this isn't thrilling conversation. But who the hell are you?" Ruby glared at him.
"I have many names, you may know me as Loki, the trickster." he replies.
"Oh! You're a Pagan god." Ruby raises both her eyebrows, unimpressed. "Those self-righteous bastards."
"Enough!" Castiel yelled, cutting in before the guy can reply. "Ruby, this is Gabriel. My brother."
"Whoa, wait. Gabriel? As in the Arc Angel Gabriel?" Ruby demanded, looking at Gabriel, incrediously. "Well, what the hell are you doing in a shit-hole like this?"
"Enjoying the peace and quiet - or I was." Gabriel looks at Ruby and Castiel in an accusatory manner.
"We need your help." Castiel spoke, not wasting any time.
"I've told you guys once, I've told you before - I'm not getting involved." Gabriel replied, bluntly.
"Oh so you're going to just sit in this dump instead?" Ruby jumps in before Castiel can speak.
"Yeah, sounds about right - care to join me?" Gabriel can't help adding, flirtatiously.
"Sorry, I don't screw cowardly arc angels. Or pagan gods." Ruby replied, curtly. Gabriel's expression hardened.
"Have you any idea what ìt's like to have your family rip apart? Imagine say, for one moment that you and my brother had a baby. Then imagine that baby had to grow up and choose an alliance - either Daddy Angel, or Mommy Demon. It would tear that kid apart."
"It's not like that at all, brother." Castiel stated, softly.
"Oh really? Well if you have that kid, get it to come see me and then we'll talk." Gabriel turned away, as if signalling the end of a conversation. Castiel looks at Ruby, at a loss. And maybe because Ruby is absolutely sick of this war, or maybe because the guy's attitude totally rubbed her the wrong way, or maybe even because she has slightly deeper feelings for Castiel than she would ever admit to but for whatever reason, it made her march right up to Gabriel and poke him visciously.
"Now listen to me bud." she hissed at him. "Do you have any idea of what we have been through since your brother got out of his Hell pit? We have been chased, shot at, stabbed, exorcised and then you come along and decide that you're going to fricken sit it out? Newsflash bud! You can't! I don't care if you have some inferiority complex, you need to get over it because this isn't just about you anymore! This is about the world alright? So if you're gonna act like a sulky teenager that ran away then you can do it alone, because we've got better things to do rather than put up with your shit!" and with that Ruby turned on her heel and stormed out of the house - not stopping to wallow in the glory that was the bewilderment on the Arc Angel's face.
"Ruby." Ruby jumped - she hadn't even heard Castiel follow her.
"God, dude, do you have to be so... stealthy?" she demanded, irritably. Castiel merely looked down at her, a fathomless expression on her face. "Yeah, yeah I know; patience is a virtue and all that crap, just get it out now!" Ruby complained, folding her arms and huffing. Castiel didn't speak for a moment, just looked at her.
"You did well." he said, eventually. "Maybe Gabriel will eventually see sense now - being told to re-think your morals by a Demon is enough to make anyone stop." Ruby gawped.
"You mean, I did something right?" she asked, incrediously.
"Yes."
"Ah. Cool." Ruby states, feeling rather smug.
"Do you wish to go home now?" Castiel asked, unnerved by a smiling Ruby.
"Home. Where ever the hell that is." Ruby agrees, but nonetheless sets off back down the road next to the angel.
Okay, am a bit unsure about this - but I think I will be doing more Ruby in S5 as she was an awesome character (note; Katie Cassidy Ruby) and I think she would've kicked ass. :D
Loveee xx