First chapter of my Owen/Dean fic! I've been writing this thing all summer but didn't want to start posting it until it was mostly done. There should be 3 chapters, possibly 4. This version will be censored. The uncensored version will be on my Ao3 account. I have the same username there that I have here, but if you can't find it, let me know. Your support, as always, is greatly appreciated. I do not own Torchwood or Supernatural.
People always whined about the stench of death. Even hardened police officers would balk if it were bad enough, and a lot of doctors too. Now, it wasn't like Owen Harper particularly liked the stench of death; more like tolerated it. Besides, it didn't smell nearly as bad as a Weevil nest in the sewers.
He opened his eyes wide, straining to see anything in the darkness but there was nothing. He could hear though, the rustling and growls of the creatures, and he could smell the scent of Torchwood's collection of Weevils magnified by roughly ten thousand. With a rough sigh, Owen propped himself up onto his elbows, sinking a bit into the mush and grime beneath him.
"Yo, King of the Weevils would appreciate some light!" he shouted, his voice echoing around what he assumed was the sewer.
There was a rustling, a hiss and snap of some type of communication, and then the dull, overhead work lights flickered on. Owen's eyebrows raised.
"Didn't think that'd work," Owen mused. He pushed himself up and tried not to think about the muck coating his hands. "Alright then."
He glanced around. He was surrounded by Weevils, but apparently his King status was still in place despite the whole dying again bit. At least that's what he assumed had happened. He definitely remembered being in the reactor, Tosh's soft, hiccupping cries cutting out as his comm fried and his skin melted away.
"Anyone want to explain what's going on?" Owen asked.
At once, he was met with a chorus of growls and groans, almost deafening as they echoed around him.
"Alright, shut up!" Not surprisingly, his order was obeyed. "So apparently communication only goes one way. One of you, get me back to the surface."
There was some shuffling from the masses before him and finally, one stepped forward. Their eyes met, and then it turned away, the crowd of Weevils parting before it. Owen glanced around hesitantly and then began to follow after it. There was a bit of panic building up in his chest, along with an intense desire to scream and rage over the fact that apparently he wasn't allowed to die. Load of shit that was. All he wanted was the peace and quiet of death and every time he finally got it, some divine ass intervention stopped him.
The Weevil stopped at the foot of a ladder leading up to one of the manhole covers.
"Great. Awesome. Thanks. It's been great." Owen shoved passed the Weevil and began to climb the ladder, stopping when the creature let out a heart-wrenching wail. There was a sharp twang in his chest and he turned to look down at it.
"I'll be back, you big lump. Calm down and stop that," he ordered.
The creature blinked mournfully up at him but obeyed regardless. Owen gave a frustrated sigh and shoved the manhole cover up and out of the way. He pulled himself up into the alleyway and put the cover back in place before standing up. With a grimace, he shook the crap off his hands and tugged off his jacket, abandoning it alongside the cover. His undershirt was mostly clean, and he supposed the mess on his jeans could pass as dirt.
Out of curiosity, he palmed his back pocket. He had his wallet, which was a bit odd but the whole situation was fucked up so he wasn't going to complain. When he emerged from the alley, he got a few disgusted looks but it could've been worse. Once he had himself oriented (still in Cardiff, close to the bay), he headed for the old Torchwood.
The city was still standing, looked perfectly fine actually, which meant they had managed to save it so that was something. Saving the world was certainly nice and all, though he would've preferred to have not died, instead of dying and being brought back. He was selfish to a fault after all, that's what everyone had always said, and this business of being brought back was just a hassle.
Owen's feet led him down the steps to the tourist shop under the docks. It was a comforting sight, more than he was willing to admit. It was night, yeah, but judging by the crowds it was still early enough for the Torchwood crew to still be working. He wondered how much time had passed since his supposed death, and wondered how surprised Ianto would look when he strode through the door.
"Okay, honestly, this should've been the reaction I expected, but I was hoping for better," Owen said, holding his hands up in a hopefully pacifying gesture.
Ianto's hand trembled as he leveled the gun at Owen's chest. His face was flushed, tears threatening at the rims of his eyes. His death was still recent then, fresh in Ianto's mind. Otherwise he was sure the other would've been hiding it better.
"What are you?" Ianto demanded.
"Can you lower the god damn gun? I'd really prefer not to die again because I don't really know if I'd come back. Put the gun down, Teaboy," Owen said.
Ianto's jaw spasmed, but after a tense moment, he lowered the gun. His other hand reached up to tap the ear comm. "Jack. Gwen. Get up here now."
"What about Tosh?" Owen asked.
"She's dead. Died helping you shut the reactor down," Ianto said, the words choked. "I'm sorry."
Owen clamped down tight on his reaction, though his eyes did break away from Ianto's to stare at the ground. "I...see."
The side door slammed open and Jack and Gwen came through. For a moment, they both froze and then in one fluid motion drew their guns and aimed at Owen's head and chest respectively.
"Hell of a homecoming," Owen said.
"And whatever you are, you aren't human and you aren't Owen, so why don't you show us your real form," Jack said.
"Okay, so whether or not I'm human is definitely debatable because you know, back from the dead and all. But I must still be Owen because the Weevils still like me," Owen said.
"Prove it," Gwen said, jaw tight as she glowered at him. "Or I'll shoot."
Owen's gaze flickered over all three of them. "Ianto, there's a pair of red lacy panties in the top right drawer of your desk. Found it when I was looking for extra sticky notes. You threatened to strangle me with my intestines if I told anyone. Jack, one time you choked on a handful of peanuts and died but you swore me to secrecy because it was so embarrassingly hilarious. And Gwen. When we were shagging, you asked me to-"
"Alright, that's enough," Gwen interrupted. She clicked the safety of her gun back on and shoved it into its holster.
"That was smart. Picking memories only the real Owen Harper would have," Jack said. His gaze was painfully unreadable.
"I am Owen Harper," Owen said.
"You could be an alien capable of absorbing memories," Jack said.
"An alien would need a body for that, and mine got radiated to dust. I don't think it'd be possible to pick up much from that," Owen said. "Take me down to the Hub. Check me out. I'm still Owen and I'm feeling pretty alive."
"Ianto, cuff him," Jack ordered.
"Wait, wait, hold on," Owen said. "Can I change first? I literally smell like shit and Weevil and it's really unpleasant."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Gwen, get him some scrubs. Come with me, princess." He held his hand out, grabbing Owen's wrist tight when the doctor got close enough.
"Why Jack, you're such a gentleman."
"I still have a gun, and I will use it."
-.-
Owen sat on the operating table, ankles crossed with his legs swinging as Gwen took his blood sample. Ianto and Jack stood on the surrounding platform with their hands clenched around the railing.
"So you're the new doctor, that it?" Owen asked.
"Of course not. Knowing how to draw blood just isn't that difficult," Gwen said. She dripped the blood into a vial and put it in one of the machines to identify his DNA. "We were trying to get back in touch with Martha. Haven't heard from her yet."
"So how long have I been dead?" Owen asked.
"A week and a half," Jack answered from above. "What do you remember?"
"My flesh melting and Tosh crying," Owen said, locking his eyes with Jack's. "Then I opened my eyes and I was in Weevil underworld."
He should have known better, but Owen still expected some level of sympathy from Jack. He got a stony stare instead.
"Gwen, what does the DNA scanner say?" Jack asked, gaze not leaving Owen's.
Gwen moved around him to look at one of the computer screens. "Owen Harper, 100%, though there is something else. Not sure what it means."
Owen turned to look and she pointed at a small symbol near the bottom right corner of the results. "Oh that. That means the DNA is all me but a dormant gene is now active. May I?"
"By all means," Gwen said, stepping back from the computer. "Most of this goes right over my head anyways."
It was weird, clicking away at the computer like everything was back to normal. Like Jack wasn't waiting for one wrong move as an excuse to put a bullet in his back. Owen narrowed in on the now active gene and blew the protein sequence up on the larger screen behind Jack.
"Well, there's a whole lot of proteins I've never heard of," Owen said. "You were right about one thing. Definitely not completely human."
"One of those I recognize," Ianto said. "The one off to the right. It's in almost every protein sequence of the Weevil DNA."
"Kreisotin," Jack said. "So you've have Kreisotin in your system and you never noticed?"
"It's a dormant gene! Or it was," Owen said. "And I still read as completely human to the tech so how was I supposed to know?"
"Why would it read him as human, Jack?" Ianto asked. "Are Weevils too new for it to recognize?"
"Too new or too old," Jack said. "The first one I caught, before any of you joined, registered as unknown. I changed the name in the system, but since that gene isn't exactly like a Weevil's, it never caught it. Until it flicked on and drew attention to itself."
"So what do you do with me now?" Owen asked. "As fascinating as this all is, I'd rather know now if I'm going to be sentenced to death or whatever."
"Of course not," Gwen said. "Right Jack?"
"We won't kill you, not unless you become a threat," Jack said. "For now, we lock you up."
"Jack, we can't," Ianto said. Owen glanced over at him in surprise. "He's Owen."
"Not quite."
"Okay, I'll go to the cell, but thanks for trying to defend my honor, Teaboy," Owen said. "But can I get some of my clothes first? Not a big fan of rotting in a cell in scrubs."
"I suppose that's acceptable, yes," Jack said, the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. "Gwen, you can take him to the storage unit."
"Wow, you all certainly moved on fast," Owen said. "Couldn't wait to get rid of all traces of me, could you?"
"That's what we do, Owen, and you know it," Jack said. "Did you want us to grieve for the rest of our lives?"
"Less than two fucking weeks is not the rest of your god damn lives! If I can be erased that quickly, I don't even know why I'd bother. Mind as well put a bullet in me now, save us all the trouble in case I go crazy!" Owen snapped.
"You idiot doctor!" Ianto's shout silenced anything Gwen or Jack had been about to respond with, all gazes turning towards him. "Of course we're still grieving! Just because we got rid of the physical evidence doesn't mean we erased you from our minds. We never could. You, Tosh...you're too important to ever just forget!"
Owen stared up at him, unable to hide his own shock. "Didn't know you liked me that much, Ianto. Thought you'd be pretty happy to finally have me out of your hair."
"You're an idiot if you think any of those fights actually meant I hated you," Ianto said, jerking away from the railing and heading back into the hub. "I'll bring you some tea once you're in your cell."
Owen blinked a few times at the space Ianto had been standing before turning his gaze to Jack. "Guess we should get me to that cell soon. Haven't had tea in awhile."
A startled laugh burst free from Gwen's lips and Owen turned to look at her.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I just...I missed you."
The note of vulnerability in her voice made Owen's chest loosen and his expression softened. "Missed you too, Gwen. I'd hug you if you didn't smell so awful."
A few tears escaped Gwen's eyes when she smiled. "Oh, like I care." She drew him into a tight hug and after a moment of hesitation, he buried his face in her neck and clung to her.
"Break it up, both of you. I'm going out for a bit. Owen better be in a cell when I get back," Jack said.
They pulled away, but when they looked up at the platform, Jack was already gone.
-.-
"Martha Jones speaking. Who are you and how do you have this number?"
"Captain Jack Harkness."
"Oh. Hello then. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner."
"I could really use your capable hands, Miss Jones."
"I can be by in a few days. UNIT has me over in Russia right now."
"And you still answered my call. I'm flattered."
"I'm married, Harkness. Don't bother."
"Oh, ruin my fun why don't you. I have to ask for one more favor though."
"Go on."
"I need you to call the Doctor. Torchwood's having a bit of a situation and I need an expert."
"You're lucky I like you, Harkness."
"You're a star Martha Jones."
"Of course I am."
-.-
Owen ended up showering in the Hub before he and Gwen headed to Torchwood's storage unit. It wasn't anywhere fancy. They rented one just like the rest of the public did.
"You didn't have a lot of stuff," Gwen said. "Just clothes and a laptop and an extensive DVD collection. Everything else was sold. I hope you don't mind."
"Did you find any pictures?" Owen asked.
"Yeah. A folder of them. I didn't look past the first one though, don't worry," Gwen said.
"Respecting the privacy of a dead man. Classy, Gwen. Points for you," Owen said.
Gwen turned into the parking lot and cut the engine. "A genuine compliment. Impressive. Dying changed you."
"Eh, not that much," Owen said. "So Tosh is dead, huh? What happened?"
"You want to talk about this now?"
Owen got out of the car and followed after Gwen, weaving between the rows and rows of storage units. "Might as well. You'll be brutally honest with me, and I'd prefer that."
Gwen came to a halt in front of a large unit. She unlocked the padlock, then punched in a key code for the door to slide open. "We watched the video feed of it all. Grey, Jack's brother, he stabbed her. Her legs ended up paralyzed and she rolled to the med bay to numb it as best she could so she could help you."
"Fuck." Owen didn't look at her, instead tracing over the boxes of clothing and locating the blue folder of photos on top of one of them.
Owen had always prided himself on keeping his past far away from his job. All of them had, except Gwen. Torchwood, after all, was simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to her. In the face of dying again, of Tosh being gone, he wanted, or perhaps needed something familiar and comforting. He grabbed the folder and opened it.
The first picture was a candid someone had gotten of him and Katie at some party. Her dress, black with a shimmer of gold, hugged her beautiful form, and she had an arm around his waist. He wasn't paying attention in the photo, instead talking to someone out of shot, so he had missed the look the of complete adoration and love in her eyes as she looked up at him.
"She's beautiful," Gwen said.
"Yeah. She was. Wonder what she'd think of all this. Of me." He didn't feel the urge to block the pictures from Gwen's view. Outside Tosh, Gwen was quite possibly the only person he'd let in enough to see them.
"She'd think she's pretty lucky to have a guy who kept coming back to life," Gwen said.
Owen snorted and shut the folder. "You're real shit at comforting a bloke you know that?"
"Only you," Gwen teased, giving him a quick nudge. "I'm great with everyone else. It's why Jack keeps me around you know. I'm soft and nurturing."
Owen scoffed. "You. Miss Hard Ass is soft and nurturing? Right. Here." He shoved the folder into her hands. "I'll grab a few boxes to take with us. I plan to be a showered and well dressed prisoner."
"Well dressed is debatable."
"Oi!"
-.-
Owen threw the pillow onto his small makeshift cot, shooting Jack a quick glare.
"Couldn't you have offered me the luxury prisoner suite?"
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and met Owen's glare with a look of nonchalance. "The sooner you stop treating this like a joke, the sooner we can get you out."
"That what they told you?" Owen asked. "When you were locked away and experimented on for being a freak that can't die?"
"We're not going to hurt you Owen," Jack said, though the doctor could certainly hear a thread of anger and frustration in his eyes. "Martha's going to check you out in a few days. My Doctor is coming too."
"Oh I must be real special if you're calling in that guy," Owen said, sitting down and leaning against the opposite wall. "I wonder if the flaky bastard will even show up. He never seemed too keen on helping you out before."
Jack's jaw tightened and then he turned away, heading up the stairs without another word. Owen let out a heavy sigh, head thumping back against the wall. He knew he was being unfair, attacking the few bits of vulnerability Jack had ever showed them, but he couldn't help it. He needed an outlet after all. For the pain of Tosh's death, the pain of everything that had gone wrong in his life, and the anger that was always simmering just below the surface.
"You know, you shouldn't taunt him like that," Ianto said.
Owen jerked at his voice, looking through the plastic door at him. He gave a small grin when he saw the other was holding a tray of tea and toast.
"You know, Teaboy, it's past midnight. Not exactly time for toast," Owen said.
"It's morning. I'm taking advantage of the technicality," Ianto said. He crouched down and slid the small tray door open, pushing the tray through before shutting and latching it when he was done. "But I am serious. Jack is just trying to help and keep the rest of us safe. Men aren't meant to come back from the dead, Owen."
Owen slid over to the tray, leaning in the corner of the door and the wall before taking a bite of toast. "Weird thing for a guy who's shagging a man that constantly comes back to life to say. Does that mean I get a complimentary shag? Is it like a kink for you?"
Ianto stared at him with a pleasant smile on his face. "Sorry Owen, but I really don't have a thing for guys that are part Weevil, but you might. I could always let you into the cage with Janet."
Owen frowned and sipped at the tea. It was delicious as always. "Jeeze Teaboy. Learn to take a joke. Fucking Welsh."
"You're just looking for a fight. I'm not really keen to do that though," Ianto said.
"Such a shame. The Weevils won't fight me anymore. You were my last hope, Ianto."
"Are you that suicidal?"
"Nah, just a nihilist."
"Oh, big word for you Owen. Looks like you can learn."
"Har, har, Teaboy. Can't be suicidal if I want to fight you, can I? Not sure you'd even land a hit."
"Hey, Owen, remember when I shot you in the shoulder?"
"Remember when that still didn't take me down?" Owen shot back, unable to help the wide grin pulling at his lips.
Ianto was smiling back. "Feel better?"
"You sly bastard. I see why Jack keeps you around."
"I figured a little verbal sparring would help. You're predictable in some ways," Ianto said. He frowned a bit. "But perhaps you could answer a question for me."
"I make no promises."
Ianto shrugged. "Fair enough. Do you really want to throw your second chance at life away?"
"It's my third chance, actually."
"No it isn't. Last time you were a dead man walking," Ianto said, his stare piercing right through Owen's aloof facade. "Now you're wonderfully, beautifully alive. So. Do you really want to throw it all away?"
Owen shrugged. "I don't know yet. I just don't like that I keep being brought back when the ones who deserve to be alive are still dead."
"You deserve to live, Owen." Ianto turned away and left Owen to his tea and thoughts.
-.-
The next few days, Owen left the cell only to shower and use the bathroom. It was painfully boring and Janet constantly staring at him across the hallway was starting to become unnerving. Finally though, a face he sorely missed made an appearance.
"Martha Jones. Here to steal my job again?" he asked as she unlocked the cell door.
"You know me," Martha said. "Always trying to snag a job with Torchwood." She undid his cuffs as well. "Head to the med bay. I'm going to do just a regular check up. Jack isn't really trusting the machines to catch any inconsistencies."
"Thanks for coming," Owen said as he headed up the stairs. "I'm sick of that cell. The sooner you clear me, the better."
"I'm only clearing you if you're actually clear, Owen," Martha said.
The Hub was empty, save for Jack who followed them to the med bay. He stayed up on the platform and gave no indication that he wanted to talk, so Owen turned his attention to Martha.
"This Doctor of yours gonna show up?" Owen asked.
"Of course he is. I called him after all," Martha said. "Now, up on the table."
Owen obeyed, shooting a look up at Jack. "So guess he likes you more than Jack?"
Martha grabbed a small light and began to check his eyes. "I wouldn't say that. More he has an aversion to Torchwood more than Jack himself."
"Ah."
"Though he does also make the Doctor uncomfortable," Martha said, making a few notes before checking his nose and ears and then grabbing her stethoscope. "Shirt off."
Owen tugged his shirt off. There was a small scar from the bullet that had killed him the first time. "So the Doctor is a prude then?"
Martha gave a snort. "Basically, but that's not why. Jack's a fixed point in time, which apparently makes the Doctor feel uneasy around him."
"People aren't meant to be like me. I'm an accident that forever disrupted the time around me. I'm a fixed point, but my actions aren't. I'm a contradiction, a bit like you," Jack said.
"Yeah, time travel and all that nonsense. Definitely going right over my head," Owen said.
Martha frowned. "What's the average heart rate for these Weevils?"
"300 beats per minute. Why?"
"Because that's what yours is," Martha said. "Roughly. Which obviously isn't humanly possible."
"Fantastic," Owen sighed. "What else?"
"I'm not done yet. Breath in. Deep breath."
Martha conducted the rest of the check up in mostly silence, only giving him quick orders and then asking for his records on the Weevils. After a quick check, she turned to face him, arms folded over her chest."
"Outside the heart rate and increased flexibility, you're normal. I'm sure if I tested your strength and endurance, those would be similar to a Weevil's as well. I don't know if that makes you a threat or not." She looked up at Jack. "I don't think he is. You'll have to keep an eye out for any drastic changes, or wait for the Doc-"
The circular door began to wind and after a quick exchanging of looks, all three raced back into the hub. Owen watched as a man in a blue pinstripe suit and brown trench coat raced into the room followed by a tall red head with way too much jewelry.
"Oh this is impressive. Humans, Donna, you are capable of so much," the man said, running a hand through his wild brown hair. He pulled out a small stick and aimed it at the rift manipulator, an obnoxious noise radiating out from it with a blue light. "I take it back. That is not made by humans." He spun in a quick circle. "In fact most of this isn't."
"Oi, alien boy. I think it's impressive anyways. Who knew this would all be hiding under Cardiff," the woman said.
Gwen and Ianto rushed through the door.
"Sorry, Jack. He just kind of barged in with the girl and-" Ianto started.
"Martha Jones! There's my girl!" the man interrupted. His long, lanky legs carried him up the stairs and passed Owen and Jack to sweep Martha up in a hug.
The woman followed more slowly, patting Owen on the shoulder. "Give him a second, he'll notice you. I'm Donna."
"Donna. So you're the new Companion. I'm Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said, turning on a smile and shaking Donna's hand. "At your service."
Donna gave him a cat-like grin and flipped her hair over her shoulder and into Owen's face as she turned towards the Captain. "You are free to service me at any time, believe me."
"Oi! Jack. Now is not the time," the man from earlier said. He released Martha and planted himself between Donna and Jack. "She's too good for you."
"You think all the pretty ones are too good for me," Jack said.
"Oh that's not true. Come here!" The man threw himself into Jack's arms, hugging him close. "I'm so sorry. I should've checked in."
"It's alright. I know how this all makes you feel," Jack said, pulling away though he kept his hands beneath the man's coat and on his bony hips.
"Are you going to introduce us or continue being a rude sod?" Gwen demanded, successfully turning the attention back to her and Ianto.
After a moment of hesitation, Owen moved to stand beside her. Judging from their expressions, he was sure Gwen and Ianto felt the same way he did; threatened at new people in their territory and ignoring the ones whose space they were invading.
Jack seemed oblivious. "Right. Guys , this is the Doctor. Doctor, I'd like you to meet Gwen, Ianto, and maybe Owen. Jury's still out on whether or not he's really Owen."
"He is Owen," Gwen said. "Jack is just being stubborn."
"Right..." The Doctor trailed off, looking at each of them all before clapping his hands together. "So, why don't we all go to the med bay and you tell me what happened."
"Ianto, make sure the newsfeeds from the hospital and Owen's original resurrection are able to be streamed in the med bay," Jack ordered.
"Yes sir." Ianto glanced over at Owen and then hurried to obey.
Gwen took Owen's hand as they walked back to the med bay, only letting go to join Jack and Donna on the upper platform. Owen kept his distance from the Doctor as best he could after they walked down the stairs, eyes flicking up to Gwen every once in awhile; a reminder that someone was on his side. The screen flickered to life and the video of Jack using the glove began to play. Owen's jaw tightened when he saw Tosh lean down beside him, swallowing past the pain in his throat.
"We didn't register anything different than normal," Jack said. "He came to life with vitals, died, but then was able to stay...alive."
Owen watched himself go limp on the table again. Energy levels popped up in the bottom right, showing that the glove was no longer giving off any energy. And then Owen sat back up, no vital signs registering.
"Okay, stop," the Doctor said.
"Ianto, wait a bit before you play the next one," Jack said into the comm.
The Doctor whirled to face the red head. "Donna? Thoughts?"
"It's an alien artifact, I don't know how it works," Donna said. "It probably radiates some magic mumbo jumbo, I don't know."
"Hm, right. No. Noooo," the Doctor said, spinning a quick circle before painting at Gwen. "It is alien, right? You checked?"
"I don't know what else it would be, so we assumed it was," Gwen said. "We weren't able to identify what type of alien it was from though."
"Might be Weevils," Owen said. "You did find it with a nest of them after all."
"And it was used in the past. Did Weevils exist back then?" Ianto asked as he came to stand on the platform beside Gwen.
"Weevils?" the Doctor asked. "Never heard of them. Are they new, they can't be new, I haven't heard of them."
"Cocky, aren't you?" Owen asked.
"No, just telling the truth. So, energy. What is it?" the Doctor asked, turning to face Jack.
"We don't know," Jack said.
"You don't know but you used it anyways? Alien technology shouldn't be messed with if you don't know what it does," the Doctor said.
"Says the man who goes around sonicing everything he sees," Donna said with a snort.
"Oi! You're supposed to be on my side!"
"You're handling yourself just fine, don't need me," Donna said, folding her arms across her chest.
The Doctor waved his glowing stick of doom at her before turning to face Martha. "Okay. So. Unknown radiation. Is it even radiation?"
Martha shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen it in action. What I do know is it changed something in him. He became this...thing. A sort of temporary vessel to bring something from the darkness through."
The Doctor stared at her, blinking a few times. "Martha. Did we...no. No that wasn't you, never mind." He released her. "Donna? What do you think?"
"I don't know, alien boy. I just let you point your stupid screwdriver when it comes to that stuff," Donna said.
"Right. Magic mumbo jumbo. Could be, might not be." The Doctor whirled once more, long fingers clenching down on Owen's shoulders as he leaned in. His brown eyes flickered over Owen's face. "But you aren't quite human. Martha! Tell me what's changed."
"Higher heart rate. 200 beats per minute."
"Narrows it down. What else?"
"Increased flexibility."
"Need more than that." The Doctor leaned even closer and took a deep sniff near Owen's ear, leaning down to lick a stripe along his neck. "Kreisotin! That certainly narrows it down. What else?"
"You just licked me," Owen said flatly.
"Yeah, he does that, sorry," Donna said, giving him a sympathetic look.
"Fantastic," Owen said with an eye roll.
"More, more, I need something else to go on!" the Doctor said, fingers tapping at Owen's shoulders.
"I'm King of the Weevils, apparently. That narrow it down?"
The Doctor grinned with a slightly crazed look in his eyes. "Oh you are beautiful that's what you are!" His hands grabbed Owen's cheeks and he gave him a loud wet kiss on his forehead.
Owen shoved him away. "Let's not. What's beautiful?"
"You! Kreisotin! There's only two species with that in them and one of them is extinct. So these Weevils must be the-" The Doctor paused, fingers wiggling. "There's no good way to say it anything but Gallifreyan. Weevil is a good enough name. Let's see the other video just to be sure. Ianto?"
Ianto glowered down at the Doctor. "You are not my boss."
"Well, no, but I am the only one who knows what I'm doing," the Doctor said.
"Ianto, do what he says," Jack ordered.
Ianto pulled out a clicker and pointed at the screen for the next video to play. Owen looked away, not wanting to see the skeletal beast and the look of pain and hopelessness he knew he would see on his face. After a minute, Jack cleared his throat. Owen looked up just in time to see Gwen race around the platform and down the stairs. He stood quickly, catching her in a tight hug as her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Hey, I'm here, it's okay. Not going anywhere," Owen murmured. "I beat that thing and now I'm here. No worries."
"You can't cheat death every time, you git," Gwen said.
When she pulled away, her eyes were dry and Owen could see Ianto standing behind her.
"You too, Teaboy?" Owen asked.
"I did not particularly enjoy that night and did not enjoy reliving it," Ianto said plainly.
"Jesus, come here you saps," Owen said.
He turned back towards the screen, keeping his arm around Gwen's waist. Ianto came to stand on his other side and without a beat of hesitation, Owen wrapped an arm around his waist. Head high, he met the Doctor's eyes.
"Let's hear it then. What am I, Doctor?"
"Donna? What do you think? What was he fighting?"
"Didn't look like an alien I've seen. Looked a bit like those reaper things you always see in those old religious paintings," Donna said. "But that can't be right, can it? That's all just well...you know. Mumbo jumbo."
"Hmm, not always," the Doctor said. "I am 100% sure you have some Weevil in you. Not surprising, Weevils have been around for several millennia at least, it was bound to get mixed up in someone's genes. That thing you fought is questionable though. Related, possibly, almost definitely, but to be sure, I need to bring in some of my own friends."
"Great. More people invading our territory," Ianto said flatly.
"They're not invading. They're helping," the Doctor said. He stepped closer to the three of them. "I'm not here to disrupt your life or take away what or whoever makes you happy. I'm trying to help so you can go back to what you're used to. I want the best for you. All of you. So trust me."
Owen tightened his grip on both Gwen and Ianto. "Sure. Not much of a choice after all."
"That is true, sort of," the Doctor conceded. "But there is always a choice, Owen Harper. Never forget that." Before Owen could reply, the Doctor clapped his hands together and turned away. "Donna! We're going to America! Allons-y!"
"It was nice meeting you all!" Donna shouted as the Doctor yanked her along.
"Was that French?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah, he does that too," Martha said with a shrug. "You're safe though, Owen. If you weren't, he would've said so."
Owen pulled away from Gwen and Ianto, looking up at Jack. "See? Not a menace."
"Well, now we're positive," Jack said. "I'm not apologizing for doing my job, Owen."
Jack walked away before any of them could reply. Owen gave a heavy sigh and then turned back to look at all three of his coworkers.
Owen glanced around at all of them. "So if you don't mind that I'm you know, part Weevil or whatever, you want to grab a few drinks?"
-.-
Owen woke up with a raging headache on an unfamiliar couch with the smell of freshly made tea in his nose. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he sat up and glanced around, gaze finally lighting on the cuppa on the coffee table. He grabbed it and gulped down a few mouthfuls.
"Absolutely delicious," he murmured with a soft groan. "All I need now is a toast and pain killers."
"You are not a hard man to please," Ianto said as he emerged from the hallway, already dressed in an immaculate suit with a bottle of pills in his hand. "Feel free to use the shower while I make breakfast."
"Hm, right." Owen grabbed the pills from him as he shuffled towards the hallway. "Which-"
"Second door on the left," Ianto answered.
"Right, yeah."
Owen headed into the bathroom as he swallowed down three pills with a sip of tea before setting them down on the counter. He showered methodically and put yesterday's clothes back on before registering that the bathroom was exceedingly plain and not as classy as he'd expect from Ianto. Which brought up another great point.
"Ianto. Why the hell am I in your apartment?" Owen asked, walking out to the part living room, part kitchen area he had woken up in.
Ianto gestured for Owen to sit down at the counter area where he had toast and scrambled eggs waiting for them both. "I figured here would be better than a cell in the hub. You don't have a flat anymore."
"Makes sense. Also what's with the 5-star treatment?" Owen asked, shoving a forkful of egg in his mouth. "Not that I'm complaining. This is bloody delicious. But still. We never really were on the best of terms."
"You never really allowed us to be," Ianto said as he sat down beside him. "But losing you and Tosh...if I'm getting a second chance, I'm taking it."
"That's great and all but you don't have to treat me any nicer than I deserve," Owen said. "I am kind of an asshole."
"Are you saying you don't deserve a nice breakfast because you're a bit harsh at times?" Ianto asked with a small chuckle.
"Hell if I know. Just...don't go out of your way for me. You don't need to. But uh...thanks. For letting me crash here and feeding me and all that," Owen said.
"You're welcome," Ianto said, flashing him a quick smile.
"I'm going to have to find an apartment again," Owen said.
"You can stay here in the mean time. I don't mind," Ianto said. "Gwen can't take you and I don't think you're too keen on spending the night with Jack."
"Yeah. Maybe not a good idea," Owen agreed. "Which, weird question but why don't you live somewhere bigger or nicer?"
Ianto shrugged. "I don't see the need to live outside what I need to feel comfortable. A bigger space would just remind me that there's no one here to fill it up."
When Owen looked over at him, Ianto was stubbornly staring down at his plate. "Makes sense. My apartment always was a bit empty."
"We should get to work," Ianto said. "Are you done?"
Owen looked down at his plate, empty of everything but crumbs. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm done."
-.-
When he and Ianto got to the Hub, Gwen was working at her desk with Martha. Jack was nowhere to be seen, but Owen figured he would be around. The man rarely left after all.
"I have coffee," Ianto said as he and Owen walked over.
"Ianto, you're a life saver as always," Gwen said, taking a cup and pecking him on the cheek.
"You say that every time," he said. "Martha?"
Martha took hers as well, giving a quick nod of thanks. "So I did a side by side comparison with your DNA and the Weevil's, Owen."
"Oh good. From your tone of voice, I can tell I'm not going to like this," Owen said, leaning on Gwen's desk as his gaze flickered over the different screens. "Tell me what I'm dealing with, Doctor."
"Well, here is your newly activated gene," she said, pointing. "And here is the matching one on the Weevil. I went through every gene and found three other sequences of yours that contain Kreisotin. They match up with the Weevil's perfectly, but they're still dormant. That's why they didn't show up until I started digging."
"So what? Are they going to become active? Am I going to turn into a friggen Weevil or what?"
"Owen. I don't know," Martha said. "I don't even know what triggered the first one. I'm sorry."
Owen squeezed the edge of the desk before jerking away. "Yeah, 's not your fault, Martha. If that Doctor of yours wasn't so bloody useless, this would be a lot easier."
"He's not useless. He's saved your lives more than any of you even know," Martha said.
"The year that never was," Ianto said.
Martha glanced over at him in surprise. "So he told you?"
"Not really," Ianto said. "He has nightmares though. He mentioned it once or twice after he woke up."
Martha's expression was grim. "It was awful. You think being a walking corpse is bad, Owen? Try being at the hands of a lunatic when no matter what he does, you always come back. The Doctor saved Jack from that. So maybe now you can understand, a little better, why Jack trusts him so much."
Owen's jaw tightened as an unpleasant wave of guilt washed through him.
"Martha Jones, defender of my honor," Jack said, emerging from the hallway that led to the archives. "Thank you, but it was unnecessary."
"Just because I'm defending your honor doesn't mean I think not telling your team why the Doctor is so worthy of your trust is okay," Martha said as Jack came closer. "They're your team, Jack. Not your mindless slaves. Maybe you should start treating them a bit better."
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. "Point taken. Ianto. Gwen. Owen." He looked at them each in turn. "I'm sorry."
"Just be more honest," Gwen said. "You know everything about us. It's a bit unbalanced, and you have to know by now that you can trust us."
"You're right. I owe you all a lot," Jack said quietly, gaze dropping to the floor. "And if I had told you more, maybe you could've been more prepared for John and Grey."
"Don't you dare try to blame mine and Tosh's deaths on yourself," Owen said. "We did our jobs and we knew we weren't going to live to a ripe old age."
"You would have if I just left you both alone," Jack said, hands coming up to grasp at Owen's shoulders.
"Maybe Tosh. I don't know where she was before all this. But you and I both know I would've died a lot sooner," Owen said.
He could feel the weight of the others' eyes on him, but he didn't look away from Jack until he was sure his point had been made. Owen pulled away and glanced at the others.
"Let's not ever mention this again, yeah?"
"Oh, you know I'm going to make you talk," Gwen said, a lilt of amusement in her voice.
"That's because you have this annoying ability to never let a single bloody thing go," Owen said with a pleasant smile.
"You love me anyways, it's alright. I know," she said.
Before Owen could reply, the door began to roll open and in came the Doctor. Donna was beside him, and behind them were three men. The one on the left was the tallest, intimidating even at a distance. His hair was dark brown, shaggy and almost at his shoulders. He looked a little worse for wear, bags under his eyes and skin a sickly pale color. The one next to him was shorter, hair more of a golden brown, and in significantly better condition than the men on either side. Which left the last one. He tripped on his way up the stairs after the others, seeming small, almost dwarfed by his beige trench coat.
"Torchwood! Please meet the Winchesters and Castiel," the Doctor said. "American demon hunters."
"Demons?" Jack asked, stepping forward.
"Not everything is a matter of aliens and science, Jack," the Doctor said.
"Still wrapping my head around it myself," Donna said.
"Yeah, and I'm still trying to make this place make sense in my head," the one in the middle said.
"So the TARDIS doesn't impress you but this does?" the Doctor asked, offended.
"I'm more flashy. More...Spock," Jack said.
A bitter-tinged smile crossed the Doctor's expression. "I suppose you are right. Now. Sam is the scary tall one. Dean is the one with the Rapunzel eyes."
"Hey," Dean started.
"Hush. My observation is quite accurate thank you," Donna said.
Dean glared at her. "And you guys are?"
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said, giving a full smile and extending his hand to shake.
"Oi, don't even try it Harkness," the Doctor warned. "Those 51st century pheromones are clouding up the whole room."
"That's what that smell is," Castiel said.
Owen's eyebrows rose. "Wasn't expecting that."
Castiel tilted his head to the side. "I don't understand."
"Your voice. It's weirdly deep," Dean said.
Castiel's fingers came up to his neck, expression puzzled.
"Look, we're just going to do the quick version," the Doctor said. "Torchwood, angels and demons all exist and so does magic. Winchesters and your plus one, aliens and time travel is a thing but you already knew part of that. Right, everyone on the same page?"
"No, but everyone suspend their disbelief anyways," Jack said.
"Roger," Gwen said with a mock salute.
"Could we get the rest of your names?" Sam asked.
"I'm Gwen. That's Ianto and Martha," Gwen said.
"And I'm the weird anomaly, Owen," Owen said.
"Right. So. The Doctor showed us you fighting that reaper," Dean said.
Owen sat on the edge of Gwen's desk. "Alright. And?"
"Well it's a reaper. You fought a reaper. People don't actually do that," Sam said.
"And neither do aliens," the Doctor said.
"There's a few weird things about it though," Dean said. "But all our stuff is in the TARDIS."
"Right!" The Doctor clapped his hands together once. "Let's gather what we have and convene in the Torchwood meeting room. Agreed?"
"Sure," Jack said.
"Great! Allons-y everybody!"
-.-
"This is a stupid idea," Owen said.
He was sitting on the right side of the table, an empty seat on either side of him. There was a leash wrapped tightly around his hand, though Janet was crouched beside him in a perfectly docile manner. Ianto smirked at him from across the table.
"Better, and quicker to have her here," Jack said, taking a seat at the head of the table, Gwen to his right. "Saves us a trip to the cells."
There was a knock at the door and the Doctor and Donna slipped through and took a seat on the right side of Ianto, as Martha was on his left. Sam was next through the door, a thick book in his hands. He took one look at Janet and sat beside Martha instead.
Dean and Castiel came in next and Janet absolutely exploded. Howling, she strained at the leash, swiping at the pair. Neither of them flinched, and before anyone could move, Dean had put two bullets through her head. She dropped like a rock at Owen's feet.
"Whoa, what the hell?" Owen demanded.
"It won't kill it. It'll be fine in a few minutes so how about you get it out of here?"
"No. You explain what the hell that was or you get the fuck out of my building," Jack ordered, getting to his feet.
"You didn't need to kill her," the Doctor said, gaze unreadable.
"It's telepathic, along with the rest of its kind. By now, they all know I'm here and that doesn't sit right with me. I'd prefer they know as little about me, so get her out," Dean said.
Owen crouched beside her. "Explain yourself, or I'll make sure all of them hunt you down."
"Really? Is that supposed to be a threat?" Dean asked, stepping towards him.
"Dean," Sam said.
"Shut up Sammy."
Owen straightened. "I don't like anyone that goes around shooting first and asking questions later."
"There's no questions to ask. That thing is not an alien. It is a monster from Purgatory. It can't be reasoned with. It is not your pet, it is not your friend it's an accident waiting to happen," Dean said.
If it weren't for Janet's prone body between them, they would have been toe to toe.
"That's not the way we do things here," Owen said.
"And that's not the way I do things and you know it Dean," the Doctor added.
"You don't seem to mind very much when we're killing demons and every other god damn thing that goes bump in the night," Dean shot back.
"That's different. There are hundreds of Weevils living under this city. Killing them all is impractical and inhumane unless there is truly no other way," the Doctor insisted.
Owen and Gwen shared a look. So maybe the Doctor was starting to grow on them. Wasn't hard to look like a Saint in front of Dean though. Janet gave a low moan, stirring on the floor. When he glanced down at her, the bullet holes were gone. He looked back up, his gaze meeting Dean's.
"Shoot her again and it's the last thing you do," Owen said.
Gaze still locked with Dean's, Owen dropped Janet's leash and hauled her up onto her unsteady legs. It was a huge risk but he had a point to prove. He moved to place himself in between Janet and Dean, turning to face the Weevil.
"Alright, now you listen. I'm putting you back in your cell. And then I'll come talk to you in a few hours. But you're not allowed to hurt anyone between here and there. We good?"
Janet gave a low growl but otherwise seemed calm. He backed away slowly, guiding her passed Dean. She growled at him and gnashed her teeth but otherwise obeyed Owen's order. He got her back down to the cell without any fuss, and when he returned, Ianto and Gwen had moved to sit on either side of Owen's old seat. He sat down without commenting. Dean and Castiel were seated across from them.
"So then. Want to give a more coherent reason for why you shot Janet?" Jack asked.
"Okay let me explain something to you. Demons and vampires and werewolves and pretty much every other monster does not just stop existing when you kill it. They go to Purgatory," Dean said.
"Dante's Inferno type Purgatory?" Jack asked.
"Dante was a low level demon, punished by Lilith for making a mockery of Hell," Castiel said.
"Okay, actually could there be a notes sheet?" Martha asked. "I'm getting a bit confused here."
"Uh, look at it this way," Sam said. "We're on Earth. When we die, we either go to Heaven or Hell. When monster's die, they go to Purgatory."
"Doctor?" Jack asked. "What about the rest of the universe? Other aliens, things in between."
"Not sure, still working it out. Best as I can tell, these places are a bit like...time locked spaces, except you can travel between them easier. A big ball of timey-wimey, mumbo jumbo, magic-y, science-y type things," the Doctor said. "As far as I'm aware, it is strictly an anomaly of Earth's. Is that correct, Castiel?"
"I know very little of alien life. It was not our job to leave Earth, so we never tried. I do not know if we could have on our own," Castiel said.
"Wait, then what are you if you aren't human?" Gwen asked.
"An angel. Or I used to be," Castiel said. "We fell. All of us."
"How did we not notice angels falling out of the sky?" Owen asked.
"When did it happen?" Jack asked.
"Look, that isn't important right now," Dean cut in. "These Weevils of yours are from Purgatory. God used Purgatory to lock up the nasty shit when he first created them because he figured they were too dangerous to leave around on Earth."
"But Weevils aren't God's creation," Sam said. "They're Death's, like reapers. Think of them as the reaper prototype."
"Not very efficient. I think Death owed War a favor actually," Castiel said. "But Death has more power than God, so his creatures are able to escape God's cages."
"Whoa, wait," Donna said. "Death is stronger than God?"
"Yeah, fucked up, we know," Dean said. "Not that it matters. God stopped giving a shit about us awhile ago."
"Talk about a grim future," Donna said.
"When you say War," Ianto said. "Do you mean the Four Horsemen?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Sam said. "But they don't have their powers anymore. Well, Death does but he's you know...Death."
Dean flipped open one of the books. "Took a bit of digging and some interrogating, but we finally got a rogue reaper to give this up."
"And you had time to just catch one of those things I fought?" Owen asked.
"Ain't our first rodeo, or reaper," Dean said. "Plus, the Doctor said he was pretty sure we were up against some of Death's lackeys. We figured a little information gathering before we got here would be useful."
"What exactly is that?" Martha asked.
"A reaper guidebook, really. Records of where its easiest to ferry souls through the four, I guess you'd call them, planes of existence. Back doors through Hell. And a handy bestiary of all of Death's creatures," Dean said. "More info than we ever got from the angels."
"I am sorry, Dean. None of us were old enough to be around when Purgatory was created. Death's creatures and God's prisons were made long before any of us were," Castiel said.
"How old are you?" the Doctor asked, giving Castiel a curious look. "I can't believe I never asked."
"2.5 billion years," Castiel answered.
Donna gave a sputtering laugh. "Looks like he beat you out, alien boy?"
"Oi-"
"I hate to be a downer on you all, but let's stay on task, shall we?" Jack folded his arms across his chest, a stern look on his face.
"Thank you," Dean said. "So this thing says-"
"Wait one more question," Gwen said.
"Oh my God, what?" Dean demanded.
"The reapers wrote their guidebook in English?"
"No. I'm just really good at convincing people to do what I want and I wanted a translation," Dean said.
"You're growing on me," Owen said.
"He uses his reputation more than his actual actions," Sam said, a grin toying on his lips. It made him look a lot better.
"Sammy, you aren't helping," Dean said. "Anyways, back on track. The guide says this Cardiff place is a weak point in the veil between Purgatory and Earth," Dean said.
"And it's also a weak point in time and space," Martha said, glancing over at the Doctor. "So that's why you knew about them, right? You thought they were one of the world's oldest species. What if they never evolved? They just came through from Purgatory and then fell through the Rift and ended up well...everywhere."
"Martha, you are a star," the Doctor said with a wide grin. He looked over at Donna. "I told you she was a star, didn't I?"
"Indeed you did and I definitely agree," Donna said with a firm nod.
"Okay so they're Death's monsters, and I fought a Reaper, and I have a bit of Weevil in me," Owen said. "So how do we get me back to normal?"
"Hold on, we've got a rare opportunity," Dean said. "Those Weevils think you're their King right?"
"Dean, no," Sam said.
"What?" Jack asked.
"The Weevils belong in Purgatory. So, if you take them through, they'll go," Dean said. "Weevil problem gone."
"So how does that help me go back to being human? I'm not overly keen on constantly coming back. I don't even know why I did," Owen said.
"I have a theory," Castiel said. All eyes turned to him but Castiel was only look at Owen with an intense stare. "You are an abomination. You would not go to Heaven or Hell, but Purgatory. You fell through the gate in Purgatory back to here because Weevils are technically reapers and can also fall through these gates. By defeating that reaper, it is quite possible you absorbed its powers. Then, once you died, truly died, you became closer to what a reaper is. When you came back, that part remained active."
"So even if I did lead the Weevils through, they could just come back like me," Owen said.
"Not necessarily," Sam said. "These things listen to you right? Even more since you defeated that reaper."
"Why is this even part of the conversation!" Gwen's voice cut them off and she got to her feet, palm smacking down onto the table. "First off, Owen is an asshole but he is not an abomination."
Castiel's swallow was audible when Gwen glared at him, but then her gaze turned to Dean.
"And you! We let you in here because that man-" Gwen jabbed a finger in the Doctor's direction. "-vouched for you. But I swear, if you keep trying to turn Owen into a tool for you to use, I will tear you apart!"
"Gwen, you're right, but sit down," Jack ordered. "You three are here to help us. And if you can't, then you can get the hell out. My patience for you is already non-existent. Have I made myself clear?"
"You can't change him," Dean said. "I'm sorry but you can't. You aren't human. If it's in your DNA, we can't get it out no matter how many reapers we summon and leash up and torture."
"Then you're wasting our time," Jack said. "And you can leave."
"Jack, wait," Owen said. His stomach rolled uncomfortably when everyone looked at him. "So let's say he's right, which lets' be honest, with my luck he probably is. Why shouldn't I try and lock the Weevils up for good?"
"Because they'll fall back through," the Doctor said, his tone a bit dazed. He snapped to attention a moment later. "Though not necessarily. Castiel, is there a reaper tablet?"
"Yes. God made one regardless of the fact that they were not his creations," Castiel said.
"Would Kevin know where it is?"
"No we are not dragging him into this," Dean said. "That kid earned his break."
"Huh...Donna!"
"What?"
"Care to go tablet hunting? I'm thinking back to the beginning of time," the Doctor said, getting to his feet. "At least Earth time."
"Sure," Donna said with a shrug.
"Alright. Be back in a few days. You can lock up the Weevils then," the Doctor said. He spun around just before he and Donna left. "And I'll look into messing with your genetics but that is generally risky business. Allons-y!"
They were gone before anyone could raise any objections. After a moment, Jack got to his feet, looking around at all of them before walking to Owen's side of the table.
"You three aren't staying here tonight," he said, directing the words at the hunters.
"We do what we can to help you and this is the treatment we get?" Dean asked.
"You didn't try to help us, you tried to help yourselves," Gwen said. "And we aren't risking you here when we have various aliens being held in our cells."
"They aren't aliens, they're monsters. We fought them in Purgatory!" Dean shouted, hands slamming down onto the table as he got to his feet. "Do you know what I am to those things? Their greatest enemy. The telepathic field they share can stretch between here and Purgatory. That's why that thing got so pissed."
"How did you end up in Purgatory?" Martha asked. "I thought you were human."
"I accidentally got dragged along, sorry," Dean said. "And fine, you don't want us here, we'll be fine."
"You think you can survive in Cardiff with no money and no knowledge of the area?" Jack shook his head. "You can't stay here, but you can stay with my team."
"Boss, I don't have a flat," Owen said.
"Mickey and I agreed not to bring work home with us," Martha said.
"Rhys is still a bit pissed about the whole accidental alien baby thing," Gwen said.
"My place works," Ianto said.
Jack's eyebrows rose when he looked down at the other. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. If they don't mind," Ianto said with a slight dip of his chin.
"I'm not-"
"What Dean means to say is that we appreciate the offer and will gladly take it," Sam interrupted.
"I would actually like to stay here," Castiel said. "If I may. I want to speak with you, Jack Harkness."
"Well, you haven't done anything to make me homicidal, so sure," Jack said.
"Cas, no, we stick together," Dean said.
"Jack Harkness and I have things to discuss and I would prefer to discuss them before the last of my reserved grace fades completely," Castiel said, turning his penetrating stare onto the hunter. "I am sorry Dean."
Dean looked like he was going to protest, but then with a huff of anger, he shoved the reaper book into his bag. "Fine. Let's go."