A/N: Here is the newly revamped second episode in my series, A Rush Of Blood To The Head. I highly recommend reading the first episode, Returns and Departures, before reading this episode. If you don't, you won't really know what's going on.
This was my first attempt at writing a casefic, so I'm going to ask you to bear with me. I have gotten better at this, and I will hopefully continue to get better ;-)
Also, I used names of real towns, but if I used the names of streets, buildings, or people and they are actually real, that was completely coincidental!
As a reminder: Sam's (and Dean's Mind!Sam's) thoughts are in BOLD, Dean's thoughts are ITALICIZED, and Cas's thoughts are UNDERLINED. And disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Series: A Rush of Blood To The Head
Episode Two: When You Come Back Down*
Part One: Shut Up**
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Beer bottles and the smell of boredom filled the motel room. Dean and Sam had not had a case, or any new information on the Leviathan situation, in nearly three weeks. Just stilling and waiting was becoming painful for both Winchesters.
Dean flipped through all fourteen channels the motel received; nothing held his interest. He couldn't watch porn with his brother in the room, but then again, he had seen all of them before. Twice. Dean even resorted to reading Sam's books; each and every one of them. And there was no way he was going to go to a bar in that town. If there was one thing he learned while working a case in that two-bit town, it was that everyone in the goddamn place was grumpy. Like, give-you-a-death-glare-just-for-looking-at-them kind of grumpy. Dean did not like drinking with grumpy people; they just made him depressed.
Dean thought about going for a drive, but he feared that if he got in the car, he would have an irresistible urge to leave the town in his rearview mirror - minus Sam, unwilling to go back and get his brother because he hated the goddamn place so fucking much. He just wanted out of there.
So Dean merely sat with his head on the cheap wooden table, staring at the tacky paneled walls completely zoned out. Or mostly zoned out. Dean was doing his best to not think about the blowout he had with Castiel a month prior and how he had not seen the angel since. He wondered where Cas was, but Dean would not pray to him. It was a pride thing. A pathetic, idiotic male pride thing.
Sam had been searching on his laptop, - as he had the past three weeks - digging through non-supernatural sounding incidents, and finally found something up their alley. As he read the report, the younger Winchester's eyes widened.
"Uh, hey Dean. Take a look at this."
Dean came to life. "A case?" He bolted out of his chair, which toppled to the floor as he pushed off of it, and quickly made his way around the table to see what Sam was looking at. "You found us a case?" Sam could have sworn Dean was an inch away from pissing his pants in excitement.
"Uh, yeah, maybe. Looks like three pregnant women have been murdered, the last one having been killed about two weeks ago. In each case the babies were cut out of the mother's womb and the women had some of their internal organs removed."
"The article say which organs were taken?"
"Nope. I think the reporter was too focused on the cutting-the-baby-out-of-its-mother's-womb part."
"Okay, I'll take it. Where're we headed?"
Same closed his laptop. "Greenwood, Indiana. It's about eleven hours from here."
Dean clapped Sam on the back, "Awesome, let's go."
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Sam was either asleep or remained silent for his five and a half hours in the passenger seat. But, when it was his turn to drive, the younger Winchester got a little chatty.
"So, Dean, you talking to Cas again yet?"
Dean had his arms crossed and was leaning his head against the window, trying to fall asleep. He was not in the mood for any conversation involving the Angel of Thursday. "I'm trying to sleep, Sammy."
Sam was getting really annoyed with the whole situation between the angel and his brother. "Dean-"
Dean wiggled in his seat. "I said I'm tryin' to sleep here!"
Sam huffed. "Fine. Have a good nap Dean," he said harshly.
The elder Winchester grumbled something Sam could not make out, then promptly fell asleep.
About two hours later, Sam could feel a third presence in the car, and knew who it was without turning around. Sam just let Cas sit quietly in the back seat among the discarded fast food wrappers and empty cups of soda. Just as he was about to say 'hi,' he saw a hand emerge from the backseat and press two fingers to his brother's forehead.
"What did you just do, Cas?"
Cas retracted his hand. "I simply thought it best that we not wake Dean if you and I were going to speak."
"Uh, okay. ... So, long time no see. How have you been?"
Cas sidestepped Sam's question. "Dean hasn't called on me in weeks. I assue that means that you are both fine. And that he still doesn't want to see me." Sam did not confirm what Cas said out loud, but his face must have done that for him. "I see. I'll be leaving then. You will be able to wake your brother as soon as I'm gone."
With a flutter the Angel was gone.
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Sam pulled into the parking lot of the White Oak Motel at around 9:00pm. It was too late to go to the coroner's office, but about the right time to go to a bar.
While Dean sipped his Jack Daniels and ogled the ladies, Sam searched for possible creatures that did to pregnant women what the article had described.
"Depending on which organs were stolen, I think we're dealing with the Armenian Al."
"What's an Armenian Al?"
"The site says that the Al is a creature that cuts out not only the unborn child from the mother's body, it takes the liver, heart, and one lung as well. Apparently the Al puts them into a basket made of straw or reed, then carries everything back to wherever they're living, usually by a river or sand. Then they eat their ... harvest."
Dean's face contorted. "That's just gross. And wrong. And why just one lung?"
Sam shook his head. "No idea."
"Ok. So, what do these bitches look like?"
"In their true form, they have a red face, a nose made of clay, fangs, copper claws, sagging breasts, and the tusks of a wild boar." Sam stated matter-of-factly.
Dean did not like the image that gave him. "Well that doesn't sound creepy."
"Appearently, they can always be seen by pregnant women, but they reveal true form when they are attacked and are fighting back ."
Dean nodded at the computer. "Does it say how to kill 'em?"
Sam shook his head. "Maybe we should ask for some help."
The elder Winchester knew damn well that by 'someone,' his brother meant Cas, and no fucking way was that going to happen. Dean hastily wracked his brain for another solution. "You're right." Sam smiled. "Gabriel should know something." Sam's smile disappeared. "But we should take a look at the bodies and interview witnesses first; find out which organs are missing and if anyone saw anything. When we're sure it's an Al, we'll call Gabriel and ask how to gank it. We wouldn't want to waste any of his time by calling him before we really know what this thing is, what with him being a busy Archangel and all."
Sam gave Dean his are-you-fucking-kidding-me-this-is-ridiculous-you- need-to-talk-to-Cas bitch face.
Dean just ignored the expression on his brother's face and finished the rest of his third beer. "I'm tired, I'm gonna head back to the motel." He stood up and put on his jacket. "You coming?"
"Uh, yeah." Sam closed his laptop and followed Dean back to the car.
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*When You Come Back Down is a song by Nickel Creek.
**Shut Up is a song by Linkin Park
A/N: I did not make up Als. They are apparently actually a mythological creature. I just came up with who could see it and how to gank it.