Book 18 - Darkness In The City Of Lights

by GailDunn2

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT AND SITUATIONS. Paris has a reputation as a city for romance, but the group finds horror there, instead. Monsters come in many forms, and so do causes. Lucifer's evil isn't the only threat to humanity. Can Cas and Gail and Sam and Dean meet the challenges these new obstacles pose?

1. Bless This House

Chapter 1 - Bless This House

Rowena answered the door, letting Chuck in. "I'm glad you came," she told him. "I thought maybe you wouldn't."

He smiled down at her. "Now, why on earth would you say that? It's not every day I meet such a gorgeous woman. There was no way I wasn't going to show up tonight."

She put a drink in his hand. "A toast, then," Rowena said, raising her own glass. "Here's to getting better acquainted."

Chuck looked at the glass. He'd had some alcohol with her back at the bar, but he didn't really like the taste much, now that he was an Angel. But Desiree clinked her glass with his and had a sip. He thought it would be rude not to join her, so he took a sip of the drink she'd given him.

Then she took his other hand and slipped it under her blouse, and she wasn't wearing a bra. Chuck gasped, and he drank the rest of his drink down.

Rowena smiled, taking the glass from him. It shouldn't take too long for the potion to work. But in the meantime, there was no reason that the two of them couldn't have some fun. She knew that poor Chuck was very deprived, and Rowena had a healthy appetite for sex herself, one that hadn't even come close to being satisfied since she'd come back.

Now that both of Chuck's hands were free, he put the other one around her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the mouth. Rowena poked her tongue out, and Chuck made a low sound in his throat. Rowena smiled again. If he was this excited just from the tip of her tongue, imagine how he would feel in a few minutes.

Her hand touched the front of his pants. She could feel his excitement, but as soon as she did that, Chuck pulled back.

"I'm sorry," he said to her. "I'm getting carried away. It's been quite a while for me. You'll have to excuse me."

"There's nothing to excuse," Rowena said softly. She moved closer to him and touched him again. "It's been far too long for me, too. Let's just enjoy each other." She grabbed his hand and brought it under her skirt. Chuck's eyes widened. No underwear there, either. Man, she was sexy. He started to move against her hand, and he put one finger inside her.

Rowena smiled again. That was a good start. "Hold that thought," she said teasingly. She led him over to the bed and laid down, raising her skirt all the way up to her waist.

"Do what you want to do, Chuck," she said to him.

Frank had his arms around Jody, and he was kissing her softly on the cheek. They had just finished making love, and she was dozing off when he said, "Are you still awake, Jodes?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "Why?"

Frank sighed. "I wonder if we should call home and find out how Robbie's doing."

Jody restrained herself from rolling her eyes, but just barely. "We've been gone one day, Frank. He's the same as he was this morning." Then she softened, reminding herself that Frank was new to this whole parenting thing. Jody had had the experience before, so she was more laid-back than he was about the whole thing. Robbie wasn't an infant, and Barry and Tommy had proven themselves to be excellent caregivers.

"We'll call them in the morning," she told Frank. "The guys were taking him to register him at the school. We can find out how that went."

Frank nodded. Jody was right, of course, as always. "Let's get some sleep," she said.

Barry came out of the bunker and looked around the garage. Where were Tommy and Robbie? He called out their names and Tommy responded weakly, "Over here."

When Mark had knocked Tommy off his feet, his head had hit the corner of the garage door and he had been lying there, dazed. Mark had disappeared with Robbie after telling Tommy to have Bobby meet with him here in half an hour, presumably to discuss a ransom for Robbie's safe return. Ransom? Tommy had thought. What could the Devil possibly want from them? Tommy was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

Barry ran towards the sound of Tommy's voice, and he fell to his knees in front of his boyfriend. "What happened? Are you OK? Where's Robbie?" Barry asked him.

Tommy rubbed the back of his head and took Barry's hand with his free hand, telling him what had happened.

"Me and my stupid stove!" Barry wailed, but Tommy cut him off. "It wouldn't have made any difference, hon," Tommy assured him. He didn't want Barry blaming himself, just like Tommy was trying not to blame himself. "There's nothing we can do against a celestial being," Tommy stated. "We'll have to call Bobby. He's God; he'll know what to do." He sighed heavily. "And then we'll have to call Frank and Jody, and let them know. I'm not looking forward to that conversation. But first, Bobby. The scumbag only gave us half an hour." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and called God.

Cas and Gail were cuddling.

"Do you want me to go with you when you talk to the tour guide in the morning?" she asked him.

Cas's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure if that would be such a good idea. If he's mixed up with this group somehow, he may not be as forthcoming with the information if you're there. Those kinds of people tend to be prejudiced against women, as well as minorities."

Gail nodded. She could see that. "OK. I'll just stay here, then. Maybe I'll watch while Frank, Jody, Sam and Dean have breakfast. Chuck and I can talk to each other, at least."

Cas nuzzled her cheek. "I may be forced to play another role, as I did in Egypt. But at least this time we won't be apart. Just please, keep in mind that Sam and Dean and I may have to project different personae to these men in order to obtain the information that we need."

She knew what he was trying to tell her. He and the Winchesters were going to have to act like white supremacists, and likely misogynists, too. Great. She'd had her fill of that when Cas had been the Sheikh in Egypt. But they had to do what they had to do to get the Tablet. She would just have to keep reminding herself that it was only an act.

Gail sighed, but she kept her tone light. "OK, I get it," she said to him. Then she ran her fingers through his hair. "Just promise me you won't shave your head. No Tablet is worth that." Then she smiled.

Cas laughed softly and kissed her on the mouth. She was always so understanding, and she always kept his spirits up. He disliked acting the way that he had to act for these types of missions. When he had been the Sheikh, he'd had to act arrogant and entitled. Now he would probably have to act that way again, and spout words of hate, and racial epithets. But in this case, the end would justify the means.

He would think about that in the morning, though. Gail was caressing him now, and she gave him her tongue when he kissed her. He needed her again, and she obviously didn't mind.

"Please come here," Cas said softly, and he positioned her by his mouth, while she took him in hers. They made love to each other, slowly at first, then more enthusiastically as their excitement grew.

"I love you, my husband," Gail said, smiling, and then she resumed what she'd been doing. He reacted as she'd been hoping he would; he moved underneath her, and he let out a low moan that she could feel through his mouth, which was on her. Then she made a sound as well, which he could feel through her mouth, which was on him. They both cried out as the feeling hit them at the same time, and then they were still.

After a moment, Gail climbed off of him and snuggled into his arms. "That's one of my favourites," she said happily. "I love it when we both feel so good at the same time."

Cas loved it, too. His arms tightened around her and he kissed her gently on the forehead. "As do I," he told her, still trying to catch his breath.

They lay there contentedly for a few minutes, and then Gail said, "Do you want to watch some TV?"

Castiel thought for a moment, then he nodded. "Maybe so. Would you mind?"

"Not at all. I wouldn't have suggested it if I did," she replied. "Maybe we can sharpen up our French skills a little bit. Un petit peu," she added, smiling.

Cas returned her smile. She was so cute. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the remote.

"Hold it," Gail said, and he paused. She smiled again. "Let me get into prime cuddling position, first." Then Cas smiled. He knew just what she meant, though they hadn't done it in quite a while. He now realized how much he had missed it. He waited patiently until she positioned herself between his legs with her back to him, then he drew the covers over them and held her with one arm, clicking the remote with the other.

French TV seemed pretty much like any other TV to Gail, except that it was in French. Most of the talking was too fast for her to translate, though she could pick out the occasional word or phrase here and there. Cas kept flipping from channel to channel and she was starting to get a bit dizzy, so she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being safe and warm.

But suddenly, there was a pounding at their door. Cas sprang from the bed. They'd put the Do Not Disturb on the door. He glanced at Gail.

"Cas! Open up! It's Dean!" their friend yelled through the door.

Now Gail jumped off the bed, too. She grabbed Cas's shirt and put it on hurriedly, fumbling with the buttons. Luckily, it was long enough on her to serve as a short dress. She hadn't bothered to unpack her bag yet, but they had been quite busy ever since they'd gotten back to their room, she thought, smiling to herself.

"Just a minute," Cas called out. He put on his shorts. What was Dean so upset about? Cas grabbed his pants from the floor where he'd dropped them. He had been planning to hang them up earlier, but one he'd gotten Gail's clothes off, housekeeping had been the last thing on his mind.

Gail had done up just enough buttons on the shirt to be decent, and she rushed to the door as Cas sat down, turning his pants right side out. She opened the door, and Dean pushed past her into the room.

"Dean! What the hell?" Gail asked him.

Dean was staring at Cas. "Bobby called me on my cell," he said angrily. "He's been trying to reach you guys on Angel Radio for the past half hour. Why aren't you answering him?"

Cas lifted an eyebrow to his friend. Dean could add two and two, and he threw up his hands in disgust. "OK, well, turn it back on," Dean told Cas. "Robbie's been kidnapped."

"What?!" Cas leaped off the bed, his pants forgotten. "By whom?"

"Mark," Dean told him. "He showed up at the bunker and just took him."

"How is that possible?" Cas asked. He was starting to get angry now too, and he was also more than a little embarrassed. He and Gail had turned off their frequencies a little earlier, just for a few minutes, so they could concentrate on each other. But then things had gotten so heated that they'd forgotten to turn them back on.

"I don't know, Cas," Dean said, frustrated. "I only know that Bobby called, looking for you. He said he was supposed to meet with Mark at the bunker to negotiate, about half an hour ago."

Cas swore under his breath. He turned the frequency back on and called Bobby immediately.

Gail felt terrible. "Crap," she said to Dean in a low voice. "Why would Mark want to negotiate with Bobby?" she mused aloud.

"Why the hell do you think, Gail?" Dean snapped at her. "Get your head out of your butt! He's Satan's lieutenant!"

"Don't talk to her that way," Cas said sharply.

"No, he's right, Cas. That was a stupid thing for me to say," Gail said. "I just feel bad about Robbie."

"So do I," Dean said, but his tone softened a bit. Still, he was annoyed at the two of them, and at Chuck, too. Damn Angels. What good were their powers if you couldn't get them on the damn phone?

"Bobby was able to stall Mark," Castiel told Dean and Gail, "but the meeting will be in fifteen minutes from now, outside the bunker." He sat back down on the bed and started to put on his pants again. "Bobby wants me there."

"Why?" Gail said warily.

He glanced up at her. "He may need the extra power, Gail."

"Well then, I'm coming, too," she said, turning to pick up her bag. She could put on her clothes in the bathroom if Dean wanted to stay here and strategize.

"No, Gail. I'm going alone," Cas said. "I need for you to wait here."

She wheeled around. "Why, Cas? I could help you," she said angrily.

Cas had his pants on now, and he was rooting around in his bag for a shirt. He could hardly ask Gail for the one she had on. But he had to hurry now. "I don't have time to argue," he told her. He pulled out a shirt and hastily put it on, then grabbed his blazer and checked the pocket automatically for his blade. Then he looked at Dean. Suddenly, he grabbed Dean's hand with one of his hands, and Gail's hand with the other. He winked them to the door of Sam and Dean's room.

"Keep her safe, Dean," Cas said, and he winked out.

Dean got it. He seized Gail by the arm and brought her into his and Sam's room. Sam looked up from where he was sitting on his bed. He had been sticking by the phone, in case anyone called back with news.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

Gail was livid. "Cas is treating me like a baby, that's what's going on." She jerked her arm out of Dean's grip and walked away from him.

"Look, don't be mad at me," Dean said to her. "This guy Mark sounds like a heavy hitter. Cas is obviously just trying to protect you."

"I don't care," Gail blurted out. "He's always trying to protect me. We're supposed to be partners, Dean."

Dean shrugged. "For the record, I think he was right."

She looked at him sharply. "What?"

"You heard me," he told her. "I hate to tell you this, Gail, but you're going to have to let it go. You're gonna have to let Cas be Cas."

She was astonished. She looked at Sam, then back at Dean. "What do you mean?" But Gail had a pretty good idea. For a moment, she was so mad that she literally saw red. This must be how Cas felt when he got really angry. Maybe they WERE becoming the same person, now that they were married, she thought sardonically.

"Are you saying that I should just shut up and be the little woman?" Gail yelled. "Because you know that's not going to happen!"

"That's not what we're saying, Gail," Sam said in a calm voice, trying to simmer her down. "We would never say that."

"OK, then what ARE you saying?" she exclaimed.

"That you're a liability to him in a fight," Dean said in a sharp tone. The look on her face when he'd said that almost made him stop right there, but this had been a long time coming, and it had to be said. "You're not nearly as strong of a fighter as you seem to think you are, Gail," Dean continued, ripping off the bandaid. "And if you don't get better, you're gonna get Cas killed, because he'll be so distracted, worrying about you."

Gail closed her mouth with a snap. Then she opened it, and then she closed it again. My God. He was right. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he was right. When had she ever genuinely been an asset to Cas in a fight, especially with any otherworldly beings? She had been attacked by humans and animals, and Cas had had to save her from both of those things, too. Metatron had actually killed her in Las Vegas, when Cas hadn't been with her. And, the only reason she'd been able to kill Demon Frank in Crowley's den was because he had killed Cas first, giving her the extra motivation and adrenaline.

She sank down on the other bed. What Dean was saying was true. Cas had made a career out of saving her, and she was lucky that she hadn't provided a fatal distraction for him yet.

Then there was a knock on the door, and Sam opened it to admit Frank and Jody.

Frank swept into the room and went straight to Gail. "Thank God," he said. "We went to your room, but you weren't there. Where's Cas?"

Gail frowned. "He's at the bunker. Bobby wanted him there."

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Frank said. "You can take us there, then."

Crap. Of course they would want to go to the bunker. But now, she was reluctant to go. After what Dean had said, she was convinced that she should just stay away and let Cas and Bobby handle it.

"What's the matter?" Jody said, seeing the confused look on Gail's face. "Let's go!" She was trying to maintain her cool cop facade, but she was starting to lose it. Barry had called Frank's cell phone, weeping, telling them that Mark had taken Robbie, and Jody had been really scared. Being humans, there may be nothing she or Frank could do there, but she was damned if she was going to sit here an ocean away while their little boy was in danger.

Gail sighed. She supposed she had no choice but to take them. She looked at Sam and Dean. "Has anyone heard from Chuck?" she asked them.

"No. We thought you guys might have," Sam said. Dean gave him a look. His brother didn't know that Cas and Gail had had their channel shut off. But Dean had better not say so right now. Frank looked like he was ready to spit nails.

"Who cares about Chuck?" Frank said angrily. "We're wasting time here. Let's go, Gail!"

She sighed again. Cas was going to be mad, but she could hardly refuse. Sam and Dean still had that stupid sigil painted by the window, though, didn't they? Fine. She grabbed Frank's hand with one of her hands, and Jody's hand with the other, and took them outside to the hallway. Then she winked them to the bunker.

Cas and Bobby were standing in the library area discussing the situation when the trio appeared.

Frank rushed up to the men immediately, with Jody right behind. "What's happening?" he demanded.

Cas's heart sank. He should have figured as much. Frank and Jody had every right to be here, but he had been hoping that they would stay in France and let him and Bobby handle it. He looked at Gail, and she shrugged.

"Nothing, yet," Bobby told Frank and Jody. "Mark's supposed to be outside in five minutes. Cas and I were going to go out there and find out what he wants."

"I'm going to try to persuade him to take me to where Robbie is being held," Cas added. "If he'll do that, there's a very good chance I'll be able to bring him back safely."

"Why don't YOU go, Bobby?" Frank asked, frowning. "Then, you could just smite this bastard Mark into oblivion."

"No, it's gotta be Cas," Bobby said uncomfortably.

"Why?" Jody said, raising her voice. "What are you not telling us, Bobby?"

"I'm not God, that's what!" Bobby yelled suddenly. "OK? I'm not God any more. You might as well know. I don't have Godly powers any more. Cas is our best shot to get Robbie back, safe."

"What do you mean, you're not God?!" Frank exclaimed. "Since when? What ARE you, then?"

Bobby was miserable. This just kept coming back to bite him in the ass. If anything happened to that little kid, he was just going to tell Cas to take his blade out and kill him. But there was no time for a self-pity party right now. "We don't have the time to get into it right now, Frank," he told Gail's brother. "We've got to get out there for the meeting."

"OK, let's go, then," Frank said, putting his hand on Cas's arm. Jody took Bobby's hand. The Angels looked at each other. There was no way they would be able to keep the worried parents here, and there was no time to argue about it, anyway.

Cas sighed, looking at Gail. "I suppose there's no point in asking you to stay inside," he said to her. "But, you may wish to put some pants on, first."

Crap. Now she was the one who was embarrassed. In the panic and fear of the situation, she hadn't even realized that the only thing she still had on was Cas's shirt. Gail popped into their room down the hall and dressed in record time, and then she winked back to the library.

They all appeared outside at the same moment Mark appeared, and Mark had company.

"Hi, there," Lucifer said, cheerfully.

When Mark had returned to the mansion with Robbie, Lucifer had been angry.

"What are we supposed to do with him?" Lucifer had yelled, gesturing towards Robbie. The boy's hand was in his father's, but he shrank back from the men now, frightened by Lucifer's tone.

"Negotiate for his safe return," Mark had said, smiling.

Lucifer had paused, then. Not bad, actually, he'd thought. He had to hand it to Mark. If there was anything that motivated Angels and humans alike, it was the safety of an innocent child. Suckers. Children were worthless, in Lucifer's opinion. This one was sniveling and squirming, and he looked like he was going to start bawling any minute. Lucifer hated kids. If he had his way, the only method of reproducing would be cloning. The way that humans made kids was fine, but the actual birthing process was disgusting. He didn't know how a man could even think of going near a woman, after something like that.

But they were stuck with the little brat for now, at least until Bobby handed over an Angel or two. "Jason!" Lucifer bellowed.

Jason walked into the room. He was used to it by now, but his teeth clenched every time he was summoned that way. The truth was, Lucifer got on his last nerve. The only reason that Jason was still here was because Lucifer had promised his erstwhile bodyguard that one he took over Heaven, Jason would be provided with a steady stream of Angels to feed upon. Now that he'd had both human and Angel blood, Jason found that he craved Angels almost endlessly. Like some humans had a sweet tooth, Jason yearned for Angel blood, even though human blood was really his bread and butter. If he were to go back to Purgatory, Jason would no longer have access to Angel blood. Therefore, he had chosen to remain in Lucifer's service. Once Lucifer took over Heaven, he'd promised that Jason would be free to do whatever he wanted there.

"Take it down to the basement and guard it there," Lucifer told Jason, waving his hand dismissively at Robbie. "We'll be back shortly."

Jason nodded and grabbed Robbie by the arm. Robbie started to struggle. "My uncles are gonna kick your butts," the boy said defiantly. "And so is God."

Lucifer smiled indulgently. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Robbie said.

Well, this was better than the sniveling, anyway. But then, Robbie looked up at Mark. "I thought you loved us," he said, and now his lower lip was trembling again.

Mark laughed shortly. "I loved your mother. You? You were just a part of the deal. Just like you are now."

"You loved Mom?" Robbie said in a high-pitched voice. Lucifer frowned. Kids were so annoying. If this one talked in that voice again, Lucifer might have to kill him right here.

"Then how come you killed her?" Robbie continued.

Mark was startled. "Who told you that?" He couldn't believe that one of the God Squad would say a thing like that to a child. How dare they? It was probably Castiel. Everyone knew he had no sense of restraint.

"Nobody told me," Robbie said sulkily. "I just...knew."

Mark stared at him for a moment, then he shrugged. Oh, well. Who cared? "Fine," he told the child. "Then you know that I won't hesitate to kill anybody else. Including you. If I could kill your mother, who I loved, I would have no problem with killing you, who I don't."

That did it. Robbie had been trying to be brave and stand up for himself and his Mom. But he was still a child, and when his father said that to him, it hurt, a lot. His feelings towards his Dad were very confusing now, but to hear one of your own parents say something like that, right to your face? Robbie started to bawl.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Take him," he said to Jason, "and if he won't shut up, feel free to use him for a snack. Or play with him a while, I really don't care. But he'd better be quiet when I get back, or I'll have to kill him myself. Let's go, Mark."

The Devil and his lieutenant vanished from the mansion and Jason looked down at Robbie and smiled. "I'd try to calm down, if I were you," he said to the child. "You know who that is, right?"

"He's the Devil," Robbie wailed. He was sniffling back the tears, trying to compose himself. He was scared, but he was also sure he was going to be rescued soon, and he wanted to look brave when they got there. "But my Uncle Dean says he's just another douchebag."

Jason looked at the boy incredulously, and then he did something he almost never did. He threw back his head and laughed.

"You just bought yourself some more time on Earth," Jason said. He grabbed Robbie's hand and took him to the basement.

Mark and Lucifer stood in the backyard of the bunker, like gunfighters just waiting for the signal to draw.

"How is everyone?" Lucifer said casually. "How're those Tablets coming, Castiel? Everybody still alive? Yeah? Pity," he went on, smiling. He hadn't really expected an answer; he was just trying to rile his Brother up.

Castiel did not disappoint. "You had better not have harmed that child in any way," he growled.

Lucifer grinned. Castiel was so easy. "Or what?" he taunted.

"What do you want?" Bobby asked him.

Lucifer looked at him. "Hey, Roomie," he said cheerfully. "Long time, no see. Still having those wet dreams about Crowley's mother?"

Bobby's hands curled into fists. If only he had the power to smite; he would lay those two bastards flat. "What'll it take to get the boy back?" he said through gritted teeth.

Lucifer appeared to consider. "I need some Angels, for a special project I'm working on," he told them. "How about, you give me...Chuck, Ethan, Kevin, and Becky?" Then he looked at Castiel again. "And I think I'll take your sweet wife, too. It's a regular sausage-fest at my place. I'm back at the mansion now, so don't worry, she'll be comfortable."

Cas laughed harshly. "You're wasting your time. You know that's never going to happen."

"Then I guess you're going to have to buy a very small white coffin," Lucifer sneered. He looked at Frank and Jody. "You weren't that attached to the little brat anyway, were you? Maybe you can make more kids, if it means that much to you. Or, can you?" He focused his gaze on Jody, affecting a sympathetic look. "Are you having some issues with that, maybe? Women of a certain age have to be careful, Jodes. Of course, you could always come to me for that. I'm in the business of granting wishes, you know."

"Oh, right," Gail scoffed. "Wishes nobody wants, you mean."

"Still with the mouth, eh, Gail?" Lucifer said, with an edge to his voice. "I'm definitely taking you with me, then. With all of the men that I have in my service, I could put that mouth of yours to good use. In fact, I think I'll have you audition first, on me."

Cas threw his arms out, and the blue rays shot out of his fingertips. Lucifer was slow to react, and the beams knocked him back a step. But then he raised his own arms, deflecting them. Then he shot his own green beams at Cas, who raised his arms and deflected them to the side, as Lucifer had just done.

"Way to go, Cas," Lucifer said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. "Better technique, this time. Too bad you don't have any wild animals around this time." He looked at Gail, affecting a pout. "Though that ended up being way worse for you than it was for me. How's our dear Aurielle, by the way? Do you drop by and visit her now and then? Maybe whisper in her ear about the things that Castiel did to you the night before, hoping that she'll finally decide to kill herself?"

"My God, you talk a lot," Chuck said, shaking his head. He had just appeared, and he moved to stand beside Cas and Gail.

"What are you doing here?" Gail said to him, startled.

"Sam and Dean told me where you were, and I felt guilty about not being there when everything was going on," Chuck replied. "So, even though I'm the world's biggest weenie, here I am."

Gail looked at him curiously. He was acting weird; almost happy. What was with him?

Chuck was feeling the effects of the potion that Rowena had given him earlier. She had slipped it into the drink she'd given him when he'd first arrived in her hotel room. Then they'd had sex several times, in several different positions. And then, when both of them were laying there temporarily spent, their bodies glistening with sweat, she'd started with the questions. What she'd given him was an interesting sort of cocktail, but Rowena knew what she was doing. What she'd gotten Chuck to willingly imbibe was in effect a truth serum.

She began with a few softball questions: What did Chuck do for a living? He was a librarian, he'd said, and he liked to write stories in his spare time. Did he have any brothers and sisters? He'd smiled. Blood relatives? Yes, he had a sister, but he hadn't spoken to her in a number of years.

"But I actually have lots of Brothers and Sisters now," Chuck had continued dreamily. Rowena's hair was bright red in the candlelight, and it was mesmerizing him now. She'd turned off all the lights in the room and lit a few candles, telling him they were for atmosphere. They were supposed to keep the two of them in an amorous mood for as long as they burned, she'd said. Chuck had laughed at that. After as long as he'd waited for a night like this, he didn't think that would be a problem. He'd been thrilled to find out that Cas wasn't the only Angel who could go multiple times, and Desiree had seemed very happy with that circumstance, as well. In fact, Chuck had wondered if she would find that suspicious. But she hadn't said anything about it, merely egged him on. A couple of times when he'd gotten a little too carried away, she had scratched him with her fingernails and told him to stop, and he'd backed off immediately. But otherwise, she'd been good to go, and Chuck was very happy now.

"Why? What do you mean, Chuck?" she had asked him.

"I'm an Angel," he'd told her.

Rowena smiled. Obviously, the potion was working now. "What's your fondest desire, Chuck?" she asked him softly.

"This was, until about an hour ago," he quipped. He reached for her, but she pulled away and pinched his nipple, hard.

"We're talking here, Chuck," Rowena rebuked him. "I'll let you know when we can go again. But first, you're going to be a good boy, and tell me everything I want to know."

Incredibly, he was smiling. "Yes, ma'am," Chuck said softly. He had felt himself getting excited again when she'd done that, and Rowena could see the evidence. Interesting. Well, if he had that particular proclivity, she could oblige. She looked at the candles burning on the dresser. She hadn't used hot wax in this kind of scenario for quite a while.

But for right now, Chuck was being very cooperative. "My fondest desire?" he repeated. "I want to be like Cas. I want to be Heaven's hero."

"Do you, now?" Rowena said with a half-smile. "What is it about this 'Cas' that you admire so much?"

"I don't know if you could say I admire him, so much as I'm jealous of him," Chuck said, frowning slightly. "But I'm not supposed to feel that way. It's a Sin."

"Everyone feels that way sometimes, Chuck," she assured him. "It's perfectly normal. What is it about him that makes you feel jealous?"

"It's just...he has everything," Chuck told her. "He's God's right hand, he's got all kinds of powers we don't, he's respected by everybody, and he's married to a terrific girl. Oh, and he's lusted after by a flock of female Angels, and a few guys I know, as well," he concluded with a wry smile.

No doubt, Rowena thought. She'd been guilty of that from time to time, herself. So he had married his little concubine, had he? Oh, well. If Rowena really wanted to have a go at Castiel, no ring was going to stop her. But Chuck had been more than adequate tonight, at least for the time being. And she had the feeling that Chuck would let her do just about anything to him that she wanted. So she might just keep him on the string for a while. Rowena had let herself be dominated in bed by men in the past in order to get whatever she'd needed at the time, be it money, gifts, information, or just physical release. But, truth be told, she really didn't like men very much. Most of them thought that having those extra bits on their bodies enabled them to have everything, and rule everyone, and she was sick of it. If she were able to get all that she needed while exacting a little payback by doling out some physical pain, Rowena thought she wouldn't mind that at all.

"He's in charge of our group," Chuck continued. Desiree was such a good listener, and she was so understanding. It was nice to be able to confide his innermost feelings in someone and not be judged. "The Tablet wasn't in the Catacombs, so now we have to find it. But I was glad we didn't get it."

"Why is that?" Rowena asked him.

Chuck's smile grew wider. "Because that meant I was able to come here tonight. If we'd gotten it, I probably would have had to go back."

He was being such a good boy, Rowena thought affectionately. Just like a prize-winning puppy at the dog show. She leaned down and kissed him with her tongue as a reward. He responded eagerly, but after a moment she moved away from him again.

"You have to find the Tablet?" she asked him. "So you have no idea where it is?"

"Oh, we have an idea," he replied. "It's in the Headquarters of the white supremacist group. But we don't know exactly where that is. Cas is going to try to find out tomorrow morning."

Well, well. Wouldn't Lucifer be interested in that little tidbit of information, Rowena thought. Too bad for him that he had been prepared to betray her. She was undecided as to what to do, here. Should she tell Lucifer? But, why should she? What had he ever done for her? Should she take the Tablet for herself, and hold it for ransom? But what would she ask for it? There was nothing she wanted that she couldn't get for herself. What DID she want at the moment? What was Rowena's fondest desire? Revenge? Her son's head on a platter? Yes, and yes. But she saw no reason why she couldn't do those things herself, and in fact, it would be more satisfying that way. She didn't need a man to do them for her. She didn't need a man for anything.

Well, all right, maybe for one thing. Before administering the potion that would turn Chuck into a bad Angel again, Rowena wanted one more go-round.

She leaned down to kiss him, but suddenly, Chuck sat bolt upright. Robbie!

"I have to go," he told her.

"What? Why?" she asked him. What was this, now? Had he received a call on that radio frequency that Angels had? She should have had him turn it off. But she wasn't supposed to know about such things; at least, not before she'd gotten him to spill his guts.

"They'll need me," Chuck told her. He scrambled off the bed and started to pick his clothes up off the floor. "They may think I'm a loser, but I'll show them that I'm not. There's nothing more heroic than saving a little kid."

Rowena was fuming. Dammit! She wasn't finished with him yet!

But he was already dressed, and she hadn't thought to paint any sigils in the room. Chuck looked at her warmly and said, "I wish I didn't have to leave, but it's an emergency. I'll try to come back as soon as I can. Thanks a lot for a great evening, Desiree."

Then he vanished, leaving a stunned and angry Rowena behind.

Lucifer was looking at Chuck outside the bunker now. "OK, now we're talking," he said heartily. "It's a start, anyway." Then he looked at Bobby. "Tell you what. I'm feeling generous today. I'll take Chuck and Gail, for now, and send the kid back. Then we'll talk some more, if I don't get what I want from those two."

Cas stepped forward, in front of Gail. "I told you before, that's not going to happen," he said angrily.

"And how are you going to stop me?" Lucifer asked him, amused. "If those blue beams are the best you've got, you're in trouble, Castiel. Should I just wait here until you think of something else?" He waved his arm and flung Castiel aside.

Cas got up and drew his Demon knife from his blazer, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to get close enough to use it. What was he going to do?

Lucifer walked forward to where Chuck and Gail stood, but then he stopped suddenly.

Barry and Tommy had come out of the bunker, and Barry was holding a golden candlestick in his hand, one of the two that the Pope had blessed and given to Cas and Gail as a wedding present. Barry was holding it in front of his body as if he were holding a crucifix to protect him against a vampire.

"You aren't welcome here," Barry said to Lucifer. "I command you to leave."

Lucifer stared at him incredulously. Who did this guy think he was, anyway? Barry, the Vampire Slayer? Lucifer started to laugh.

"What's that you've got there?" he said to Barry. "It's very shiny."

And indeed, it was. He found that he couldn't look directly at it. And suddenly, he wasn't able to move forward any more. What the hell kind of voodoo crap was this?

Barry was walking towards Lucifer now and, incredibly, Lucifer was backing up. The stupid thing was shining right in his face now, blinding him. He waved his hand half-heartedly at Barry, who faltered, but stood his ground.

"Bring Robbie back to us," Barry said. "He's just an innocent child."

Now Lucifer was getting angry. He waved his hand again, putting everything he could into it despite the presence of that stupid stick of gold, and Barry was knocked off his feet. He dropped the candlestick and it went rolling towards Mark, who bent to pick it up. His fingers touched it and he hissed in pain. "I can't pick it up," he told Lucifer. "It burns."

The Devil nodded. That figured. They'd obviously gone out and gotten a holy object or two, hoping to keep him at arms' length. Well, this one had worked, to a certain extent. He looked down at Barry. "Good for you," Lucifer said. "You had the courage to stand up to me. You'll be a great role model for gay guys everywhere. They can pray to you," he sneered. He snapped his fingers and gave Barry an instant brain aneurysm. He screamed and began bleeding from the ears and eyes.

"Barry!" Tommy shouted, and he ran over to where his boyfriend lay. He dropped down to his knees beside Barry and looked down at his face. The bleeding had stopped, but Barry's eyes were closed, and he was still. Tommy fumbled, searching Barry's body for vital signs. He couldn't find any.

"I can't get a pulse!" he shouted to the others. "He's not breathing!"

Jody ran over and fell on her knees to Barry's other side. She tore open Barry's shirt and felt his chest. No heartbeat, no respiration. She started to do CPR on him, but based on what she'd just seen, she knew that there would be no use.

Lucifer was smirking. "Sorry, Tommy," he said, shrugging. "I guess you'll have to find another guy to play house with, now. Maybe try Sam Winchester. He likes sex, and he's fairly domestic. Or, if you're just interested in hot sex, try Dean. I've always thought that he was in deep denial about that particular subject."

Jody looked up at Tommy. "He's gone," she told him. "I'm so sorry, Tommy."

Barry's boyfriend stared at her. "Gone?" he said, uncomprehending. "You mean...dead?"

"Yeah, Tommy," Jody said wearily.

Tommy jumped to his feet and went for Lucifer, who rolled his eyes, waving his little finger. Tommy was knocked back, but he kept his feet.

"Don't make me kill you both on the same day," Lucifer said to him casually.

Cas grabbed Tommy from behind. "Go back inside," he said quietly. "Barry would want you to be safe. And, Robbie will need you when he comes back."

Tommy struggled in Cas's arms for a moment, but then he stopped, and his body went limp. He began to cry. "I loved him, Cas," Tommy said. "I should have told him that more often. And I should have given him that ring."

Cas's heart broke for him. When Cas and Barry had been in Rome making plans for Cas and Gail's wedding, Tommy had informed Cas by phone that he had been inspired to go out and get an engagement ring for Barry. His boyfriend had been so excited for Cas and Gail, and he had been dropping some very broad hints about hoping for a more permanent arrangement with Tommy, once everything had settled down a bit. Tommy had gone out and bought the ring, and he had been planning to surprise Barry with it at Christmas.

"Jody, Frank, please take Tommy inside," Cas said softly. He didn't want harm to come to any of their other human family. The couple came forward and put their arms around a sobbing Tommy, leading him back into the bunker.

Cas's eyes flashed bright blue as he stared at Lucifer. His whole body was shaking with rage now.

Tears were pooled in Gail's eyes, and she was biting her lip to keep from breaking down. She didn't want to give Lucifer the satisfaction.

"You're a bastard," Bobby said to Lucifer. His body was shaking from anger, too. Part of it was anger at himself. Ever since he had given up being God, one disaster after another had befallen them, and now Lucifer held all the cards.

The smug son of a bitch knew it, too. He smiled at Bobby. "Come to think of it, you're an Angel too, aren't you, big boy?" Lucifer taunted him. "And a little birdie told me that's ALL you are now. So I think I'll take you, too. If Chuck poops out on me, maybe I can get you to help me with my special project. The only reason I didn't grab you in the first place is because I'm kind of bored of you," he continued, wrinkling his nose. "I was hoping to delve into someone else's psyche, for a change." He looked at Chuck. "I think you might be kind of fun." Then he looked at Gail. "And I do believe I'll do a little probe on you, too. Pun definitely intended. As poor Barry just showed us, life is too short not to do whatever the hell you want."

Cas's hands were curling into fists, and his pulse was beating at his temples now. Screw the Tablets. He was going to kill Lucifer right here and now. Annihilate him. The only problem was, he had no idea how he was supposed to do it.

"I see you, Castiel," Lucifer said to him. Mark was grinning now, too. He'd said nothing this whole time, but he had been enjoying watching his Master at work. Lucifer had all of them at his mercy now. The Devil looked at Gail. "Unless you want your husband to be next, you'll come with me now."

Gail's heart sank. She looked helplessly at Cas, who shook his head. But she couldn't see any way out. She started moving towards Lucifer. When she passed Castiel, she kissed him on the cheek. "You know where we'll be," she said softly in his ear. "Do what you have to do, once you get Robbie back."

Chuck and Bobby came forward, too. "I'll agree to come, if you leave Gail out of this," Bobby said to Lucifer. Chuck nodded. "Yeah, me too," he chipped in.

Lucifer smiled. "You'll be coming, anyway. Mark?" His lieutenant moved forward and grabbed the men, winking them to the mansion.

That just left the three Originals. They stood there looking at each other for a moment.

"I'll tell you what, Castiel," Lucifer said airily. "I won't take her, if you'll agree to get down on your knees and worship me, right now."

Cas swore, using an earthly phrase that would have made Dean proud.

Lucifer shrugged. "OK, suit yourself. You can't say I didn't give you a chance. If you won't get down on your knees for me, I'll make sure SHE does."

"Like hell I will," Gail said. She had been edging over to where the candlestick lay on the ground, while Lucifer's attention was focused on Cas; however, he noticed what she was doing and grabbed her arm before she could bend down to pick it up.

"Nice try," he said to her. In desperation, she stuck her foot out and kicked the candlestick towards Cas. It flew to him, and he caught it neatly. At the same time, Gail opened up her Original frequency and sent a private message to Crowley, shouting silently for him to come to the bunker.

But then, Lucifer winked himself and Gail away.

Castiel stood there, stunned, looking at the candlestick in his hand. Why had she done that? And what was he supposed to do now?

"What in the bloody hell is that?" Crowley asked him.

Cas wheeled around. "What are YOU doing here?" he asked the King of Hell.

"Your missus called me," Crowley replied. He touched his forehead with his hand. "And quite loudly, I might add. I hope for your sake she doesn't shout that way when it's time for you to take the trash out."

Castiel's eyes narrowed in speculation. She had told him to do what he needed to do. Then she had called Crowley here. He told his Brother what had happened here, and Crowley pursed his lips. "So, it's a rescue operation you're considering?" he asked the Angel. "Do you think he'll still be at the mansion, though? He knows that we know where that is."

"He's just arrogant enough to believe that we can't touch him," Cas stated.

Crowley looked at him, then he looked down at Barry's body. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but from everything you're telling me, he's right."

Cas frowned. "I couldn't do anything," he told Crowley, his jaw set with frustration. "He took Gail and the others, and he killed Barry, and I couldn't do a damn thing."

Crowley looked at the candlestick Cas was still holding. "You didn't answer my question. What's that?"

Cas looked at him, then raised the candlestick. "This?" He pictured poor Barry, bravely facing Lucifer with only this object for protection. Cas had thought Barry's actions a little foolhardy at the time. He had obviously seen too many movies. But now, Cas thought about it. Lucifer had retreated a step or two when Barry had been holding the object, and when he had waved his hand at their human friend while Barry had been holding the candlestick, his salvo had been greatly weakened. And Gail had clearly been thinking along those same lines; she'd been trying to send him a message before Lucifer had taken her, he was sure.

"It may be the only thing that will slow him down," Cas told Crowley. "It's a holy object, blessed by the Pope."

"Well then, keep it away from me," Crowley said irritably. "I'm already getting a headache just being near it. Or that could just be from your wife's voice."

Cas almost smiled. But he was still wondering why Gail had shouted for Crowley in the first place. Then it dawned on him.

"Lucifer killed Barry, for no other reason than that he felt like it," Cas said bitterly.

Crowley raised an eyebrow. He'd already gotten there. "And just what will you and Gail do for me in return, if I grant you this favour?" he said evenly.

Castiel sighed. "What would you require?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even, too.

"A pretty please and thank you, to begin with," Crowley said, his eyebrow still arched. "And, let me see...hmm...Actually, I can't think of anything specific at the moment. What about if you just owe me one? I don't have a contract prepared; we'll just have to shake on it. I can rely on you to honour a verbal agreement, can I not?" He looked at Castiel, his eyes glittering with amusement.

Cas hesitated. Crowley was talking about an open-ended contract. He could ask for anything in the future, anything at all. There was no way Cas should even consider it. But he kept picturing Tommy's anguished face. Cas knew how devastating it felt to lose the one you loved above all else. And Tommy had bought Barry a ring. They were supposed to get married. But Cas had a long history of bad decisions, and he was not eager to add to the list. He wished Gail were here. He could ask her for her opinion. She always had a keen perspective on things. He was sure that she had summoned Crowley here so that Castiel could ask him to do it, but now it would be up to him to decide if the asking price was too high.

"What's the holdup? Don't you trust me?" Crowley said, smirking. "Or do you have to ask the wife for her permission, first?"

"I would like to ask Gail for her opinion, yes," Castiel confirmed, ignoring Crowley's snide tone, "but obviously, I'm unable to, at the moment." He was starting to feel very edgy now. The longer they spent wasting time here, the longer Lucifer had Gail.

As if reading Cas's mind, Crowley asked him, "Why did Lucifer take her?" And not you, he thought, with a touch of resentment.

Cas raised an eyebrow to his Brother. "He took her for no other reason than to spite me. He was making his usual filthy insinuations." He spat out the words.

Crowley looked at him with interest. "You're scared green, aren't you? You're afraid he'll actually go ahead and defile your wife."

"She'll defy him, and she'll try to fight him," Cas fretted. "That will make him angry, and he'll overpower her."

"And then she'll be spoiled goods," Crowley said bluntly.

Cas's hands curled into fists, and his eyes flashed. He reminded himself that they needed Crowley, for the time being, at least. "How dare you say something like that?" he said in his quiet voice. "If that's the way you think, it's no wonder you were never able to find a mate. It's for HER sake that I want to save her from that experience, not for my own."

Crowley dipped his head slightly in apology. Perhaps his remark had gone a bit too far, especially for this day and age. But he would never admit that out loud, of course. "All right, Castiel, we'll figure something out. I don't want anything like that to happen to her, either." Then he smirked again. "It'll make it that much less special when I do it to her, then."

Castiel glared daggers at him. "I presume you think you're being funny, but you're not."

She would have thought so, Crowley thought to himself, but he said with equanimity, "Yes I am; you just have no sense of humour, Castiel. So, tick tock. Do we have a deal, or not?"

Cas was still hesitant.
"I can practically hear Lucifer undoing his flies, right now," the King of Hell said, tilting his head as if listening for a sound.

"All right, all right, we have a deal," Cas said hurriedly.

The two men clasped hands, and Crowley's hand glowed red for a moment, while Castiel's glowed blue. Cas looked at the purple hue that the two colours produced, feeling sick to his stomach. He prayed that he had not just made another colossal mistake.

Crowley went over to where Barry lay and knelt down at his side. Then he looked up at Cas. "I'm going to snap out for a moment, after he gets up. I presume you're going to take him into the bunker for the tearful reunion, but I don't want to be here when he wakes. Too many questions. After you deliver him, come back here immediately."

Cas wasn't too wild about the way that his Brother was ordering him around, but for a change, he held his tongue. Crowley was doing them an immense favour here, and even though Cas had no doubt that the King intended to call in this chit one day, there was nothing in it for him at the moment, so he didn't have to be doing it.

Crowley bent down and opened Barry's mouth with his hands. He smirked. "I wish I could say this kind of position was a first for me, but I'd be lying," he quipped. Then he bent down and breathed a tiny puff of smoke into Barry's mouth, and then he put his lips on Barry's for a moment to make sure the breath was absorbed.

"Don't tell Tommy, but I slipped him some tongue," Crowley said, still smirking. Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

An instant later, Barry stirred. He opened his eyes and started to sit up. "Cas?" he said, seeing his friend.

Cas crouched beside him, unable to speak for a moment. No matter how many times he saw the process of revival, it never failed to amaze him. And Crowley had done it so effortlessly, with a simple puff of his breath. How Castiel wished that their Father had seen fit to have allowed him to retain the power of revival. He would never have had to request Crowley's assistance in that regard, and Cas would never have to be beholden to him. And he could just imagine the sweet relief in being able to revive Dean, or Sam, or any of their group, at any time. And, because Castiel was an Original, he would be able to breathe his essence into Gail to bring her back as well, whenever it was necessary. Just as Crowley had done with Cas himself, when he had been executed. The mere thought of all the missed opportunities made Cas feel like crying. His various screw-ups had cost him dearly over the years, but none of his Father's punishments had hurt him as much as that one had.

But for now, Castiel was able to just appreciate the miracle, and experience the joy he now felt when he was able to help their friend to his feet.

"Is everyone all right?" Barry asked Cas dazedly.

Cas smiled; he couldn't help it. Barry's first question after being through what he had just been through had been about the well-being of others. A man like this was truly worth saving.

"Yes, they're fine," Cas told him, hoping it was true. "But you gave us all a scare, especially Tommy. We'd better go see him now, so he can see that you're all right."

"Where is he?" Barry said eagerly, looking around them.

"He's inside the bunker," Cas advised him.

Barry started to walk towards where the door to the bunker was, but he tottered a bit, and Cas caught him. "Here, let me help you." He put his arm around Barry's waist to steady him.

"What if Gail sees?" Barry joked weakly. "Won't she be jealous?"

"We'll see her soon," Cas replied lightly. God willing, he thought. "We just won't tell her about it."

He helped Barry to the bunker door, and down the stairs.

"I have someone here who would like to apologize for scaring everyone," Cas announced, as Barry made his way slowly down the stairs.

Tommy, Frank and Jody were sitting at the library table. They had been sitting there in somber silence ever since the couple had escorted Barry's sobbing boyfriend inside the bunker. Jody had held Tommy as Frank had stalked down the hall to the room where Dean kept the bar. Frank had been livid, literally shaking with anger. He'd punched the wall on the way there and grabbed the biggest bottle of whiskey he could find. Now there was a huge dent in the wall, and he was fairly sure he might have broken his hand, or at least, severely bruised the knuckles. It had been quite a while since he'd felt that same kind of pain. But he hadn't cared. He had yanked the bottle of whiskey from the bar and taken it out to the library area, plunking it down on the table. The Winchesters kept some coffee mugs in the cupboard by the coffee nook there, and Frank grabbed three of them by the handles with the hand that wasn't bleeding, filling them with liquor.

"Drink," Frank had ordered Tommy, who had grabbed his mug with shaking hands and brought it to his lips.

Everyone's mugs were about half-empty now, and they had been sitting there in miserable silence when Cas and Barry came in. Tommy was no longer sobbing, but he was still silently weeping. Jody had gone to the kitchen to find some ice to put on Frank's hand, and she had come back with a bag of frozen vegetables, which she had rested on his knuckles. Then she had picked her glass up and knocked back half of its contents. Normally, she would have made some kind of a joke about the abject weirdness of seeing vegetables of any kind in the Winchesters' kitchen, but she'd said nothing.

Tommy's head snapped up as Barry descended the stairs. He knocked his mug over with a trembling hand, spilling the remainder of the whiskey from it. He rose from his chair slowly. "Barry?" he said in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.

Barry reached the foot of the staircase with Cas right behind him, in case he faltered. But seeing Tommy seemed to give Barry the strength he needed. "I'm sorry if I scared anybody," he said sheepishly.

Jody was staring at him, open-mouthed. She was a cop; she knew dead when she saw it, and Barry had been dead. Deceased. No more. She'd been positive. How was this possible?

As usual, Frank could be counted on for candour. "You're supposed to be dead," he said to Barry.

"Well, apparently, I'm not," Barry replied cheerfully. "Cas said the bastard just knocked me out."

Tommy rushed over to his boyfriend, but then he stopped short when he got to where Barry stood. He touched Barry's face. A huge lump formed in Cas's throat when he saw that. That was the way that Gail always touched him when she wanted to comfort him, and she did it with so much love in her eyes, just the same way as Tommy was looking at Barry right now. "You're alive," Tommy said. "Oh, honey. I thought I had lost you."

"Never," Barry responded firmly, putting his arms around Tommy. "I'm never going anywhere without you."

The two men kissed, and Cas's eyes blurred with tears. Any doubts as to whether he'd done the right thing had vanished now.

Tommy looked at Cas. "Thank you, Cas," he said fervently. Despite what Barry had just said, Tommy was convinced that his boyfriend had been killed by Lucifer. "Thank you for bringing him back to me." Now he was weeping again, but Tommy knew that Cas would understand. Their friend truly was an Angel, in every sense of the word.

But Cas merely shrugged. "Don't thank me. I didn't do anything." He looked at Frank and Jody. "I want the four of you to stay inside the bunker, please. I need to take this - " he waved the candlestick he held in his hand " - with me, but the standard protections on this building are still in place, so you'll be safe, as long as you stay inside. I have to go."

"Do you need any help?" Frank said, taking the bag of frozen vegetables off his hand and throwing it on the table. Cas looked at it, then looked at Frank's hand, but he did not comment. He could add two and two, and he completely understood.

"No, Frank," he said. "Please stay here. I can't worry about all of you at the same time."

Frank frowned, but Cas had no time to worry about Gail's brother's feelings. He winked out of the bunker.