More Pure Than an Angel's Grace
Summary:
Branched off from my "Cousins a Couple Times Removed" universe. AU-on the assumption they are angels and things had gone horribly wrong while Dean & Sam hunted the dragons. "You're stronger than I ever was Dean. I couldn't last more then several days but you managed thirty years before you broke."
Disclaimer:
I do not own Dean or any concept from Supernatural.
When Dean and Sam arrived back at the suite to find the door left open their guard immediately went up as they took their guns out.
Dean slowly pushed the door open to find the room engulfed in darkness.
Sam reached out along the wall and flipped the switch for the lights.
"Barkiel," Dean rushed forward to the angel who was lying restrained, gagged and blindfolded on top of the table. Before he could reach it though he heard something drop behind him and hit the floor hard. He turned around to find his brother unconscious and Ambriel standing there with empty eyes and a sinister smirk on her lips.
"Hello Dean, I'm glad those dragons didn't wear you out. It'll make this a lot more fun."
Then everything went black.
When the Winchesters came to they were both tied to chairs facing the table the angel was still on though the gag and blindfold were gone.
The sound of wings was heard and Ambriel appeared.
"You're not Ambriel." Dean said.
She chuckled.
Sam was busy watching Barkiel's reaction. Why did she look guilty and sad rather than scared?
"If it helps you sleep at night to think of it that way," she walked over to him. Her cold blue eyes glanced at Sam and followed his gaze.
"She's not gonna help you Sammy."
He looked up at her.
Ambriel grinned, tracing the edge of her knife down his neck. "I'm sure your brother deals with your experience the same way he's dealing with this." She pricked his skin before pulling the knife away. Her head turned back to the older Winchester. "But it's just a disillusion. I'm still me. Just like Sammy was still him when he was addicted to demon blood." She chuckled when it was clear the hunter still didn't believe her and turned to walk back to the angel. "Well, if you won't believe it from me, perhaps you'll believe from her." She pulled the gag off, allowing the blonde to speak. "Go ahead Barkiel. Tell them; tell them about the war, the reason why we didn't return to heaven."
The grey-eyed angel closed her eyes. She could remember it as if it had happened yesterday. "Our side was fighting demons when Ambriel came down to deliver a message. She was never supposed to be involved in the actual fighting. But demons don't care. An angel is an angel so they attacked her, captured her. Several hours later I found her."
Flashback
The moment Amy's eyes landed on Barkiel she ran to her. "Kill me! Kill me! Please Barkiel, you have to kill me!" She begged, shaking the other angel.
Barky frowned, for there was something different about her friend. "Why Ambriel? What's wrong?"
Tears fell from her vessel's eyes. "I'm tainted Barkiel! They've tainted my grace! I can feel it!"
Her eyes went wide. No, not Ambriel. Not her best friend! She'd be killed for having tainted grace to assure it wouldn't spread to the others.
"Kill me Barkiel," she choked. "Please!"
"No," the angel said sternly. "I refuse to kill you. There must be another way; surely there's some way we can purify you again."
Ambriel bowed her head in defeat, shaking her head while mumbling 'no, no, no' continuously. Then suddenly she grabbed Barkiel's angel sword and moved to stab herself only to be stopped by Barky's hand which had gripped her arm.
"Don't do this Ambriel," she said softly. "Please don't do this."
To the surprise of both of them Barkiel's angelic power made her vessel start glowing a golden hue and traveled from her hand to Amy's arm which appeared to trigger Ambriel's own power though it was now a murky grey instead of it's usual silver.
Instinctively Barky reached inside herself and used the flow of her power to send her grace to Amy, hoping against hope that it would help.
Thankfully, it did as Ambriel's power started to look more like silver than the dark grey it had been before.
She didn't know what she was doing but she wished with all her might that her grace would purify the taint and if not that, at least contain it to keep it from spreading.
End Flashback
"You never did tell me how they tainted your grace in the first place," the blonde added.
Amy laughed. "Does it really matter? Like I said Barkiel, I'm not warrior like you." She glanced at Dean with a smile. "You're stronger than I ever was Dean. I couldn't last more then several days but you managed thirty years before you broke."
Dean wasn't sure what to think. He didn't want to believe Ambriel was lost to them but he didn't really know how tainting grace worked.
Sam on the other hand understood better, knew that while yes, it was still Amy that at the same time it wasn't. If it was anything like the demon blood he knew the angel had two sides conflicting inside of her and that the tainted grace merely gave her dark side home field advantage. Something like this was much more difficult than when he had fought Lucifer for control over his body which had been why he believed he could fight the corrupted angel for control. However, like his brother he wasn't sure if this meant Ambriel was lost to that dark side but he did know how he could find out and it all depended on Barky, if they really were as close as Dean thought them to be.
"You know I'm actually surprised you're not calling out for your boyfriend Castiel," the dark-haired angel taunted with a smirk.
"Well, knowing you, you've probably already blocked us from being sensed by him while we were out," he answered.
She laughed a little. "Too true Dean. But once again I didn't do it myself. Raziel did."
Green eyes hardened. "So what? You were meant to go dark?"
"Apparently, though no one certainly told me," she replied, shooting a look of amusement toward the angel on the table. "I'm actually a little surprised Barky didn't warn you. After all, she knew this would happen."
Dean glanced over at her, guilt and sadness plainly written on her face as she refused to meet his eyes.
"You haven't hurt her."
Everyone looked at Sam in surprise.
"If you've gone so bad why is it during the whole time you've held her captive you still haven't hurt her?" Sammy asked.
Dean blinked and turned his head to look over the blonde. Sure enough, she wasn't injured. Not even so much as a bruise or anything.
Ambriel growled at him. "I will decide what to do with her! Not you! Barkiel is mine!" She turned around and smiled at her. "Aren't you?" She asked as she walked over and stroked her cheek.
She licked her lips. "I made a promise to never leave you no matter what."
The dark angel's smile widened, pleased. "That you did." Ambriel turned around again to face the Winchesters. "And why would I possibly want to punish such loyalty?"
The older hunter was frowning. Would Barky truly not help them? Would she really not try to stop Amy?
The blue-eyed woman tutted. "So judgmental Dean. After all, you never would've stopped Sammy even if he hadn't been able to gain control of his body to toss them back into the cage. You would've let the world burn."
"No he wouldn't," Sam denied.
But Amy wasn't paying him any attention, smirking at the look on Dean's face. Because Dean knew she was right and she knew that it was because the hunter had seen it himself during a trip to the future. "Why don't we fix a few things before I kill you Dean or maybe," her expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe if I can turn you both I'll let you live." Then her lips formed a cruel smile. "How badass do you think Cas would be if he turned dark?"
"You leave him alone!" Dean glared at her.
She chuckled.
Everyone has to suffer; everyone has their burden to bear. Even angels. Just as Dean had suffered through hell and Castiel would have to fight the souls he took in so would Ambriel in a fight against herself and eventually she, Barkiel, too would have to suffer. But even though she knew not what would come she knew Amy would be there to help her through it. Even if the angel remained tainted and corrupted until the day someone killed her she knew Ambriel would be there for her. Still, she hoped it wouldn't come to that. She prayed she could save Ambriel but she wasn't sure exactly how she should use the answer Raziel had given her, the only thing more pure than an angel's grace. It would only work if she used it correctly. [Amy.]
The angel turned around, head cocking just the slightest to the side as she smiled. [Yes?]
[I…] She wasn't sure what to say so instead she sent her images along their link.
Her smile widened. "Why Barkiel, I didn't think you had it in you."
The Winchesters frowned, figuring the two had communicated somehow and were wondering what Barky had said.
"Just let me have a little fun with the boys here and we'll get right on that."
"Please," the blonde pleaded, making Amy pause mid-turn.
Ambriel stood there in thought.
[Just a kiss at least?]
The blue-eyed woman smiled. "Alright," she said, walking over to her, "but then you're gonna have to wait until I'm done with dumb and dumber for anything more."
Barky swallowed, keeping her eyes on the other angel. They'd never crossed the line before, practically having mastered walking the line between friendship and more. Now, no matter what, there was no going back.
She stopped beside the table and waved her hand, unlocking the cuffs on the grey-eyed angel's wrists before helping her sit up. Ambriel caressed her cheek, staring into her eyes. [I would have fallen with you back then, before the war, if you had asked.]
Barkiel wrapped an arm around her back and rested her other hand at the back of Amy's neck to gently pull her down so their foreheads rested against one another. [I would have died with you if someone else had found you the night your grace was tainted.]
Her wings unfolded to wrap around them just as Barky's did the same although the movement went unseen by both Dean and Sam.
When Barkiel started to glow Ambriel almost jumped back but the other held on and reassured her. [No grace. I just wanna feel your power intertwine with mine.]
She relaxed again and allowed her power to the surface, now an almost dark grey instead of the silver it had once been.
The hunters watched in fascination as Barky's golden glow mingled with Ambriel's dull grey and wondered what was happening.
Their eyes met and they both moved to bring their lips together.
[I love you.]
And the moment their lips met there was an explosion of light, causing Dean and Sam to immediately close their eyes.
Ambriel and Barkiel stretched their true forms out of their vessels just as Amy screamed, the end of it coming out in her true voice and thus shattering the windows and anything else in the room that was made of glass.
The taint that had corrupted the angel's grace rose from her as black steam before she collapsed in Barkiel's embrace who at once lowered them both back into their vessels.
The light faded enough for the Winchesters to see Ambriel collapse onto the floor unconscious.
Barky flicked her hand and the restraints on her ankles released her. She swung herself off the table and picked Amy up in her arms, a worried frown marring her features.
"Barky? What the hell just happened?" Dean asked, still slightly deafened and ears ringing from Amy's scream.
Her eyes flickered over to him. "I," she paused, still not quite believing the plan had actually worked. Grey eyes looked down at the woman in her arms. Had it worked? Had it truly worked or merely set things back again? Her frown deepened. "I'll be right back."
Dean almost protested except obviously the angel wasn't going far as she turned to walk back to the bedroom.
The blonde set her best friend on the bed and pushed the stray strands of hair out of her face, watching her with a neutral expression. Her body began glowing again and when she touched Ambriel's cheek the other angel's power rose instinctively, glowing a bright silver. She pushed part of her grace into her power to seek out Amy's grace with an ease that came with centuries of practice. When she found the other angel's grace she let out a relieved sigh. Her friend's grace was free of any taint it had previously held. She fell to her knees and took the other angel's hand in both of hers. [I'll keep you safe this time; I promise.] Slowly, she allowed her power to sink back into her vessel, placing a kiss on Amy's hand when the last of it had faded.
"Dude, what the hell was that?" Dean asked his brother when Barkiel didn't return right away.
Sammy shrugged slightly. "The power of love?"
"What?" He looked at him in disbelief.
"Well you said you always thought they might be together. I guess if that kiss is anything to go by, they're definitely more than friends."
Dean opened his mouth as if to say something but nothing came out as he stared at Sam with a look of incredulity. "What?"
The younger hunter sighed, giving up.
"Barky," Dean called when she came back. "Can you untie us now already?"
Her lips quirked up in amusement as she waved her hand at them and the ropes fell.
The two of them stood up, tired of being forced to sit for so long.
"So, care to explain what that was?" The green eyed hunter asked, his tone demanding an answer.
She sat down on the edge of the table. "Raziel not only told me that Amy would lose control of the taint but the only way to possibly purify it when it did."
"So if you knew how to purify it why didn't you do it before Ambriel lost it?" Sam questioned.
A sad smile formed on her lips. "Because Amy needed to prove to herself that she could beat the darkness, to trust that even if she were corrupted she would stop herself from hurting others."
"But she was going to!" Dean stated loudly. "She wasn't going to hesitate if you hadn't stopped her!"
The blonde angel shook her head. "You can't see what angels can see. The corruption wanted to hurt me and hurt you the moment you two walked in the door but she didn't. And even when it looked like she was going to she still fought hard enough to stop and take my suggestion even if she had no idea why I was suggesting such a thing in the first place."
"The kiss?" Sammy asked, not understanding. "What exactly did that do?"
"Yeah," Dean added, "And why were you two glowing? Amy didn't seem all that happy when you did it at first."
"The darkness was afraid I was going to push my grace inside of her because that's how I usually do it though but normally it's not strong enough to be noticed by humans. Remember I told you how I used my power to help use my grace to trap the taint in the first place? Well, I don't always use it to share my grace. Sometimes it's nice to just feel our power intermingle. The darkness didn't mind that." She paused, looking a little embarrassed. "As for the kiss… Um, I used it as a conduit to open up her empathy so she could, uh, receive my love."
The giant smirked triumphed while Dean was staring at her like he couldn't have possibly heard right.
"Receive your love? And what, are you saying that your love caused that big explosion or whatever and purified Amy's grace?"
She blushed slightly and looked away.
"Oh my god," the shorter Winchester said. "You mean cheesy shit like the power of love actually works?"
Sam burst out laughing as Barky smirked at him and replied, "You should try it some time whenever Castiel gets out of line. It packs a particular punch on angels."
He just shook his head as if exasperated and had no clue why she would suggest such a thing.
When Ambriel opened her eyes she couldn't stop the small smile from forming on her lips as she realized she was resting against the blonde who had her wings stretched out to rest along the sides of the bed. She reached out, her fingers automatically preening them until she felt the angel shift.
"Amy?"
She leaned a bit to the side and turned her head to look at Barkiel. "How long was I out?"
"A couple hours," she replied, taking notice of how clear and bright the other angel's blue eyes were. "How are you feeling?"
Her smile widened. "Great. Fantastic even. Like I just had sex with an angel."
"We did not have sex."
Blue eyes sparkled playfully. "We should. Or at least imply to Dean and Sam that's what the light and scream was all about."
Barky sighed and closed her eyes. "I guess it would've been too much to ask for your mind to have been purified as well."
She briefly pouted. "But you love my dirty mind."
The angel smiled down at her, "That's not all I love."
Ambriel blushed for a moment before grinning. "Soooo, sex?"
She rolled her grey eyes. "We'll see." They'd have to see if they could even kiss again without another explosion of light first.
For the record, there will be a sorta sequel to this which will focus on Dean/Castiel. Until I finish that up though, there's this
Because Even Angels Should Get a Little Action
Summary:
Part of the "Cousins a Couple Times Removed" universe. Barkiel discovers what the fans want most. References to "Angel Shipping" Destiel, Sabriel, Bambriel