Book 21 - Whosoever Fights Monsters

by GailDunn2

WARNING: ADULT THEMES AND SITUATIONS. The Tablet missions lead Castiel's group to Romania, where they must confront a multitude of monsters. Lucifer and Crowley have formed an uneasy alliance. The Devil has come up with a new strategy to distract the God Squad, and Jason has begun to feed.

2. In Your Room

Chapter 2 - In Your Room

Originally, Lucifer had thought about having them just rip the crap out of the fabric of the Portal and empty Purgatory unto the Earth. But as the first few creatures came out, he changed his mind. There were vampires, werewolves, and a few non-descript, lower-tier monsters, and that was fine. But then, a couple of Leviathans had come slithering out, and they were eyeing him speculatively. Leviathans. Great. Lucifer had forgotten about those guys. God's oldest, original monsters. They dated back as far as Lucifer himself, and Castiel, and Crowley. God had ostensibly created them to keep a balance between light and dark, and good and evil. Once the First Murder had been perpetrated, paving the way for all evil acts to follow, God had realized that even though his creations were beautiful, they were imperfect. If there was a yin, there had to be a yang. So, along had come the Leviathans. But once they had begun to roam the Earth and feed, their appetites had become so voracious that even God Himself became frightened of what they might do if things were allowed to continue unchecked. He was reluctant to destroy them, though, believing they still had a purpose. God had always been a bit of a pack rat that way; once He created something, He was extremely loath to destroy it. Maybe that explained why He had locked Lucifer away in a cage instead of just smiting him out of existence, which was what He actually should have done at the beginning. So God had created Purgatory and installed the Leviathans there. Then, as each species and genus of monster metamorphed over the centuries, once they were killed by Hunters, they would go there as well. There, they would all battle it out for eternity, and if a creature was killed there, eventually it would regenerate, and the process would start all over again. Some kinds of monsters were weaker than others, and they were easier to kill. In any event, they all had a "survival first" attitude. Vampires and werewolves tended to hang out in packs for ease of hunting, but there was an inherent danger there. Infighting would frequently break out to determine the Alpha of the group. Leviathans tended to stay apart and independent of each other for that very reason. If they had to team up to take down a particularly slippery enemy, as they'd had to do in the case of the Winchesters, they would. But otherwise, it was every entity for him-or-herself. They were equal opportunity whenever mealtime rolled around.

Did Lucifer really want Leviathans running around loose on the Earth? The short answer was no. They truly were voracious, and they were almost impossible to kill. He'd wanted the God Squad to be set upon, distracting them from the Tablet quest, and with any luck, some of them would die in Romania. And yes, he'd known they were going to Romania. How did he know? Because Luke had been talking to Mark, and he had let that slip. Luke still thought that Lucifer was in Heaven, and he had expressed his astonishment to Mark that Castiel would have the utter nerve to continue his pursuit of the Tablets with the Master in the High Office. Master, indeed, Lucifer had thought scornfully. Luke had stuck a knife in his back and opened a wound a mile wide by blabbing about the damn Tablets in the first place, and now that he thought the Devil was still in the ultimate seat of power, Luke was trying to ingratiate himself again. Naturally, Lucifer had instructed Mark not to say anything about the fact that the Boss had been booted out of Heaven by the realm's most annoying Angels.

So a few Leviathans had been allowed to slip through, but Lucifer now told Jason and Mark that he didn't want any more of that particular flavour coming out. They were almost impossible to get rid of. They had super strength and could regenerate themselves, possess other entities, or shapeshift. They could be temporarily incapacitated by pouring bleach on them or beheading them, but even a good decapitation wouldn't keep a Leviathan down for long. If the head was left anywhere in the vicinity of the body, it would simply reattach itself. Lucifer had originally been in favour of a few Leviathans being loosed upon the intrepid group, because they had a well-known hatred for Angels. But he didn't feel like dealing with too many of them afterwards, either. If a few of them were to team up, they might even be able to consume Lucifer himself. And they were almost impossible to deal with permanently. If you were lucky, a group of them, if together for too long, would set upon each other and consume each other, leaving just one Alpha Leviathan to handle. But then, you had one Alpha Leviathan to deal with, and the only way to kill it was a real pain in the butt. You had to take the bone of a righteous mortal and soak it in the Blood of the Fallen. Lucifer's own blood would qualify, of course, but he had no intention of bleeding, not if he could help it. He also knew that the blood of another Alpha monster could be used. That would probably be the neatest, cleanest solution. Once Castiel's merry little band was taken care of, one way or another, there would still be some mopping up to be done on Earth, to get rid of the monsters they were letting loose now.

Crowley's blood could also serve, if Lucifer's henchmen couldn't get their hands on an Alpha monster. But he wished them luck getting that. Maybe he would send Mark. If the Gospel writer emerged from that encounter alive, Lucifer might have some hope for him, after all.

"I'm going to take off now," Lucifer told his underlings. "Let a couple of dozen more through, then seal it back up. No more Leviathans, though. They're too hard to handle."

He was just about to wink out when a familiar face stepped through the Portal. "Well, well, look who the cat dragged out," Lucifer said. "Hello, Paul."

Rowena had been pondering her next move for a while now, and she'd been at a loss as to exactly what to do with herself. Playing with Chuck had been fun, and their couple of days together had served to work out whatever sexual frustrations she might have had. But after that, she'd been at loose ends again. What was she after? What did she want to accomplish?

Now that she'd had her brief flings with Sam and Chuck, Rowena realized how much she missed Bobby. He was the only man she'd ever really cared about. She knew what everyone thought about her; that she was heartless and selfish, but that simply wasn't true. It was just that any other man that Rowena had ever been with suffered by comparison. Bobby had been just the right combination of masterful and malleable, and he was the only man that Rowena had ever truly loved.

A couple of nights ago, she had been dozing, and she'd suddenly sat upright. Her Bobby was nearby, and he was a human again! When she had performed the marriage ritual one night a few years back, Rowena had cast a spell which would enable her to see Bobby in her dreams whenever her subconscious was thinking of him. When he'd been killed and had become an Angel, the spell had been nullified, of course. But now, she was sure that she had been able to feel him. How was that possible?

So she'd gotten out of bed and cooked up a location spell, but the spell had come up empty. Curious. Had she just wanted to see him so badly that she'd imagined the whole thing? But then, suddenly, there he was, in the back seat of the Winchesters' car. That explained it, then. He'd been in their precious bunker. She couldn't access the bunker at all any more, not even through the mirror. They must have put some pretty heavy-duty protections on the place now. Not that she could blame them, with Lucifer still out there. Then the car had pulled up in front of a lovely house, and she heard Bobby and the brothers mentioned that the home belonged to Castiel and Gail, the newlywed Angels. Bobby was angry that Lucifer had kicked him out of Heaven and transformed him back into a human, and he had also been afraid for an Angel named Patricia, who had been left there alone with Lucifer. Patricia? Hmmm.
Then the men had gone into the house, and Rowena couldn't see them anymore. Castiel would have all of the protections on his house too, of course. But that little glimpse had told Rowena all she needed to know. Her Bobby was a human again, and he was back on Earth now. He may not exactly be overjoyed to see her, but Rowena was pretty sure she could get Bobby to see things her way. All she would need was a little alone time with him, and a bottle or two of bourbon. Whoever this Patricia was, Rowena was sure that she presented no real challenge.

So Rowena had continued to watch out for Bobby, and even though he spent the majority of his time within the confines of the bunker, she had seen him exiting the bunker's garage one night in one of the Winchesters' other cars. He'd helped himself to the vehicle the night before the group was due to leave for Romania, while the other humans were sleeping. Rowena had watched avidly, curious to see where he was going. Bobby had driven to a bar and had a couple of belts, and then he'd driven to a little chapel near the bunker, slipped the lock, and sat in one of the pews with his head bowed. Rowena couldn't hear what was going on in his head, of course, but she could only assume that he was praying. But the fact that he'd gone to a bar first was encouraging to Rowena. Apparently, Bobby wasn't so holy now that he couldn't be tempted.

After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Bobby had lifted his head and said, "Please watch over us in Romania, and please help me to help Cas get everyone out alive."

Rowena had smiled. Another Tablet mission, no doubt. You had to hand it to them; they never gave up. Rowena no longer cared whether Lucifer won or not, she just wanted to see Bobby, while he could still be gotten to.

She threw a few things in her satchel. It was a good thing that she had a few wraps with her. It had been centuries since she'd been there last, but she seemed to remember that Transylvania was very nippy at this time of year.

Bobby had relented before they'd left for Romania, when Riley had taken him aside and asked him if he could possibly assign another Angel to stay with him here in the bunker. Riley knew that there were extra protections on the place, but he'd never been responsible for the safety of any humans before, and he was feeling insecure about it. But he didn't want to say anything to Cas, because he didn't want his hero to think less of him.

Bobby had told Riley to contact Ethan on Angel Radio and find out if Ethan could send any of his recruits down. Ethan had assured him that someone would be down soon. Then it was time for the group to leave, and Riley waited nervously. Then, a few minutes later, Ethan himself popped into the bunker.

"Hi, Ethan," Riley said, rushing up to him. "How's it going? Where's your man?" Or woman, he guessed he should have added. It was a good thing Gail hadn't heard that; he knew how big she was on gender equality.

"I decided to come down myself," Ethan told Riley in a serious, officious tone, and Riley beamed. The Head of Law Enforcement, here to support him. Now Riley felt a lot better.

In truth, Ethan had no one to send. He'd only had a handful of recruits left, and when Lucifer had taken over Heaven, they had all quit in terror. So, Ethan was the last man standing. It served him right, really; he was the one who had paved the way for Lucifer to enter Heaven in the first place. Still, after these missions were over, he and Cas were going to have to have a very serious discussion about what they were going to do, going forward.

"Robbie's in-home school with Tommy right now, and Barry's in the kitchen," Riley told Ethan. "Want to watch some TV?"

Ethan shrugged. "Might as well," he told the younger Angel.

Riley already had the remote in his hand, so he switched on the TV and sat down on the couch in Cas's usual spot. He smiled to himself. Cas had shown a lot of confidence in Riley by leaving him here to look after things. He fantasized about some day, hopefully in the not too distant future, training under Castiel for service to Heaven. Riley couldn't wait until the day he would be allowed to go out on missions with Cas and fight side-by-side with him. Riley started to fantasize that Lucifer was menacing Gail. Cas was fighting the Devil, but Lucifer knocked Cas into the wall, and he thought he was going to get away with abducting Gail until Riley stepped up and stabbed Lucifer with his blade. Then the Devil was dead, and Cas was congratulating Riley on his bravery. Cas was shaking his hand as Gail gave Riley a hug, and a peck on the cheek. Maybe Cas would even recommend to Bobby that Riley receive a medal for service rendered to Heaven.

Since Riley was lost in his fantasy with the TV remote in his hand, Ethan was stuck watching the news. He didn't really care that much, but he'd been more of a movie fan when he'd been alive. The news was really depressing at times, but at least there was some variety.

A story came on about a young woman and a small boy who had died suddenly and tragically in Philadelphia. That was where Ethan had lived, and Karen and his son still lived there. As Ethan watched, appalled, the anchorman said that the woman and the boy had been standing on a platform waiting for the El train, and a man had come out of nowhere and pushed them onto the tracks, into the path of the oncoming train. The reporter said they had some footage that had been taken by the security camera at the station. It would be disturbing for viewers to watch, but the police had authorized its release in hopes that someone could come forward and identify the assailant.

Ethan watched, astonished, as the video came on. Sure enough, it depicted a woman standing on the platform holding a small boy's hand. An instant later, a man appeared seemingly out of nowhere and rushed up to both humans, shoving them into the path of the oncoming train. Then the assailant had turned in the direction of the camera for a moment, and Ethan noted with a start that the man's eyes were black. A Demon!

But there was another thing Ethan had noticed that was far more upsetting to him. The video had been so brief that he hadn't had the chance to verify what it was that he thought he'd seen. There was no way; he must have only imagined it, because the mention of Philadelphia had gotten him thinking about them, of course. That had to be it. It had to be a pure coincidence that the woman had looked remarkably like Karen.

"I am Klara. Welcome to our hotel," the proprietor greeted the humans and the Angels. "You are here just in time for supper. If you'd like to take a seat in the dining room, our server will be with you shortly."

They all thanked her, smiling. Tommy had been right; she was a plump, grandmotherly type. She had checked them in herself and given them all rooms on the 3rd Floor.

"We'll just drop off our bags and freshen up, and we'll be right there," Bobby told her on behalf of the group.

They all walked up the stairs. The hotel was a sprawling structure with only the three floors; two floors of rooms, the lobby, the Weapons Museum attached to the other side of the lobby, and the adjoining restaurant. There was no elevator. But the stairs were lushly carpeted and the floors fairly close together, so no one minded.

"Are you guys coming to the dining room, or are you hanging out the Do Not Disturb?" Sam asked Cas and Gail, half-jokingly.

Cas gave him a brief smile. "We'll drop off our bags and be down in a moment."

"Can I talk to you for a second, Cas?" Bobby asked him.

"Here, give me your bag, sweetie," Gail said to Cas. "I'll unpack for us, and I'll meet you back downstairs in a few minutes."

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Sure, I'm sure," she replied. "Here. Gimme it." She took the bag out of his hand before he had a chance to protest again, and she continued on to their room.

"Come on, let's go," Dean said to the men. He'd already given his bag to Sam, who had offered to do the same thing Gail was doing. "I'm dying for a cold beer."

"We just left the bunker five minutes ago, and it was mid-morning there," Jody pointed out. "Yeah, but it's suppertime here," Dean retorted. "One of the perks of international travel."

Jody rolled her eyes. "Here, give me your bag," she said to Frank. "Get us all a table, and I'll be there in a minute."

"I think Klara's kind of sweet on you, Dean," Frank said, elbowing the elder Winchester in the ribs. "If you play your cards right, maybe you can get some special treatment."

Dean grinned. "Maybe we'll get Chuck to take one for the team. You've been wanting a girlfriend, right, Chuck?"

Chuck gave him a baleful look. But he also knew the dynamic well enough by now to know that Dean didn't usually bother teasing people he disliked, so that gave Chuck some hope. Maybe he'd just been around the group so long that he was starting to grow on them, like a fungus, or something. At this point, he would take whatever he could get. He was still feeling bad enough about the way he had acted while he'd been under that spell.

As the men started back down the hall to the stairs, Gail opened her and Cas's room with the key and took their bags inside, putting them on the bed. It was an ordinary enough hotel room, with a large bed, a cabinet with a TV in it, and a dresser. The room felt a little stuffy, so she crossed to the curtains and drew them open. There was a small terrace outside, and a sliding balcony door. She slid the door open. There. That was better. She could already feel a waft of cool air coming into the room. She would leave it open for a couple of minutes while she unpacked, just to get some fresh air in the room. Then she supposed she had better close and lock it. Even though most of their enemies were otherworldly beings who could get in anyway if they really wanted to, Cas might freak out if she left it open.

She unzipped their bags and took out a few items of clothing that needed to be hung up. She was just attaching a pair of Cas's pants to a hanger when she thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned quickly to look at the window. An errant gust of wind was moving the curtains.

Gail smiled. She'd seen too many movies. She turned back to the closet.

"Hi, Gail," Jason said from behind her. "Where's your husband?"

Jason had transported a dozen or so monsters to Transylvania from the Portal, leaving Mark in charge of who, or what, else to let through before he closed the gate. Lucifer had gone back to headquarters. Jason had made sure to transport the three Leviathans separately. He didn't want those bastards ganging up on him. Likewise with the other vampires. Then there were a few ordinary monsters left, and several Demons, including Paul. Jason had been surprised to see his former compatriot coming out of Purgatory. He'd thought for sure that Paul would have just gone back to Hell. But curiously, there had been a few Demons in that assorted box of chocolates that had come out of the Portal. He'd better not call them that, though, or Paul would probably get angry, thinking it was a racial slur. Paul thought everything was a racial slur.

When Paul had first emerged from the Portal, even Lucifer had been surprised. He'd asked Paul how he'd come to be in Purgatory.

"Beats me," Paul had said, shrugging.

Lucifer had stared at him for a moment, then said, "Well, welcome back to the fold, then. You'll be glad to know that I'm sending all of you to see Castiel and the God Squad. A thousand points and a gold star for every one of them you're able to kill."

Castiel, Paul had thought. Good. They were due for a little chat. Ever since Paul had blown himself up in Paris, he had had to fight tooth and nail every day in Purgatory, and he was fed up with it. While he'd initially been happy that he had not just gone directly back to Hell, Paul was out now, and he intended to stay out. Cas had better hook him up, or Paul might have to consider earning a few of those gold stars for Lucifer.

Just after Jason and Paul had left with the last group, an ordinary-looking male stepped out of the Portal, regarding Mark with a bleary expression.

"Where am I?" he asked the Gospel writer.

"Earth," Mark replied, bemused. He looked the guy up and down. "And what are you?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't know. Some black guy shot me, and the next thing I know, I'm running around in a forest, fighting for my life. I never killed anyone before, but I sure had to learn fast. I was at the stream washing up and I saw some wavy lines just above the rocks. So I went up there to investigate, and now, here I am."

"How do you feel about going on a special assignment for my boss?" Mark asked him.

Kurt shrugged again. "Hey, if it'll get me out of there for a while, I'm all for it."

"Wait right here, then," Mark told him. "We'll let about a half dozen more out, and then I'll close up."

"Find the news on another station," Ethan said to Riley.

The younger Angel was still lost in his daydream. Ethan repeated his request, and then he shouted it.

Riley came out of his reverie. "Why?" he asked Ethan.

"Never mind, just do it!" Ethan exclaimed, agitated. "They just showed a video that I need to see again!"

Riley was puzzled. "Oh. Well, in that case, we can just rewind it. Hang on." He pointed the remote at the TV and pushed the Rewind button. Incredibly, the images started moving backwards.

"Since when?" Ethan marveled aloud. "Since when can you rewind live TV?"

Riley smiled. "You've been in Heaven for a few years now, haven't you? Technology moves fast these days. I wonder what they'll come up with in the next year or so, now that I'm not in the loop any more. Maybe we'd better come down here from time to time just to keep up. Here we go. Is this what you want?" He stopped the program just before the video of the incident was about to be shown. Apparently, a part of him had been paying attention.

Ethan moved closer to the TV. "Go," he said to Riley. As the image came on the screen, Ethan peered intently at it. His heart fell into his stomach. It was Karen and his son. "My God," Ethan breathed. "Oh, my God!" he screamed.

Cas got the call on Angel Radio, and his head snapped up. It was Ethan, he was in the bunker, and it sounded as if he was crying. Please come immediately.

Gail still hadn't come down to the dining room, but Ethan sounded extremely upset, so Cas asked the group to let her know where he had gone, when she came down. Cas didn't really think there had been an incursion into the bunker, due to its heavy protection. He imagined that this was regarding another matter, so he decided just to go alone. He walked into a stall in the restaurant's washroom and winked over to the bunker.

Gail's heart stopped. Jason! If she wasn't so scared, she would have made a quip about how cliche this was. No sooner had she arrived in Transylvania than a vampire had flown in the window.

She called for Cas, but her call was placed at the exact same moment as Ethan's panicked call, and the emotion associated with his call overrode hers. So Cas headed to the bunker, unaware of what was happening in his own room upstairs.

Mark let a few more out, and then he closed up the Portal. Kurt, two Demons, a werewolf, and two vampires. There. Together with the ones that Jason had already transported, this assortment should be plenty. He grabbed a Demon, a vampire, and Kurt, then nodded to the other Demon, telling It where they were going. The two groups vanished.

Jason rushed Gail, seizing her. She'd taken her blade out and was slashing at him with it, but he just laughed and knocked it out of her hand. Why wasn't Cas coming?

Jason put his hand on her forehead, and the room started to spin. What was this, now? He picked her up. She tried calling for Cas again, but suddenly, she couldn't remember how to do it.

"It turns out that Alpha vampires can mesmerize their prey," Jason said, almost happily. "I guess I've killed so many that I'm an Alpha now. I've eaten a lot of meat and potatoes; now it's time for dessert. But I don't want to be interrupted. Wait; I have an idea."

He flew out the window, carrying her in his arms. They floated towards the ground. The hotel had a lush back lawn, and he laid her down on the grass.

"There," he said, smiling. "Now I can take my time." He bent his head to her throat.

"I'm so sorry, Ethan," Cas said. He was heartbroken for his friend.

"Why?" Ethan agonized. "Why would he do that?"

Cas frowned. "Believe it or not, that would be his perverse way of honouring the deal. He had promised you that your wife and child would be immortal, and now, he has made it so. They will be Angels."

Ethan's jaw dropped open. In his shock, he hadn't even considered that. "So does that mean they'll be in Heaven now, with me?" he said, with hope in his voice.

Riley had been looking back and forth from one Angel to the other during this exchange, and now he started to smile. Oh, thank God. Poor Ethan had been so upset.

"Well, theoretically," Cas told him. He went on to explain the situation. As there was no God at the moment, they would likely go directly to the Garden to await ascension.

Ethan was frustrated. "So they're going to be stuck wandering around this Garden? For how long?"

"Until we have another God in Heaven," Cas replied. "I'm sorry, Ethan, but that's the way these things work. Once we dispose of Lucifer, we'll have the election, and we'll be able to sort everyone out then. But Lucifer needs to be the priority now. OK, Ethan?" Cas put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

Ethan let out a breath. "OK, Cas. If you say so. I'll just have to try to stay calm and have faith."

Cas's hand squeezed his shoulder for a moment. He could definitely relate to how Ethan was feeling right now. When Gail had been killed in Las Vegas, Cas had flipped out, but at least he had been able to go to the Garden and collect her right away. Bobby had been God then, and he had been in charge. He'd enabled Cas to go to the Garden and get her. But now, until Heaven had someone in the High Office, the Garden was off limits.

"Thanks for coming, Cas, and for explaining that to me," Ethan said to him. "I feel a little bit better now. I'm sorry to have panicked like that."

"It's perfectly understandable," Cas told him. "But I'd better get back now." He said his goodbyes to the other men, squeezed Ethan's shoulder one more time, then popped back out.

Mark deposited Kurt and the others in the forest at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains.

"What are we doing here?" Kurt said, looking around.

"Your targets are in the area," Mark told him. "But the Angels are shielded, and our Master can't come here, because the Tablet wards him from doing so."

Kurt looked at him. "I didn't understand a word of what you just said."

Mark sighed. "Look, you were a human until just recently, right? That's why I thought you might be useful. If you know how to use a computer, you might be able to find out exactly where they are. The Angels are Castiel and Gail, but you'll probably have more luck looking for Sam and Dean Winchester, because the Angels won't have a last name, or identification."

Kurt's eyes narrowed. Cas and Gail, Sam and Dean? It had to be a coincidence, didn't it? But what a hell of a coincidence. When the black guy had confronted Kurt, right before he'd shot him, he'd said something about Heaven, and Angels, but Kurt couldn't really remember exactly what he'd said, because he'd been too busy concentrating on the gun in the guy's hand.

"What do these Angels and Winchesters look like?" Kurt asked Mark.

Mark gave him a strange look, but he described them. Kurt couldn't believe it. Cas was an Angel? That crazy, racist bastard? When Kurt had seen on the news that their clubhouse had exploded, Cas had been the first guy he'd thought of. He was the only person Kurt knew of who would be insane enough to do something like that. It had been a lucky break for Kurt when his Uncle Benoit had asked his nephew to run some errands for him that afternoon. That meant that both men had been absent from the building when it had blown up. But Kurt's luck had run out a short while later, when he'd been shot to death. He'd tried telling the guy that he had never killed anybody, even anyone of a different race, and it was actually the truth. According to the rules of initiation, he was supposed to have killed one, but Benoit was his Uncle, and so he had fast-tracked Kurt past that requirement and made him a full-fledged member. That was why Kurt had gone to Purgatory when he'd been killed by Henri. At the point of death, every being was judged by their deeds, not their ideologies. Therefore, Kurt had found himself in Purgatory and not in Hell, where Etienne and most of the others had gone.

But he was back on Earth now, and apparently Kurt was being given an opportunity to dole out a little payback for the murders of his comrades. He may have been a wanna-be when he'd left the Earth, but he was returning a seasoned killer, with an axe to grind.

"Leave it to me," Kurt said to Mark, smiling widely.

Cas walked from the mens' room to their table in the dining room. Everyone had drinks in front of them now, even Chuck. Apparently, Klara had insisted, and mindful of Tommy's advice about etiquette, Chuck had asked for a beer.

Gail was not at the table. "She hasn't come down yet," Frank told him. "What's she doing, ironing all your clothes, too? How many outfits did you bring?"

Sam smiled. "If she was a human," he said, lowering his voice, "I'd think she was sneaking in a nap."

Cas didn't like it. Everyone else was here now. "I'll be right back," he said. He turned around to exit the dining room and bumped into Klara.

"I saw that you didn't have a drink," she said to Cas. "What can we get for you?"

"Nothing, thanks," Cas said, attempting to maneuver around her.

Klara frowned. "Nonsense. I won't hear of it. It's a long journey here from the United States. You must be thirsty, and hungry, too. Look at you. You're much too skinny!" She grabbed Cas around the waist with both hands. "In fact, we're going to give you double portions."

Dean nearly snorted his beer out of his nose. The look on Cas's face was hilarious.

"Pile the food on his wife's plate, too," Frank said in a loud voice. "She's way too scrawny."

"That's an excellent idea," Klara remarked. "She is a tiny little thing." She looked past Cas at the table. "Where is she?"

"I'm just on my way to see," Cas told her. He gently disengaged her hands from him. "Please bring us each a glass of white wine, and we'll be right back." He rushed out of the room, through the lobby, and up the stairs. Once he was out of sight, Cas winked himself into their room.

She wasn't there. How could she not be there? He looked in the bathroom, but it was empty. Then he noticed that the window was open, and there appeared to be a terrace outside. Was she getting a breath of fresh air?

"Gail?" Cas said, approaching the open window. He looked outside, but she wasn't on the terrace, either.

His heart started to hammer in his chest. He stepped back into the room, but there was nowhere else that she could possibly be. She was just...gone. He looked at the bags on the bed and noticed that she had hung a few items of their clothing in the closet. She must have been interrupted in the midst of unpacking. What the hell had he been thinking, letting her come here by herself? Obviously, he HADN'T been thinking. He had been complacent.

Cas sent out a message to her on their frequency, received no answer, and then repeated the message. Nothing. What was he supposed to do now?

The second round of drinks was coming now, accompanied by baskets of bread, tubs of butter, and a hearty soup for the first course of the meal.

"I almost hope the Tablet's not here in the hotel," Frank said, slathering butter on a piece of bread. "I really want to see that castle."

"I can't wait to see the Weapons Museum," Dean remarked. He took a healthy swig of his second beer. He normally didn't eat soup, but he thought he might have to make an exception in this case. It actually smelled really good.

Frank was dunking his bread in his soup now. "I'm with you there," he said, nodding. "I hope they have some really weird-ass things in there. I can't wait to bug Cas about them. It's fun to give him a hard time."

"Speaking of which, what's keeping those two?" Bobby asked the table in general. He was digging in to his soup. There were quite a few things he'd found annoying about being a human again, but he'd also missed the simple pleasures of a good drink and a hearty meal, and he intended to enjoy both.

Dean snorted. "Cas and Gail, alone in a hotel room? Do the math. I'll bet you a million bucks we don't see them for another hour, minimum."

"I'll take some of that action," Sam said, pretending to reach into his pocket.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with those two? Every other couple alive would be taking each other for granted by now."

"Angels don't have much else to do," Chuck remarked, shrugging. "Maybe if we could eat, or drink, or sleep..."

"Take up a hobby," Bobby said sharply.

"Speaking of which, I can't wait until this whole Lucifer thing is over, for multiple reasons," Dean said. "Sammy and I are gonna go out on the road for about a year, after this. Do you know how long it's been since we had a nice, normal monster to kill?"

"Amen," Frank said, extending his hand for a high-five.

"Cheer up. Maybe you'll run into some vampires here," Chuck piped up. "You're in the right place for them, aren't you?"

"That's a myth," Sam said, swallowing a mouthful of bread. "It's only true in the movies, and in cheap paperback books."

Chuck eyed Sam suspiciously, wondering if that had been a shot at him. But all of the humans were enjoying their soup now, even Dean, and nobody was smirking at him, so maybe he was just being overly sensitive. It was kind of weird being the only Angel in the group at the moment, and it was really weird seeing Bobby eat and drink after all this time.

As if on cue, Cas came rushing into the room. "Gail's missing," he told the group.

"Missing?" Frank said, putting his spoon down. "What do you mean, 'missing'?"

"Just what I said, Frank!" Cas exclaimed. "She's not in our room!"

"That's because she's right there," Dean said, pointing behind Cas. He rolled his eyes and went back to his soup. Poor Gail. Sometimes Dean wondered how she could stand it. If Cas didn't clap his eyes on her every second of every day, he freaked out. The Gail that Dean knew was more independent than that, and Cas had better calm down, or he was gonna receive an earful.

Cas wheeled around. Oh, thank God. He rushed to her, taking her in his arms. "I went upstairs, but you weren't in our room," he said, kissing her face and hugging her to him.

"I'm fine, Cas," Gail said mildly. "I just wanted some fresh air, so I stepped outside for a minute." At least, she assumed that was what she had done. Truthfully, she couldn't remember, exactly. She'd been in their room unpacking, and the next thing she knew, she was outside on the hotel grounds, wandering around. She remembered thinking that their room was stuffy, then hanging up a few clothes, and that was it.

Cas looked at her. A bit strange, perhaps, but she was here now, and she was fine. He took her hand. It was cold. "Come and sit down," he said to her, leading her to the table. Frank and Jody had left the two seats next to them open, and Cas pulled out the chair next to Frank for Gail to sit in, then he seated himself next to her.

"Try to have a bite or two of the soup," Jody told the Angels. "It's hot, and it's delicious."

Cas put his spoon in his bowl of soup. It was thick, almost like a stew, and he could smell lamb, and potatoes, and vegetables. He was normally indifferent when it came to food, since he'd gone most of his existence without it. But the aroma was very strong, and it invoked a real sense of nostalgia in him now, although he wasn't sure exactly why.

He turned to Gail. "Try some, my love. I think you'll really like it," he told her. He raised his spoon.

"If you start feeding her, I swear, I'm gonna hurl," Dean remarked.

Cas raised an eyebrow. "I was actually going to try some myself, Dean," he told his friend. "Gail is a grown woman, and she is not injured, or sick. She is perfectly capable of feeding herself."

Frank smirked. "He's right about that. I tried to feed her once when she was young, and she smacked the spoon right out of my hand. I never did find the damn thing."

"You're lucky," Gail retorted, taking a piece of bread out of the basket. "It could have gone right up your butt." She started to butter the bread calmly.

Jody stared at her sister-in-law. She knew that Gail and Frank got like this sometimes, but she found that a bit disconcerting. "How old was she at the time?" she asked her husband.

Frank grinned. "Oh, I dunno. Probably about three, or four," he replied. "I know she wasn't in school yet. My mom was busy doing laundry, and she asked me to hurry feeding time along. So, I tried to force the issue."

"And you see how well that worked out for you," Gail said, looking sidelong at Frank with a sly smile.

"You were a bit of a brat, weren't you?" Sam teased her. He looked at Cas. "I'll bet you're glad she's calmed down a bit."

"Oh, she was feisty, all right," Frank said, taking a sip of his beer. "She was a little better behaved once she discovered her books, but she still had her moments."

"What do you have to say about that, Cas?" Dean teased their friend. "I'll bet you didn't know you married a Demon."

Gail had just taken a sip of her wine, and she swallowed it too fast. She started to cough and sputter. Cas dropped his spoon and began to rub her back. "Are you all right?" he asked her.

She gestured, continuing to cough. Tears sprang to her eyes. "Just - went down - the wrong way," Gail gasped.

Cas glared at Dean for a moment, but then he realized it wasn't really Dean's fault. He'd only been trying to be funny.

"Come on, Cas, she'll be fine," Dean protested, seeing the glare. "We've all done that before. I was only making a joke. She's way too nice to be a Demon. Now you, on the other hand, I could totally see."

"She'd still kick your ass, though," Frank mumbled, his mouth full of bread again. Everyone at the table laughed.

Gail had finally finished coughing, so she took another tentative sip of wine. She still had tears in her eyes, but now, new ones were threatening to form there. This was pretty much what she was hoping that Christmas dinner would be like. Their loved ones gathered around, teasing each other, just enjoying being together. They were all looking at her and Cas with nothing but affection. He had never been a Demon, and neither had she. She was still trying to wrap her head around that. She looked at Cas's face. Now that he could see that she was all right, his eyes were shining with happiness. He was feeling the same way as Gail was, she knew. Even though they were here on an extremely serious mission, it was truly wonderful to be here together like this, with their family and friends, and to realize that they had always been this happy, and this close. Everyone thought the idea of Cas being a Demon was funny, because he'd never been one.

Castiel knew that he'd been very gullible in the past, and that character flaw had often led to disaster. He had been taken in by the same person that he was so anxious to believe now. But this felt different. Every time he turned around, he was receiving independent corroboration that Metatron was telling the truth this time.

Cas looked into Gail's eyes and smiled. I know, he said to her non-verbally. It's still so hard to believe. Isn't it fantastic? It's so fantastic, Cas, she replied. We must be the luckiest Angels ever.

Jason stood on the back lawn of the hotel, watching the sun go down. At the moment, he was as content as it was possible for an Alpha vampire to be. Her blood had a very unique taste, and he had enjoyed it immensely. It was hard to articulate exactly what she had tasted like. Both rich and light, sweet, but not cloying. Like the perfect dessert after the perfect meal. If Castiel had ever been a vampire, which of course he had not been, Jason could understand that Gail's husband's appetite for her would have been insatiable. It was like sitting down to binge-watch your favourite TV series with a pie in one hand, and a fork in the other. By the time you knew it, all that was left were crumbs, and still, you wanted just a little bit more. But Castiel wouldn't know what that was like; at least, not in regard to her blood. But they had all let him continue to believe that he had been the monster, just because it had been so damn much fun.

But it was strange, too. Jason had tasted blood that had had a lot of similarities to Gail's once, and only once. It was when he had ripped out the throat of that guy who had been trying to assassinate Lucifer. Oliver. If Jason didn't know better, he could almost swear that Gail and Oliver were related somehow, based on the similar characteristics of their blood. But he didn't see how that could be. As far as Jason knew, Gail had only met the psychic once, when the Winchester brothers had taken her to his place. Up until just recently, of course, she'd thought that she'd had many more dealings with Oliver, in the pursuit of a fictional cure for Castiel. But Jason knew that whole thing was just a lie, a fairy tale cooked up by Metatron and planted in hers and Castiel's heads, back at the cabin. Jason had played along because he had enjoyed seeing the two of them agonizing over it. But he now knew that Metatron had finally come clean with the couple. Jason had seen that in Gail's mind, when he'd put his hand on her forehead. She was still confused about it, and a part of her was still doubtful, but she mainly had herself convinced that Metatron had been telling the truth, mainly because she needed so badly to believe it.

If Jason had cared to, he could have provided the couple with corroboration. He hadn't gone to Purgatory to assist Castiel in the provision of a non-existent cure for a bogus disease. He'd been murdered in his cell in Heaven's prison by a hooded figure who had incapacitated Ethan, and then modified the young guard's memory. The conspiracy apparently went way higher on the food chain than even Metatron was aware of, because Metatron was out of the loop now. Jason himself had no idea who had killed him, he only knew that it had not been Castiel. He'd fought alongside Cas many times, and the killer's vessel had a different shape, and had been slightly shorter. In any event, that was how Jason had found himself in Purgatory. He had met up with Benny and his pack there, and the rest was history.

Jason licked his lips now, savouring the taste of her one more time. He couldn't wait to feed on Gail again. He had used restraint and finesse, and the marks on her throat would be barely visible. He had planted the suggestions in her mind to clean the grass stains off her clothes, and to continue to wear high-collared sweaters. That shouldn't be a problem; the weather was growing ever colder, and the forecast called for light snow. Likely the only one who would see her neck at close range would be Castiel, but it was night now, and the lighting would be dim. Tomorrow, Gail had plans to shop for a winter jacket, and Jason had planted the suggestion in her mind to purchase some skin cream at the same time. She would rub it on her face and neck every day, under the guise of a beauty regimen, and it would serve to obscure his marks on her neck.

As of this moment, Jason was unsure if he wanted to turn Gail, or not. There were certain aspects about that thought which appealed to him, not the least of which was that it would crush Castiel. On the other hand, she would probably just be crazy enough to turn around and infect Castiel, and if she did that, Jason would be saddled with him for all eternity. Castiel the Angel was bad enough; Castiel the Alpha vampire, with a vendetta against Jason, and an eternity in which to carry it out? No, thanks.

Still, Jason knew that he could feed on Gail a number of times before that even became an issue. She would begin to exhibit a few symptoms after one or two more feedings, but the distractions that were in store for the group courtesy of the assortment of monsters let loose from Purgatory should take the focus off of her very nicely.

Jason pushed off and flew away from the hotel grounds.

The jokes were flying fast and furious around the table now.

Chuck had asked for the drob de miel, just to be funny, and because they were all curious. He wouldn't be eating it anyway, but that way, they could at least see what it looked like.

Klara had beamed when Chuck had made his request. Not too many Americans knew about the dish, she'd said, and those that did turned their noses up once they found out what was in it.

"That's because many...modern Americans have never farmed before," Cas said. Phew. That was close. He'd almost said "humans". He smiled charmingly at Klara. "Many of them aren't used to eating the organs of an animal. But I would be very happy to try it, if you would be so kind as to bring me some, as well."

Klara's smile widened, and her dimples were showing now. "I would be glad to bring you some of our local dish." She moved to stand behind Cas, and she looked down at the table. Cas had actually eaten his entire bowl of soup, and he'd even had a piece of bread with it. Klara put her hands on his shoulders. "I see you enjoyed the soup," she said to him. Then she looked down at Gail, who had only managed a few bites of hers.

Gail could see where Klara was looking, and she smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I guess I don't have much of an appetite tonight," she told Klara. "I guess I'm suffering from jet lag, or something."

Klara nodded sympathetically. Cas's wife was such a cute little thing, with big brown eyes. But she was way too small, and she looked a little bit pale, too. Klara would have to make sure that she had a big breakfast in the morning.

But in the meantime, Klara smacked Cas on the arm, pointing to Gail's bowl of soup. "Help her!" she chided him.

Cas smiled. "Yes, ma'am," he said. He slid Gail's bowl in front of himself and obediently began to eat her soup.

Klara looked at Gail. "I noticed that you went for a walk around the grounds," she said to her. "Did you like my garden? I planted all the flowers there myself. I also grow many of the vegetables you're eating tonight out back, so you know that they are fresh. With winter coming, I picked the last of them earlier this morning."

"You can tell that they're very fresh," Cas remarked, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "My compliments."

Klara was pleased. For such a slender man, he certainly appreciated good home cooking. She was thoroughly charmed by Cas, and by his little wife. She put her hands on his shoulders again. "I'm very glad you like it. And I'm sure you will love the drob de miel. It'll be out shortly. In the meantime, I'll send the server over to fetch you another round." Then she left the table.

Cas had finished Gail's soup now, and he was soaking up the remainder of the broth with another piece of bread. Then he finished his glass of wine. Dean was staring at him. He couldn't remember ever seeing Cas eat like this. Even when he'd been a human in Las Vegas, Cas had eaten, but not this voraciously.

Cas saw Dean looking at him, and he sat back in his chair, smiling. "What?" Cas said to his friend. "It's good." He took Gail's hand. "In fact, I think I might try my hand at growing a few vegetables in the back yard of our house in the spring," he said to her.

Gail smiled. "Go ahead, have at it," she told him. "I have no interest in gardening myself, but I'll bring a trashy novel and a floppy hat and keep you company from the back patio, if you want."

"That would be very nice," Cas said. "I could conjure up some flowers to make things look pretty, too."

Frank was smirking. "Careful; he'll want a flock of sheep next," he told Gail. "It's a slippery slope."

Cas smiled at his brother-in-law. "Now you've spoiled my Christmas surprise," he deadpanned, and everyone laughed.

Then the main dishes came, and Cas dug into his with relish. Chuck looked down at his plate. He supposed it didn't look or smell too bad, but when you knew what the ingredients were, it was a little tougher to imagine actually eating it and enjoying it.

Frank grabbed a fork and reached his arm past Gail towards Cas's plate. "Here, let me try a bit of that," he said to Cas. Cas picked up his plate and extended it closer to Frank. Gail's brother stabbed a piece of food from Cas's plate with his fork and tasted it. He chewed for a minute, swallowed, and said, "That's offal."

Jody threw her fork down on her plate. "How long have you been sitting on that?" she asked him, shaking her head.

Dean started to laugh, and Jody pointed her finger at him. "Don't," she said. "You'll only encourage him."

Cas was smiling at what Frank had said, too. He loved Gail's brother, he loved Jody, and he loved everyone at this table. He also loved their other friends, the ones that weren't here at the moment. He finished his plate and sat back in his chair again, sighing contentedly.

"Boy, Cas, if you keep eating like that, Gail's going to have to start letting your pants out," Chuck said.

"Not to mention that you'll earn Klara's undying love," Sam added, smirking. "It's a good thing you're already married, or she'd probably propose."

Gail laughed. Sam was right; Klara was obviously sweet on Cas and his old-fashioned manners. But she couldn't blame the woman, not one bit. She leaned back and kissed her husband on the cheek. "Don't listen to them," she said to him. "It's nice to see you enjoying a meal."

"Well, I'm certainly done now," Cas told her, putting his napkin on the table. "Now I'm reminded of another reason we hardly ever eat. I feel very full."

"Looks like a night of watching TV then, Gail," Dean teased her. "You can just stay here and drink with us, if you want."

"She'll do no such thing," Cas told him, taking Gail's hand again. "In fact, I think we'll go upstairs and watch some TV right now."

"So that's what you young kids are calling it these days," Frank wisecracked. Then he looked at Jody. "I know, I know. Shut up, Frank," he said, smiling at her.

"Actually, I was going to suggest we might want to watch a little TV, ourselves," she said to her husband, lifting an eyebrow.

Dean rolled his eyes. "OK, whatever. You guys go ahead. Us real men are gonna stay here and drink for a while."

Frank shrugged. "Hey, I'm about to get lucky, and you aren't. I'm OK with that." He grabbed Jody's hand and they rose from the table. Then Frank looked down at Cas and Gail. "Give us five minutes to get upstairs," he told them. "If we walk up at the same time, it'll just be weird."

"Don't worry," Gail said in reply. "The way Cas has been eating, we may just hang out for dessert." Frank and Jody laughed, and they left the table, hand in hand.

The Angels sat and chatted with everyone else for a few more minutes and then they looked at each other and rose from the table together.

"Goodnight, boys," Gail said to them. "We'll meet up in the lobby in the morning for breakfast, and a strategy meeting."

"Bright and early," Cas added. Then the two of them left the dining room.

Dean looked at the other men. "Tuica?" he said, eyebrows raised.

"I'm sorry, just give me a second to put away the rest of our clothes," Gail said to Cas. "I don't know what the heck was going on there. I guess I just wanted the fresh air that badly. Do Angels get hot flashes?" she joked.

"Don't be concerned about that," Cas said to her. "Here, let me unpack, for a change."

"Okie-dokie," Gail said agreeably. She moved over to the window and closed it partway, then drew the drapes. Then she turned around in time to see Cas pick up their bags and toss them on the floor.

"There," he said, grinning at her. "The clothes are taken care of. Now come here, please." He opened his arms, and Gail laughed. She walked over to him.

"I'll look after the clothes later, I promise," he told her, enfolding her in his arms.

"Forget the clothes and give me a kiss," Gail said, still smiling. He kissed her obediently, and when the kiss ended, she looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think we could take this a little further or are you too full from dinner?" she asked him teasingly.

"I could have eaten a seven-course meal, and I still wouldn't be too full to make love to you," he replied.

"Who said anything about making love?" she said, feigning innocence. "Maybe I was just talking about cuddling."

"Oh, we'll be doing that, too," he said to her. He leaned down and kissed her again, opening her mouth with his tongue, slipping his hands under her sweater. Gail made a sound in her throat and she reached for him, but he said, "Wait, please. Let me touch you for a moment." He grabbed the bottom of her sweater and pulled it slowly off her head, dropping it on the floor. Then he resumed lightly touching her, his fingers barely grazing her skin. He bent down again and nuzzled her cheek with his, and then he kissed her neck. Then he stopped.

"What's this?" he asked her softly.

Gail had closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of what he was doing. She opened them now, looking at his face. "What's what?" she asked him curiously.

Cas touched the spot on her neck that he had just kissed. "You have a little red mark here."

"Oh," she said, surprised. "I don't know, Cas. I haven't worn a sweater for a while. Maybe it's irritating my skin, or something."

He peered closer. "I hope you're not getting a rash."

Gail shrugged. "I doubt it. It doesn't itch, or anything. I just have to get used to wearing winter clothes again. Fortunately," she added, smiling again.

Cas nodded. That was likely it, then. Her skin was soft and tender, and wool sweaters could sometimes be a little rough. "We should probably get you some angora sweaters," he told her. "Soft sweaters for soft skin." He resumed what he'd been doing, and a moment later, she said, "Cas, you're driving me nuts. Please, just grab me and kiss me, already."

He smiled. "With pleasure." He kissed her on the mouth and she offered him her tongue. He backed her up to the bed and laid her down, taking off the rest of her clothes.

"I know you like to take your time sometimes, but - " she started to say, but suddenly, he had her legs open and as he touched his tongue to her, she cried out immediately. He pulled her closer to him and used his lips and his tongue on her as she called out his name. He had gotten them both excited by starting off slow, but then, when she'd needed him to be fast, he had done that, too. He was amazing, and he was perfect, and she loved him so much.

They made love for about an hour, and then Cas sighed. "You know, I think I did have too much to eat. Do you mind if we take a break and watch some TV for a while? Let's see what kind of programs they have here. Maybe if we find a vampire movie, you can call Frank's room and tell him," he added, smiling.

"Are you kidding?" she said, laughing. "Jody would kill me!" She moved to get off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Cas asked, curious.

"I want to get a nightshirt," she told him. "Believe it or not, I'm a little chilly."

"We could close the window," he remarked. "Here, I'll close it for you."

"No, Cas. Leave it open," she said, rooting around in her bag. She found a nightshirt and slipped it on over her head. Then she looked at him, smiling. "You'll just have to cuddle me closer, if I get cold." Then she raised an eyebrow to him. "Or take it off of me, if things suddenly get hot."

Cas smiled back at her. "As the expression goes, done, and done. Now, come back to bed, please."

"In a minute," Gail said. She padded to the bathroom and turned on the light, examining her neck in the mirror. She saw what Cas had been talking about. There was a small red spot there.

"What are you doing?" he called out.

Gail switched off the light and emerged from the bathroom. "I was just looking at the spot on my neck you mentioned earlier," she replied, gesturing to it with her hand. "I don't think it's any big deal, I was just curious." She climbed on top of him. "I hope you're still able to love me, now that I've got such a hideous disfigurement," she said dramatically, her mouth twitching.

Cas smiled. She was adorable. "Come here," he said. He kissed her, then helped her to position herself between his legs, leaning back against him, in what she called "prime cuddling position", and then he switched on the TV.

While the Angels watched TV and the men downstairs ordered another round, Frank and Jody were dozing contentedly. Because they were humans, they had neither the ability nor the desire to make love every night, but they enjoyed cuddling just as much as Cas and Gail did. They just didn't go around advertising it.

At the moment, Frank was spooning her, and his hands had been wandering a bit. Now that they'd had a bit of time to digest their dinner, Frank was considering suggesting that they fool around. His hand was currently touching her breast, and Jody was smiling. She'd enjoy that for another minute, and then she would roll over and see what developed.

Suddenly, Frank's hand stopped. "What's that?" he asked his wife.

Jody's smile widened. "If you don't know that by now, I'm afraid I can't help you."

Frank sighed. "Come on, Jodes, I'm being serious. There's something there. A lump, or something. What the hell?"

Jody rolled over to look at her husband. "Relax, Frank," she told him. "I felt it when I was taking a shower a couple of days ago. I was planning to go to the doctor, just to be on the safe side, when we finish this mission and get back home."

"And just when were you gonna tell ME about that?" Frank said, frowning.

Jody shrugged. "With any luck, never. I've had lumps before, Frank. It's not a big deal. I've had the other ones checked out. I even had one removed, once. They looked at it, and it was just a cyst. Nothing to worry about. But I promise you, as soon as we get back to the States, I'll get this new one checked out. Okay?"

Her husband sighed. What was he going to say? Not OK? What choice did he have? But it sounded like Jody had a good handle on it, and that she was being sensible. He knew next to nothing about the subject, just that you shouldn't ignore any abnormalities. But she was clearly on top of it.

"Yeah, OK," he told her. Then he kissed her, and then she touched him, and then his mind was on other things.