Notes: I think you guys will like chapter 5...I think.
leahelisabeth: Yeah, I've noticed how the last four episodes of the series are kind of distant memories. But I like that because it helps make the stories a little less predictable :P
ship. me: Lol! I totally am gonna name my new fishes 'lobster' and 'ship' now XD My friends will never understand.
Disclaimer: Can't even afford the on-sale ben and jerry's ice cream...pretty sure I don't own this.
CHAPTER 2
The four crew members left the alien's lair and headed back out into the fray. The duty of locating the rest of their friends was placed upon Sam's elevated shoulders since he was the only one who was able see above the mulling masses, and while Sam worked as a periscope on legs, the other three started to pick-up some of the food along the way.
With an ice cream cone in one hand, and a meat-cabob in the other Gabriel slowly made his way through the crowd as Dean talked, "I'm just saying, I'm still surprised that we were able to fence the Mexican so easily. I truly thought that nobody would touch it, that it would be like trying to hock the Mona Lisa."
"You underestimate Balthazar's skills at fencing priceless artifacts. As he and Cas have told me, he had gotten quite good at it in his darker years while I was out of town. That gun was nothing compared to what he used to fence," Gabriel replied, food flying out of mouth as he spoke around chews of meat.
Dean stopped at a vendor who was selling burgers and quickly put up the cash for two fresh ones for him and Cas. And a minute later two hunks of steaming meat between plump buns were tossed out in flimsy paper sleeves.
He thrust the first one to arrive into Cas' hands and turned back to grab the second, but when he turned around with his own sandwich poised at his lips he noticed the green look that had spread over Cas' face.
"Whoa, Cas! You okay, man?" Dean asked concerned. At the concerned tone both Gabriel and Sam looked and noticed the odd pallor as well. Gabriel swooped in.
"Hey, little brother. You're look pale enough to haunt a house, what's wrong? You sense something? Is someone here?"
Cas couldn't answer around the hand that he cupped over his mouth, but he shook his head as answer and just pointed to his back and then his stomach. Light dawned for Dean.
The Captain groaned and quickly took the offending food out of Cas' hands, "Aw, shit man. I'm sorry. We ran out of those blue pills yesterday. Guess the effects died off earlier than I thought…do you want to go back to the ship?" he asked gently, he hand covering Cas' where it was still clenched over his abdomen.
Again Cas shook his head, and removed the hand from his mouth. Dean was about to try and convince him that it would be a good idea to head back, but he noticed Cas' eyes drift somewhere over his shoulder and a smile spread over his face.
Confused, Dean turned around to see the others approaching.
Bobby and Chuck led with all of the others trailing behind them, all holding odd objects and other special traditional foods and all with matching smiles. Anna and Balthazar were already sporting new duds, and Meg had several suspicious looking lumps on her person that might look like semi-concealed weapons along with a few bulging burlap sacks.
"Hey guys, fancy meeting you here," Sam greeted.
"Yes, well, we all wanted to check our mail and the post office is just past here," Anna offered and glanced to where not twenty feet away was the window to the post was. That was when Balthazar noticed how pale and sweaty Castiel was and literally dropped everything he was holding and ran up to his little brother, grasping his thin shoulders desperately.
"Cassy? Cassy-dear, are you all right?"
Dean stepped in closer, "Just a little nauseous. Don't suppose you guys saw a somewhat legitimate pharmacy on your adventures?" he asked hopefully.
"Don't worry, boy. I've got you covered."
Bobby dug through one of the grocery bags, pushing past his collected fresh vegetables for the stew for dinner, and finally pulled out a rattling bottle. He opened it and shook out two of the blue pills that they had so desperately needed.
He handed them over to a grateful Cas who popped them back with a satisfied sigh.
Bobby glanced up at Dean and the two burgers he held, "Don't think he will be able to eat that greasy monstrosity any time soon. I'll go find him something gentler on the stomach," he offered with a pat to the Captain's shoulder.
"Thanks, Bobby. Cas? Go with him and find something that don't make you look like awkward broccoli. We'll be at the post office," Dean said softly and Cas nodded and moved off with the preacher to a nearby vendor, and then he turned to address the rest of his crew, "Okay, let's go check our mail I guess. They'll be along in a minute."
One of the reasons that they had chosen this particular port was because it was a sort of 'home base' for the brothers. For years this had been the place that they had designated as their home address, the place where all their mail would be sent and anyone who wished to contact them could leave a message. They only visited a few times a year, but it was the safest way for them to remain in contact with old friends without risking being on the Garrison's radar.
Once a sort of trust had been established among the crew, the brothers had decided to share the address with the newcomers so that they too could receive mail from old and trusted friends.
And Dean had received a wave saying that something had arrived special for him, so they had changed course to go check it out.
They moved up to the window, "Hey, Amon. How you been? How are the wife and kids?" Dean greeted the dour looking man in the office, but his face lit up upon seeing the Winchesters.
"Dean! Sam! It's been awhile. An old friend's face is a balm in this age. And the family is great. Sarah's just turned five and Beth just brought home her first boy. I did my fatherly duty and ran him out with a shotgun. And the wife is content and plump, just how I like 'em," he reached out to grasp each of their hands in a warm shake. Amon was a friend from their war days and one of the last people that they trusted. If it was anyone else besides Amon who had called them with a message, Dean would have assumed that the Garrison or even the Host were trying to track them down. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry this time.
"That's awesome. And we're glad to see you too, man. Got your message. You're holding some post for me and my crew?"
The roll of their war buddies eyes got both brother's curious.
"Damn straight you got post! Quite the haul too. Lemme go get some help. Be back in a sec," and he disappeared into the back room.
The brother's exchanged glances. Help? How much did they have? Or how big was this thing?
Before they could ponder on it any longer, Bobby arrived back with Cas, both of them holding short sticks in their hands that had strings dangled off the ends that ran through the middle of the ice cream ball that was tied on. Those things always reminded Dean of little maces.
"Any packages for me?" Bobby asked as they got closer, taking a lick at the swaying ball of ice cream.
"Don't know yet. Amon's going to grab our stuff," Dean replied as he moved up to where Cas was in a very intense staring contest with his food, every few seconds he would dart his face forward with his tongue out like a snake trying as if trying to catch the ice ball off guard.
"My food is problematic," he complained to the Captain, frustration plain in his voice, but the pallor of his skin had brightened enough that Dean didn't feel bad chuckling at his misfortune.
"You're a mind-reading clairvoyant, magical voice box of doom, and you can't even figure out how to eat an ice-planet…" he said fondly and ruffled his dark tresses, much to Cas' chagrin.
Sam glanced over at Meg who dropped two bags to the floor that both let out very loud and telling clunks and rattles as they hit the hard ground, "Did you get everything we needed?" he asked, knowing that Dean had put her in charge of re-stocking the armory of the ship.
"Yup, but they didn't have any rounds for Bobby's old hunk of rust. Ammoed up pretty well anyway. Got us a good discount on account of my intimidating manner…or my boobs. Not sure which yet," she smirked.
"Awesome, so uh…" Dean held out his hand to her, and she rolled her eyes before digging into her pocket to pull out the change. The Captain looked down at the paltry amount and glanced up again, eyebrows raised. And then as if she had just remembered, she reached back into the same pocket, going deeper and handing the rest of the money to Dean.
He would have scolded her, but at that moment, Amon returned with two men rolling a big crate in on a dolly, a few other packages and envelopes tossed on the lid of it.
"Jesus, Amon. What the hell is that?" Sam asked as he looked over the box.
The post man shrugged, "Dunno. I deliver, I don't delve. That's all for you guys for now, so I'm gonna get back to work before boss notices me chatting," he said as he moved off, but Dean grabbed at his arm first, whispering in his ear.
"No signatures?"
"Not for you. I know you're trying to stay on the down low. I've got you covered brother," he said with a wink, and then he went back into the office to help the next traveler.
Dean joined his brother as he and Gabriel looked over the crate.
"I don't remember ordering any parts…" Sam said and glanced at Chuck who shrugged, as clueless as the rest of them.
The rest of the crew dug through the letters on the crate. Chuck found a few from his family back home, Anna picked up a few sappy letters from her many love-struck clients, and Bobby picked up a small package.
"Order yourself a new bible, preacher?" Balthazar asked as he eyed the box.
"No, but it is marked from my brothers back at my old Abbey," he pulled out the letter at the top, "Dear Brother Bobby…we hope that you are well and that you get this soon in your travels. Didn't think it right that you left it behind..." Bobby frowned and dug deeper into the box as he continued to read, "Thank you for the credits you forwarded, that have helped us buy our new bell. Hope to hear from you soon, love, your brothers."
Finally he pulled something from the box, flinging package stuffing all over the place with his haste. The object cleared from the offending confetti, Bobby laughed and tossed the most old looking, worn-out, and stained ball-cap that anyone had ever seen.
He folded up the letter and stuffed it in his pocket and adjusted the hat upon his head before proudly looking to the rest of the crew, "How's it sit? Pretty cunning, don'tchya think?"
"I think it's…fabulous. Simply fabulous," Balthazar said sagely and everyone else nodded eagerly in agreement.
Gabriel clapped the Sheppard on the shoulder, "Man walks down the street in that hat, people know that he's not afraid of anything. Not even head lice."
"Damn straight!" the preacher replied and adjusted the hat once more just to make sure that it wouldn't fall off.
The little fashion show finished, the crew's attention turned to where Dean and Sam had located a pry bar and were just getting the lid loose.
"Well, let's hope that we get some funny hats, too," Dean tossed over the lid as he and Sam heaved it off, the lid clunking to the floor. They all gathered around the crate and peered in…and saw a coffin.
They all exchanged looks.
"Should I knock?" Cas asked them seriously.
Dean shook his head and moved down to the side panel on the coffin and pressed the button to open it. With a hiss of released gas, the lid loosened and unlocked and the brother's bent down to reach for it, but Cas' hand stilled Dean's arm.
"I'm just going to say this, but…you do remember your history and opening boxes?"
"I hear ya, Cas. But I know you got my back," and with that Dean and Sam finally removed the top, to reveal a still body of a man inside, arms folded neatly across his chest in the traditional pose of a corpse.
All stared down into it.
Chuck craned his head over Bobby's shoulder to get a glimpse of the contents, and looked quizzically at the body, "Gee, what did you all order a dead guy for?"
Ah ha ha ha! One of my all time favorite scenes in the entire series! The very day that I came up with the idea for the Impala Series I had planned on Bobby to be the one opening the hat. I HAVE WAITED SO LONG! *gross sobbing of satisfaction*