Heavenly

Chapter 2

Ash poured Pamela some whiskey and slid the glass across the bar to her. She picked it up but didn't drink out of it.

"So how long should we wait before I can go back to my heaven?" She asked. Ash shrugged while he was pouring his own glass. He sat down on a stool behind the bar and downed the whiskey then immediately poured himself another serving.

"I don't know. Hard to keep track of time up here, I think it actually slows down. It could be anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months."

Pamela gaped at him. "A couple of months? You're not serious." Looking at his face, she could tell that he was. "No... no, no, no. Where am I supposed to stay while my heaven is being violently redecorated by angels?"

Ash looked around. He looked back at Pam. "Well I guess you could stay here."

Pamela laughed. She took a sip of her whiskey. "No offense Ash, but your heaven is a bar. I much prefer mine."

"Well it doesn't look like you have a choice Pam. Right now those two angels, probably more undoubtedly one of them would have called for backup, are tearing your place apart. I've been to heavens after these guys get done fighting in them, they look like a bomb went off then several tornadoes came through and everything burned to the ground." When he saw Pamela's face go pale he quickly added. "They get around to putting everything back in place. I assume that must be Castiel's bunch who clean up the messes because Raphael's soldiers really don't like human souls."

Pamela frowned and finished her whiskey. Ash handed her the bottle and she poured more. She really didn't want to talk about Castiel. Everybody seemed to be friendly with him, and he probably wasn't such a bad guy, but when somebody burns your eyes out you tend to be leery of them. Unconsciously her hand went to her face, rubbing her brow, covering her eyes. When she brought it away and looked over at Ash, he was staring at her intently.

"What? Do I have a booger hanging out of my nose?" She took a sip of whiskey and smiled. He shook his head but didn't laugh. Pam realized she had let her discomfort about Castiel show and now Ash was probably feeling sorry for her. She hated that, she hated being pitied.

"So you don't talk to the angels huh? You couldn't call up old Castiel and get him to fix up my heaven ASAP?" She gave him a direct stare. She was not afraid to talk about the angel damn it, it wasn't going to bother her anymore.

"I don't do much talking to them, no. A few of them on Cas' side don't mind chatting with me but mostly they're busy. Cas himself hasn't been around much lately, since he's head general and Raphael's still swinging hard to get rid of him." Ash reached under the bar and pulled out a packet of peanuts. He opened the pack and tossed one into his mouth. He held the bag out to Pam. She shook her head.

"Thanks, but I don't want any."

"You sure? They're honey roasted. Absolutely delicious too."

"I'll pass."

"Well, more for me then." He popped a handful into his mouth. Pamela laughed.

"What do you need to eat for anyway? This is Heaven remember? We're souls without bodies, we don't need food or air." Ash kept chewing but he held up his hand in a give-me-a-minute gesture. Pamela laughed. "Nice to know you don't talk with your mouth full. That's such a turn off."

Ash choked and she laughed again. He grabbed his glass and drank the rest of his whiskey. When he had a clear throat again he said "Well we don't need to drink either, but you and I do. It's not about needing it, it's about the pleasure of doing it. That's what Heaven basically is, whatever your pleasure was, whatever it is, you get to do that for eternity. That's why some people's heavens are bars, some are group orgies, rock concerts.." He nodded towards Pam. "Some are even nothing but sleeping. Pillows and blankets and mattresses all over."

Pamela considered this. It made sense. Music had always been fun for her, so obviously her heaven would be a kick ass concert every night. "So does your heaven mean you're in love with beer?"

"Hey the Roadhouse was like my home. Ellen and Jo were family, it's not about the beer. This isn't just any old bar." Pamela heard a twinge of emotion in his voice. She could have kicked herself, if her foot wasn't in her mouth. She felt awkward all of a sudden, so she took another sip of whiskey to avoid blurting out anything else. The silence between them was uncomfortable.

"Have you found them yet? Jo and Ellen I mean." She asked softly. Ash shook his head.

"I haven't found John or Mary either. If Sam and Dean do get killed again, which they will because those boys die more than anyone I have ever met, they're going to be pretty disappointed."

"So what Heavens have you found? Besides Marilyn Monroe and Elvis obviously."

"Albert Einstein, Kama Sutra guy, Anne Frank, she's such a sweetheart... oh! I found the Garden." His eyes brighten. "Hey, I could show you around while we're waiting for your heaven to get fixed. Would you like that?" Ash grinned at her. "The Garden is different for everybody, so I'm told. When I went by my self it was... well I probably shouldn't tell you. You might think less of me."

"I'm going to hazard a guess and say it was weed." Pamela said dryly. Ash laughed.

"No. Although that wouldn't be a bad idea..."

Pamela stood up. "Well what are we waiting for, show me this magic garden."