A/N: If you're reading the first official chapter of The Beekeeper, thank you so much! The storyline develops starting here, and we get to see more of how Dean is dealing with being a demon and how those around him deal with it as well. It's mostly a chapter of Dean and Crowley, but Castiel is coming in next chapter! Enjoy, please leave a review so I know what I can work on to improve this story. Even one sentence is appreciated. Thank you all so much!
Chapter One- Your King
"Let's go take a howl at that moon."
Crowley was no stranger to the Winchester boys. Moose and Squirrel were by far his favorite playthings of the human type, and although he and Sam shared a moment back in the church, lately Crowley found himself spending more and more time as Dean's mistress. Of course, even demonic Dean frowned at Crowley's distasteful references. But what could Crowley do, Dean was avoiding his brother like the plague, or like Dean had the plague and didn't wish to make anyone else suffer along with him.
The frown didn't stay for long as Dean explored the new limitations, or lack thereof, of his demonic lifestyle. He knew he was a monster, he felt it in his veins. This is where he belonged though. Before he was saved by Castiel, this room is where Dean's actions as a human brought him.
Cowardly, he had tried to get out of it before. Once Castiel pulled him from Hell, Dean fought through purgatory to save his angel, ending up only saving himself. This, torturing souls for a twisted feeling of pleasure it gave to his soul whilst knowing it was wrong and hating himself for it, this is what he deserved. The ground shook violently, causing Dean to stab deep into a thigh to regain his balance.
"Squirrel, let's take a break, shall we?" Crowley walked over to examine what was left of Abbadon's trusted demon. A smirk played across the Kings face, he almost felt like a proud father, whatever that would've felt like, he thought to himself. The room shook again, this time Dean glanced curiously at the King before stepping forward. The other demons retreated from the room.
Dean ran the bloodied blade over Crowley's shirt leaving stains of red across the Kings chest, glancing up to be sure the act wasn't wasted.
"Very well, boy," Crowley sighed, "Time to go howling, I take it?"
"It's about damn time, Crowley." Dean hissed, unable to contain the anger of being cooped up all year. He didn't hate Hell, not really. It's where he belonged, where all the demons belonged. At the same time, though, torturing souls in Hell began seeming so boring after all this time. It had been a full year in Earth's time that Dean had been searching out and destroying all of Abbadons followers who were dumb enough to hide in Hell. Whoever was left was either finishing the job themselves or hiding under a rock up top.
Dean grabbed his black leather jacket before he and Crowley disappeared.
The duo appeared suddenly in a forest. Trunks reached high above Dean, ascending into a gray sky. Trees cut into low fog, air visibly twisting about the dead limbs. It was probably chilly, neither could feel that sensation though. Snow littered the ground around a few budding plants.
It was the first time since he became a demon that Dean had been on Earth. He breathed it in, almost as if he actually needed the oxygen to live.
"This brings back memories." Dean smiled, his eyes flashing black for a moment. Crowley still wasn't completely used to that part of his miracle. Dean had such a soft spot for memories, for his brother, for anyone he had saved. Crowley still knew the young demon was Dean Winchester, a hunter. It was just that Dean had been so tired before the change. Now, well, now he wasn't so tired. Or hungry.
The field where they stood is the one where Dean crawled out from purgatory. "What are we doing here?" Dean asked, the humor previously held on his face gone and replaced with a quizzical and threatening stare.
He went to take a step forward to find that he couldn't. Outraged, the demon snapped his head down to see a devil's trap. Crowley sighed, raising his hands to his eyes in boredom.
"Really, Moose?" The King spoke into the air. "You could've just asked nicely, no need for theatricals."
Sam had exorcised so many demons today that he'd lost count. Nothing helped him sort out his confusion like slaying a bunch of the bastards that made his brother have black eyes. While taking a seat at a local pub, he recalled how simple life was. He had made it out of that god forsaken household, away from dad and the hunting. Then he pulled Jess into it all. He took a swig of the beer in front of him. They'd saved the world so many times, but could never save themselves.
Another swig downed.
Ring-ring-ring-
"Dean? ..Oh, no, sorry, I'm just expecting my brother to call soon." Sam huffed into the phone, thoroughly agitated at his big brother's extended absence. "I'm out on a job right now, but I'll send someone to check it out….No Problem." The beer was already gone by the time he hung up.
Call soon? Sam mused in his mind, one hand pushing his hair back. It's been a year since Metatron was imprisoned. A year since Dean… The wound remained fresh. Sam wasn't exactly calm when he had summoned Crowley to receive no answer. The damned demon loved dragging others down with him. The bastard. He was the one who coerced Dean into getting the mark, he's the one who was right there wagging his tail the whole time. Sam should've listened to Cas. There was something way off about his brother, and Cas saw that more than Sam did.
Suddenly, skinny arms enveloped Sam in a hug from behind. Sam jumped up and turned around quickly.
"Garth? What the hell?" Sam asked, returning the hug this time and sending a polite smile to Garth's wife.
"I heard something crazy. Had to ask myself, Sam. I know Bobby would want me to check up on you two." Garth started in. He had grown up a lot too, Sam realized. Sam also noticed that Garth kept mumbling and talking in circles. That's when it hit him. Already. It's already gotten around about Dean. Dammit. How?
"Sam, we gotta go somewhere." Garth announced after pulling out a cell phone and handing it to the youngest Winchester. "This was just recorded a few states over. It just appeared next to me with a note: Sam Winchester."
Dean loved to leave a mark on the demons he got to play with. It wasn't much, just a quick flick of his wrist and a pretty scar of a circle would appear in their flesh. He enjoyed the moon symbol quite a bit now. He'd have to thank Crowley for the over the top metaphor later.
However, his signature was much less appealing as a few of his patients stepped out of the woods with blank stares on their faces.
"What is this?" Crowley demanded. There was no immediate answer.
Dean stepped as far as he could against the barrier. "Your king asked a question of you, pests," Dean mimicked a speech he performed each time demons had entered his office, "I suggest you answer unless you want another session?"
At this, the demons took a step back, as if to physically indicate their wavering minds. In the same moment, the two demons were doused with holy water and exorcised violently. Their meat suits falling to the ground to begin rotting. An older man knelt next to the human corpse, unbuttoning the shirt until it fell open to reveal the circle carved by Dean. The group seem humored to have killed using such a humane tactic.
"Dean Winchester and the King of Hell, himself." The elder spoke sternly as the rest of the unknown people stepped into the clearing.
Crowley was approached by one as Dean stepped in front of him. No matter who he used to be, Dean was a demon now, and he owed this kind of life to Crowley.
"Your name." Dean demanded coldly.
A young woman laughed, "Your kind of filth doesn't deserve to speak our names," she spat on Dean's shoes, her white hair falling in front of a face that hid no secrets to how she felt about him.
"To think, this is what he has been so torn over. Senior," the woman turned to face the elderly man, "this could change everything. We could bargain for Metatron now-"The elder signaled her to stop speaking.
Dean, the young demon he was, thrashed against the boundaries of the demon trap as others secured handcuffs around his hands and neck. Crowley politely allowed himself to be captured alongside his second in command.
"We should kill them now. He already believes the young one is dead. Using the King of Hell will-"the girl again spoke out against taking both prisoners alive, her eyes flashing blue.
"Diari," the Elder responded, "Do you honestly believe that merely the once dethroned King of Hell will be enough to be used as a bargaining chip? The one we seek to manipulate once turned against Heaven itself for one man, and that man was not a demonic king."
The woman, Dean now intensely taking in all that he could, was called Diari. The name sounded….enochian. And from the way the bastards are talking aloud about it, they seemed to fit the bill. When the white haired angel spoke again, Dean knew he was right.
"I understand. Senior, our plan is in motion. I will alert the others." And she was gone.
"What the hell is this? Why are Angels here?" Dean hissed against his gritted teeth. His neck and wrists burned with whatever angelic voo-doo that enchanted the cuffs.
The Elder raised his hands as the other angels tensed. "I am Animotix, I am very old and very wise. I witnessed Crowley as a human soul, and as nothing more than a mere crossroads demon before he became the nuisance he is now.
And I knew you, Dean Winchester, before you singlehandedly destroyed one of the best earth soldiers we ever had. You-oh," Animotix seemed troubled that Dean was completely bored of the narcissistic angel,
"To see a soul that we laid siege on Hell to recover end up in this way…" He took Dean's chin in his hand roughly. Animotix pressed his thumb against Dean's upper lip until the demon's own tooth cut it open. It bled over his lip and onto the angel's thumb, whom let go of Dean before wiping the demons blood on a river stone nearby.
"The sacrifice was much too great for this trash."
A flash of blue lit up the sky. The air twisted around them, and Dean could see angel wings stretching out to cut into the ground. Crowley returned Dean's concerned glance with a shrug. It wasn't the fieldtrip he had been planning on, but at least one of his demons had recorded the whole thing on a cell phone. Dean's vision began to blur, as did Crowley's. The two of them began to feel weak. Dean suffered more quickly falling to his knees, much to Animotix's approval, before blacking out completely.
Chapter One done! Please leave a review!
