It had been a long day for two of the leaders of Camp Chitaqua. They had set out at dawn to gather supplies and look for fellow survivors. But now the sun was starting to set, giving the sky an almost blood red tint mixed midnight blue. Castiel and Dean stood atop of an old hotel watching the clouds as the wind sailed them across the horizon.
"It's sad. I use to do this to unwind from a stressful day, hell stressful week." Dean chuckled. "But now sunsets mean nothing to me anymore other than danger." He turned his gaze to the road below making sure no Croats were around to ambush them when they decided to leave.
"It's still beautiful." Castiel replied quietly.
Dean nodded slowly before nudging him in the arm. "We already loaded up the supplies. We don't need to be here any longer than necessary. Should head out before they send out a search party."
"I agree. Night is a time for the creatures now. I'm amazed they haven't found us at home base. We've been there for far to long Dean. We should move somewhere else."
"Rule one of survival, stay where you are. We have enough manpower to stay there a little longer. Once we clean out the state of it's firearms, food and gas, we leave."
They turned in unison, heading for the fire escape. Hands on their guns as they reached the road and practically run towards the truck parked across the street. Castiel had it started before they were completely in. He sped off down the road laughing, roughly rubbing his forehead.
"Dean, why don't you hand me some of that Xanax in the glove box?"
"You need to stop taking all this shit Cass, it's going to kill you one day."
"And you need to stop sleeping around." Castiel reached pass Dean to get in the glove box, pulling out the prescription bottle. He popped three in his mouth with and exaggerated motion.
"Me? I'm the one who needs to stop sleeping around? Says the man who's had how many orgies this week?"
"Four or five, but who's keeping count?" He gleamed, feeding more into Dean's frustration with his sarcasm.
"Right… Anyways." Dean slumped into his seat closing his eyes, trying to quiet his mind. "We have much bigger things to discuss."
"Jennifer or Lucifer?"
"Both."
"It's useless Dean." Castiel sighed.
"Why."
"She's dead. Lucifer killed her."
"But Chuck.."
"But Chuck what, Dean?" Castiel interrupted. "He's like me now. Normal for the most part."
"You still have a little of your mojo. So does he."
Castiel hung his head in defeat. After all, Dean was right. He still had some of his 'mojo'. If someone was injured and it wasn't serious he could help with the healing, but not like he was able to in the past.
"Going on a wild goose chase would be a death sentence for us all."
"So what are we suppose to do then? Sit around with our thumbs up our asses, watching what's left of everyone die? Because that's what's going to happen if we don't try, and sorry but no thanks. I've had enough of that!" Dean balled up his fist, raising his voice at the man who once was his guardian angel. "We have a better chance of getting to Michael through Jennifer."
"He doesn't care for you anymore. Not that he really has" Castiel chuckled at Deans frustration. "You were the last hope for Gods Creation. But now...that's gone and we have nothing. What makes you even believe that she's still alive?"
"I just have a feeling. And as far as I know I have a pretty damn good backing for that feeling. Same as my feeling that we can still save Sammy. We just need to find her and Michael." He glared at Cass, fighting the urge to jack him in the Jaw.
"Oh, you mean Chucks 'prophecies'. If, they're even real. I told you over and over again. THEY DON'T CARE. The angels are most likely feeding him lies to get this all to end. Even if we do find her Dean." Castiel spoke through gritted teeth, hands tight around the steering wheel. "Why would she want to help you?"
"As shocking as it might be, she still loved me when she was with Michael. She tried to help Sammy, tried to watch over him before she disappeared, and I know you don't care much for her. I have no idea what she did to you and I'm sorry for whatever she did to screw up your head and not trust her, but it's the truth. She was able to pull a Minion from my dad once, and those sons of bitches are powerful as all hell, if she can do that, there is a damn good chance she can do the same with Lucifer."
"Sorry to break it to you, Dean. But there's nothing that can be done about pulling Lucifer out of Sam. This isn't like when he was locked in The Cage, we're not force-feeding him his soul. He seizes to exist. Samuel Winchester is no longer living." He stood firm on his opinion. "Although I don't advise it, I know you will go against my word, naturally." He turned his gaze back towards the road. "But I think it's about time, how you would put it, 'Man Up', to this situation and do what needs to be done. And that's find Lucifer and end this." Castiel ended his rant and tried to focus on anything but Jennifer. The pain she put his brother through, the pain she put Dean through. Him...
She was the epitamy of why humans were not allowed to become angels. To much sin, free will. Disobedient and cocky.
There was a moment of silence in the cab of the old beat up pick up truck before Dean picked the conversation back up.
"Do you think that she knows that Michael is now, well, sort of Adam?"
"I'm unsure…" Cass grimaced as she was brought up again. 'When will I ever get the point across? When will you pull your head out of your ass and just... stop?' he thought to himself.
"That would be a little awkward, right?" Dean laughed lightly trying to break the tension. "I mean C'mon, first me, then… Him? Talk about keeping it in the family."
Castiel glanced over at him from the corner of his eye. "Keeping it in the family?" Raising an eyebrow "She was an angel, as is Michael. We're all brothers and sisters in heaven. I don't see the point you're making."
"When you say it that way, it's more disturbing."
"I guess you're right though. Technically speaking, it would have been you, Michael, and assuming that Adam survived back in the green room, and sorry but by the look of things." He squinted out the windshield, noting that a storm was coming. "Him, then..." He paused for a moment considering his next statement, bracing for a beating. "And only God knows what Lucifer had done with her before he..."
"Okay, I get it!" Dean snapped at him in his rough voice, and cringed at the thought of crossing bloodlines. "It's complicated, leave it at that."
"This is where I would usually 'beam' myself out of here." He laughed sarcastically. "But now I actually have to deal with your smart ass and the awkwardness that I inevitably cause."
In the distance they could make out the sign that stated Camp Chitaqua.
As usual as they headed towards the gates, the guards pointed their guns until the brights were flashed three times, letting the guards know it was only them.
"Chuck will be glad we found some gold." Dean sighed referencing to the hoard of toilet paper Cas and him happened to stumble upon.
"He'll be ecstatic." Cas chuckled, bringing the truck to a stop as the gates were opened allowing them entrance to home base.
As they drove towards the cabins, Chuck was waiting with clipboard in hand. Tapping on it nervously with his pen, waiting for the two hoping they had great news.
"Hey Chuck!" Dean called as they parked. "I got something for you." He reached in the bag of supplies pulling out a roll of toilet paper and throwing it to the frazzled Prophet.
"Oh thank God!" Chuck smiled widely as he caught the roll practically hugging it. "I don't care if it is only one roll! I'll worship this as long as it last!"
"That's Blasphemy." Castiel sighed rolling his eyes. "It's not the only roll. Just like the food it will be rationed."
"I don't care… I'm sick of leaves!" He ran a hand through his hair, holding up the toilet paper for the rest of the camp to see. "You guys are amazing!"
"Hey, uh, Chuck… Can we talk?" Dean asked quietly pulling him aside.
"Yeah sure, what about?"
"He wants to know if you have heard anything else about Jennifer." Cas butted in. "I keep telling him it's useless. But does he listen?"
Dean cleared his throat glaring at him. Cas held up his hands in the air before stepping back to the truck.
Chuck let out a sigh before heading back to his cabin with Dean in tote. "Only whispers. Nothing good. Nothing bad. Someone found her though."
"Who?" He replied quickly.
"Dean, I am starting to agree with Castiel on this one..."
"Who found her Chuck and don't you dare lie to me." Dean yelled before composing himself.
"Lu-Lucifer." He stammered nervously.
"And?"
"Well, I wasn't so sure about my other prophecies, but the Angels are alert on this one. He's sending her to come find you, and that's all I know. It's not much to go on, but I think we should either pack up and leave, or find her before she finds us." He paced the room in a half panic. "And that's not all, when all the Angels left, Cas and I were able to still sort of do what we do best isn't because Lucifer still walks, but because there is another one still here. Gabriel."
"Great, so what you're really saying," Dean smirked sitting down on the couch propping his feet on the table, folding his arms across his chest. "Both of them, if and only if, we're lucky, have some sort of agenda with her, and all we can do is hope for the best."
"Pretty much."
Dean let out a chuckle shaking his head. "That's just great. I don't know who to trust more with her."
Next chapter will be getting more into Jennifers character and her involvement with the Angels and Winchesters. Still a huge work in progress.
