The impala roar down the road on a clear night. It would have been peaceful but the boys stayed up driving with a flashlight over reports and maps. Dean adamantly insisted in taking a break and taking a week for them. Sam insisted right back just the opposite.
"Look, the more we do, the closer we get to find a way to break this deal," Sam said clutching the flashlight over the map. Dean rolled his eyes in the dark, he understood of course, but he knew there was no stopping him going into the pit. He only had a year, less than that now, but he knew one thing: he didn't want to spend it hunting. Sam didn't seem to understand.
"Fine," Dean said, "Where are we going?" Dean leaned over slightly to see the map. Sam pointed to the papers.
"Las Vegas," Sam said flatly. "Awesome! Finally something at least similar to a vacation! Remember when dad took us? That was awesome!" Sam rolled his eyes in disagreement.
"Are you kidding? There is going to be so much work to do, so many shows and acts to question and scope out, it's going to be a lot of work," Sam said annoyed, Dean rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"Buzz kill," he mumbled, Sam chuckled. Sam told him everything he found. The guests and performers have been terrorized by unknown things. Sam assumed it was demon related, especially because of the outstanding numbers of demons that have been freed. Not to mention, a groupie snuck back stage at one of the acts and reportedly saw black smoke without there being a fire. They reach Vegas early morning. Their room was old with loud patterns everywhere.
"Wow, this is terrible," Sam said shielding his eyes from the horrible wallpaper. Dean agreed and threw his duffle on the bed, sending dust fling into the air.
"That's always a good sign," Dean said smiling sarcastically.
"Then get a new room," said a voice from behind them followed by the sound of a closing door. Dean and Sam turn quickly, about to raise their weapons. They pause as the speaker smiles at them both.
"Marcia," Dean said, unable to contain his smile at seeing her after a very long time, "What are you doing here?" Sam stepped forward.
"Marcia," he said, "Let's talk." Her eyes turn intense for a second and she nods. They exit as Dean continues to unpack.
"Sam," she said, Sam cut her off. "What did you dig up?" He asked. She bit her lip and looked down at the asphalt next to Sam's feet.
"I—Not much," she said after a second, Sam looked at her, "Nothing I can do, not much anyway. The deal was absolutely air tight, all I know is exactly what the crossroads demon told you." Sam cursed and clenched his fist.
"Anything on who holds the deal?" Sam asked. Marcia shrugged and shook his head.
"Sadly no, above my pay grade I guess. Nobody knows. Trust me, I have tried everything. I have interrogated a lot of demons, Sam, I even asked some angels. Nada." She looked genuinely upset. Sam sent her the same face. After a couple seconds he thanked her for trying.
"Do you want me to stay around? Help out with whatever you happen to need?" She asked. He shook his head.
"No, I don't think so," he said, "Thanks, but I think we can handle this." She nodded.
"Okay," she said, "Sam, if we find a way to break it you would—" She grabbed Sam and hugged him tightly, the way Dean had taught her, "Tell Dean I said bye, oh and Sam, I'm sorry I couldn't be much help." He shut his eyes as he felt a tear fall from his lashes as he hugged her back.
"Are you kidding? You have helped more than anyone else would. Angel, human, whatever, and we are forever appreciative of that," he struggled to say, "You are like family." He felt her disappear in his arms until his own arms were against his own chest. Dean, of course, was watching from the window, trying to read their lips, which he couldn't. All he knew was that he didn't like it, he wasn't sure why, but he didn't like it. Sam walked in after a minute, now-a-days everything made him want to hit something.
"Where did Marcia go?" Dean asked with his legs crossed on the table and drinking a beer. Sam shrugged.
"She had to go," he made up, "But she said that she would catch ya later." Dean sent judgment eyes towards him.
"Okay, we should get started," Sam said after a long pause of Dean studied him, "Should we split up or go as a team?"
"Do you like Marcia?" Dean asked suddenly, Sam looked at Dean. After a minute he finally answered with another question, "How so?"
"Come on man, don't give me that! You know how," Dean said standing; Sam squinted at him, losing his patience.
"Why? Do you?" Sam asked indignantly, Dean paused and they looked at each other for a minute. Did he like her? He didn't really know, he couldn't say for sure. Dean had had 2 kinds of relationships over the years: One night stands whenever he happens to go to a city more than once, and the kind that is merely sexual. Neither of which he could really do with an Angel, plus he respected her too much, which was also another strange thing, he tended not to respect woman. He didn't treat them bad or anything but he hadn't really thought about what happened to them after he left town, usually forever.
"Let's just get to work," Sam suggested. Dean nodded his head in agreement. They head to the strip. It was still pretty early, but there were many people out and about. Sam and Dean get out of the car in their suits, which caused people to make some space for them. They walk along the sidewalk until they get to one of the venues on the list. Sam kept looking behind him the whole way, he felt someone follow them. They reach the front and flash their badges and step through the doors. It looked like any other venue, heavy curtains, plastic chairs, and a stage. Sam turned around one too many times.
"Okay, Sam that is starting to get annoying, what are you doing?" Dean asked harshly. Sam turned to him and shook his head.
"I don't know I feel like someone is following us?" Dean waved it off, he didn't feel anything and he didn't see anyone. Although, he couldn't deny Sam had seen things before he could pick up on it before. They try to ignore it and go to talk to the owner and get back stage. They walk along with the owner through back stage to the 'sighting' areas.
"Yeah, this is where it happened," the owner said as he scratched his bald spot, "It was strange, but I didn't think it was FBI worthy." They shrug and make something up. He leaves them to search in peace. Sam turns around one more time, and shoots his arm out and grabs a quivering Marcia. He releases her and she falls to the ground.
"Marcia! I'm so sorry!" Sam shouts as she gets to her feet as blood falls from her lip.
"It's okay Sam, that wasn't you," she said breathing heavily, "You guys had something tailing you, I couldn't see it, but I stopped it, I think. I at least hurt it." Her ankle quivered as she nearly fell once again. Sam looks at Dean as if to say: 'I knew it'. Dean stays in the background as Sam and Marcia talk.
"What is happening here?" She asked, settling down onto an old costume chest. Sam explained and she questioned everything.
Why here? What do the victims have in common? What about the other venues? They honestly didn't have the answers. The color filled back into her face and she stood up. Sam looked at her for a second longer as he thought back to what Dean had asked him, but he shook his head and looked away.
"We just started so there isn't much to go on," Dean said, "So we can't really answer any of that. But we will." She looked around, "This is not the place."
"What? How do you know?" Dean asked annoyed.
"It is only in one place really, the others are distractions. Leading you astray, you are lucky I am here." The boys both blush. She disappeared and as they head to lead, she appears again a minute later.
"Found it," she said quickly. They step back as she appears right in front of them. They get into the car as she looks at the list of the venues and she scratches all the names off the list and toss it back to them. Sam chuckles.
"Wow, that was easy, we should keep you around all the time," he said turning back to her as her face falls slightly.
"Yeah, you saved us so much time, we might have a small vacation yet, Sammy," Dean said excitedly. She looked at both of them and felt tears pool around her eyes. They find the place and it is the biggest, ugliest one of them all. They all get out of the car and flash their badges to get in. The place was filled to the brim. She is pushed into Sam and is back in his arms, Dean felt fire fill his stomach as he helps them apart. She gets embarrassed and trips over some equipment. Dean and Sam try to stifle their laughter as they help her up again.
They went back stage and see candy wrappers everywhere. They hear screaming and run towards it, it was a woman running towards them.
"Help," she cried, "It's—it's—""What? What is it?" Sam asked. She pointed and ran in the other direction. Black smoke began flying towards them. Marcia raised her knife and sliced through the smoke, making it dissipate. She waved them to go forward to the room. When they went through it, it leads to a different place. The dark purple sky casts moonlight into the alley they step out into.
"Where the hell are we?" Dean asks looking around. Marcia looks around panicky. Sam puts his hand on her shoulder and she jumps. He points up to the roof of the adjacent building.
"Why hello," said a voice from above, "Welcome, I wanted to play a little more, but the pathetic love triangle killed my mojo." They reach for their guns as he began walking down the fire escape.
"Relax, I am here for fun," the trickster said wearing a red suit, Marcia was for some reason just staring at him, "Ah nice to see you."
"What—"she questioned, but quickly stiffened when he put up his arm. Her arms dropped and he flicked his fingers and she fell against the wall.
"Stop," Sam said, "Stop, stop, stop!" Sam grabbed the tricksters arm and pushed him away. He began laughing at him. Sam scrapped her off the wall.
"Oh, this is too funny, Dean I think you are losing. Come on man, fight for your woman," he said looking over at Dean. Dean furrowed his brows.
"Go screw with someone else!" He yelled and the Trickster smiled.
"No, you two are too much fun," he said shooting his hand in the air, controlling Sam and Marcia. He began playing music and 'controlled Sam' grabbed 'controlled Marcia'. Dean went to turn his head, but the Trickster wagged his finger and made him look forward. Sam and Marcia began kissing, one after the other. The Trickster just smiled as they roughly kissed one another. Dean tries to look away, but all he can do is close his eyes. Anger poured into his chest as he closed his eyes and he clutched the gun. He knew it wouldn't work but he shot the Trickster, even if it just takes his control of them away for a second. It does and Sam and Marcia wake up in each other's arms and push away embarrassed. The Trickster was pissed.
"Man, that wasn't nice," he said angrily as Marcia put her hand up to his face.
"Go home Gab—"a blast of light and fear glows in her eyes as he sends her away.
"Where did you take her?" Sam asked angrily, Dean stepped forward.
"Calm down lover boys," the Trickster said, "I sent her home, probably won't be very fun for her though." Dean clenched his fists. He stepped forward about to say something, but Marcia burst through the door they just left, covered in blood.
"You little Bitch!" she said as her blade slid into her hand, he smiled and bowed.
"That's my cue to leave," he disappeared and the scene dissolved from an alley to a regular equipment room. She fell to her knees as blood stained her shirt and trickled out of her mouth and forehead.
. . . .
They sat next to the impala on the side of a road just outside Las Vegas. Marcia clammed up as to what happened and refused to answer any question, Sam pressed, but Dean didn't.
"Drop it, it doesn't matter anymore, the Trickster is gone for the time being," he said leaning against the hood away from those two, the image still burned into his head. Marcia looked up at Dean.
"Thanks Dean," she said quietly, he nodded; his mind was in another place. He wondered if she was a good kisser, apparently so, because he kept kissing her. He then wondered was that her first kiss, and how sad that would have been, not that it was Sam but that it was forced. Sam was apparently talking to him, because he hit is sharply on the shoulder.
"Ow! What!" He yelled. Sam went to start again, but his phone went off. He looked down confused.
"Who was it?" Dean asked. Sam paused, "It's a video message, sent by an unknown number." He opened it, it was him and Marcia, all three of them crowded around the blushed furiously at the first kiss, she was practically on fire by the last one, Sam looked the same, just staring at the screen devote of emotion. Dean fought the urge to chuck the phone down the hill. It was on a loop, so Sam just closed it. Marcia covers her mouth and darts backwards.
"No, no this is horrible," she said terrified, Sam and Dean looked at each other.
"It's really okay," Dean said, she shook her head without words, she was adorable. Dean tried not to smile.
"Yes it is," Sam said, she looked over to him, his eyes locked on her, "It happens." She grimaced.
"I don't know how often it happens to you! But it doesn't happen to me!" Dean guessed that it was her first.
"I mean it was just a kiss it doesn't matter," Sam lied. She advanced towards him.
"No, you ass!" She yelled, "I wasn't talk about the kisses, I was weak, I showed weakness. I am to invested in you two, and it's not fair to you guys." She looked at them softening. Dean felt is heart fall.
"So what? You are going to leave again and not come back this time?" Dean asked. She nodded. Sam remained silent.
"Well, you know you aren't the only one that is too invested. We like you, Marcia. You've saved our asses more than once, actually more than we can even fathom. You've been with us since we were children. You can't quit cold turkey." Dean tried to insure his voice doesn't break. Sam nods behind him.
"My watch over you two should have been terminated years ago, and it did. It was inappropriate and for that I apologize," she said sadly as she walked passed Dean and opened the trunk and removed a small white cloth bag tied with gold string. She looked at it and threw in the air and caught it.
"You don't have to do this," Dean said, "This is stupid! Okay if you and Sam want to be together than be together." These words stung as it left his lips; both Sam and Marcia looked at him.
"Oh Dean," she said quietly. Sam looked away.
"If there are rules against it than keep it secret," he said still fighting through the taste of the words, "I've always believed that if you don't like the rules, than break 'em." A tear fell down Marcia's face and she hugged him. He closed his eyes and hugged her back and whispered to her.
"Don't go, I need you," he felt like a small child and hated himself for it. She disappeared in his arms and he felt his arms hit his chest. An apple sits on top of the car with a note under it.
"I'm sorry; I have to for your protection. I am truly sorry. It's just too painful." Dean slammed the top of the impala. He grabbed the apple and took a bite. It was sweet like the first time he had one, the first time they met. Sam looked over at him with watery eyes.
**Several Months Later**
Since there last goodbye, not only did Dean make a fool of himself, she was actually following through this time. She disappeared before, but if he or Sam wished hard enough, she would always show up when they needed her. Maybe they abused her powers and kindness. Maybe they loved her too much; maybe they did appreciate her enough. Dean would never know. Sam had found restitution in trusting a demon named Ruby. Despite Dean's qualms, Sam hadn't listened, until he pulled the Marcia card, which was cold even for Dean.
*I am posting early because I feel bad about the chapter I posted last Thursday. This one, I feel, is better and more me.
**The Angel bag (the white sack with the gold string) is not a real thing in the series, but in my AU, it is similar to the Hex bags from witches, only it protects the person(s).
***We all know what "I need you" in Dean speak it ;)