I am so sorry for the delay! I had no mood to write or do anything but read in the bed besides caring for my kids and work. But I hope to get on the horse again! So there it is…again without Beta Reading…didn't find someone to do it yet.
Supernatural-AU Season 14 /Evolution Road
Episode 1
First of the Banished
Chapter 7
After the session everyone left the building with a happy smile on his lips. They had made their decision and most of the angels started to chat a bit in front of the building now. It was still in the middle of the day and the sun was still shining bright. Some children were running around and laughter could be heard.
Dean wondered what it was that had made the children say yes to an angel. A knot tightened inside his stomach. It wasn't right to take away a children's life. It just wasn't. He couldn't hold back and walked to the point he saw Gajael standing. He coughed behind the angelic leader, which made her stop her resent conversation.
"On a word in private." He asked her.
"Course." She gave the angel she just had been talking to a short sign and he vanished the place.
"I see something is still bothering you. What is it?" She seemed to be earnestly interested. Her now manly vessel showed a worried face-expression.
"Yeah, well, it didn't escape my attention, that there are children among your people."
"And that concerns you because?"
"They're children! They're not supposed to make a choice like letting an angel in on their own! They cannot foresee the consequences like an adult. They just think of angels like fluffy nice fellows and that it would be nice to be one. Your people should let them go."
"I…understand. Would you mind following me?"
Dean gave her a look like the hell he would, but he didn't say anything and walked behind the not so she-like meatsuite of Gajael towards the group of playing children.
Sam standing in another corner of the large, wide spread group got attention of his brother heading the group of children and he foreboded what his foolish older sibling was about to do. The younger Winchester excused himself to the angels he just had talked to and began to hurry to reach Dean before he could say or worse DO anything stupid to ruin all their achievements.
"Sophie, " Gajael spoke with clear voice," would you be so kind to join me and Mr. Winchester for a second?"
The angel wearing the vessel of a apparently eight year old girl came closer and looked at Dean curiously. Dean felt somehow irritated.
"Sophie? That doesn't sound like an angel's name."
The girl began to giggle and closed her eyes slightly in amusement. Then she gave Dean a bright,friendly…and childish smile when she answered: "That's because it isn't an angels name you fool!"
"I beg you pardon?"
"Sophie is MY name. The name of the angel that lives with me is Immanuel. Do you want to talk to him?"
Dean looked at her a bit astonished and confused but managed to answer: "Yes?" It more came out like a question. Sam shared a curious look with his brother and was happy, that nothing too bad had happened yet. The girl closed her eyes for another short second and then opened them again. Dean and Sam both noticed the slight change in the aura of the child. Also something in her face-expression had changed. From one moment to the next Dean felt like looking in the eyes of someone else. It reminded him of the time when Gadreel was in Sam's Body and came to the surface, when he wanted to talk to him.
"What can I help you with?" Even the voice of the girl had managed to transform into something older on a mystical level.
"You are the angel? The angel, that posses this child?"
"I wouldn't term it like that, but I think the answer to that question should be yes. You seem to be uncomfortable with me. Why is that?"
Sam grabbed Deans sleeve and hissed into the ear of his brother: " Please, Dean, it was so difficult to get here and find them…don't ruin everything by using your hot temper to run the show. Be civil for once!"
A bit more trust, Sammy, Dean thought annoyed.
"Actually: yes. I don't like the thought of angels possessing children-bodies al lot. I'd lie to you, if I'd tell you otherwise." At least the older hunter was successfully hiding is pissed composure quiet good. He knew he mustn't destroy their last hope for helping the heavenly problem, but he couldn't let his concerns go unacknowledged.
A helpless look directed to Gajael was the reaction to the harsh words, Dean had used to address the girl-angel. Gajael gave Immanuel a smile: " Just tell him how you met Sophie. I think you would be a great help and an ambassador for our mission. And you would help the human to understand what the difference is between us and the rest of the host, when it comes to the choice of our vessels." Immanuel nodded.
"I met Sophie while watching the streets of a city. I was overwhelmed by all the noise and the chatter and all these souls free and around me. Then I heard a prayer. It was so hushed and more like a plea. The soul it came from was so pure and warm…and weakening. I searched for the source and found a car accident. Sophie was trapped in the backseat of the car. Her mother in the front seat…heavy injured and her Father was dead. Her prayer was not for her own sake…she wanted her parents to be safe. I couldn't let her die. So I showed myself to her in the hope she would be able to bare me. She did...and we bonded. So I was able to help her healing. I was weak…I couldn't do it just by touching her shortly."
Dean listened to the story that Immanuel just had told and is anger was about to vanish word by word. He imagined this nice and sweet girl terrified, and captured by the fear for her parents and her own life. This fragile little life, so lovely and caring.
"What happened to her mother?"
Immanuel pointed to the group he had come from. A young woman was standing there. Not before that very second Dean recognized she was looking at them very closely and a bit concerned too.
"I called for another sibling nearby because the mother was deadly injured too. She as well was able to be a vessel. And the two of them hosted our grace since that day. They saved us, like we saved them. They showed us everything we know about humanity. They gave us a voice among humans and the ability to exist here on earth. We are family."
Dean all of a sudden had a big knot in his stomach. He had been ready to judge before knowing anything about the relationship between this angel and his vessel. He had shown a prejudice that he hoped he had lost years ago.
But when Immanuel just spoke this truth of being family with his human, being chosen into their family and welcomed…Dean knew exactly what they felt. He just knew it by looking in the girls…the angels eyes. And he should know…
Family doesn't end with blood. And it does not begin with it either.
"I think I should go back. Sophie wants to be with her mother and her friends again. I was able to help, I hope?"
Immanuel exchanged a worried look with Gajael and the older angel nodded. The eyes of the girl just glowed up, nearly too short to notice, and the bold smile came back to the child's face.
"It was nice to meet you, Dean. Don't be angry with Immanuel. He's nice. He is a good friend. And I really would be sad if he'd go away. He always supports me when I need it." And with a mischievous glance she added: "But he won't help me with my homework or with tests in school. He tells me this would be cheating."
Then she ran away happily and Dean felt a warm feeling inside he had felt the last time, when Sammy was in that age. He always had loved children. And he could tell that that was a happy little being. When he saw her with her mother, embracing each other he knew, that he had been wrong about these people. He had a feeling about being wrong about Gajael too.
"This is your big trick, isn't it?"
"Big trick?" Gajael asked back, surprised expression in her…his face.
"A story like this is with all of you, isn't it? And the reason why you had changed your vessel?"
A mild smile appeared on the angels face and she nodded her male vessels head…then looked back at Sophie and her mother.
"I change my vessels often. I don't want to ruin their lifes and stay with them for centuries. It is impossible for a human being to adjust to a new decade after such a long time. But my taste is different to Immanuel's. I search for the mentally wounded. My last companion was found by me on the reeling of a bridge. She was about to jump. Standing there. In the middle of the night. She'd lost something very precious and she wasn't able to cope with that. She wasn't able to heal inside. All she wanted was peace and silence to rest her thoughts and to forget. So I made her the offer to be with her…make her life quiet and give her the change to rest. So we were for over ten years. She needed that long to find a reason to live on her own again. And then we found him together." Gajael pointed towards her own chest and then said:" He was devastated emotionally. My offer was made again and I left my old companion and joined another one."
"Why?"
"The human life is so precious. And your emotions are so wonderful! Every single one of them. To end a life because of them…I cannot endure to see that and don't do something about it. It is just too sad."
Sam was attached. He couldn't imagine to be with destroyed souls again and again out of free will. That needed strength. And a lot of it, he thought. He was curious:" You have been on earth for more than ten-thousand years…how many vessels did you have over all that time?"
"I stopped counting them. But it were many. And always worth the wait for their recovery. And Sam…they all found their light back. Every. Single. One. Of them."
It only was a short moment, but Dean and Sam both felt as if Gajael had read their minds again and had seen what was inside of them. All the dark they had seen. All the suffer and loss. The abyss still licking at the back of their consciousness and all the strength it took to stay away from it and go back to the light.
"I see."
"I am glad that we could show you the nature of our striving and what it is we would want for heaven to be. We should hurry now. Let's meet tomorrow and arrange a gathering with Gabriel. We should talk about terms for our help and should go to work as soon as possible!"
Dean and Sam nodded. It was about damn time to get to action.
"Really a nice place you have here. Cozy."
Castiel let Gajael down the stairs into the war room of the bunker. He had spoken to Gabriel and told him that he had something important to discuss, but didn't say a word about the banished angel. He hoped the best that this would not end in some fighting but he knew Gabriel well enough. He was a trickster and yes, he liked to play, but even he knew when there was no time for games anymore."
Dean, Sam and Jack already were sitting at the war table in expectation for the next things to come. Gajael and Castiel took seats too and they waited.
Dean began to tab the table with his fingers impatiently.
"You told Gabriel to meet here?"
"Yes, Dean."
"And you told him the right time."
"Dean! Will you just wait without complaining like a child?"
Dean grimaced at Castiel and forming a slight nahnahnah with his lips. That only earned an eyeroll from the angel and a sigh from his brother.
"You guys really should…what the hell?!" Gabriel stood at the edge of the table, eyes wide with surprise. Gajael glared back. Nobody in the room dared to breathe. This was it…this was the moment of truth. Slowly Gabriel began to turn around the table and headed to the old angel.
Dean really tried to guess what the trickster was thinking. At least he was not about to unsheathe his angel blade. That should be good news. Even Castiel didn't move and inch.
The archangel stopped in front of Gajael and hesitated. Then the lower angel raised and both began to lift their arms. Sam was on the edge of jumping up and Dean already had his hand at his gun but then the two angels embraced each other and began to laugh.
What the actual fuck?
"You crazy old chick, you! I told the others: no way she's dead! I knew it!"
"Heard you did a trick or two about that too, brother." she mused.
"Nice vessel, you have!" Gabriel just clapped the tight backside of the young man with his hands and a big grin all over his face. " Doing the bongabonga with him?"
"Gabriel..we're not alone! I beg you." She laughed. Dean instantly wished to get this out of his head again.
"What's about the intervention here?" Gabriel asked and took the last free seat at the war table besides Gajael.
"Heard rumors you could need a hand or two with keeping the covens intact upstairs. Thought: After some millennia I could finally say the old butts above a nice and warm hello again."
"You?" Gabriel began to laugh like this had been the best joke he'd ever heard. Nobody joined him. After some seconds he cleared his throat.
"Seriously…you would go back? It's not that I don't find that offer of you not spectacular and generous, but you are one more angel. Not that your grace would not help at all, but…"
"She is more than 50, actually," Sam added before Gabriel would return to heaven without hearing them out.
"50? What the fuck?" Gabriel's mood changed instantly. He knitted his brows together and his lips formed a thin line.
"We thought we were close to extinction and you hide 50 of our brothers and sisters? Force us to close the gate of heaven temporally and squeeze our asses out for the last juice we have to keep the machine going?"
"I didn't know it was that bad, Gabriel. And I didn't know you were in charge."
"What's the difference about who is in charge? You are a rogue, but I'd never imagine you as someone who'd like to see heaven breaking apart."
"The angels in my charge are terrified, Gabriel. The most of them were on the row from the wars in heaven. All this hate between the fractions…the constant danger of being "reeducated" if they stepped out of line. Ask Castiel how he liked it to be treated by your precious Naomi!"
Gabriel took seat again and bared his face into his palms on the table.
"I know. She's a pain. If we were more…I'd love to kick her ass to next Monday. Believe me. I heard from others…read it in Castiel…saw it by myself. But we need her:"
"What for?"
"She has the most inside knowledge in heaven right now. She knows how everything ticks. She somehow hold it together when it was about to fall apart. The others trust her…even if they fear her."
Gajael shook her head. She seemed upset.
"I see. But there is this, Gabriel: We don't want anything. No terms for our help or the return to heaven, but one: Naomi has to be imprisoned. Immediately. Before this isn't done, none of us will return and you have to find another way."
"You know what? You've been a pain in the ass too," Gabe whined.
"I know."
Dean cleared his throat demonstratively and looked at Gabriel: "Gabe, look. This is the best shot you'll get, isn't it? And to hell with Naomi! This bitch should've died years ago! She can call herself lucky to be imprisoned only for what she did to Cas and all the others! You can do this without her. C'mon, man!"
"I knoooow. But I don't want to." Gabriels forhead knocked at the table in a slow pace. Sam smiled amused about Gabes behavious.
"That means I've to stay upstairs and do paperwork-thingy-things…and organize stuff and eewwww…this is disgusting. That's torture! That's worse as hell!"
Dean wasn't sure if Gabriel wasn't about to cry every moment and Castiel looked at the archangel very puzzled. Sam, sitting on the other site of Gabriel padded the shorter man's shoulder with understanding. But he could't hold back a big smile: "You should go get yourself some hot secretaries to make things more comfortable," Sam joked.
Gabriel raised his head abruptly, cupped Sams face with his two hands and gave him a big and wet kiss on the surprised lips. Sam backed off as fast as he could and wiped his mouth with his sleeve very soundly: "Dude! Yikes!"
Castiel leaned over to Gabriel and told him very seriously: "There is this thing about personal space. Humans are very fond of it."
"Whatever! Samsquatch is right! I need secretaries. Hot ones! And I have the best source to get some!"
"Gabe? Heaven? Gajael?" Dean was about to punch this archyangel right in the face in that very second.
"Yes,yes,yes…Naomi in jail. Granted. I didn't like her much anyway. I can't think of anyone who does. And now I have to go back and have preparations to make for building up my new and great office. Oh this will be awesome!"
"Gabe?"
"Don't worry your beautiful hair about it, Sammy. I will get in touch when Naomi is out of the way and Gajael's flock can come home. I will also give you the location to the actual entrance to heaven."
"But…" Dean wasn't able to finish his question.
They looked at each other with blank expressions and finally Castiel began to massage his nose-bridge: "Why do I have this slight feeling this is going to end catastrophically?"
Gajael lent back in her seat and folded her arms behind her head: "I don't know what you mean. Gabe is ok. He got this. I will make arrangements too. We have to prepare our move-in in heaven."
Dean looked at Gajael worriedly: "What is about the vessels?"
"Depends. Some will go with the vessels, others will let them go if they are ready to be left." I can't decide this for them. There is a lot of work to do."
She araised and walked towards the front door. She only stopped to give Castiel a last word: " Soon you will be the only angel left on earth, Castiel. Besides some reapers and Cupids. You're ok with that?"
Castiel didn't know. So he didn't answer.
Flashback:
"You left him behind on purpose!" You never liked Lucifer!" Jack yelled at Dean.
"Jack,…" Castiel tried to calm down the Nephilim.
"No! You're the worst of all! You pretended to love me, but you didn't want to share my love with Lucifer! You're not even my real father, Castiel."
Ouch…that hurt, Dean thought with a worried glare at his angelic friend. The hand Castiel had reached out to touch Jack went back to his side.
"Jack,…" Castiel tried again, but couldn't bring himself to say more.
"Leave me alone! All of you. I have to think."
And with that Jack vanished from the bunker. Castiel didn't even blink. Dean felt like he should something to comfort his friend, but he had no idea what to say. Sam, as always was the first to find words: "Cas, he didn't mean it. He is hurt and sad and just points his anger to the first person he can think of. He didn't mean what he said."
"I'm not so sure. Lucifer was able to bond more with him in two days than I did in weeks, it seemed."
"That only appeared so. It is always easy to nice-talk to someone. But to raise someone, have issues with someone and give lead is more difficult and of course is not only smooth. Give him some hours. He will see and come back."
Castiel looked up at the younger hunter with a hurt expression. He wasn't able to tell how much of being an aim to the young half-angel he could bare to live with.
Still no beta Reader. I gave my best to erase the worst mistakes.
I still would be so happy for feedback.
