Chapter 7: The Magnificent Seven
Dean decides the best way for Sam to get over Bela- aside from being like his big brother and getting under someone else- is to find a new hunt and get to it. He employs Juliet to help.
"Normally Sam would be hunting for a case, but since the case is to help him, it's up to us."
"Hello, Winchesters," Ariel says from the door. "Want any help?"
"Do you know where we could find a hunt to take Sam on?" Dean asks.
"There's a werewolf problem in Sapulpa, Oklahoma."
"Sam'll love that. He loves places you can't pronounce the name of."
"Who does?" Sam interrupts from the door.
"You do. Pack you bags, Sammy, there's a werewolf in Sapulpa with your name on it."
"Really? Just out of the blue like that?" Sam asks skeptically.
"Totally. We get in Baby and drive, find a cheap motel, eat in sleazy diners and kill the evil son of a bitch."
"Is this because of the thing with Bela? Because I'm fine, Dean."
"See, that's just what we say. Even when we're not fine, it's always 'I'm fine'. So, I don't really believe you. So you and I are going hunting. No arguments," Dean orders, leaving the room to ensure he gets the last word. Ariel turns to Sam.
"Bit of a drama queen, isn't he?"
The next day, Sam and Dean drive off in the Impala, leaving their younger siblings, the angels, the twins, and Crowley behind at the bunker. Dean extracts several promises from everyone he can not to leave Crowley alone anywhere in the bunker.
Dean seems a little nervous to leave people alone in the bunker without either him or Sam, but he trusts Juliet and Cas to keep an eye on things.
The group, sans Crowley-who said he had "important business-, wind up in the main room, not doing much of anything.
"So," Gabriel says, "Time for a crazy party? Now that big brothers Winchester aren't here to rain on our parade?"
"No crazy parties," Cas interjects. Juliet nods in agreement.
"Knock knock?" a quiet voice calls from the door. The red head the voice belongs to strides into the room. "What's up bitc-"
She cuts off when she sees the group.
"Am I in the wrong bunker?" she asks.
"Charlie?" Cas asks standing up.
"Oh good, I'm in the right place. Hey, angel. Where's Dean and Sam?"
"On their way to a hunt in Oklahoma; why, what's the matter?"
"Oh no. Well, I have a case for them," she says nervously.
"What kind of case?" Juliet asks.
"Uh, there's kind of a vampire. Chasing me."
"Chasing you? Now?" Adam asks in alarm.
"Uh... yeah."
"Close the door. Get inside," Cas orders, taking charge. "Do you know if they're using anything other than scent to track you?"
Charlie shrugs.
"The bunker will block any tracer signals, so that shouldn't be a problem," Ariel says. "Even witchcraft."
"It blocks electronic signals too," Juliet adds.
"I'll call Dean and tell them to come back," Cas tells them.
"Don't," Juliet stops him."Charlie's safe in the bunker, and between the four of us, we can stop one vampire."
"Four? Sorry, but there are six of us," Ariel reminds her.
"I didn't count Adam, for obvious reasons, and this vampire is after Charlie. I don't think we should put her at risk."
"What 'obvious reasons'?" Adam asks.
"Adam, you were trapped in the Pit for four years. You're a little jumpy and tense. I think it might be best if you avoid high stress situations," Juliet says placatingly.
"Screw that. I can help. Can't I, Ariel?" Adam replies.
"I'm not in charge of you."
"But you're my doctor. You can discourage me."
"I don't see any reason too. You're recovering well."
"See?" Adam turns to Juliet.
"No offense, but Ariel's hardly the most objective doctor," Castiel tells him. "She also does not possess a medical license."
"Fine, Cas. You're objective. Am I healthy enough to hunt with you guys?" Adam asks. Cas pauses. "Come on, Cas. Angel trumps doctor."
Cas tilts his head to the side as he examines Adam. Cas sighs.
"I see no reason you can't be allowed to help."
Before anyone can respond, there's a knock at the door. Charlie gasps.
"It's him. It's the vampire."
"That's no vampire," Gabriel says, a smile lighting up his face.
"What is it?" Juliet asks.
"That's impossible," Cas exhales in shock.
Ariel races up the stairs and jerks open the door in excitement.
"Get in here, you idiot. Didn't you hear about the vampire on the loose?" she says, grabbing the stranger and dragging him inside.
"Should I have?" the blond man in a v-neck asks. "Hello, little sister."
"Balthazar!" she exclaims excitedly, hugging him. "Where have you been?!"
"Oh, here, there. Dead. You know how it is. Hey, Castiel, Gabriel. Assorted friends."
"What are you doing in?" Cas asks shocked.
"By that you mean alive?" Balthazar clarifies. He shrugs. "Isn't that the million-dollar question?"
"Are you the vampire?" Charlie asks nervously.
"Hardly, chère. Less fangs, more feathers."
"You're an angel?" Adam cocks an eyebrow in disbelief.
"I wouldn't scoff if I were you, Winchester," he replies, stressing the last name.
"Balthazar," Cas says, warning him.
"Vampire attack?" Juliet reminds the group. "Gabriel, you and I will gather up long blades: machetes, swords, the works. Cas, take Charlie and Balthazar and find whatever dead man's blood Sam and Dean have stocked up. Ariel and Adam, go through Men of Letter's files and find what you can about vampires. Sam should have alphabetized them."
The groups move in opposite directions, busying themselves with their tasks.
"Vampires... v... v..." Adam mutters, sliding his fingers along book spines.
"Here," Ariel calls from the other side of the room, grabbing stacks of books off the shelves.
"God, there's at least fifty," Adam exclaims.
"'Vampires of the World', 'The Ultimate Guide to Vampires'," Ariel reads off the titles, "'Dracula'. Oh, wait, that's the Bram Stoker novel."
"What? Why do the Men of Letters have Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'?"
"They appreciate classic literature, why else?"
"Okay, but why do they have it stored with the how-to guides for hunting vampires?"
"Guess a fiction section doesn't look very professional. Pull out the one's that aren't fiction. Ignore, Stoker, Anne Rice, that sort of thing."
"And Meyer."
"What?"
"The 'Twilight' books. I should ignore those. For lots of reasons," Adam mutters.
"'Twilight' wasn't out before the Men of Letters were disbanded," Ariel reminds him.
"Then I probably need to have a conversation with Sam and Dean about these," he says, tossing her one of the series.
"Come on, let's get back to work. Ignore the fiction," she reminds him.
"Doesn't narrow it down much," Adam replies, carrying an armload of books to the table before coming back for more.
"Flip to the index. Only keep the one's that say something about repelling vampires or killing them."
Cas leads Charlie and Balthazar down the stairs to a row of nine coolers in the basement.
"Guess we know where they keep the skeletons in the closet," Balthazar jokes. Charlie and Castiel both glare at him. Cas turns back to the coolers.
"The dead man's blood is labelled. They also have v's on the seals."
"There's stuff in here besides dead man's blood?" Charlie asks warily.
"Weak stomach, belle dame?" Balthazar teases.
"I don't exactly want to come across a human heart," Charlie snaps. "And would you stop flirting with me in French?"
"Why? Is it distracting?"
"Hardly. You are not my type."
"I think I could grow on you," he tells her.
"Charlie likes women, Balthazar," Cas says, removing his head from a cooler.
"Oh. My mistake. My apologies."
'You better take that apology, Charlie. I've never heard him apologize to anyone."
The groups gather back in the main room, blades, blood, and books in hand. Juliet and Gabriel pass weapons to everyone and Charlie and the angels hand out syringes of dead man's blood as Ariel and Adam fill them in on what they've found.
"Vampires have a light aversion, since they're senses are heightened by the change. Flashlights might be a temporary solution. Also, their hearing is heightened," Ariel tells the group.
"Are you saying we should defeat the vamp by clapping at it?" Balthazar asks.
"No. Air horns," she says, pulling out a handful. "And, obviously, don't let him bite you."
Gabriel turns to the door suddenly. The other angels follow quickly on high alert.
"He's here," Ariel whispers. The group rolls their shoulders, shifts their weight, and tightens their grips on their weapons.
"Ready?" Cas asks. They nod. He leads them up the stairs and they gather at the door.
"Still just the one?" Juliet asks. Balthazar jerks his head in reply. "That's unusual. Vamps aren't loners."
"Um... he wasn't..." Charlie says. " I... may have killed his mate."
"Tell me you're joking," Balthazar turns to her. Charlie shakes her head. "Alright. One pissed-off, mate-less vampire. Everybody ready?"
"As we'll ever be," Adam replies.
"Bal?" Gabriel asks, gesturing to the door. Balthazar uses his grace to swing the door open. The doorway is empty.
"Gabe?" Juliet whispers.
"He's still there. He's waiting for the right moment."
Suddenly, the vampire charges in. A poor decision, since it's one against seven, but he gains the element of surprise.
He charges right towards Adam, probably sensing him as the weakest link and not as obvious a target as Charlie. As soon as he begins to move, Ariel darts forward with a machete, but he dodges around her.
The vampire is inches from Adam when Adam's blade passes through his throat.
After watching him fall to the ground, Adam looks back at the group who is staring at him in amazement.
"What?"
"Winchester," Balthazar murmurs, vaguely impressed.
"No. Miligan," Adam corrects.
"Whatever."
"Close the door," Cas tells them. "Charlie, would you like to stay the night?"
"Uh... sure."
"What about me?" Balthazar asks.
"You weren't just chased by a vampire and you don't have to drive home," Juliet replies. "But you are invited to stay."
Suddenly the group hears crying.
"I'll handle it, Jules. Get Charlie settled," Gabriel volunteers. Balthazar looks at him in surprise.
"Since when are you up for babysitting?"
"Since they're his kids," Ariel replies with a smirk. Balthazar's head snaps back and forth between his sister and his brother so fast the group worries he'll get whiplash.
"Tell me she's joking."
Gabriel smirks and shakes his head.
"Come meet them."
"Come on, Charlie, let's get you settled in," Juliet tells her.
"Hear you lot took down a vampire," Crowley says suddenly from the top of the stairs.
"I told you to close the door," Cas sighs, "Now we have strays."
"Oh, your lover is rubbing off on you, Castiel. All that snarky Winchester sass, and none of the charm."
"What do you want, Crowley?"
"Thought I'd come help."
"You're a little late," Ariel tells him.
"I noticed. I figured I'd stick around in case you need more help."
"We could do without your kind of help."
"Never the less, here I am."
"Hello, Crowley," Juliet greets him when she returns. "Need something, or just visiting?"
"I had planned on helping with the vampire attack, but-"
"Sure," Juliet says skeptically, "Crow, if you were going to help, you'd have been here in time to help. A visit then?"
Crowley rolls his eyes.
"Is my old room still available?"
"The one in the dungeon with the chains? Sure, if you're into that kind of thing," Juliet teases. "Or, you could have a real room."
"Sure your brothers won't mind?"
"The big ones are out of town. Werewolf in Sapulpa. So, you staying or what?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
A/N: Episode 3x01.
