Chapter 8
Winchesters in general didn't like being restrained. They were like caged lions when they were tied up against their will and would risk bleeding out trying to get free of bindings. Yet both Sam and Dean knew that it was for Sam's own good the moment Dean handcuffed his baby brother to the piping of the bathroom sink.
Sam tried not to look like a pathetic puppy but he felt that way. He was a grown man and his hunger for demon blood was driving him to his knees literally. Now the impact of why it was called an addiction was hitting him. Rather it was slapping him in the face and he felt ashamed. Not just because he felt he was letting his brother down but the fact that she had to see it.
Even though he knew she had the same problem as he did, and she told him, he felt it was ten times worse that she see him like that. She had known and had waited patiently for him to come to her, ask for help but he didn't. This was just a painful reminder of everything that had happened and led them to this moment. No amount of reassurance would help him at this point to let him know she was still interested in him.
"Just hang in there," Dean's voice entered, "We'll be back as soon as we can."
Sam focused on his brother and took a couple of breaths before saying, "Be careful… And hurry."
Dean took a last look at his brother. He hated that Sam was feeling like this and felt even worse since this was seriously a bump in his brother's budding relationship with Angela. He looked his brother over before nodding that he was going to go. Standing up, he gave his brother a pat and left the bathroom. He only paused to look back and say, "Angie, you coming?"
Angela had finished doing a few things to the bathroom and was now standing there, looking at Sam, seeing his discomfort and what was unmistakably shame that he was in that state. It wasn't his fault as far as she was concerned but she understood where he was coming from. She knew she should go with Dean but she got the feeling he had things covered. He hadn't been affected just like her and right now she was in a position to give some help for Sam. "I'm staying."
"What?"
"No… Angie." Sam heard her declaration and he tried to stop it.
Angela turned to look at Dean, "I'll stay with Sam. Take Xander and Zeppelin as back up." At Dean's look, she explained, "They are not affected. Their origins come from the pit and this had only affected humans."
Sam wanted to cry but held it back, "Angie, just… just go."
Dean would have normally obeyed Sam's pleas but when he looked at Angela, he saw that she was determined to stay. Maybe it was guilt from the previous time she couldn't help Sam and had the means to or she really thought it was better. Either way, he would trust her with this and he knew she would rather die than let Sam suffer needlessly. She would go to hell and back for Sam. He nodded, "Okay, you staying in here?"
"Shut the door and barricade. Moira will stay in the room." Angela gave a thankful look at Dean. It looked like she was just being the cold warrior people knew her as but she had to maintain calm otherwise everyone would fall apart. "Find Famine, cut his ring off. That is your job now."
"Okay. Just… be careful."
It was all Dean could say as he closed the door. He watched as the wood closed upon the pitiful, crumbled form of his brother and the determined standing one of his girl. He hated this but Angela was right. They needed to do this otherwise things would never be made right. He turned and nodded at Castiel who shoved the wardrobe in front of the door. He looked at the dogs and called, "Xander, Zep, come on. Moira, stay."
The dogs were quick to obey and went to their places. Dean paused to look at Moira as she sat in the middle of the room, watching the door. She had the same big browns that Sam got when he tried to manipulate a situation but these eyes… they were the dependent kind. She was telling him that she was counting on him to fix her alpha but also that everything was going to be okay.
Dean took a breath and said, "Keep an eye on things you girly pup. Do what you do if something happens." He turned and led the way out with the angel and two dogs muttering to himself, "And I hope you know what you're doing Angie."
Angela was staring at the door, straining to hear the sounds on the other side of it. She wanted to make sure things were set. She heard the clinking of the dog tags and then the click of the door. They were on their way and she took a slight breath. She knew Dean could do this. She believed in him.
"You should've gone."
Angela turned to see Sam shuffling uncomfortably in his position next to the sink. She didn't like it over much but the piping was the strongest thing to hold Sam as the cravings got worse. It would take someone like her to rip the sink off the wall and set him free. She looked at Sam and replied, "Maybe but… I'm here."
Sam adjusted himself, trying to ignore the hunger pangs. "You shouldn't be here." He groaned inwardly and he felt the tears coming up.
"I should be here. I know what you're going through."
"It doesn't mean you need to put yourself through it."
Angela looked at Sam as he pressed his temple against the clear porcelain of the sink. She undid her chakram from her belt and took out her knife and laid them in the tub. They were there as a precaution and she didn't want Sam to be any more uncomfortable than he already was. She kneeled in front of Sam and tried to catch his eye, "Sam."
Sam heard her call his name as he pressed his temple against the sink. He gritted his teeth as he felt another pang hit him. He heard her call to him again but he didn't look at her. He pleaded, "Angie, please… just leave."
"I can't do that…"
"I don't want you to see me like this." Sam finally looked at her to find that she had kneeled to meet him at eye level. He took a couple of breaths and tried not to hyperventilate as he pleaded with her, "Please… just… I don't want you to see this."
Angela took in Sam's words. She knew where he was coming from. And that was what pained her the most. It wasn't that he was rejecting her. He didn't want her to see the ugly truth that she knew was there. To him, just because she knew about it, that didn't mean he wanted her to see it. He was a stubborn man but she was equally stubborn.
There are only three things certain in life my little bambina and they are in the Bible. Consider it gospel truth.
What is it, Father?
Faith, hope and love. Everything good in this world is centered on these three things and the greatest of these is love.
Angela normally respected Sam's wishes but this was something that couldn't be left alone. She never liked leaving something broken when she knew she had the power to fix it or at least alleviate the pain until a solution was found. It was why she was a healer. Staying in the squat, she advanced in a slight duck waddle to be close enough and looked at Sam.
Slowly she reached out with her left hand towards his face. She watched him as he looked at her with that pained expression on his face. He didn't move or shrink when she reached out and ran his locked through her fingers. "I know you don't want me to see you like this but I want to be here. I want to be here with you."
Sam looked at her as she fingered his locks. He really didn't want her to see him like this but he did want her there. He didn't want to voice it and appear needy or selfish. He had been called that enough. "But…" He sighed, "You should be out there… doing what you do… fix it."
"Should? Maybe." Angela settled better on her feet. "But part of me being me are the choices I make. There are two problems and they are related. There are two people capable of taking care of it." She peered at Sam and gave a slight smile. "I think we can manage. It's called good tactics."
Sam managed a chuckle but it came out like a splutter. He still kept his temple pressed against the sink. It seemed to help but even he knew that it was only a matter of time before he went stark crazy with the thirst. He managed to get out, "Yeah… like your trial."
"That was engineered so that I didn't have to be involved. But my old team just didn't want to do it without me." Angela looked at the tub and then at the ceiling. She then looked at Sam. He was suffering and she wanted nothing more than to cradle him and soothe him. It was screaming at her to do it but he was still too agitated. She decided to try something else. "Sam… can I ask you something?"
Sam looked at her. He could feel sweat starting to pour down his face. He wondered if he was going to get the shakes like he did in the bunker. He managed, "Didn't you just ask?" He attempted a smile.
"I did but…" Angela sat back on her heels having gone to her knees. She put her hands on her lap. As much as she wanted to ask questions and knowing that Sam would do anything to take his mind off of things… She couldn't do it. She just sat there and looked at her hands trying to figure out why she was there.
"Don't go."
Angela looked up and saw Sam looking at her in anguish, "What…?" She shook her head in confusion.
"Don't go," Sam repeated. He gave in to what he wanted apart from the hunger for the blood. "What you were doing… don't stop. I… I want you here… but… you need…" He closed his eyes and pressed his temple against the sink. He hated this. He started thumping his head against the sink. It wasn't hard enough to knock himself out but…
He only jumped slightly when he felt her cool touch on him. It was ironic since she ran hotter than humans; it was a dhampir thing to run a body temp at a low grade fever. And yet it was cool to him. Her touch was always soothing no matter what it was and… He leaned into her as she cradled him. At this point he didn't care that he was like a pathetic heap. It was awkward since he was cuffed to the piping but he managed to lean into her and took in deep breaths as he caught her scent as her hands raked gently through his hair.
Angela held Sam and stroked his hair like she did when he was sick. The sweat was making his hair stringy. His breath was coming in short bursts like he was trying to take extreme pain. His breath touched the left side of her neck tickling it and she could feel her skin flush. She looked up at the ceiling as Sam tried to control what was happening to him.
"You smell nice."
It was an odd statement but Angela went with it, "I don't wear perfume. Sensitive nose."
"I know. But it smells nice."
Sam's body started to calm a little but Angela knew that it was more like the calm before the storm. She could feel his body temperature, the sweating and the shakes were starting. Luckily it was small but they could get physical. She would try to hold it off just a little bit longer. She craned her neck to listen for Moira before turning her attention to Sam. Finally she said, "You know there is a story about the lotus blossom and how it ended up in the sky. It had to do with how the race of the Avians were born and why they are who they are."
"Tell me."
Angela twitched her lip slightly as Sam adjusted his position and fixed his head. She didn't stop stroking his hair and adjusted her position. "Well…"
Dean didn't like leaving his brother in the state he was. He knew a lot was riding on this and he was feeling the pressure. He was sure that he would be more freaking out if it hadn't been for his girl. She told him what needed to be done and what to do. Normally he'd go into an argument but this affected everyone; it was affecting Sam and it was time to put beyond the A-game into play. He knew that Sam would be okay with her.
Dean knew that there were two things going for her. One was that she wasn't being affected by Famine. In fact the more Sam got agitated, the calmer she got. And two… Dean knew that Sam wouldn't do anything to hurt her, at least not intentionally. Plus if it did get physical, she wasn't fragile and could take a hit. Not that he wanted that since he had seen her seriously hurt. But he could be assured somewhat that she would be there to keep Sam out of trouble.
Putting on his game face, he walked into the coroner's office with Castiel in tow. The dogs were waiting in the Impala with the patience of saints. They had sensed his urgency and agitation and were ready to work. They would do what they had to do. And at least Castiel didn't have his hands on a burger.
They walked in and Dean saw the coroner's assistant and gave a friendly greeting, "Hey, Marty. Is Dr. Corman around?"
Marty looked at Dean with a slight puzzled expression. Dean realized that he was probably looking for Angela since she had accompanied them the last two times. That changed when Marty asked him, "Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
Marty looked at Dean and Castiel and replied, "Dr. Corman's dead."
It was a bit of shocker and before Dean could ask, Marty was leading them to where the now dead coroner was lying on the slab. Marty pulled back the sheet to reveal the late doctor and said, "The guy's been dry for the last twenty years. But this morning, he left work, went home and drank himself to death."
Before Dean could say anything, Castiel piped up, "It's Famine."
"Pardon?" Marty looked at them in confusion. "And where is Dr. Nevarra? She would want to know."
"She is working on something else for us. Would you give us a minute please?" Dean looked at Marty.
"Sure."
Dean thanked the assistant as he left the room. He waited until he was gone before he began to walk around the table, looking at the body. He wasn't sure about what he was going to find since he knew what it was that caused it. "Crap. And I really kind of liked this guy." He looked at the body and shook his head slightly.
Castiel allowed a moment for Dean before he extended his hand over the body. He had to be sure and… "They haven't harvested his soul yet."
Dean knew what that meant. It meant taking more time out but it was the best they could do. I just felt wrong since it was Dr. Corman. "Well… if we wanna play Follow the Soul to get to Famine our best shot starts with the doc here. And if things go bad… Zep can find them."
It was in agreement to wait for the demon to show up and harvest the soul. Then they would follow it to where Famine was hiding out. Dean went back out to the car and positioned it so he could watch the front doors. He had no idea how long he was going to wait on this but he knew that every second was going to be agonizing for Sam.
I hope you can help him Angie. I know what happens when you perceive failure.
A whimper sounded from the backseat and Dean turned to see Zeppelin sitting on the edge, looking like he was going to jump to the front seat. The dog paused to look at him while Xander was stretched on the backseat and prepared to wait. Deciding to go with it, Dean reached over towards the back and gently grasped Zeppelin by the scruff of his neck and lifted him over to join him in the front seat. "You okay buddy?"
Zeppelin maneuvered his puppy body on Dean's lap so he was close to the open window. He sat on Dean's lap and stared out the window, his nose twitching and taking in the smells. He didn't even budge when a car moved. He just sat there and watched.
Dean absently rubbed the puppy as it sat on his lap. At least he wasn't stepping where he wasn't supposed to. Then again he had made the pup understand what he could and couldn't do in the car. He still felt silly talking to the dogs like they were people but he got it that you had to especially if you were going to make a Wilder understand what you wanted him to do.
Training the puppies was fitted in whenever there was a lull. They went everywhere with them since they were being like their sire which was clingy little bastards. They wanted to work and were eager to please. Most of the time it was just trying to figure out what to do with them since Dean was used to working with their sire, an adult. Puppies were like kids and he could tolerate them in small doses but he had to admit that he was fond of them. He did give Zeppelin his name.
It certainly had Dean proud when Zeppelin could distinguish which cheeseburgers were good and which were bad. He could even pick one out in the middle of Sam's rabbit food. Since then it was more like a game and he had Zeppelin occasionally steal one of Sam's socks to hide it. It was usually spoiled by Moira who would find it and return it to her master and do it with a smug expression.
Dean looked in the mirror to see Xander on the backseat looking in the same direction as Zeppelin. He was still up in the air about the Wilder that had died and was now brought back to life. Angela told him and Sam that the dog was a mean old thing but now… he was mellow almost. He could fight certainly but… He couldn't put his finger on it but it was clear that he knew Angela and she knew him and it imprinted on her so he couldn't complain. His only concern was when the puppies got bigger. Three adult dogs and three adults… There would be time to worry about that later.
Right now he was waiting for those demon bastards so they would lead him to Famine. He looked at the pup on his lap. "You got anything, buddy?"
Zeppelin didn't say anything but continued to look out the window. Dean rolled his eyes slightly but he turned his focus in the direction his dog was looking in. He had to hand it to dedication. He didn't turn until he heard the telltale rustle of wings indicating that Castiel was back. He turned to find the angel seated shotgun and with another bag. The smell of cheeseburgers filled the air as Dean watched the angel dig in. "Are you serious?"
Castiel didn't answer at first, preferring to take a bite and savor the taste of beef. He smiled as he chewed, "These make me very happy."
Dean just rolled his eyes at that. At least Zeppelin wasn't trying to get at the burgers. Apart from tracking, the pup's other chief hobby and enjoyment was eating. Like his master, he loved his food and savored it and he had a tendency to overeat sometimes. In fact, the pup wasn't bothered by it and kept his gaze on the coroner's office.
Looking back at the angel, Dean had to ask, "How many is that?"
"Lost count. It's in the low hundreds."
Dean couldn't help but widen his eyes at that. It was a wonder the angel's stomach didn't explode. They again it must be an angel thing to keep major things from happening to the vessel or something. He did let out a low whistle since the amount was more than he had heard of in a burger eating contest.
"What I don't I don't understand is where is your hunger, Dean?"
"Huh?"
Castiel took a swallow but was still chewing as he explained, "Well slowly but surely, everyone in this town is falling prey to Famine. But so far you and Angela seem unaffected."
Dean wanted to know that as well. He shrugged, "When I wanna drink, I drink. When I want sex, I go get it. Same goes for a sandwich or a fight." He didn't know about him and Angela only expressed her confusion with her.
"So you're saying you're just well adjusted?"
"God no," Dean protested, "I'm just well fed." He paused a moment and thought about it for a moment before saying, "What I don't get is… why Angie isn't acting like Sam?"
"What do you mean?" Castiel took another bite of his burger and looked at Dean expectantly.
Dean shrugged again and wondered if the burger eating was distracting Castiel. "Well, she told me she has the same problem as Sam and that she acquired it when she had her last stint in Hell."
"That is correct."
"Okay. So why isn't she craving it?"
Castiel wasn't sure either. It was most unusual. In fact she was the one that exerted influence for him to put down the burger long enough to explain things. "I'm not sure. Could be her dhampir physiology."
"But she's half human. She would be affected."
"Her internment in Hell was nearly three centuries ago. It is possible that she learned not to listen to it."
"So you're saying that she dealt with it and that's that?"
"There were some difficulties. Encounters with demons, cuts drawing blood…" Castel took another bite as he relayed what he remembered.
Dean listened and was able to read between the lines. He could get that she would have learned to resist and be in its presence. Hell what she did was like putting a drunk to work in a bar. It was crazy but he could get why she did it. It was her job. Yet the way she had been behaving, it was like the more crazy everything else got, the calmer she got and was able to see reason. Could it be that it was the same way when she was working against War? She wasn't fooled by the black eyes like everyone else. "So you're saying she's the well-adjusted one?"
"Or just well-fed."
It was strange hearing the angel joke but Dean was going to take it. He would have said something when he heard Zeppelin's low growl. He turned to look out the window just as Zeppelin put his paws on the sill. "Easy, Zep."
Out of the coroner's was unmistakably a demon. Dean watched as Zeppelin tracked the demon as it left the building just by moving his head. The demon walked to a black SUV and Zeppelin gave a low howl. It wouldn't have been heard by anyone except those close by. It was the call that the target was on the move and it was echoed by Xander.
Dean turned the engine and prepared to follow. He waited until the SUV drove by before engaging to follow. He moved the pup to sit firmly on his lap as he turned the car and followed into the night.
A/N: Sam is put into lockdown and Dean and Cas go after Famine. Keeping watching for next time on Blood Lotus...
