Chapter 9: Reality
Suddenly there was a crash on the other end of the phone, and then a burst of demonic laughter, all the while Leah was screaming,
"Peter?!" And then the phone went dead.
"Peter?! You monster!!" Leah shrieked. She then threw her cell phone at the wall, and reached up, gripping her head tightly. Dean rushed over to her, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him.
"Leah?! What is it?!" he demanded.
"He's got Peter!" Leah yelled hysterically, "that monster's got my brother!"
"Are you sure?" Sam asked. Leah nodded frantically. Numbed, she let Dean pull her over to the couch.
"Tell us what he said," Dean questioned. Leah took a deep rattling breath, shaking violently.
"He just said that he had something of mine and he wanted to give me a hint… and that's when I heard Peter…" Leah explained. Sam stepped up to her.
"Are you absolutely sure it was your brother?" he asked. Leah suddenly stood.
"Over twenty-four years of living with my brother, I know his voice when I hear it," she said firmly. Sam looked at Dean.
"Possession?" Dean asked quietly. Sam frowned.
"Possession?" Leah repeated in an unusually high pitched voice.
"Ruby," Sam said, turning, "do—" but he stopped. Ruby was gone.
"Great," Dean muttered. Leah fell back down to the couch. Thousands of thoughts swirled through her brain. This was impossible.
'She said he was dead, Dean," Sam said softly.
"Demons also possess dead bodies, Sam," Dean replied. Sam cocked his head and gave him a serious look.
"Why trick her like that?" he asked.
"Why not?" Dean replied, "He's a demon Sam."
Leah whimpered softly, clutching her head again. Sam and Dean looked over at her.
"Oh God… help me…" she groaned.
"Psh, yeah. A little late for that one," Dean muttered bitterly
"I would not say that."
Dean and Sam looked over with surprise, and Leah lifted her head to see the newcomer who spoke. There stood a man— tall, with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, dressed in a suit with a tan trench coat. He looked utterly unemotional— as if randomly popping into rooms was a normal thing. In a flash Leah was off the couch. She whipped out her gun and before Dean, Sam, or the newcomer could react, she pointed her gun, fully loaded, at the man. He merely glanced at her, unperturbed.
"Whoa!" Dean cried, taking a step forward. Leah simply arched her gun higher. She stared at the man with wide, fearful, yet angry eyes.
"Leah—don't— he's not was you think," Sam started.
"Don't tell me," Leah snarled, gripping her gun tighter, "another good demon?"
"Quite the opposite," the man replied. He had a deep monotone voice. Leah frowned, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"I am an angel, of the most High God. I am Castiel."
It was silent a moment, until the sound of Leah's gun clattering to the floor interrupted the silence. Leah's mouth opened as if to speak, but nothing came out. Leah looked over at Dean and Sam as if asking whether this was true. Dean nodded solemnly. Leah turned back to Castiel, stunned. She backed up.
"Oh my…God," she whispered. Castiel remained silent.
"Okay," Dean interrupted, "shocking moment and everything, but we have a real problem here to solve." Leah looked at him, and he tuned to Castiel.
"Cas," he said, "you're late." Castiel looked at him, quite superior-like.
"I have been informed of the situation," he said firmly.
"Y-you're an angel. So kill this evil son-of-a-gun," Leah spoke out, her voice shaking. Castiel turned to Leah. She shivered under his gaze. It felt unnatural.
"We would," Castiel replied, "but that is not possible."
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Zepheron is a very powerful demon. He is very… unnatural," Castiel answered.
"Yeah, we figured that much," Dean cut in.
"I have been tracking as much information as I possibly could during this time" Castiel said thoughtfully.
"And what I have found out," he added, glancing again at Leah, "is very peculiar.
"Yeah we know about Zepheron having the hots, or whatever, for Leah," Dean added. Castiel tutted as if there was something more to the topic.
"We have been tracking Zepheron for sometime. Only recently did he and his army decide to attack. We have lost many only in the past few days…" he said softly, looking down. Leah suddenly felt a strong pang of guilt. Angels were dying because of her?
"So what do we do?" Sam questioned. Castiel looked up at him.
"Stay as far away from him as possible."
"What?!" Dean protested, "While more angels risk their lives?! No way— we're fighting." Castiel shot him a serious look.
"No— he is too dangerous. More than you know," he said. Suddenly Leah fell back onto the couch behind her, smothering her face into her hands. All three men looked over at her in surprise.
"This is too much," Leah said, lifting her head, "I will not have angels, or men, risking their lives for us."
"You must allow us to do our job" Castiel replied, unable to see Leah's point. Leah stood once more.
"People— my brother— have already died because of me!" she cried.
"Necessary sacrifices…" Castiel said softly.
"Necessary sac— that was my brother! My family!" Leah said harshly. Castiel gazed at her with a look of pity.
"What angels you are," Leah added, and with that she walked out the room before anyone could protest. Castiel turned to Dean and Sam.
"You must protect her. And yourselves. This is more serious that you can realize," he said. Dean and Sam exchanged glances. Dean turned back to Castiel.
"Wait, what'd you—" but the angel was gone. Dean scowled in frustration.
Outside, Leah leaned against the Impala, venting. It's all my stupid fault, she thought bitterly to herself. First, this demon decides to put her number up. Second, Peter died because of this, and is now possibly alive. Third, an angel appears announcing that angels are fighting the demons, and dying to keep Zepheron away from Leah. It was way too much. What did this all mean?
Quickly, Dean and Sam slipped outside. When Leah saw them, she roughly turned to grab the handle of the backdoor of the Impala.
'Leah wait—" Sam said, stepping up. Leah turned.
"What?" she asked. Sam sighed.
"We owe you an explanation," he said. Dean looked at his brother with a funny look.
"Yeah you do," Leah said quietly.
"Okay, here's the thing; you know about all the demon crap lately?" Sam started, Leah nodded, frowning.
"Well, it's… we're…"
"It's the end of the world," Dean said suddenly cut in. Leah blinked.
"Excuse me?" she said, letting go of the Impala finally.
"The Apocalypse? End of the world?" Dean said.
"You mean Revelations Apocalypse?" Leah said in disbelief.
"Yeah…" Sam said quietly.
"That's…. that's just a rumor though," Leah said with a shaky laugh.
"And it's really happening," Dean said. Leah put a hand to her head as she thought this over.
"So…that's' why the angels are suddenly apart of this…" she whispered.
"Yes. And they're suppose to stop the breaking of the sixty-six seals," Sam added.
"Bang-up job," Leah and Dean said simultaneously. They looked at each other for a second.
"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Leah asked, slightly offended.
"We're telling' you now," Dean said. Leah shot him a sharp look.
"We… we just figured we'd help you then move on. We thought you… didn't need to know," Sam said gently.
"But now you're obviously in on this too," Dean added.
"What do you mean?" Leah asked.
"Castiel wouldn't have appeared if you weren't important or something," Dean answered. Leah stood there, slightly stunned.
"I'm sorry," Sam added.
"No, don't be. My life's pretty much destroyed as it is. Why not go out with a frickin' bang?" Leah said calmly. Dean frowned. Leah looked away.
"Let's just go. We need to get out of here, like Castiel said, right?" she muttered. And with that she turned and climbed into the Impala. Sam and Dean exchanged worried glances, and then they too climbed into the car after Leah.
"I can't believe you didn't want me to know about the Apocalypse for cripe's sake…." Leah mumbled.
***
