Fic: World Enough and Time = episode 10
Author: Seraphim Grace
Fandom = Supernatural
Pairing = Castiel x Dean (god is love in all its forms) Sam x Ruby and Canon Female Character,
Rating = NC17
spoilers = season 4
AUish - set in the world of american gods and sandman but also the spn universe, I just stretched it a little
Notes - Sam Centric, title from Andrew Marvell
suggested by lj user="keire_ke"
betaed by lj user="bellajayd" who deserves more praise than me for this - she's certainly doing more work
Episode 10
In which there are a lot of Deaths
Soundtrack: Tori Amos IIeee
The rift between Dean and Sam has grown since Iowa, even though Sam knows they're both denying it to themselves and to each other. Dean sits in the impala for hours talking to someone on his cell and Sam listens to Jessica read to the Darklings.
The hunt was a cluster fuck.
It's not even suggestible that there is something that can be redeemed out offrom it. First, there is Alistair, a demon who literally makes Dean's blood run cold and he makes Sam feel powerless, scoffing at Jessica and her minions. He literally tears poor Barry in two, not that it affects him much. He lies there in the graveyard hollering, "Mmy legs, my legs, has anyone seen my legs?" as if it was a contact lens he had lost.
Then they went Sspirit walking, which wavers between being cool and making Sam feel impotent because, it cuts him off from the Ddarkness within him and he feels almost human. where Dean, on the other hand, takes to it like a duck to water., Tand there are times, when Dean is in the corner of his eye, that his brother seems to almost glow. It's a pale glow, like it's tamped under a blanket, but it reassures what Sam has always known - that Dean is spectacular.
Then Dean recievesreceives a call on his cell and takes off like a bat out of hhell, leaving Sam at the hospital with Pam's body trying and to explain that they were mugged and it doesn't matter that another soldier fell fighting the good fight.
Pam looked impressive in life. In death, she looks like meat and Sam kinda wants to take a bite.
Then when he stands in the hospital parking litcarpark, catching a crafty cigarrettecigarette from a visitor because it's just been that kind of day, he has his Iipod on blasting out iIieee/i because he needs the drum beat and shriek of it and the songshe can scream for him, when Dean pulls up in the Impala.
He climbs out, takes a plush toy from the passenger seat and a Wwalmart bag from the back, then without a by yournor leave, or even looking around for his brother, Dean goes into the hospital, so Sam stubs out what remains of the cigarette under his shoe and follows him.
The light in the hospital is austere and sterile, blanketing out Jessica's abilities, and when the blonde nurse walks past him in her red knit cardigan he immediately thinks of Lisa back in the town. In his ear Tori Amos sings i"Sshe's your cocaine, your exodus laughing,"i and it's too true to really hurt.
The Ddarkness is silent but hungry, and the bag of blood hanging from the IV drippole would be so easy to just take, but he doesn't.
Dean goes into a private room wherein which a kid is sitating upright in the bed, with a clear drip. There is a black haired woman sat on the bed beside him with a book. When she sees Dean she grins at him, and Dean just grins right back. She looks at the door, "Aare you coming in, Sam?" she asks.
Sam has the decency to look abashed as he tugs his earbuds free to let them tinnily continue to sing at his chest.
Sam has never seen a woman like her before in his life, she has this presence, which is amazing, like being surrounded by electricity, but she's wearing black leggings, camel toedcamel-toed shoes and a tee that says i"Death, is this country's number one killer." /i
"Told you I didn't need to invite him," Dean says reaching over to the boy and handing him both the plush zebra and the bag, "that he'd follow me." The look he gives Sam is mocking with a hint of a smile that suggests chagrin. "Sam, Ben., Ben, Sam," he gestures to the boy, "and that's Dee." DeeThe woman grins and closes the book she was reading to the boy. "Dee knows everyone."
"That's a bit of an over exaggeration, Dean," Dee smiles and ruffles Ben's hair, "it's not like everyone knows me."
Ben can't be more than nine and he has the floppy limbed zebra in his arms and is hugging it for all he's worth. "Hey, Sam," Dean says, "wanna take Dee for a coffee whilest Ben and I talk?"
It's not a hint, it's an order. So Sam shrugs his fists into his pockets and walks with her. She's tiny, standing not even chest height against him., but there is something about her, something that makes her seem massive. "Your brother's a good man," Dee says, "you can trust him, even if he's not sure about you."
"What do you know about it?" Sam asks sincebecause obviously everyone knows more about it than he does because he's the last to know.
"Me?" she asks with that blinding grin, "not much, I don't get involved, Sam, I watch the doors, Ben's a sweetheart and Dean is good for him. You know he tried to kill himself."
"Dean?" that surprises Sam, suicide is a one wayone-way trip downstairs. Dean knows that.
"No, Ben," she counters, going to the machine and punching in the coins for thesome coffee. "Dean's the only one that remembers he's a kid," the cup falls into the tray and the coffee that comes out is steaming and thick. She hands it to Sam before she pushes the button again. "First time I saw your brother the universe was having a crap on him and he expected me to do the same."
The paper cup in Sam's hands is starting to burn so he lifts one of the cardboard holders. It doesn't affect her as she takes out the second cup and then pushes the button again. It seems everyone is getting a drink whether they want one or not.
"You might want to cut him some slack," she says, "the universe well and truly took a shitshat on him."
"And what about me?" Sam asks.
"What about you? Sseems to me you've got it all sorted." The last button she pushes is for hot chocolate. "You know where you stand, the very firmament of Hell serves you, you can feel and feed it's hunger, you are not what you were, and your brother is falling apartsomething else as you race headlong into the destiny you have decided for yourself. I like your brother, he's a good man., Rrighteous." She takes the last cup herself, "but I don't take sides, never have, never will, but you' are being a dick."
She grins up at him and it's a wickedly innocent smile, all black lips and too much eye makeup, and she still strikes him as being magnificent, huge, though she's a tiny little thing,. sSmall enough, he thinks to fit into the palm of his hand. "Wanna be the boy king, BE the boy king, it doesn't matter, it all ends, sooner or later, but don't be a dick to the one person who'd forgive you anything. Not everyone gets that." Her face is hard all of a sudden, like a perfect porcelain mask, "now smile, that little boy needs us to be happy."
"What were you reading him?" Sam asks, he think this woman wouldn't be reading iWhere the Wild Things Are./i
"i Pride, Pprejudice and Zzombies,/i" she replies with more of that flashing grin, the one that's whip quick and dazzling, "it's tough finding books he hasn't read yet."
Dean is sat on the edge of the hospital bed spreading out felt tip markers that he clearly got at Walmart, along with packets of Oreos, bottled fruit juices, a large bagck of marshmallow twists, and a colouring book.
The child is wrapped around the new zebra, "Iit's just," he sighs and Dee puts her hand out to stop Sam going into the room because for this the two of them need a moment. "It's Miley Cyrus." Then he has the good sense to look abashed by it.
"I'm not going to grow up and marry her." He said, "just like I didn't with Debbie Gibson, or Karen Carpenter or even Nancy Sinatra." He hugs the zebra a little tighter. "I'm just tired, Dean." He continues, "I'm just so very, very tired."
Dean sighs, "ffirst of all, Miley Cyrus, dude, remind me to block your subscription to the Disney Channel, now Harry is hot."
"Dirty Harry Harry?" The kid asks,. "Ooh she'd eat you alive."
"You know why I like you, kiddo, you always know who I mean."
"That's coz we speak the same language," the child states calmly, "AC/DC rules. What about Dani Filth?"
"The dress confused me for a while, but I'm pretty sure that's a guy." Dean grins at him, "yYou're right though, very pretty."
The child points out sadly. "I'm never going to be old enough to see my favourite bands." The child points out sadly.
"Me neither," Dean admits, "they all split up before I was born."
The child laughs and it's a genuine sound. "They're sending me to Europe, some books fell on me and they think I was being beaten by Mrs Doyle, so the state is trying to take me away, again., and tThe Bbishop is up in arms because I got blood all over some books manuscripts and, Monkey is," he sighs, "Monkey is training his grandson to replace him, and I'll get another Monkey, same as I always do."
"Dude," Dean protests, "Where in Europe? Tthink of it, kick ass soccer, and you can go to that, and those festivals don't have age limits if you go with a grown up. I could go with, it would be sweet, course you'll have to forgo the pie. I'm told Europe just doesn't get pie."
"I didn't know who else to call," the child looks like he might break,. "No one else really understands."
"Ahem," Dee says stepping in, "I brought coffee and the Aantichrist light here." She offers one of the cups, the hot chocolate to the kid. "Ben, you and he have something in common, you know Dean killed Azazael." Ben, the kid, nods sagely, "well Dean did it for Sam."
"You're the ilittle/i brother?" Ben asks, "To hear Dean talk, you'd be the same age as me," and his laugh is dark and dirty. "Dean," he turns across to where Dean is colouring with a blue marker, "can you get me some sugar for the chocolate please?"
"Kiddo," Dean says capping the pen, "if you just want to threaten him without me in the room, just say so, I'm pretty sure he could take you in a fight."
"Take me where?" Ben asks impishly, "I'm pretty sure he could snap me in two, that's what happens when you eat your crusts."
Dean laughs, "Dee," he says offering her his hand, "you going to get me up to date keep me up with all of the gossip in Chicago?, bBelieve it or not Lamia doesn't talk much in her calls. She's always too busy screaming at Zsu Zsu."
Dee laughs as she loops her arm through Dean's, and it's the happiest Sam has seen his brotherm in months. "Cas?" Deanhe asks in answer to something she said that Sam missed, "haven't seen him in weeksmonths," then he stops, "no, I tell a lie, I saw him a few days ago, for about two minutes, before he pinged off again, that's the problem with these supernatural types, no staying power." And Dee laughs as they leave the room.
"Are you going to tell him," the kid asks, "about the Corruption?"
"I don't see what it has to do with you." Sam answers stiffly, "let me guess you're the fourth Pprince of Hell." It's only slightly sarcastic.
The kid laughs, "I'm not from Hell," he says, "I am the gate to the Pryxis Prima, Azazael did that to me., I slit my wrists and drank drain cleaner and all I got to show for it was bad breath and interfering social workers." He buries his face for a moment into the tangled fur of the zebra he hasn't once let down since Dean gave it to him it.
"I was a mistake, I know that." The kid's voice is measured and quiet. "Azazel thought he found the key to unlocking Lucifer, but he was wrong, and I am all that remains to show for it." He takes a deep breath, looking at Sam over the zebra's head. "What he nearly unleashed is much much worse than Lucifer could ever be."
"And this '"Ccorruption'" is part of it?" Sam uses the kid's word.
"No," the kid answers, "it's the mirror image. Did you summon it or did it find you?" He's not judging, instead if Sam had to press he'd say the boy was scared.
"It found me, I tried to hunt it."
"It is dangerous, you'll have figured that out by now. It is Corruption in it's purest form, a piece of genuine Entropy, and it has it's own agenda though I doubt we could ever understand it."
"It doesn't want to let Lucifer loose Lucifer, everyone else seems to." At that moment Sam is tired, everything suddenly weighs on him like he's Atlas holding the world between his shoulders.
"I doubt it would care." The child sounds so old, but looks so small in his Thomas the Tank Engine pyjamas, curled around a plush toy like a lifeline. "The apocalypse isn't necessarily what we think it is, Sam, we're both clever enough to figure that out. Lucifer is the Pprince of lL;ies, but are those lies he told or lies told about him?"
"You've been thinking about this." Sam files the information away.
"I have've had time." The kid reassures him. "I have nothing ibut/i time. Just," he licks his lips, "
"Just, know what you're getting into. They're taking me away," the kid says, "somewhere I might be happier, with yet more books, yay," he says that is sarcastically, "so they'll take my books. If you want something from them, about it," he's guarding his words now, sure that Dean must be back in hearing range, "ask Dean, but do it quick."
He stopped taking a deep breath. "Do you know what the word apocalypse actually means, Sam?" His eyes are old, ancient even, and he makes Sam feel very small. "We don't know what these words mean, we think we do but we don't know the half of it., Ddid you know that enthusiasm means 'filled with Ggod.,' bBut apocalypse, we're not even close to knowing what it really means."
The kid looks up at the door, "Dean," he says excitedly, "I was just telling Sam about my books, you said he'd like them."
"Like them?" Dean asks from the door, "he'd cream his pants." And Sam knows that Dean is exaggerating because there are no books that good.
*****
Dean wasn't right, Sam didn't cream his pants, not quite.
The house which appears to be a large country house is literally full to bursting withof copies of ancient manuscripts, photocopied and bound. It's like someone's crammed a university library complete and the Vatican's secret archive into this one house in suburbia.
The man who opens the door appears to be at least a thousand years old, and Chinese. There is a younger Chinese man beside him, and they look like something out of a kung fu film. "You must be Dean," the old man says with a broad Bronx accent, "Ben said you were coming."
"And you must be Monkey." Dean says pumping the old man's hand. "You were on holiday when I was here last." He pushes past him. "Ben says we can have a rummage as long as we're sneaky."
"Grandfather," the younger chinese man says. "It is a racist slur that he calls you Monkey." It's obviously a bone of contention between them us.
"No," the old man corrects, "he calls us Monkey because we're descended from Wu Cheng'en. Now, stop worrying about racist slights and put the coffee on. We have work to do."
Later when Sam looks up from the book in his lap, one that actually deals with the "Corruption" as Ben called it, he finds Dean staring at him.
It's not a look he recognises, but he thinks it might be a cross between disgust, shame, fear and loathing. Yet, it is all tinged with love and Sam knows his brother well enough to realizeknow that Dean will blame himself for what comes after, because Dean blames himself for the lack of oxygen in space and Sam just isn't in the mood.
Rather than overhead lights there are reading lamps all over and the pervading gloom allows the darklings to play tag through the towers of books. Sam is, for the first time in a long time, content.
So the last thing he expects when they get back to the motel with a bag full of books that Monkey assured them they could just take, they had several copies of,is that the angels would be waiting for them.