Light laughter and various noises from the couch in the living room raised Riley's head from the kitchen. They'd been researching for nearly a month now, ever since the incident at Laela and Dean's wedding, and had gotten almost no where.
She sighed and got up, peeking around the edge of the couch and then throwing herself back.
"Goddamn it you guys!"
"Go away." Came a muffled voice from the couple who were currently tangled against each other, making out like a high school couple on the couch.
Riley walked away as they didn't break the kiss, and saw Sam walking in towards the living room.
"Don't. Dean and Laela are on the couch." She mumbled.
Sam rolled his eyes. "If I didn't like that couch so much, I'd do what I used to do when me and him were younger. I'd grab a bucket of water and get ice from the machine outside and I'd dump it on them when they were making out on the couch." He laughed slightly at the memories and turned towards the kitchen. "So that's where dad's journal went. I was looking for it. Did you find anything?"
Riley shook her head. "I know where we might be able to go on a smaller case though. To kill time while we keep looking. We've been in the bunker for a while and I just wanna get out."
"Another case? Where?" Sam's interest was peaked.
"The Big Apple, New York City."
Sam groaned. "This better be a worth it case."
Charlie nearly flew out of her room.
"DID YOU SAY NEW YORK CITY?! ARE WE GOING THERE NOW, OH MY GOD COMIC CON IS THIS WEEKEND AND-"
Laela was standing behind her. "Charlie, stop screaming."
The redhead's face turned the same color as her hair and she smiled to the seraph behind her. "Sorry, you know how I get about Comic Con."
"I'm not sure if we'll have time, but if we do I'm sure we can squeeze passes." Riley was scrolling through her laptop.
Castiel appeared in the kitchen and Dean joined them, and Riley began running through the issue and what the case would be.
"Well…" Laela shrugged. "Let's pack and go."
"Well, this is the plan." Laela looked to the girls as Charlie nearly burst into laughter.
"So you're just suddenly going to be a stripper. I mean, you've got the body… But can you move?" Riley rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you hadn't been so scatterbrained into your little angel the last time we had all gone to the club, you would know. You guys will find out." Laela shook her head.
"An angelic stripper. Wow." Crowley looked at the seraph as he appeared.
"Crowley, what did I tell you? Boy's room and girl's room. We only converge when planned. No barging in." Charlie scolded. "The least you can do is knock, honestly."
"But that would be polite."
"You should just shove your entire foot in your mouth right now," Laela sighed. "We're going over the plan to get the info out of this guy. He frequents strip clubs, and bang, we've got a plan. And a chance to gain a little extra cash. I'm getting tired of making grown men cry at games of poker, and I'm pretty sure Dean is tired of pool. Never thought I'd say that."
"Strip club works for me, I mean, come on - yeah we joked my if-it-ever-happens bachlorette party would be at one so I'm totally cool with it. But wait, if we're going to get info on this guy, doesn't it mean one of us has the potential to become the next victim?" Riley asked, excitement given way to concern at the thought of getting in over her head again during a hunt.
"That's it, you're not coming with anymore. You're going to get us all killed." Laela nearly snarled. "Well, whatever this thing is, demon or not, it's only targeting females. That leaves me, and you two. Dean and Sam watch Riley, Cas watches Charlie, and Crowley sits on his hands like a good little boy because I can handle myself. Thus why I'm the one who's going in on this stripper thing."
She added a few moments later. "The girls it goes after aren't known for being the nicest of Santa's nice list."
"Great. But seriously you're gonna expect Sam and Dean to look after me? I'm gonna - man you KNOW I'm gonna end up knocking back shots with them and well, you guys know how I get when I see something I like."
"But here's the thing. We've all got our FBI badges. We don't get to drink. Maybe a beer or two, but nothing more. At least Sam and Dean can step up and know when playtime is over. This is a case, Riley." Charlie was the one to speak up this time. "Ten girls have already died here. And more will die if we don't grow up and figure this puzzle out."
"I am grown up, but when's the last time we've done something fun? I mean - alright, compromise, what if we just kill a day after we finish this case and run around the city? I'd kill to see Coney Island."
"We've already gotten the tickets to Comic-Con. That's our present if we figure this case out and stop it." Laela retorted. "No more talk of it until this case is done."
"But-"
"No more!"
There was a knock at the door. "Everything okay in there?" Sam's voice was heard clearly from the other side of the thin door.
"Yeah, we're fine!" Riley called back before turning to look at Charlie, "Comic-Con. Really? I mean I'm glad that's- right, shutting up," she cut herself off at the look Laela was giving her.
The angel smiled as Cas appeared in the room. "That didn't mean come in and check!"
"Riley did not sound sincere."
"Well she was. One more supernatural being pops in this room that isn't me, and you're all getting warded. Even the humans!" Laela called out and there was stumbling footfalls back into the motel room next door.
"Well. Now that that threat's out there, I'll just ask about timing. When we were planning this whole 'Laela's now a stripper' thing to go down?"
"Today slash tonight. We have a few more people to interview first." Charlie answered. "That's the fun part for me, because two people had to pretend to be a couple, and instead of letting the married couple be the couple, we drew from a hat." She shook her head at Riley, who was confused as to when the hat draw happened. "When you were asleep."
Laela was silent.
"If you're quiet that can only mean one thing. You were one of the names, who else got drawn?"
The loudest, I-need-to-calm-down sigh was heard from the seraph. And then she curtsied. "Mrs. Sam Winchester, at your motherfucking service."
Riley's jaw would have hit the floor had it not been attached to her face.
"And somehow I'm not surprised. Do the guys know or was this a spur-the-moment-because-it's-fun thing?"
"Well, we all put our names in the hat, and we were all standing there, so."
"And you didn't wake me up for this? Bet the reaction was priceless!"
"It was really quiet." Charlie shrugged. "And then Sam left, and Dean seemed okay, like he knows it's just a job so he's not worried."
"Still, tonight's gonna be fun. Can't wait."
"Tonight is the straight forward part. Laela is a stripper and the world seems okay, I guess…? I STILL don't see you as a stripper!" Charlie complained.
"Yeah, the world's okay. Better knock on wood. DUDE WHAT IF DAY AFTER TOMORROW HAPPENED?! We're in New York after all, and - heh, I need to go lie down, I've had too much caffeine today."
"Atleast you're admitting it."
"Even though you just woke up twenty minutes ago…" Laela sighed. "Come on, let's today over with so we can get to the real work tonight."
The only person who had changed was Laela, since she was now carrying a small bag full of something none of the others knew what.
Her jacket didn't do much to cover her bare torso, and Dean walked closer to her as multiple men started to move closer and closer.
"Baby, I'm fine. This is just for a quick hire, and if you think this is bad, you shouldn't have agreed to me doing this tonight."
"I only agreed because I didn't think you'd actually do it."
Both Laela and Dean turned around at the snort from Riley, was then nearly tripped on the uneven pavement.
"C'mon, you thought she wouldn't? Man, if you knew half the shit she'd try just because you wouldn't think she'd-" and then the brunette was muffled by Charlie placing a hand over her mouth just as the club came into view about two blocks away.
Laela shook her head and kept walking, her wedding ring swinging around on her necklace.
"Everybody know the plan?" Charlie asked after a moment of silence, being everyone was thinking or just dazing out.
"We've gone over this at least three times, and that was before we left. We find the guy, get enough information out of him to chase the lead, and then come back before going in for the kill - meaning you," Laela didn't turn around, but motioned to Riley anyways, "Don't be stupid."
She walked in first and smiled to the bartender and was quickly escorted to the back room.
Dean's phone buzzed. "I'm hired. Asked one of the girls and he usually gets here about 9ish. We'll be here a while."
He shrugged, not surprised by how quickly she'd gotten the job. Turning to look at the others after glancing at his phone for the time, he sighed.
"We're here for the next three hours atleast. Charlie - keep an eye on Riley, I know Laela already told her not to be stupid but-"
"Uh, hello? I'm standing right here and I can hear all of that! You want me to not be stupid, fine, I'm just gonna go find a table. And I'm not getting drinks, don't worry."
Charlie saluted to Dean. "I'll make sure I watch her."
Another text came through. "Show starts in a half an hour."
Sam could tell Dean was worried - the walk there had just been a telltale sign.
"Dude, would you just relax? She's fine. It's not like this guy is who we're after and she's gonna get kidnapped or killed or something. And besides, the guy won't be able to get anywhere between the five of us here." He started, before Dean raised a hand to brush the explanation off.
"I don't exactly like the idea of my wife dancing at a strip club, even if it is for a case. Why did I agree to this?"
"Because at the end of the day, you knew it was our best chance at getting info." Sam countered.
"Atleast it's only for one night. And it better stay that way."
"Well, she can make good money doing this, I mean the darts and hustling pool is getting kind of ol-"
"Don't finish that sentence. She's not becoming a stripper just to give us a little extra cash to work with on the road!" Dean's voice was firmer than he meant it, but the idea just do not sit well with him at all.
Meanwhile, across the club, Riley had sat down at a booth and had, as predicted, ordered a shot. Nothing that would get her in trouble of course, but just something to start things off - the real alcohol could come after she slipped out of the damn monkey suit.
"You know Laela's going to kill y-" Charlie started, leaning over the side of the booth Riley was tucked up into, tired of sitting in her own.
"It's Jameson, and it's only a shot. Literally won't phase - hhheeellllllloooo, Charlie would you mind?"
Charlie looked over her shoulder to see one of the girls walking toward Riley, who immediately straightened and smiled. The redhead only rolled her eyes and turned back to her own table, the girl slipping into Riley's booth with a light giggle.
"What's the suit for, hm? Bachelor party or somethin'?" The girl had a slight drawl, and even in the darkened light of the club Riley could make out icy blue irises, along with a pair of cardboard and feather angel wings.
"Something like that. Name's Riley, what's yours, sweetheart?"
With another giggle, the girl's gaze drifted over Riley's entire body and leaned in to her ear, being loud music had started.
"Sydney. Show starts in five, wanna take this somewhere else? Maybe in back? Quieter, y'know?" Lips brush against the shell of Riley's ear as a hand slides to grab her own.
Riley's eyes widened, not expecting to actually have one of the girls approach her.
Fuck, what'd Dean say to Cas that one time? 'If she asks for a credit card, no. Now just stick to the basics, okay? Do not order off the menu.' Heh, right, basics. Got it.
"Uh, I really shouldn-"
Sydney pulled back, blinking as her fingers trailed from Riley's hand up the girl's tie, trying to loosen it slightly.
"Relax a bit...you've found an angel to pray to!" At the tug on her hand, Riley was up after the shorter girl, being led somewhere past the tables and the stage Laela would be on.
"Pray? Oh I'm not gonna pray to you, honey," Riley nearly purred as the girl practically shoved her into a smaller and darker room, her back hitting the wall before the girl's lips were against her face, fingers unknotting the tie.
"Just for tonight? I won't tell anyone anything...promise! I won't even charge that much!" Riley had pulled her wallet out and thrown it to the chair, where soon enough her suit jacket and tie followed, then Sydney's wings.
"Payment now or late-" the hunter didn't have a chance to finish the word before the girl's lips were back against her own, this time hands were tugging at Riley's belt as her own wrapped up into the victoria's-secret-wannabe angel's hair.
"Hey, where's Riley?" Sam asked when Charlie showed up beside him about ten minutes into the show.
She shrugged, "Occupied at the moment. Ditto about Dean?"
"He found the guy, now he's just waiting to swoop in to ask questions. Laela's just -"
"Good. I knew she wasn't lying!" Charlie was nearly cheering as the two watched the girls onstage, Laela catching their gaze every now and then.
"But seriously, did Riley really go there?" Sam wasn't not even surprised.
"I saw the girl pull her toward a back room, did you want me to interrupt? Atleast she's not causing trouble for us!"
Charlie continued talking, but Sam's eyes widened as the actual angel on stage stripped out of her over shirt, only a bra and denim shorts, black strapped heels tapping on the stage.
"But wait, Laela said we're only supposed to watch this guy after all, we're not - idiot won't talk to authority. So what, we follow him after this?" Charlie brought up, eyes glued to the heels Laela wore, knowing she was able to move fluidly in them.
"No." Dean added. "The plan was that Laela was going to get him into a private room, get him to drink, and get the information. Weren't you listening?"
"Considering somebody had been so insistent on putting me on babysitting duty, I guess I got distracted. And god, she's gonna get him alone and possibly drunk? No wonder you're so worried about this! I mean she'll be fine but-" before Charlie could finish her sentence, Dean interrupted, "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on Riley?"
"I swear to god, we should've just left her at the motel." This wasn't the first time Sam had managed to take the words out of everyone's mouth.
"She would've thrown a fit." Charlie countered.
"Wouldn't have been the first time." Dean practically laughed, remembering the few spats Riley had gotten into with everyone the first time she'd been thrown over into their world.
"Guys, look." Sam was pointing to the door, where their target had just walked in.
"Time to sit back and watch the real show." Charlie looked to the stage and saw Laela give a small nod acknowledging that she was aware of his presence. Before they knew it, heels were swinging off the stage to walk towards the group at the bar.
"Let him drink first." Her familiar voice broke through the music. "Also, I'm sorry. I'm keen on making as much money as possible tonight, so that means I'll need to give dances." She didn't look at Dean, but it was known that the sentence was aimed at him.
"Whiskey double, clean. Thanks." She smiled to the bartender.
Everyone pretty much did their own thing after that with Charlie going back to the booth she'd been in to see if Riley was back yet, Sam staying where he was as Laela grabbed her drink and walked off to look for clients, all with Dean trying to forget that he'd even agreed to it all in the first place.
When Laela had done a sweep of the room, she found the man they were looking for nursing a drink in a far corner of the club - knowing she had to get his attention first, she headed to a table near him to start the ball rolling by the first dance.
She led one of the guys over to a couch and worked her magic, managing to get the other guys he was with throwing singles at her as well.
When the song was over, she went back to drop her cash off, and the process repeated again, three more times. Before she got to her next target, however, a bouncer was grabbing her arm, pointing to the man they were after. She nodded, and soon she was walking him to a back room.
Sam nudged Dean. "She's in."