CHAPTER 9
"Sam I'm telling ya', if Alastair's army has got 'er she's as good as dead." Dean heads over to the mini bar and pulls it open. He searches through it quickly, grinning when he spots a bottle of beer towards the back. "You're kidding me, right Dean?"
"Nope," Dean pops the cap on the bottle and takes a long swig of the drink. The hunter collapses back on the bed with a sigh.
Sam looks at his brother, face a mix between horror and disbelief. "You're not even going to try and look for her?"
His words make something snap within Dean, and suddenly he's leaning forward and pointing a finger at his brother in warning. "Remember what Zachariah did to her? That was one angel. Alastair probably has about a hundred demons on her case." Dean leans back once more, taking another gulp of beer before continuing in a far quieter voice. "Issy is dead Sam."
The lights flicker as Sam falls into a chair, stunned by his brother's words.
The room is silent as it's plunged into darkness. Sam begins to worry until the television and radio turn on simultaneously and suddenly there's a mini tornado inside the room.
Issy all but falls into the room, landing with an embarrassed chuckle and a quiet whompf. Sam's hurrying over to her, helping her up as soon as the wind dies down and the lights flicker on again. "Are you alright?" Sam finds himself asking in a hurried sentence as he helps her. She seems fine as his eyes glance over her, and his brows furrow.
"Fine." The bed creaks as he lowers her onto it. Issy waves off Sam's concern and her face suddenly falls in regret. "I am so sorry guys."
Sam risks a glance at his brother who is currently abnormally focused on his beer. He turns back to the angel, finding her toying with the scratchy motel blanket. "Where have you been?" Sam finally asks, voice gentle, eyes filled with concern. "We figured Alastair must have gotten you when you didn't show up for a day."
"Yeah he got me alright," Issy huffs. Her eyes spark with a curious blend of annoyance and shame. "Surprised me to be honest. Didn't think the warding would keep me out and keep me in. Then he used his weirdo nutso powers and the whole room suddenly filled with black eyes."
"But you're okay?" Sam pressed. Once more he takes in her state. Fresh clothes featuring her usual red coat but this time with a blue cashmere sweater underneath and form fitting cargo pants. She'd had time to change before she came here. "Still on the mend." Issy's face turns serious once more. "My Grace is really messed up. As long as I'm not dying though I guess."
"We'll that's great," Dean says blandly as he hops up from the bed, holding onto his beer a he does so. "I'll be outside." He then proceeds to brush past his brother, slamming the door behind him as he leaves.
Issy watches after him for a moment, before turning to Sam. The younger Winchester had stared after his brother with dissapointed eyes. "It's alright Sam," she reassures the man. With a grunt she pushes herself up off the bed and hobbles over to the door. "I'll check on Dean. How about you relax huh? You look like you could use a nice calming shower and nap."
Sam huffs as she leaves and can't help but smile slightly as she does.
The air is cold and biting when she steps outside. Her Grace is too weak to warm her, so she pulls the coat tighter around her and spares a moment to be thankful she'd worn the sweater. From her position, she spots Dean jacketed form in the distance, standing under a dull streetlight. Issy draws a deep, calming breath, before starting after him.
Dean doesn't even look to her when she approaches, simply continues to stare across the mostly empty parking lot as he drinks from his bottle. "You're mad." A car blares faintly in the distance and Issy tucks her hands into her pockets. When Dean doesn't respond, Issy moves up to his side and tries to meet his gaze. "Talk to me. Dean?"
"I ain't mad at you," he says after a few moments. Dean's eyes flicker her way before watching a hooded figure turn into a motel room a few feet away.
Issy smiles slightly, her midnight blue eyes sparking with amusement. "I know." She presses flush against his side, a comforting hand snaking into his free one. "You're one sad fuck, you know that right?"
"Now there isn't a point to beating yourself up about Pamela," Issy continues in a calmer, more serious tone. "She's gone, bless her soul. She died for a good cause Dean, that's more than most can hope for."
"But if I hadn't of sent you after the reapers-" Dean yanks his hand from hers and chucks the bottle. It smashes somewhere in the distance with a soft crack. "Pamela shouldn't have died, especially not because we wanted her help. I shoulda let you stay back and keep an eye on her."
Issy watches Dean, waits until his breathing slows to approach him again. "Stop it Dean." She moves forward, grabs his arm to yank him around. His gaze finally meets hers and she narrow her eye at him. "Stop being a self hating bastard. You've got a brother in there that needs comfort as much as you. He's hurting as much as you are Dean. An' not to forget, you've got an apocalypse to prevent."
She lets her hand drop once she finished talking, immediately tucking it back into her pocket. The last thing she wants is her fingers to freeze and fall off.
"Sorry." Deans voice is hoarse, words barely more than a whisper, but she hears it. He turns, emerald eyes locking with hers. "I was worried 'bout you, by the way."
"No you weren't," Issy says with a shake of her head. A moment later her face splits into a wide grin. "But that's okay. I don't expect you to care for your personal angel slave."
"Issy..." She waits for him to find his words, patiently tapping her foot to a random rhythm. Finally he steels his gaze. "You're too damn generous for your own good."
"I try," Issy says with a shrug.
Dean presses. "No seriously. You must be getting something out of putting up with all this crap. You saved our lives yesterday, I didn't thank you for that."
"You don't have to," she tells him. Issy remembers again why she's doing all this. Mainly it's because he wants to see her favorite characters- who are now some of the closest friends she's ever had- happy. Then there's also the fact that once all this crap is over, she gets to go home and be with her sister.
She lets their conversation drop. Her wings ache behind her and she unfolds them, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze ruffling her feathers. Her Grace is still coiled tightly within her, as though it's deflated and collapsed in on itself. She tries to remember what she knows of the energy. Could she recharge it somehow? Or perhaps she had to wait for it to fix itself on its own. That idea made her frown, she had demons to smite and humans to keep an eye on. There was no way she could manage any of that with such a weak Grace.
The wind suddenly picked up, and once again Issy was reminded of the fact her Grace wasn't there to keep her warm. She shifts and tucks in her neck, keeping the biting freeze from her exposed skin. Dean hardly seems bothered by any of it, simply folds his arms and clears his throat. He glances at her, before narrowing his eyes at the motel.
"You going back in?" Issy asks, noticing where his gaze had fallen. "It's cold."
"Not yet." Dean nods his head in the motel's direction. "Why don't you head on in? I need a few more minutes." Issy feels her eyes soften, tries once more to take his hand in hers. "Dean don't beat yourself up over this anymore. It wasn't anybody's fault."
"Yeah," he clears his throat and turns from her. "I got that the first time."
Issy watches him, then lets out a resigned sigh and tucks her wings behind her back. "I'm gonna head inside." Dean nods to her and she pats him on the shoulder reassuringly before heading back towards their motel room.
Sam sits on the bed, changed and hair dripping with water. He looks slightly more relaxed from before, but he's still got a gloomy cloud hanging around him and Issy isn't sure how to deal with it. He pages absently through John's journal, and Issy lowers herself down onto the bed next to him.
He glances up at her, sends her a flash of a small, genuine smile. "How's Dean?"
"Not good." Issy isn't going to bother sugar-coating the truth. The brothers do enough of it on their own. She looks at the page he's currently reading. "Reading up on demons, huh?"
"Sorta… After everything that happened I feel like there's more I should be doing." Sam places the journal down to clasp his hands together. Issy doesn't miss the look in his eyes. The boy's planning something. Her best guess is that it has something to do with a certain ex-witch. "I am sorry I couldn't save Pamela." The wind picks up outside, rattling the door. "I wish I had have been there Sam."
He glances at her, takes in her defeated expression and smiles sadly at her. There's something soothing about his gaze though, and a moment later she finds herself tucked to his side, his long arms draped around her in a warm hug. "I know that already Issy."
Slowly she relaxed into the hug, enjoying the firmness of Sam's muscles and the comfort pouring off of him in waves. She felt her eyes fall shut as he rested his chin in the crook her her neck, and she let out a laugh as his hair blew in her face. "Have I told you yet that your hair is glorious Sam?" Issy asks. "Because it is."
She feels his silent, exasperated laugh rather than hears it, and soon she's grinning. "Seriously! What products do you use? Your hair's always silkier than mine and I have friggin' angel Grace in me!"
At that he pulls back, big smile on his face shaping his pearly white teeth. They grin at each other for a moment, enjoying the atmosphere before Sam's face calms into a serious expression. "You're okay now, right?"
"Yeah," Issy nods. "I think so. Thanks Sam."
"No problem Issy." He flashes his grin once more at her and she can't help but wonder how on earth she'd managed to befriend such an awesome guy.
X
Dean returns just in time for dinner as Issy returns from a stop at some fancy restaurant in California. He grins at the gourmet burger and fries, sliding into his seat eagerly. Sam's already chowing down on his healthy stir fry and Issy is salivating over her steaming plate of nachos. "Wait, you went to a five star restaurant and stole a plate of nachos?" Sam is asking.
"Duh," Issy grins as she picks one of the corn chips up. She twirls it, sticky melted cheese wrapping around the yummy triangle of heaven. "Nachos are life."
"Huh." Dean huffs his amusement around a massive bite of burger. To both Sam and Issy's amusement Dean melts into his food, anyone watching would think he was having an orgasm stimulated from his meal. "This shit," Dean growls in pleasure. "This is the best fucking burger ever to exist."
Issy lets out a snort of laughter, scooping some guacamole on her next nacho. Sam twirls something green on his fork and dips it in the sauce before chomping down. Everyone gets lost in the meal, the only sounds made are crunches and groans of pleasure (from Dean.)
By the time they're all done it's late into the evening and Issy's the only one not practically high on a food filled belly. She watches the brothers as they slowly pull themselves up and prepare for bed. "You take the bed, Issy," Sam calls over his shoulder with a nod to the couch. "I'll sleep on the sofa."
"Angels don't need to sleep Sam," Issy tells him. "I'll just sit here."
"Creepy," Dean says as he closes the bathroom door behind him.
Sam shrugs. "Suit yourself." He begins to shrug off his jacket in shirt and Issy simply picks up John's journal to give him his privacy. "Is it okay if I read through this?" She asks without looking up.
She hears the sound of ruffling sheets, no doubt signalling Sam's climbed into bed. "Sure. Are you coming with us tomorrow? We're leaving early tomorrow, getting a motel closer to where Pamela's funeral is going to be."
The shower switches on in the bathroom, muffled sounds of Dean singing Bon Jovi in the distance. "I guess. If Dean wants me to."
"What's he say exactly?" Sam asks.
Issy finally chances a glance upright. With a relieved sigh she realises Sam's got a blanket around most of his midriff. "Nothing really. He was mad at himself, not me. Shocker, right?" She adds sarcastically.
"Yeah we both thought Pamela was pretty great," Sam says with a short nod. The room grows silent, only filled with Dean's muffled singing. Issy eventually grins at the sound, and Sam joins her in her amusement. He reaches over after a few minutes and flicks off his lamp. Only Dean's lamp is left to illuminate the room in a pale yellow. "Good night Issy."
"Night Sam," Issy says.
It's not long before the hunter falls to sleep. Issy had almost forgotten about the Winchester's special ability. Hunters had to be able to fall asleep, anywhere, anytime. Otherwise they'd barely get any sleep at all. Issy pages her way through the journal, reaching a case that involved vampires by the time Dean finishes the shower.
She turns to the next case when Dean finally exits the bathroom. Hair will samp from his shower, but he's dressed in a loose grey shirt and jeans. It's the first time she's seen Dean since arriving in the universe without a jacket, and she has to admit she's impressed. "Sammy asleep already?" He asks.
"Yeah. I hope you don't mind, he invited me to join you guys tomorrow as well." She had shed her red coat since Sam had gone to sleep. Issy pulled her knees to her chest and continued to page through the journal as Dean finished preparing for bed. "That's fine." Dean moved over to his duffel and searched through it for a few moments. "Hey, about before? Outside? Thanks."
Issy felt as though her heart stopped pumping for a moment as she looked up to meet his gaze. He looked slightly embarrassed, as Dean often was when showing gratitude, but there was a genuinely to his gaze as well. Issy's heart burst with warmth and she grinned heartilly. "I'm glad I could help. I know you're going through a lot of crap at the moment. Hell, since I've said yes to being a vessel? I've been tortured, I've been attacked and I've nearly died twice now. Our lives are insane."
"Right." The bed squeaks as he lowers himself down on it, and Issy readies to flick off the main room light with her 'mojo'. "If you don't mind Issy, I'd love a coffee waiting when I wake? Or a donut, something nice and warm."
"Course Dean. Good night." She waits until he flicks off his lamp to shut the main light off. The room is plunged into darkness, and Issy shuts all three curtains simultaneously with a flick of her hand. She spends a few moments, watching the boys sleeping forms. It still amazes her the quality at which she can see in the dark, she assumes she's quite alike a cat. Issy liked cats.
She lets out a quiet snort of laughter, just as Dean's breathing finally slows. Issy enjoys the quiet lull of their sleep. The few times she had spent in the boys rooms as night were always calming and comfortable. It felt like she was at home the first time since she'd left her universe.
Issy finally turns back to the journal.
She pages through many recounts of John Winchester's tales. There's one about a horrifying pair of ghouls, who managed to claim almost a dozen victims before John finally tracked him down. Demons were over running a small time, and John managed to exorcise all four of them and save the town. Of course there was a fair share of ghosts and werewolves, all kinds of monsters. By the time she noticed the brothers begin to stir, sunlight was streaming through the gaps at the bases of the curtains.
The journal closes with a quiet 'thump' and Issy places it down reverently. Hopefully the boys will let her finish it. She clicks her tongue and focuses on a nearby cafe, unfurling her wings wide. Nobody notices her in the tiny cafe, and she easily walks up to the desk and orders three cappuccinos along with an apple crumble breakfast pie for Dean.
As soon as everything's ready, Issy thanks the cashier and presses two fingers to the humans forehead. He blinks twice, before frowning at her and turning away. Issy grins, free breakfast.
Sam's on his laptop when she returns. Dean sits on his bed, cleaning out his weapons. "Morning guys!" Issy chirps and walks over to Dean first, chucking the paper bag at him and setting one of the drinks down on the bedside table. "Woah. You actually got us breakfast."
"Course." She gives Sam his coffee and bagel. She opens up her own bag and starts munching on her toast. "So I get to ride with you guys, right?"
"Duh," Dean huffs and starts packing all his stuff up. He stuffs the rest of his tiny pie in his mouth and mumbles through the pastry, "Sam get ya' stuff."
X
Pamela's funeral was a somber affair. Both Sam and Dean were somber in the car and Issy wasn't much better off. She remember a few details of one of her favorite characters, Pamela's spirit and willingness to help always inspired Issy. The funeral had been a hard blow to her, and she hadn't even met the woman.
She didn't even want to consider how Dean or Sam felt.
Sam's hand was clenched tightly on the wheel as he drove. Dean was staring out the window, mind miles away. The younger brother shifted and addressed his brother. "Ruby will meet us outside Cheyenne. She's been tracking some leads. I know she's not exactly on your Christmas list, but if she can help us get to Lilith—"
"Hey, man, work with Ruby, don't. I don't really give a rat's ass." Dean's low grumble filled the car and Issy sat forward in her seat, ready to intervene if things got too heated. Or Dean started hating on himself again. "What's your problem?"
"Pamela didn't want anything to do with this and we dragged her back into it, Sam."
"She knew what was at stake," Sam tried to reason.
"Oh yeah. Saving the world. And we're doing such a damn good job of it."
"Dean—" Sam tried at the same time Issy leant forward. She placed a placating hand on Dean's shoulder and their gaze met. He glanced at her with sad, tired eyes and let out a small sigh. "I'm tired of burying friends, Sam."
"Look, we catch a fresh trail—" Sam begins, Dean rolls his eyes. "And we follow it, I know. Like I said, I'm just—I'm just getting tired."
"Well, get angry." Issy peered curiously at Sam. What exactly was he going for right now? "Dean," Issy tried instead. "Do you want to take the backseat? Have some rest, some space?"
She knew the older Winchester would never ask for such things, and when he silently pushed his seat back Issy slid over and pressed herself to the far door Sam glanced back for a moment as Dean slid through to the back. His head was resting on Issy's shoulder a moment later, exhausted eyes falling shut. "I'm glad you're here Issy," Dean whispers to her.
His words are too quiet for Sam to hear, and Issy is left to wonder whether she's doing more harm than good to the Winchester brother's relationship. Sam is still hiding crap and Dean is talking to her, rather than his brother. She sighs though, simply let's her wings unfold and wrap around Dean in a warm cocoon. "Get some rest Dean. It's been a long day."
Issy knows immediately when Dean finally drifts off to sleep. It's not the way his shoulders finally slump as they lose their tension, or his face eases of his constant frowns caused by worry and anxiety. It's because he melts into her hold, head nuzzling into her shoulder with a satisfied hum.
She has half a mind to laugh at Dean for acting like a little puppy, but instead turns to Sam. "When he wakes up, you two are going to talk, alright?" A flash of unease runs across his face and Issy flashes a look of reassurance to him through the rear view mirror. "Don't worry. I'll be there to mediate. If you two start giving each other Indian burns or noogies I'll stop you."
When Sam's face breaks out into a small smile, his eyes finally losing the edge of tension they'd held all day, Issy knows she's said the right thing.
X
Dean wakes when they finally pull to a stop outside the motel. Issy lets her wings shift back to their original dimension, fading from existence as Dean sits up. He rubs his eyes once, quickly, and blinks around tiredly. "Where're we?" He slurs.
"Home," Issy says. She pulls her door open and climbs out, stretching her limbs and enjoying the feel of freedom. Being cooped up in the car really sucks, even though the Impala is undeniably comfortable. "You coming sleepy head?"
Sam's already making his way to the room by the time Dean finally climbs out. He stretches and smacks his lips a few times before shutting the door behind him. He looks to Issy, eyes finally focusing as his mind wakes. "Did I fall asleep on ya'?"
"Yup," Issy tells him, popping the 'p'. She nudges him with her elbow. "Let's go."
"Slow down, I just woke up." Dean hurries after Issy, and they find Sam fumbling with the keys as he tries to open the door. Dean takes the lead, snagging the keys from his brother hand and opening the door a second later. "Ah, home crappy home."
Issy lets Sam walk in first, and he flips the light on. Both Sam and Dean freeze in front of her, and Issy peers inside to see what's going on. "Winchester and Winchester."
One familiar angel, and one new angel, stand in the middle of the room. Issy barely has a moment to take this information in before Dean is pulling out his blade and surging forward. Oh right, he'd sworn to chop Cas's head off.
Issy is moving before she even realizes, getting between Dean and his inevitable doom. "Not now," she hisses fiercely. "Calm down Dean."
However, Dean's furious. His breaths come in rapid huffs and his fist is clenched knuckle white over his weapon. Uriel seems highly amused by Dean's reaction, whilst Castiel is avoiding looking at the both of them. "Coward," Issy hissed quietly under her breath. When the angel's head bows even deeper, she knows he'd heard him.
"You bastard!" Dean snaps, teeth biting at Castiel. "You let them torture her!"
"Now, Now. Winchester." Uriel steps forward, pulling everyone's focus to him. "You are needed." His voice is low, impatient. Issy feels herself stiffen. He reminds her of Zachariah, and the thought brings a flash of pain through her. "Needed? We just got back from needed."
"Now, you mind your tone with me." Issy feels her feathers bristle, and once more has to step closer to Dean. She can't let him get too angry, he can't attack them. "No, fuck you! You mind your damn tone with us."
Sam, ever the saint, steps forward with pleading eyes. "We just got back from Pamela's funeral." At his words, something else snaps inside dean. Issy easily notices how close he is to breaking point. "Pamela. You know, psychic Pamela? You remember her. Cas, you remember her." The angel in question stiffens even further at his words, eyes finally raising to meet Dean's gaze.
"You burned her eyes out. Remember that? Good times. Yeah, then she died saving one of your precious seals. So maybe you can stop pushing us around like chess pieces for five freaking minutes!"
"We raised you out of hell for our purposes."
"Yeah, what were those again? What exactly did you want from me?"
"Start with gratitude."
"You want gratitude? I'll give you gratitude. It'll be wrapped tightly inside my boot which I will shove so far up your fucking ass you won't be able to walk ever again." Issy almost laughs at his threat, Dean was certainly creative when he was angry.
"Dean, we know this is difficult to understand." Castiel suddenly starts, voice laden with too many undertones for Issy to decipher. "And we—" Uriel cuts in, looking significantly to Castiel. "—don't care. Now, seven angels have been murdered, all of them from our garrison. The last one was killed tonight."
"Demons?" Dean almost sounds interested. "How they doing it?"
"We don't know," Uriel informs him calmly.
"I'm sorry, but what do you want us to do about it? I mean, a demon with the juice to ice angels has to be out of our league, right?" Sam asks them point. Issy concurs, it's a good point. "We can handle the demons, thank you very much," Uriel tells them. Issy quirks a brow, he sounds like a child. Like he's so full of himself he might burst.
"Once we find whoever it is," Casitel adds.
"So you need our help hunting a demon?"
"Not quite." Issy's eyes flicker between Dean and the angel. "We have Alastair."
"Great. He should be able to name your trigger man."
"But he won't talk. Alastair's will is very strong. We've arrived at an impasse." And that's when Sam seems to realize what's going to happen. Issy watches his eyes widen, his hands clench.
"Yeah, well, he's like a black belt in torture. I mean, you guys are out of your league," Dean's comment makes Issy shiver, knowing what's coming next.
"That's why we've come to his student. You happen to be the most qualified interrogator we've got," Uriel tells him. Issy watches as Dean finally realizes what's going on. His head lowers, eyes downcast. Issy steps up to his side to try and comfort him.
"Dean, you are our best hope," Castiel's tone in sincere, and Issy doesn't miss the tones of regret wavering below. She looks to him, trying to catch his gaze but his attention is stuck on Dean. "No. No way. You can't ask me to do this, Cas. Not this."
Uriel starts forward, and before Issy can act he presses to fingers to Dean's forehead. "Who said anything about asking?" He teases before they disappear from the room
"Damn it!" Sam swears. Issy blinks a few times, wondering how the hell the angels had managed to move so fast. She'd barely been able to track them, even with her 'Grace enhanced' eyes. "Where'd they go Issy?"
"I can't sense him." Issy begins to panic when she can't feels Dean's soul pulsing against her Grace. She turns to Sam, placing a hand on each shoulder to try and get him to focus. "Sam. I'm going to find Dean alright?"
"Take me with you."
Issy shakes her head, unfurling her wings as she does. "I can't. You'll just slow me down Sam, and I need to fly fast to cover as much ground as possible."
"I don't care! Take me," Sam insists.
"No Sam," she smiles reassuringly. "I'll be right back, promise."
X
"I think I'll go seek revelation. We might have some further orders."
Dean continues to look around the room, wondering where the hell he was and why Issy hadn't come for him yet. They must be blocking her somehow, he thought with a frown. "Well, get some donuts while you're out," He mocked half heartedly.
Uriel lets out a laugh that sends shivers down Dean's bones. "Ah, this one just won't quit, will he? I think I'm starting to like you, boy."
He waits, watching as the angel disappears. From what he could tell, he was truly trapped in this room that the angel's had forced him into. He didn't like his situation and all, and sent a prayer to Issy. "You guys don't walk enough." Dean comments. "You're gonna get flabby."
Castiel hardly blinks an eye. "You know, I'm starting to think junkless has a better sense of humor than you do," Dean told the angel. He wanted nothing more than to rip Castiel's head off for hurting Issy, but he knew she had been right. He couldn't take the angels on. Not alone at least. "Uriel's the funniest angel in the garrison. Ask anyone," Castiel explains, somewhat confused by Dean's comment.
Dean steals himself, before walking up to the angel with an inquisitive expression on his face. "What's going on, Cas? Since when does Uriel put a leash on you?"
"My superiors have begun to question my sympathies."
Dean frowns. "Your sympathies?"
"I was getting too close to the humans in my charge. You. They feel I've begun to express emotions. The doorways to doubt. This can impair my judgment."
"Well, tell Uriel, or whoever...you do not want me doing this, trust me."
Castiel pauses, regret flashing deep in his eyes. "Want it, no. But I have been told we need it." Dean's fists clench and unclench at his side, and he tries hard not to punch the bastard angel in the face. "You ask me to open that door and walk through it, you will not like what walks back out."
"For what it's worth," Castiel begins, tone startling sincere. "I would give anything not to have you do this."
Dean lets his eyes fall shut, and turns towards where Alastair was being held. As his hands close over the tray of various torture instrument, Issy appears, face furious and eyes sharp. Immediately she dives at Cas, grabbing the angel by the throat and slamming him against the wall. She digs in her fingers, attempting to choke the angel but Cas hardly reacts. "I was trying not to do this," she starts as she pulls her blade from her sleeve and holds it to his throat. "But you have gone too far, Castiel."
"Issy," Castiel says calmly, as though he wasn't being held at knife point.
Dean blinked a few times, watching as Issy slammed the angel against the wall once more. "Dean isn't torturing anyone if he doesn't want to, you piece of shit. He has freewill Cas."
"Wait." Dean starts forward, his gaze searching out Issy's. "Don't be stupid Issy. They've got how many angels on their side? We can't take them."
"But this is bull, Dean," she turns back to Cas and punches him, hard, across the jaw. His head snaps back with a crack but still his face remains blank. Calm.
Dean reaches her then, grabbing onto the girls arm. "Issy. Please," he pleads. "I don't like this either, but it's us against them, and right now we're down in numbers."
"I could take you right now, hide you." She slams Cas again, but her grip is slipping on the angel. Dean tugs her arm. "Let go of him Issy."
Castiel watches the whole exchange with his creepily calm gaze. Issy weighs Dean's words for a few moments before dropping Castiel unceremoniously with an annoyed grunt. "Fuck this shit Dean. Fuck the angels. Fuck Alastair. Dean you don't have to do this."
"I do," Dean responds simply. Although the chance to not have to enter Alastair's prison is appealing, it's not worth risking his brother, and Issy's, life. "Keep an eye on Sammy alright? This won't take long."
"Dean-" Issy tries.
He cuts her off. "If Ruby shows up gank her ass alright? I don't want that bitch messing with him when I'm not around." Issy froze, eyes growing wide. "You want me to kill her?"
"Yes," Dean tells her. She shifts uneasily. "Alright Dean. If that's what you want."
Dean nods. Issy doesn't leave. He frowns at her, "Issy?"
"Right- Sorry." She lets out an embarrassed laugh, turning to glance at Castiel before looking back at Dean. "Um- so I'll-Yeah. I'll be back soon alright Dean?"
"No wait," Dean stops her before she can leave, grabbing onto her shoulder. "You can't come back here, neither you or Sam. Not when…. Not once I'm in that room."
Issy rolls her eyes. "I'm not about to leave you unprotected with about a dozen angels on your ass, pony boy." They stare at each other, silently battling with their gaze. Finally, Dean groans and raises his hands in exasperation. "Fine! But don't go through that door alright? No matter what you here. Not until I come out, promise?"
"Orders are orders boss," Issy salutes. She steps back, sending a warning glance at Cas before turning back to Dean. "Good luck Dean. Don't forget yourself."
Before Dean can respond, Issy disappears.
X
Sam flips his phone open and closed, eyes focused on the door. Issy hadn't returned, and it had been far too long. Three hours too long. He'd called Ruby as a last resort. A quick knock on the door startled him out of his reverie and he got up to open it. "I can still smell them. Seriously, Sam, I'm not exactly dying to tangle with angels again," Ruby said as she entered.
"I need you to find out where they took Dean."
"Not sure I see the problem." Ruby said simply in a bored drawl. "You know they have Alastair strung up six ways from Sunday. Dean cuts himself a slice, Al's reduced to a quivering heap, and the good guys get the goods. What's wrong with that?"
"He can't do it," Sam told her. He'd seen his brother's face when Uriel spoke.
"Look, I get it. You don't want him going all torture master again."
"No." Sam huff. "I mean, he can't do it. He can't get the job done. Something happened to him downstairs, Ruby. He's not what he used to be. He's not strong enough."
"And you are?" Ruby asked with a quirked brow.
"I will be."
Ruby crossed her arms and sat down on the bed. "So you're going to take care of your big ol' brother then, huh? Seems to me his whiny ass ought to be able to take care of himself."
Suddenly, Sam was slamming into her, knocking her against the table and pressing her wrists to the wall above her. "You don't get, to speak about my brother."
"You need me," Ruby smirked. "You aren't going to hurt me."
He glared hard at her, shoving her wrists once before letting go and slamming out the motel door. Ruby watched him leave, amused smirk still on her face. She pushed herself off the table, smoothing down her clothes and perusing through the motel.
Her hand slides over the brother's guns, then she flips through the research papers on their table. Her gaze slides over to the journal, and she moves to read through that as well. At least, until she's knocked on her ass by the strongest gust of wind she'd ever felt.
"Sheesh. I thought Sam would never leave." Ruby flinches, her gaze stuck on the newly arrived angel. She doesn't look like much of a threat, but Ruby has no way to kill an angel. "Hi, I'm Issy." The girl begins with a wide smile, hips jutting as she shifts stances. "I'm here to kill you."
OHHH SHIT IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN OMGOMGOGMGOMOGMGOGMOGMO
! I DONT KNOW HOW TO REACT I DONT THINK IM READY FOR THIS OMG!
WOAH! GUYS! WOAHHH! DID WE GET- DID WE GET 10 FRIGGIN REVIEWS LAST CHAPTER? WHAT! SO MANY HUGS TO YOU ALL I CANT DEAL WITH ALL THE LOVE!
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