A tape is wiring in Bobby's home. It's dark and it's cold and it's so damn empty. Sam is hovering over the desk, piles of paper and pens and books covering the wooden surface. A storm rages outside, rain hitting the windows so hard it nearly breaks them, and the power has been broken for a day now. The candle light flickers as an unknown breeze flows through the room bringing the smell of bitter rain with it.
The hunter is tired. So tired. He only wants to sleep, but he just can't, scared of what might be waiting when he arrives at the gates of his unconscious mind. He swallows hard, the sweet beer leaving a comforting after taste in his throat and head.
"Hey." he speaks into the recorder. "I... I needed to talk to you, but it's to late for me to visit. I just needed to talk about you, talk to you about how..." His voice breaks off and he turns off the recording. He rubs his head, trying to formulate the right words. He clicks it on again. "My name's Sam Winchester, but you know that. Everyone knows that..." He laughs sourly. "You'd have laughed at that." He sighs.
"Anyway, I just.. the prophecy. It meant you had to die to save Dean and Cas. I... I don't... Why the fuck does my life have to be so fucked up?" He says, anger suddenly over taking him. "I get you, you perfect, brilliant and genius person in my life and then the world just snatches you away. I should be used to it. Fuck that." He says angrily, blaming himself more than anything.
"I remember you telling me about the angels. How they had their own secret world in Purgatory that even the monsters avoided. Fucking angels."
Raphael looked angrily down the room. He hated this place, hated the monsters there and especially hated the new comers. That damned Winchester and his fallen boyfriend. At least Zachariah was there to make things a little more bearable. He shared his hatred, especially towards Dean.
"Zachariah, would you do something for me?" Raphael asked, sensing the other angel's presence. "I don't know how I want to torture Dean."
"You should leave that to me." Zachariah laughed. "I've had many ideas over the years on how I want to destroy his soul."
"It would have to be worse than Alastair."
"Maybe we could take something from our brother." Zachariah suggested. He had no need to clarify which one.
"I will not fall to his level. He is weak minded."
"But still our brother."
"If we thought like that, Castiel wouldn't be locked up and kissing his pet human." Raphael spat out. "They both disgust me."
"How about we torture them both and make them watch." Zachariah said. Raphael grinned.
"I knew you would come up with something." He said. But before he could leave, the door opened and a mass of horrid creatures entered. "This is the angel's domain, leave us!"
"We want the angel. The one that killed our father." A werewolf growled. Unlike the trickster, werewolves looked as they should; a huge grey wolf standing on its hind legs. This particular one was snarling, baring its canine teeth and its eyes were glinting like poisonous rubies. Standing next to it was an odd looking beast, looking much like a bat with the sharpest teeth ever seen by the angels.
"He chained up our father, tortured him for information he had no idea of knowing."
"Oh, you mean that idiot Castiel?" Zachariah laughed. "We heard of his work. It's the only good deed he did for the world."
"Now, now, Zachariah. We have guests." Raphael said smoothly. "There is nothing you can give us in return." A hiss sounded from behind them and their stomach tensed. A thick, black snake slithered close to them, wrapping its winding body around their legs.
"Gentlemen, I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement." It hissed.
"We don't talk to Leviathan." Raphael spat. "You were sent here for a reason."
"Only idiots believe in reason. My only thoughts are to destroy Castiel and Dean Winchester. Make them suffer, make them squirm. They will escape, we all know this. But we're allowed some fun."
"I thought angels were great. I thought they'd be beautiful creatures that cared about us, that cared we'd risk our lives to save people. But they hate us because we save people. They hate us for doing God's work while they try and destroy it." Sam exclaims. He looks up briefly, hearing someone shift in bed.
The room is black now. The clouds in the never ending sky are as dark as coal, the rain making no rainbow or sheen for light to glitter off. It just sticks to the window, making the world distorted just like. The flame on the five candle's wicks have gone, the smoking remains and scent of the stick remaining.
His voice quietens. "They tried to destroy you."
Dean and Castiel are grasping onto each other, holding each other as they hear screams through the other room. They'd seen the procession of beasts, none of them sharing the kind green of Loki's eyes. They're all red and horrid, full of a vengeance that makes Demons look like toddlers.
All too human fears creep under Castiel's skin, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He crawls away, dragging his friend out of the sight of the monsters. They can't have him he thinks He's my human.
He sees Gabriel leering at the doorway and Balthazar is equally disgusted. They can all hear the voices in the other room and a shiver goes down Dean's spine as he hears a slither so strange and yet so familiar.
He shrinks away, holding Dean tight against him.
"You told me how you stood invisible in front of them. You told me how scared they were... and then you had to just go and be you." Sam laughed. "As the Doctor said about the weeping angels, their greatest asset is their greatest curse. Too nice for you own good.
"I miss you." He says, voice cracking slightly. "I miss you so much and I didn't even know you for long."
Grey and Sam were standing next to each other in the queue, the sight and feeling too familiar to Grey. Sam's fidgeting in his shoes, toes wiggling and hands folding together.
"Sam, seriously. It's a queue."
"Yeah, but I'm not British." He complains. It's finally their go, the cashier quick and glancing at Sam. Her face is pretty, fingers elegant, even as she scans packaged meat through the invisible scanner. Obviously, she's interested in him and Grey doesn't blame her.
Grey entwines their fingers together just like they do in bed and the feeling relaxes Sam enough for him to stop moving. He hadn't been the same since they all worked out the prophecy a week before, the realisation forming uncomfortably in their skin.
She didn't want to die, but the last part interested her the most. Sam seemed to ignore it; always the pessimist.
"I can survive." Grey insists every night as they dig deeper, their ideas finally forming into something that might help. "Just look."
"But it could go wrong."
"I'm willing to take that risk." She whispers gently against his skin. He relaxes around her, their naked skin touching. "I'll risk it."
"But-" He was about to say how he cared about her, how he can't pick but she knows him too well. No one is more important to him than Dean and she loves him for it. She kisses him suddenly, their lips turning into a hot mess.
It had been like that a lot. When the tension and the prospect of what they had to do became too much and they both just fell into each other, relieving the fear and terror for just one night. Or five.
Sam remembers those nights as clearly as if they were happening at that moment. His skin tingled as he remembered the way she would kiss every scar, the back of his neck running her lips down his body, forcing him to whimper her name. His hands would run through her thick hair as their lips touched sending a shock through him that he never would recover from. Still hasn't.
"Barely a month." He says as the memories shake his bones. "And I guess... I know I loved you. Your eyes, your lips, the way you walked, the way you just were. I miss it."
He let out a shaking breath and stops the recording.
"Hey, love birds!" Grey whispered harshly. They didn't turn their heads, both consumed with fear, holding onto each other, Castiel's head resting limply on Dean's shoulder. Grey sighs and turns away.
Gabriel is staring at her and he smiles weakly.
"You're gonna get us out of this shit hole?"
"That's the plan. I'm Grey."
"Gabriel." He says. Balthazar is looking at him as though he was mad, but of course they can't see her. She nods briefly and jogs away, searching the place until she's ripped from that world suddenly. And it hurts when she does. Her breaths are sharp and quick. It's becoming harder and harder to get into Purgatory with every night that passes and she's worried. So worried.
Awake and bare against Sam's skin, Grey begins thinking and piecing together their ideas. She knows what she has to do and has known for some time. But her soul is weakening and she knows it has to be done soon.
"Grey?" Sam breaks her thoughts. "Are you OK?"
No, of course not. "Yeah, I'm fine." She says. "I love you." Grey says with a little huff of air. Her soft eyes land on Sam's and she smiles weakly.
"Seriously, what's wrong."
"Such a bloody pessimist." And she roles on her side, ignoring the feeling Sam's staring at her back. He just sighs, kisses her neck and leaves. He's done this before with Dean and has learnt not to pry. She'll come out of her shell at some point; he knows it.
"I thought I knew you but I never really did. Only when I met Alexis and your parents did I really find out how incredible you are. I mean, I knew you were incredible, but not that incredible. Helping out charities, orphans, all that crazy shit good people do. I still don't get how you managed to do it all.
"And, yeah, I met your parents. They... Well, they weren't exactly pleased to meet me as you can imagine. Thought I was a... well, yeah, you get the picture. At least Alexis was alright; nothing like you. But she was sweet, I get why you liked her."
Sam took another swig from the seemingly endless bottle that hangs in his hand. He puts it down and closes his eyes a moment.
"You know, when you told me you worked it all out, that it was gonna be fine, I thought you meant that you would be here with me and Dean and Cas. One big messed up family but family none the less."
Grey stood in the basement and breathed in the old smells of musky books and sour paints, the dusty salt drifting into her nose. It smelt like hunting. Her hands were slick with her own blood and she leaned against a pillar admiring her art.
There were three crosses, circles of various sizes and a lot of Enochian symbols that didn't make any sense. She looked at her watch and closed her eyes, arms outstretched.
A foreign tongue crossed her lips, the words making the room shake lightly.
"Grey?!" Sam shouted from above her. But she continued, trying to ignore his words and the feeling to just tell him it's all gonna be OK.
Suddenly electricity sparked from her hands and everything went black.
Sam walked slowly down the creaking steps. He stared at the far wall blankly and moved his eyes away. The recorder still whirred and it picked up his heavy breathing and beating heart. It even felt the small tear land on it's plastic surface and the wiping thumb clearing it away.
Dean and Castiel looked up. Gabriel and Balthazar were with them, looking petrified at the walls around them cracked open.
Then they all grinned.
"Sammy!" Dean exclaimed excitedly. But the joy wasn't returned as Sam's face looked worriedly down at the slack figure of Grey. He was holding her up but her head was limp and lids closed.
Gabriel ran towards them, closely followed by Balthazar and then-
"Grey?" Sam said quietly, shaking her. "Grey, wake up. C'mon, please, no, why aren't you waking up!" His words were shouted so loudly.
The four newcomers breathed.
No longer were they in a cell. They all stood in a hole in the basement, surrounded by dirt and electrical wiring.
"What the Hell just happened." Gabriel stated, a little shy of utterly shocked. Sam looked up with tears welling up in his eyes.
"Dean, Cas.. Why isn't she waking up?" He said, his words practically begging them.
"I..." Dean said, shaking his head. "Who is she?" Sam's jaw tightened.
"It's Grey." He said as though it was obvious. "C'mon, help me!" Gabriel moved and placed his hand lightly on her temple. A jolt of electricity jumped through his bones and he snatched his hand away.
"Jesus!" He shouted in pain.
"Stop dicking around Gabe, fix her!"
"I can't." He admitted looking at his hand.
"I did the right thing, didn't I? I brought you to a hospital. If angels can't fix you then doctors are you next bet, right?" Sam said painfully into the recording. He waved it in his hand lightly before clicking it off.
He jogged upstairs, threw the device on the table and stared out the window.
"And everyone forgot. Dean doesn't know who you are. The other knows but that's 'cause you're a prophet. They all forgot Purgatory." He heard a creaking step and jolted to the side. He relaxed when he saw his brother.
"Dude, go to sleep for God's sake." He said un sympathetically.
"No, you jerk. Go kiss your angel."
"I'm not gonna kiss Cas, why the Hell do you keep telling me to?"
"Oh wouldn't you like to know." Sam laughed and smiled bitterly at Dean. His brother sighed and took a few steps closer to his brother and awkwardly pressed a hand to his shoulder.
"I've never been good with this kinda crap and you know that. But... I know she meant a lot to you, that Grey chick. I don't blame you for wanting to fix it. You've done everything you can."
"Apparently not."
"If an archangel can't fix her then the Hospital's the next best thing." Dean said, echoing Sam's previous comment.
"You ever love someone because they're stupid?"
"Dude, you're my brother, 'course I do." Dean smirked. Sam shoved him.
"Jerk."
"Bitch. Sleep before I tranquillise your ass." Dean said and walked back upstairs, feet plodding on each step.
"Stop eating so much pie then."
"Pie is amazing!" Dean shouts from above.
"But diabetes isn't you dick!" Sam shouts after him. He hears a chuckle and something sounding like 'I deserved that' before he hears a bed creak. He looks outside and the clouds break showing off the morning sun. The rays are warm on his skin and he closes his eyes. He hears a flutter of wings. After knowing Castiel for so long, he knows they don't belong to him.
A hand lands on his shoulder.
"Heya Sammy, my boy." Gabriel says.
"How is she?" Sam asks plainly.
"Good morning to you too. She's asleep still, but fine." He reports back to him. "I know Dean and Cassy don't remember anything, but I do." Sam turns and stares at him. "Yeah and so does Balthy. Just the two not-love birds."
"Typical." Sam sighs. He looks around the room and sits down, motioning for the archangel to do the same. "And hi."
"My my, Sammy, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were warming up to me."
"Don't call me Sammy." Sam huffs out quietly. Gabriel roles his eyes and slumps even further into the chair.
"She was a good kid."
"She is. Not dead yet Gabriel." Sam said and Gabriel shrugged.
"You know I'm meant to protect her?" He said his eyes landing on Sam's. "Prophets are meant to be guarded by archangels and 'cause so many of us are dead she got super powers. Anyway, the things is... I dunno, I guess there might be some kind of connection between us. Grey and me.
"She told me to tell you that she likes it when you read to her." Gabriel says, attempting a comforting smile. Sam nods with the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
"Thanks. Can I call you Gabe?"
"Sure thing big guy." He says and stands. "You need anything just ask." Sam nods and thanks him again, he puts out a hand and Gabriel takes it warmly. He'd normally say stupid remarks and make him laugh uncomfortably or - more likely - just make the situation worse. But he doesn't because Gabriel, may his Father help him, cares about these damned Winchester brothers more than he can care to admit.
Grey's sitting on the bed looking away from Sam's large body. The blanket was creased and messy, barely covering Sam's hips, showing off his extremely muscled body and the scars his life has given him. She sighed and walked slowly to the other side, trying not to wake him. Planting a small kiss on his forehead and moving some of the stray hairs from his head, she stands and walks to the door with a knife and paper in her hand.
With a single glance back as Sam moves his body, reaching out for a heat that's just left him, he shivers and Grey stares longer than she believes she should. But there's a smile on his face and it's one Grey takes for granted. She commits it to memory and looks away.
"I'll be seeing you." She whispers to unhearing ears. A tear falls down her cheek and she wipes it away. "Bye Sam."
He mumbles an unconscious reply.
"Love you..."