Hey gang, here is your next chapter! Thank you very much you lovely reviewers and favoritors!
The Mysterious Shadow- Hmmm…I know! Fish sticks! Did you see that one Spongebob episode where the fish get turned into fish sticks and the fish sells them? (the fry cook games episode where it is like the Olympics?)
Casismyfavorite- Don't worry, the angels can't get their asses handed to them without some high class smitting!
Stephanswifey01-Why thank you :D Yeah Dick is a…dick.
rEdRoSeSiNaUgUsT- Haha thanks! I like fluff but I can't seem to write anything that doesn't have some storm clouds hanging around all the sunshine and rainbows :D
Ventorum- Hmmm smarmy, I do like that. Yeah, don't worry, I swear some epic show downs are coming up so things won't be as suspenseful!
"The Silence Before the Storm"
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Many things had happened this night and it refused to remain quiet. Wind howled and searched desperately for an entrance into the old motel. The sign hadn't work right in years. Sometimes the owner sent someone in to patch things up. He had gotten too old to fix the roof leaks that always seemed to appear just in time for the rainy season. Someone in a fancy truck got the sign to work for about a week when a cheap bulb went out. That was the way luck seemed to run in the small town. Things crapped out on you and you tried to fix them for a while. You tried to fix things that could never seem to get truly fixed or remain that way.
Questions that were usually asked were left unsaid; besides the basics. Do you take credit? Yes, ID please. The old man was either desperate for their business or couldn't see well enough to take in the full picture of the group requesting lodging from the storm. They were drenched and smelled of the wet dirt that weighed down their pant legs. Blood dripped in unhealthy dark drips onto the old carpet but the man gave them his keys. Gabriel dozed on a rumpled bed in the suite while Sam tried to tune the TV to any station at all. He slammed his hand against the small television set and the gray lines disappeared before wiggling across once more like worms slipping their quick bodies away from the light. Dean poured amber liquid from a bottle almost as old as the little motel. The lamp flickered nearby but stubbornly remained a pale yellow in the room.
"Damned thing won't work?"
"No man." Sam shook his head tiredly. "The cable is shot. I would read up on some news but with this storm I don't want my laptop to get burned." He took a glass from Dean.
Dean stretched and pulled Castiel to his feet. "Then go check the desk for a newspaper. We're going to take a shower. Come on Cas."
Sam looked pinched. "Dean, you know you can't take a shower in the middle of a thunderstorm. And I already checked. The last issue was from May."
"Says who? I stink and I am sure we all would feel better if we weren't sitting around sniffing each other's stank butts."
"It was on Myth Busters. Lightening can kill you in the shower." Sam looked embarrassed.
Dean paused. "Seriously Sammy? Myth Busters? You watch that nerdy crap and then look righteous whenever I watch Doctor Sexy?"
Dean was treaded to one of Sam's specialty bitch faces. "Whatever Dean. At least what I watch is educational."
"What and I haven't learnt anything from Doctor Sexy? I will inform your Samsquatch ass that I now know twelve elevator sex positions. Twelve Sammy!"
"Dean, just don't go in there." Dean glanced over at Castiel for his opinion but the angel's hand remained limp in his own, his gaze indicating that his brain was currently somewhere else.
"We're going. As far as I know Bobby hasn't died yet and he is in there now. If that son of a bitch doesn't get out soon, then he will have to worry about dying in the shower." Dean rapped loudly on the door. "Bobby! Get hell out of there, it better not be cold!"
"Shut your yapper you idiot." Bobby came out of the shower wrapped only in a towel and the Winchester boys both nearly vomited.
Dean looked pale. "Jesus Bobby, put it away! I do not think your tractor is sexy!"
"Shut up Dean. I've seen your naked ass more than anyone should ever have to." Bobby grumbled and went into the adjoining room.
Dean shrugged. "Looks like Grandpa is going to bed early."
"I may be old but I'm not deaf you dumbass!" Bobby slammed the door as Dean and Sam laughed. Gabriel snored on and Cas had not returned to planet earth yet.
"Come on baby." Castiel snapped back into reality and nodded as he let Dean lead him into the bathroom.
The water was still warm and Dean was relieved. He let the water run over his hand before nodding at his angel. Castiel stood staring at the blood as it dripped at his feet. Dean gently pulled him closer and slowly pulled of the dirty trench coat. He laid it over the towel rack. Castiel slipped out of Dean's too large shirt and jeans. Dean took in a sharp breath at the damage that had been done to his body since he had last seen him. Painful red rips in his skin gently oozed over flesh that could no longer heal. His fair skin was bruising. Purple and blue so dark it was almost black snaked over his ribs where it met with angry red burns. Dean figured that it looked like Castiel had someone beat the crap out of him, but he knew that the battle was internal. The monsters were there. In the same room as the hunter and his angels the Leviathans sang shrilly in his blood and tormented his weakened body.
Dean, feeling ill with sympathy, tugged on Castiel's arm gently and led him into the water. Warm red droplets jumped into the drain. Castiel tilted his head up to the spray of water and Dean was relieved to see the slight pleased smile grow. He opened his mouth in surprise when Dean quickly switched the water too cold. He frowned in confusion and tilted his head in an attempt to understand why the device as no longer working properly. Cas was so damn cute sometimes.
"I love you Cas." Dean wrapped an arm around his thin waist and used the other to reheat the water.
Castiel eyed his motions still frowning. "I would say the same, I would but I now know that it was you who made the water become not so temperate."
Dean pretended to look distraught. "Come on Cas, it wasn't me, looks like Bobby took most of the hot water after all."
A small smile twitched at Castiel's lips and he bumped his forehead against Dean's. The man's strong arms supported him and Castiel remained in his arms as the water began to chill of its own accord. Cold water splashed against the angel's face. Suddenly he was on his knees retching black blood into the drain.
"Son of a bitch! Cas!" Dean wrapped his arms around the angel and plugged up the drain. Black worm-like squiggles bashed against the blockade and some of them burst angrily. Dark droplets reformed and made the attack once more. Dean dragged the angel out of the shower and threw a towel over his heaving shoulders as he spit out a mouthful of darkness.
"Shit shit shit!" Dean hurried around the room and stopped in front of the sink. He fell on his knees and rooted around frantically in the cabinet before retrieving a bottle of strong floor cleaning soap. Dean twisted the cap off and threw it on the ground. He looked at the back for a moment before just dumping the entire contents into the bath tub. He pulled away the shower curtain as black lines inched towards it. The entire bathroom smelled of fresh laundry as the last black blob swelled up, twitched, and then promptly exploded. Castiel leaned against the wall panting and looking spent. The spell had passed.
"Cas, are you okay?" Castiel nodded. The pool next to him was bright red. Dean sighed. It hurt to see so much of his angel's blood but it looked like the monsters were at bay for now.
Castiel nodded slowly. "I believe I am." He held up his arm and Dean wrapped his hand around the thin wrist.
Dean helped Castiel out of the room as Sam glanced up and away quickly. "What?" Sam stared intently at the old newspaper he was now pretending to read. "What?"
"Nothing Dean." Sam cleared his throat and flipped out the pages of the newspaper.
Dean tried to share a look with Castiel. When his attempt of course failed, he sighed. "Spit it out bitch, why are you being so jumpy?"
"Oh umm." Sam's face went bright red. "Can you just…turn down the volume if we are going to be rooming together?" Dean opened his mouth in indignation. "No, look, I get that you two are together and that's nice. But I don't need to know about it."
Dean looked incredulous at Sam before bursting out laughing. "Damn it Sammy, we weren't doing anything! Cas was sick again and chomper babies were everywhere."
"Oh." Sam looked embarrassed. "Sorry man, I just…" He looked almost humiliated at Castiel. "I'm sorry Cas." Castiel nodded graciously at him in forgiveness before collapsing on the opposite bed.
"I like your thinking Sammy." Dean winked and grinned suggestively.
Sam looked pinched. "Whatever Dean. I'm just saying that…if that ever happens…we are getting separate rooms, no suites. I wouldn't even feel clean after a shower if…that happened."
Dean chuckled as he tried to fix the fuzzy TV once more. "I get it." Dean gave up and got dressed as a miffed Sam snapped his newspaper again.
Sam gave up on re-reading the old news and planted the newspaper on the night stand. "I'm taking a shower."
"What about all the scary lightening?" Dean unrolled part of the package of ace bandages and started to patch up Cas. "Maybe you should wake up sleepy over there." He nodded towards Gabriel. "He looks like he's more than half dirt right now."
"Look outside. I think the lightening stopped." Sam gently shook Gabriel's shoulder. "Hey man, are you alright?" Gabriel stretched like a cat before rolling over onto his other side. Sam looked to Dean for help but his brother simply gave him a useless shrug. Sam shuffled closer. "Gabriel?" The archangel cracked an eye at Castiel and winked before pretending to sleep once more. Sam's face got really close and Gabriel used the opportunity to give him a loud smack on the cheek.
"Here to wake up sleeping beauty I presume?" Gabriel tucked a hand under his chin and winked. "Come on big boy!" He held out his arms to Sam who looked pinched.
"I thought you were dead!" Sam stormed away as Gabriel looked surprised.
"Why didn't you check instead of sulking around like an overgrown moose? Sheesh and he acts like it's my fault." Castiel shook his head fondly at his brother as Dean tucked the two of them into the adjacent bed.
Sam turned. "Maybe I wouldn't have though you were dead if you didn't smell like you were." He slammed the bathroom door shut.
"I think he likes me." Gabriel waggled his eyebrows at his roommates before zapping. Cas and Dean looked dismayed until they herd Sam's furious shouts in the bathroom.
"He should not be doing that." Castiel curled his smaller body around Dean's.
Dean planted a soft kiss on Castiel's neck. "What, tormenting poor Sammy?"
"Zapping…as you call it. Our powers are not working as they should. It is dangerous."
Dean trailed his hand over Castiel's back. "I know baby. We are pretty close to…the place where you-where we opened purgatory. In a day or two we will send those ass clowns back home and I am sure you will be back to your happy smite-ing self."
"I do not think I will ever comprehend how you throw logic out the window to comfort someone." Castiel lightly wrapped his fingers around Dean's. "Somehow it works."
Dean grinned and tilted Castiel's chin up as he kissed him. Castiel felt so fragile in his arms. Dean wished there was a way to take on some of his angel's pain but he knew that this was all he could do for him. He would hold him in the lonely darkness. Dean listened to the angel's roughened breathing and felt something trickle down the angel's cheek.
"Cas?" Dean rubbed his thumb lightly over Castiel's cheek. "Are you crying?" The angel shivered and buried his face into Dean's armpit. "Are you still thinking about Anna?" Castiel's messy brown hair tickled as he nodded.
Dean kissed him before slipping out of bed. Two glasses clinked together as Dean held them in one hand. He filled one and then the other as he felt his angel's curious blue eyes follow him around the room. Dean passed Castiel a glass.
"I cannot imbibe in alcohol."
Dean smiled. "Yes you can. I recall a certain angel I know that got very smashed once. What was that joke about "breeding with the mouth of a goat?"
Castiel glanced shamefaced at the glass between his hands. "I was recalling that as well. That is why I will not-"
"Hey you cute little son of a bitch. I'm here and I won't let you get that bad okay? This is to take some of the edge off so you can get some sleep. I won't let you embarrasses yourself, but you do that a lot while sober."
Castiel offered him a small smile and set his glass down in a flash on the bedside table. Soon the hunter and his angel put away most of what Dean had purchased at the convenient store. Sam, wearing only a bitch face and a towel steered a sullen looking Gabriel into the room. Gabriel's skin was pink from beings washed with a firm hand and he looked miserable.
Gabriel pouted on the bed the entire time Sam bandaged him up. "Go to sleep."
"But they aren't." Gabriel nodded towards Dean and Cas as the two burst out laughing at nothing.
"Is your name Dean or Castiel?" Sam put his hands on his hips.
Gabriel frowned. "No way Moose."
"Then get your butt to bed. Enough you two." Sam collected the empty bottles and dumped them in the trash. He peeled the glasses out of their hands.
"Come on Sam!" Dean swayed.
"You have had enough."
Castiel hiccupped and smiled at Sam. "I love you."
"Uhhh yeah Cas. Thank you." Sam pulled back the blankets and tucked them in. "Go to sleep."
Castiel nodded looking peaceful. Sam glanced over at Gabriel and saw he was already out cold. He nodded business-like before sitting in a chair to read some more. When Sam fell asleep Bobby came in to check on his boys. He lifted Sam out of the chair and tucked him in, which wasn't the easiest of feats. He looked from one set of boy and angel to the other and smiled fondly. "Idgits."
He knew that tomorrow night would not be this peaceful. The rip in the wall would be opened once more and the earth would be exposed to the quiet sneaking things that lived in purgatory. It was time to do this right and Bobby hoped locking the angels in purgatory would not be the answer. His boys wouldn't be able to take it. Bobby glanced over at the sleeping Castiel and shook his head. He didn't even know if he would be able to watch that poor angel die again. He was now one of his boys. Bobby slipped out of the room to try and get some sleep before the sunlight demanded that the next day begin.