Chapter 10 - "Virtue Itself Turns Vice, Being Misapplied"
Things were silent in the cabin now, almost eerily so. The only sounds were the dripping of blood on the floor under Gail's chair, and the sounds of Aurielle mixing the potion she had just concocted in the bowl.
Jason had been sitting in the armchair resting, trying to slow down his heavy breathing. He'd been so excited when he'd been torturing Gail, and seeing her blood dripping on the floor was proving to have a calming effect on him. Castiel was staring Jason down, and Jason's old compatriot's eyes were the brightest blue he had ever seen them, but with flecks of purple in them. Strange; Jason had seen Castiel angry many times, but he had never seen them that colour, before. Castiel was so angry he had gone nuclear, Jason thought with amusement. Aurielle had better be careful if she hoped to get near him. Thank God for sigils, Jason was thinking, with no sense of irony whatsoever, or none of them would stand a chance.
Jason grinned at Castiel. "Is there something you want to say to me, Brother?" he taunted.
Suddenly, Castiel's eyes turned a bright purple. Jason was startled. He'd definitely never seen THAT before.
"I will kill you," Castiel said quietly, "but I will take my time doing it."
Jason laughed, but inexplicably, those eyes and that tone were making him nervous. Castiel was at their mercy, but for a moment it was feeling like the other way around.
Gail saw Castiel's eyes too, and she was astonished. What was THIS, now? She thought she'd seen just about every expression he had, but this one was new. But as for what he was saying, she had no problem with it. Mercy was not the answer for guys like Jason. Perhaps it was her pain talking, but she wouldn't mind seeing him take his turn in this chair, hurting like she was, now. Did that make her a bad Angel? Definitely. Did she care? Not one bit. Angels, she thought derisively. What did that even mean, any more? Look at the three that were holding them captive, right now. They were all supposedly Angels too, weren't they? And so had Xavier and his bunch been. She tried to think of the good Angels they knew: Bobby, Chuck, Kevin, Ethan, Becky...OK, there were some. Not to mention Sam and Dean, and Frank and Jody. So they did have friends, and there were good beings in their lives. But no one was going to help them now. They would have to try to figure out a way to help themselves.
Castiel's calm stare was unsettling Jason, so Jason rose and walked up to Gail's chair. He looked down at her, turning his back on Castiel.
"What?" Gail said to Jason. God, was he going to start in on her, again?
But surprisingly, he walked around behind her chair and unlocked her handcuffs, then began to untie her. What the hell?
Metatron looked at them curiously, as Aurielle was pouring her potion into a cup. But Metatron did nothing. He was waiting to find out what Jason was doing.
Gail was freed from her bonds now, but she was eyeing Jason warily. She thought about trying to attack him, but her arms were like spaghetti, after having been cuffed behind her for so long. And besides, what good would it do? She could see Metatron looking at them. Even if by some miracle she was able to temporarily defeat Jason, Metatron would just knock her into next week.
Suddenly, Jason's hands were on her body. What the hell did he think he was doing? "If guys touch me there, they generally have to buy me dinner, first," Gail quipped nervously. But then, she realized; he was healing her.
Castiel had been about to burst a blood vessel when he'd seen Jason put his hands on Gail's body, but he now realized that Jason was actually healing her wounds. Why would he do that?
Metatron was wondering that himself, and Aurielle had stopped what she was doing to glare at Jason.
"What are you doing, Jason?" Aurielle asked him quietly. She'd been happy to see Gail's suffering, and now the idiot was making her whole, again.
When Jason was finished, he stood back from Gail, smiling at her. "Just wanted a blank canvas to work with," he said mildly.
Then Castiel realized: Jason was just healing her so he could start torturing her again. That's what he himself would have done, in the old days. And that was what he was going to do to Jason, once he got free, Castiel vowed grimly. Again, and again, and again. And no one was going to stop him, not even Bobby. Let him try.
The potion was ready. Metatron and Aurielle rose from the table, and Metatron walked back over to sit in the armchair, to watch the show.
Aurielle went to Castiel. "Here, drink this," she said to him, putting the cup to his lips. He glared up at her. She had to be kidding.
Gail was healed now, but her muscles were starting to cramp up from the tension in her body. Jason had re-tied her to her chair, but he had not re-cuffed her, and her arms were on the arms of the chair now.
"Here, allow me," Jason said sarcastically. He walked around behind Castiel's chair and grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head back. "Pour it down his throat," Jason said to Aurielle. If Metatron was going to allow this foolishness, Jason just wanted it done as quickly as possible.
Aurielle poured half of the cup into Castiel's mouth. He was trying to struggle, but Jason was holding his head steady now, and most of the potion went in. Aurielle gave Jason a nod, and he let go of Castiel's head. She peered in to look closely at Castiel's face. How long did it take to work? The book hadn't said.
Castiel spat the potion he'd been holding in his mouth into Aurielle's face. "You need to stop this, now," he growled at her. "'These violent delights have violent ends'."
Aurielle straightened up, using her hands to wipe the potion from her face. She should be angry, but how could she be angry at Castiel when he was quoting Shakespeare to her? Yes, it was a threat, but if he knew that line from Romeo and Juliet, he'd know others. Perhaps they could read it together, once this was all over. "'Educated men are so impressive!'" she quoted back to him.
Metatron was delighted. They were quoting Shakespeare to each other, after just a few drops of the stuff? He didn't know how much of the potion Castiel had actually swallowed, but this was getting interesting, now. He'd wondered what his additional ingredients would do to Castiel; with all of his supposed confidence, Metatron had actually had very little experience casting spells. He'd just wanted to shut Aurielle up at the time, and help her produce some kind of liquid she could pour down Castiel's throat, so his post-hypnotic suggestions would kick in and the fireworks would start between her and Jason, so Metatron had just tossed in a few random ingredients he thought might make Castiel's life a lot more interesting, should he survive. But now, Metatron was sort of hoping the love potion would work. Maybe he could hear some more Shakespeare, at the very least. Contrary to what Gail might have thought, Metatron had given Castiel plenty of Shakespeare, along with many other great literary works. But it obviously hadn't taken; that was why he had felt the need to do it again, today. Castiel had been the real cretin, in Metatron's opinion. He had been a soldier, a bloodthirsty automaton, until Sam and Dean had gotten a hold of him. The humans had made him more emotional, and Metatron had tried to give him the knowledge. Yet his Brother had squandered it, choosing the violent ways of the Winchesters and the earthy Angel Gail to spend his existence with. Aurielle was crazy, but she was a delicate flower, and she was clearly well-educated. She and Castiel would be a better match, in Metatron's opinion. Maybe if the potion worked, Metatron would let Castiel live a bit longer, just to see if Aurielle could be a positive influence on him. Metatron did not actually hate Castiel, per se; he just thought he'd been wasting all the talents that God had given him. Maybe with Gail out of the picture and Aurielle to help manipulate Castiel into the right way of thinking, they could all team up, to help Metatron get his revenge against Crowley. It wouldn't be the first time Metatron had used Castiel as his weapon, but perhaps they could learn to get along, if Castiel would show some signs of intellectual growth.
But Aurielle didn't think Castiel had ingested enough of the potion, if he had ingested any at all. So she looked at Jason and said, "Again." He frowned, but grabbed Castiel's head once more, and held it tighter this time. Aurielle poured the rest of the potion into Castiel's mouth, and Jason forced his jaw shut, this time. Castiel struggled as best he could, trying to hold the liquid in his mouth. But, though much of it dribbled down his chin, he inadvertently swallowed some.
Jason let go, and Aurielle continued to stare at Castiel's face. She held her breath, looking for any sort of change in his angry expression.
"How long is it supposed to take?" she asked Metatron, not talking her eyes off Castiel.
"Should take only a couple of minutes," he told her cheerfully. But really, what the hell did he know? They'd just have to see what happened.
Then, suddenly, Castiel began to smile. Aurielle still held the cup in her hand, and Castiel was picturing her as Gail, holding the cup that had held his cure on the first night they'd met. It was one of his best memories. He now realized that he'd loved her from the first moment he'd seen her, and Gail's actions had been the proof that she cared about him, too.
Aurielle sat in Castiel's lap, straddling him, and she leaned forward to kiss him on the mouth. He didn't respond, but he didn't shrink back, either. His mind was confused. He was seeing this woman as Gail now, and she was kissing him. But, this felt like the time that Gail had come into his room at the bunker. She'd been Crowley's then, and she had kissed Castiel in an effort to seduce him. He had sent her away, even though he had ached to reciprocate. That had not been Gail who had come into his room, that night. And it did not feel like her now.
Aurielle looked at Jason. "Free his hands," she ordered him.
Jason smirked. Yeah, right.
"Do it," Metatron said, interested. He really wanted to see what would happen. He wasn't worried; he was at full power, and he could step in, if something went wrong.
Jason scowled, but he wasn't worried, either. He had his blade at the ready. If Castiel gave him any reason at all, any excuse, really, Jason would just kill him and end this farce. So he unlocked the cuffs and Aurielle used her blade to gently cut the ropes that bound Castiel to the chair.
Once he was set free, Aurielle laid her blade down on the floor and put her arms around him. "I love you," she said to him. "I always have, and I always will. If you would just love me, I would do anything for you."
Oh God, Gail did not want to see this. She had a really bad feeling, now. She'd seen Cas struggle, but now he had stopped, and he was smiling at Aurielle, a faraway look in his eyes. Had he swallowed any of the potion?
Castiel's hands moved, and then they were on Aurielle's waist. His touch was hesitant; tentative. But her heart soared. She kissed him again, and then, he was kissing her back! His hands tightened around her waist. Now he was picturing himself and Gail in Las Vegas. She was kissing him, telling Cas that she loved him, and he was the happiest he had ever been in his existence. "I love you, too," he whispered.
Gail's stomach clenched now, and tears formed in her eyes. This hurt worse than any wound Jason could inflict on her. In fact, he might as well kill her right now, to spare her from having to watch any more of this.
"I love you, Gail," Castiel said. He spoke clearly, loudly now. He threw Aurielle to the floor, grabbed Jason's blade out of his hand, and drove it into Aurielle's chest, pinning her to the floor. His eyes raised to look at Gail. "YOU," he said, looking her in the eyes.
Gail's face lit up, and she broke into a wide smile. Oh, thank God. Thank You, Father. The largest and most sensible part of her knew that it was ridiculous to be worried about Aurielle's love spell working on Castiel when they were in such mortal danger. But a tiny part of her, the part that was only for herself, had been screaming in protest. If Gail was going to die here, she wanted to die knowing that Castiel loved HER, not Aurielle.
But, what were they going to do now? Castiel was trying to pull the blade out of Aurielle's body, but he'd driven it in so viciously that it was stuck in the floor. Gail struggled against the ropes, but Jason had bound her too tight, and it was useless. Castiel had no weapon now, and she was of no help to him.
Castiel looked at Metatron, then. Jason, he could fight; Metatron and his powers were the real threat, here. He charged Metatron, but Metatron extended his arms and flung Castiel against the wall. Jason bent down to Aurielle's body, trying to wedge his blade out of her.
"Out of the way, you idiot!" Metatron yelled at Jason. He was in Metatron's sightline, and sure enough, Castiel had gotten up, and he was advancing again. But he didn't come for Metatron, this time; instead, he dropped to the floor and rolled to where Aurielle had put down her own blade, when she'd wrapped her arms around him. He picked it up and grabbed Jason, holding Jason in front of his body. Let Metatron blast away; the force would be weakened by the presence of Jason between them. But Metatron hesitated a moment, and Castiel took that opportunity to slash the ropes that tied Gail to her chair. He hoped he hadn't cut her, too, but he didn't have the time for finesse. They were in a life-or-death situation here, and Castiel had to stay on the move.
Metatron was angry now. He took his own blade out of his jacket and started towards Castiel, but Gail threw herself at him in desperation, and knocked Metatron off-balance. He hadn't even been looking at her, so she had taken him by surprise. But he recovered his balance, and advanced on Gail, blade raised. Castiel used the opportunity of the distraction that Gail had provided to give Jason a mighty shove. Metatron was knocked to the ground as Jason fell on top of him, and he lost his blade.
As Jason picked himself up off the floor, Castiel dove past him and stabbed Metatron in the chest, several times. A blinding pink glow escaped from Metatron's body as he died.
Then there was only Jason, and as Castiel stood up to face him, Jason realized that he was in serious trouble. He could not just wink out of the cabin due to the sigils, and he was unarmed.
Castiel smiled, but it was unlike any smile that Gail had ever seen on him before, and she wasn't sure she wanted to see it on him now. It was a nasty, ugly smile, more suited to the likes of Jason and Metatron, than her Castiel.
"Give him the blade, Gail." Castiel had seen her pick up Metatron's blade as soon as he'd dropped it, and she was holding it now.
She looked at Castiel, but he was staring at Jason, and his eyes were that strange purple colour again. Gail knew why he wanted her to give Jason the blade. Cas was spoiling for a fight. She had stopped him from killing Jason in his prison cell that day, and they had both subsequently regretted it. But Castiel had a blade now, and Jason didn't. Why would he want to arm their enemy? Why would SHE?
"Give it to him, Gail," Castiel barked, and she continued to stare at him. She saw Jason grin out of the corner of her eye. This was the Castiel he remembered from the old days, and if she would just give Jason the damn blade, he would be happy to fight this Castiel.
Jason walked over to Gail and looked down at her. She should just stab him with it, now. No one would blame her. He was an evil, sadistic bastard, and he had cut her with his own blade many times over. But she still hesitated, for some reason. She couldn't seem to make herself do it, but she couldn't just hand him the blade, either. Regardless of how ferocious Castiel was looking right now, how could she just hand his opponent a blade that could potentially kill him?
Jason didn't give her the choice. He grabbed her by the arm and twisted it painfully, forcing the blade out of her hand. He caught it before it dropped to the floor and pushed Gail to the ground, holding the knife over her. She looked at him in terror, but Jason turned his back on her. He'd just been messing with her. It was Castiel who he really wanted to fight, and if Jason came out the victor, he would be able to play with her all he wanted.
Castiel had been waiting patiently for Jason to obtain the blade. He'd seen Gail's hesitation, and he'd had a bad moment when Jason had forced the blade out of her hand and wielded it over her. What was he doing? He'd wanted to make Jason hurt, as much as he had hurt the both of them, but Castiel had wanted to play with him, first. He felt like he was owed that, after everything that Jason had put them through. But in his thirst for Jason's blood, Castiel had almost gotten Gail killed. What the hell was wrong with him?
But when Jason faced him with the blade in his hand, Gail was temporarily forgotten.
"Come on, then," Castiel said to Jason, smiling. "You want to kill me, don't you? Let's see if you can."
Crowley had kept his appointment with Bobby at the crossroads, but by then, it was almost too late. He had underestimated his Brother, it seemed. Crowley had seen Aurielle pour the potion down Castiel's throat just before he left Hell, and by the time Crowley was standing in front of Bobby, Castiel had already killed Aurielle and Metatron, and he had Jason on the ropes. Crowley knew Castiel to be a fierce warrior, but the speed with which he had turned the tables on his captors had astonished Crowley. Then he'd seen Castiel's purple eyes, and Crowley had understood.
"I don't have time to screw around, Crowley," Bobby said abruptly as soon as Crowley appeared. "You're gonna tell me where they are right now, or we're gonna have a serious problem."
Crowley was amused. "Not only will I tell you, I think I might have to go with you," he said to Bobby, "so I can see it for myself."
Bobby had reached the end of his patience. He raised his hand, about to attempt his very first smiting, but Crowley put up both of his own hands and hastily added, "The Angels are just fine. In fact, our Castiel has been a very efficient killing machine. Just like the good old days. He's killed Aurielle and Metatron already, and is on the verge of dispatching Jason, as we speak. You won't need to bring any Hunters, only body bags."
Bobby looked at him, puzzled. How the hell could Crowley know that, when the Prophets hadn't been able to provide them with any updated information?
"Originals can always sense each other," Crowley explained to Bobby. "I was able to hone in on Metatron's signal, and with Castiel there, that made two of them." Actually, if Crowley's suspicions were correct, there had been three Originals there, factoring in Gail's presence. But he wasn't yet prepared to take that as a fact, not until he'd looked into it further. But Bobby was frowning again, so Crowley added, "I know, Castiel is warded. But only to ordinary Angels. To Originals, no."
If Crowley was telling the truth, it sounded like Bobby had nothing to worry about, now. IF. But Bobby was fed up. Once everything had calmed down, he was going to have a chat with Castiel about this "Originals" business. The amount of stuff Bobby knew about the subject could just about fill a thimble, and he was getting tired of being in the dark about it.
"So you're telling me that Cas and Gail are fine, and that Aurielle and Metatron are dead?" Bobby asked Crowley in amazement.
Crowley was smiling again. "That's right. And Castiel's got his blade to Jason's throat, now. I don't suppose, if I tell you exactly where to collect the Angels, that I can tag along? I want to see Metatron's dead body for myself. Maybe even shake Castiel's hand."
Bobby regarded Crowley curiously. He'd never seen the King of Hell like this before. He looked happy enough to dance a jig. And while that happiness usually came at Heaven's expense, if he was right, and Metatron was truly dead, Bobby couldn't blame Crowley for his glee. Could it be a trick? Sure, it could. But Bobby had four Hunters in his corner, and his own prodigious powers. He figured he could chance it.
"OK, Crowley," Bobby said. "Meet me outside the bunker."
Castiel had Jason on the floor, and his blade was indeed at Jason's throat. This had been almost too easy. Jason had fought well, but Castiel's rage had been focused this time, and he had anticipated every move that Jason made. even before Jason had made it.
Jason knew this was the end. He had lost his blade in the fight, and there was no way Castiel was going to show him any mercy. Why the hell should he? Jason certainly wouldn't have, if things had been the other way around.
"What are you waiting for?" Jason said to Castiel. "Do it!"
But Castiel was regarding him, head tilted to the side, almost as if Jason was a particularly interesting species of insect that had never been seen before. "What do you think, Gail?" he asked casually. "Should I?"
Gail had been sitting at the table where Aurielle had mixed her potion earlier, watching the fight, but staying well out of the way. She could see that Castiel had a lot of rage and aggression to get out of his system, and after everything they had been through courtesy of Jason, she couldn't blame him. The fight had been fierce but brief, and now he was calmly asking her if he should kill Jason. But his eyes were still more purple than blue, and he still didn't sound like himself. What did he want her to say, here? Was he looking for her support, or did he expect her to oppose him?
"I don't think I will," Castiel continued, almost happily. "Too quick." He hauled Jason to his feet and shoved him into the chair that Gail had been tied up in. "Gail, would you be a dear and pick up those handcuffs for me, please?" Castiel asked her.
Gail rose from the table and walked over to where the handcuffs lay on the floor, then handed them to Castiel. He was still staring at Jason. Had he even made eye contact with her since he'd killed Aurielle? Gail found that she couldn't remember. And the tone of his voice, though gentle enough, was making her nervous, for some reason. He didn't even sound like himself. What the hell had been IN that potion of Aurielle's? And why were his eyes purple?
Crowley knew why Castiel's eyes were purple, and he couldn't wait to see it in person.
Once he and Bobby had returned to the bunker, Crowley had waited outside while Bobby went in to tell Sam, Dean, Frank and Jody that Crowley knew where Cas and Gail were, that they were all right, and that they were going to take them to the cabin now.
"Crowley! Again?" Frank had shouted. Once more, Bobby could understand how the guy felt, but he was going to have to get on board, or get the hell out. Bobby had had a long, stress-filled day, and he was in no mood. He walked up to Frank and looked him in the eye. "Do you want to be in on this, or don't you?" he asked Frank, frowning. "You can just stay here, if you want. Up to you."
But there was no way Frank could stay here, not when Gail might need his help, and they both knew it.
"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Jody asked.
A reasonable question, so Bobby answered her reasonably. "We don't," he told her. "But for what it's worth, I don't think it is. But if anybody doesn't want to come, they can just stay here. I promise you that no one will think less of you, if that's what you choose. You've all risked your lives plenty, today."
But no one could stay behind, of course. Bobby turned to Chuck, Kevin and Becky. "We'll be back as soon as we can," he told them.
"Can I come, too?" Chuck said, but Bobby shook his head.
"No, Chuck, you'd better not," Bobby told him. "Just in case."
Chuck understood what Bobby was saying to him, but he felt like crap. If everything turned out all right tonight, he was going to ask Cas for some weapons training. That way, if the situation ever came up again where one of his friends was in danger, he could be of some real use.
The four humans and Bobby walked outside, where Crowley was eagerly awaiting them.
"All right, Crowley, where are we going?" Bobby said wearily. The King of Hell gave him the location, and Bobby grabbed Frank and Jody by one arm each, while Crowley did the same with Sam and Dean.
Castiel had Jason tied to the chair with his hands cuffed behind his back, just as he and Gail had been restrained just a short while ago. And, just like Jason had been doing to Gail, Castiel was cutting Jason. Cut after cut, slash after slash. Jason was bleeding copiously now, and he was gasping in pain, but Castiel was still not satisfied. Jason would not break, and he would not beg for his life, and Castiel wanted both.
Jason was in severe pain by now, and he knew that Castiel would be willing to keep doing this for eternity. He was determined not to break, but, something had to give. Jason looked at Gail, who was sitting in the chair across from them now. She was watching Castiel pace back and forth, inflicting cut after cut on Jason, and Castiel was smiling coldly. Jason could see the worried look on Gail's face.
"Allow me to introduce you to the real Castiel," Jason said to her. "This is your boyfriend's true nature."
"Shut up," Castiel said, backhanding Jason. He stabbed Jason in one hand, then the other. Just as Jason had done to Dean, the night that he and Gail had given themselves up to Jason to face the tribunal.
Jason hissed in pain, but he continued to look at Gail. "Take a good,long look at him," he said to her. "The one you knew is gone." He turned his head and spat blood onto the floor.
Castiel put one hand around Jason's throat and held the tip of the Angel blade to one of Jason's eyes. "You will not speak to her," he said quietly. "You will not even look at her. One way, or the other."
After a moment, Castiel let go of Jason and turned around, finally looking Gail in the eyes. "He is a liar," Castiel said to her. Then he turned back to Jason, and slashed him a few more times.
Gail was starting to feel sick. She'd thought that seeing Jason tortured was what she'd wanted, but Castiel was scaring her now. His expression was so cold, and his torture was so methodical. Was this really what he had been like, before? Or was Castiel just so angry with Jason that he'd regressed? And what did Jason mean, when he'd said that the Castiel she knew was gone?
Then the front door of the cabin burst open, and in came Dean, with Sam, Bobby, Frank and Jody right behind him. And bringing up the rear was Crowley. Gail couldn't believe it. What were they all doing here now, and why was the King of Hell with them?
Frank and Sam rushed up to her, asking if she was OK, trying to hug her, but she squirmed out of their attempted embraces. She was fine; it was Castiel who wasn't fine. Gail had seen Crowley walk straight up to Castiel, and she had to see, she had to hear.
"Good job," Crowley said to Castiel, looking around the room and then down at Jason. "Especially on him. I couldn't have done better, myself."
"I was just getting started," Castiel said to Crowley. "I presume it was you who brought them here. I wish you'd waited a bit longer."
Dean put his hand on Cas's shoulder then, intending to ask his friend if he was all right, but Cas looked at him with the purple eyes and Dean took a step back, startled.
"What do you want, Dean?" Castiel asked coldly.
"I - I just wanted to see if you were OK," Dean stammered. What the hell was wrong with Cas? Why did he look like that? Dean looked at the bodies in the room, then at Jason, then back at Cas. He'd normally be cheering for his friend at this point, but, like Gail, Dean didn't recognize Cas, at the moment. He had crossed over from bad-ass to...what?
Crowley was smiling at Castiel. "I guess I overdid it when I gave you the breath of life," Crowley said to him. "I suppose I'd better take some of it back, before Gail divorces you. Unless you prefer him this way?" he said to her, raising an eyebrow.
Gail was horror-stricken. She was beginning to understand, now. "No," she breathed.
Crowley sighed. "Just as I suspected. But I'm not going to take it all; just enough so that you can stand him, again. But, not all. You'll thank me, later," he added, smirking. Then he put his hand on Castiel's forehead and after a moment, red smoke began to issue from Castiel's mouth. Crowley left his hand there until Castiel's eyes turned back to their normal blue. But when Crowley removed his hand, he could still see a bit of Demon in Castiel's eyes. There. Now his Brother would be more or less back to the way he was before, just not as insufferably holy. And if a scene like Crowley had observed here were to occur again, Castiel would be more than equal to the task, without that pesky conscience getting in the way.
Castiel blinked a couple of times. Then turned around to look at Gail, and she was relieved to see that his eyes were back to their normal blue. But was he himself, again?
Cas turned to Dean and handed him the Angel blade. "Here, take this, before I change my mind," he said to Dean. "Sorry I scared you," Cas added, with a brief smirk.
Dean looked at Cas suspiciously. He didn't know exactly what had just happened between Cas and Crowley, but Dean wasn't blind, and he wasn't stupid.
"Are you OK, Cas?" he asked his friend cautiously.
Cas blinked again. "Yes, I'm fine, Dean. I'm fine," he said, clapping Dean on the shoulder. His smile had become genuine again, and Dean let out the breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding.
Cas turned to Bobby, then. "You'd better take him away," he said, indicating Jason. "I don't trust myself to be in the same room with him."
Bobby sent a call to Ethan on Angel Radio, and then he waved his hand over Jason, sending him to Heaven's prison. They could heal him up there. Or, not. Bobby found he didn't really care, at the moment. Bobby was also staring at Cas, wondering if he really was OK. He'd put two and two together. When Crowley had brought Castiel back to life, he'd obviously put more than just a little Demon in him, too. Bobby had had the dubious privilege of seeing Crowley extremely angry in the past, and when Crowley got that mad, his eyes glowed red. And when Castiel was angry, which Bobby had also had the dubious pleasure of seeing, his eyes flashed bright blue. And pretty much everybody knew that when you mixed red and blue together, you got purple. That was why Cas's eyes had been that colour. Hopefully, Crowley had siphoned enough Demon out of Cas, though, or they were going to have a problem.
Bobby felt a little better when he saw Cas approach Gail and fall to his knees in front of her. "I'm so sorry, Gail," Cas said, taking her hands in his. "He could have killed you."
She was studying his face. He looked like himself again, but Gail still thought she could detect a subtle difference. She looked up at Crowley, who was still smiling. "What did you do to him?" she asked Crowley, her eyes narrowing.
Crowley stopped smiling. "Improved him," he said shortly. "If I hadn't, you wouldn't be alive right now. He did what needed to be done, and I gave him the extra juice to do it."
"Please forgive me," Castiel was saying to her, squeezing her hands. "Please, Gail."
She looked back at Cas then, and though she was still leery, Gail couldn't stand it any more. They could talk about it later. They'd been through enough today, and she couldn't leave Cas hanging like this.
"I forgive you, Cas," she told him. "Of course I forgive you." He smiled, and she touched his face briefly. But her hand felt sticky from the blood he had on his face and his hands, and Gail took it away, again. She didn't want to touch him when he had so much blood on him.
Still, Aurielle and Metatron, were dead, and Jason was now in prison. That was a good day, right? So why did she still feel so nauseous? She'd seen plenty of blood in the past year, and had bled plenty, herself. So why was the sight of all that blood on him making her sick now?
Cas laid his head in her lap and she stroked his hair. She reminded herself that he'd had a rough day too, to say the least. This was her Cas now, and he needed her comfort.
But Frank was staring down at them, and he was frowning. It had been bad enough to be led here by Crowley, let alone having to witness whatever the hell it was that had happened between him and Cas. Frank had seen a lot of death and blood in his time, but the guy who had his head in Gail's lap right now made Frank nervous. He was supposed to be an Angel, but from what Frank had seen, Cas was a bloodthirsty killer, and he and Crowley had some kind of strange symbiotic relationship. What had Gail gotten herself into?
Sam saw Frank's expression, and he understood what Gail's brother must be feeling. Sam had been shocked to see what had transpired between Crowley and Cas too, but at least Sam had the context of having known both the King of Hell and his Angel friend for many years now. Sam found that nothing much surprised him any more. Obviously when Crowley had brought Cas back from the dead, he'd used a special power to do it, and Cas was now experiencing its aftereffects. He and Dean would have to keep a close eye on Cas for the next little while, that was all. But, Frank might be a problem. Sam wanted to be sure that it was safe for Gail to be around Cas too, but he and Dean had better talk to Frank, and make sure that he understood that Cas was a good guy.
Meanwhile, Crowley and Bobby were standing together over Metatron's body. Crowley still couldn't believe it. After all this time, and all the trouble he'd caused wherever he went, Metatron was finally gone. And, who would have thought his essence would have been pink? Crowley reminded himself to have a good laugh about that, later.
"Can I have him, Bobby?" Crowley asked.
He sounded just like a little kid at Christmas, Bobby thought with some amusement. Oh, the irony. Especially considering that the big day was coming up, soon. But Bobby frowned. "No," he told Crowley. "I'm not gonna risk it. You couldn't hold him, before. Let him go to the Netherworld."
"But I could hold him," Crowley cajoled, "in a certain cage I know you're familiar with."
Bobby levelled him with a glare. "Which I'm very sorry for," Crowley added quickly.
"It's amazing how ingratiating you can be when you want something," Bobby said, scowling. "But, why would you want that?"
Crowley smiled mischeviously. "I don't know, really. I guess I just want to see them drive each other crazy."
Bobby looked at him sharply. Did Crowley have a death wish, or was he that oblivious? "Do you really want to be saying things like that to me?" Bobby said calmly, but there was an edge to his voice now.
Crowley considered. Perhaps he'd gone too far, in this particular instance. But he'd already apologized for that, and he'd just about had his fill of being a good guy, today. It was only the joy he had felt at seeing Castiel go dark that was still sustaining him now.
"Can I have him, or not?" Crowley asked softly.
Bobby had been about to refuse out of sheer spite, but he made himself take a deep breath, so he could think about it for a minute. Maybe that would be the best place for Metatron. He had bounced around from Heaven to Earth to Hell and back again, and it didn't seem like there was any place that could contain him for long. The only place Metatron hadn't seemed to have been yet was Purgatory, and Dean and Cas had gotten out of there, hadn't they? And Raphael had managed to get out of the Netherworld, at least long enough to testify at the tribunal. Not to mention that Cas had been there recently, albeit briefly, until Crowley had brought him all the way back home. Exactly how, Bobby still didn't know. Probably more of this "Originals" crap.
But they both knew that only God Himself, the original God, could open Lucifer's cage, and He would never do that.
"Okay, Crowley," Bobby agreed. "Take him and lock him away for good. Nobody will miss him."
Crowley's face broke into a wide grin. He'd have to contact Death, as soon as they were done here. Those kinds of deals usually had to be cleared through him, first. Though he'd probably be pissed at Crowley for not having gone through the proper channels, when the King of Hell had returned Castiel behind Death's back. Crowley would have to think of a really good offering to appease Death this time, to obtain his cooperation in the matter of stealing another Original from the Netherworld.
Then Bobby moved on to Aurielle, Crowley trailing behind him. She was laying in the spot where Castiel had pinned her to the floor with the dagger, and in her death she looked sweet and innocent again, as she had once been.
Bobby shook his head. How could he have been so wrong about her? Was he losing his touch, or had she just been that devious? Thank God she hadn't really harmed anyone with Rowena's spell book. He guessed she had probably been alone and loveless for her entire existence. Then she had developed her crush on Castiel, which had then become a fixation, and that had been the beginning of the end for her. Had she always had the potential to be crazy, or had her obsession with Cas made her so? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Bobby felt sympathy for her still, but he'd been burned once, and once was enough.
"Might as well take her, too," he said to Crowley, sighing.
"Done," Crowley said. He had no smart comment to make, for a change. He was inexplicably glad that Aurielle's potion hadn't worked on Castiel. He may enjoy seeing his Brother stumble on occasion but ending up with a crazy woman was a different matter, entirely.
Bobby looked at Crowley curiously, then. "Could you have cured her?"
Crowley was startled. "What?"
"Could you have cured her?" Bobby repeated. Suddenly, it seemed really important to Bobby to find out. "Like you did me?"
Crowley frowned. He wasn't sure he wanted to get into that with Bobby. Every time Bobby brought up the subject, they were both reminded that Crowley had been responsible for Bobby having been driven to insanity, in the first place. And Crowley knew that Bobby was in the dark about many of the powers the Originals possessed. Castiel could tell Bobby as much or as little as he chose, but if Crowley were to give his Brother some free advice, he'd tell him to keep some cards close to his vest, even when it came to God. And if Gail did have some Original powers now, none of them knew exactly what they were yet, and she wouldn't know how to most effectively use them, anyway. Maybe he'd have to have a secret rendezvous with Romeo and Juliet, later. If they'd meet with him, of course. With Lucifer out of play and Metatron about to join him, they'd be the only three Originals there were, at the moment.
But Bobby already knew about this particular ability of Crowley's, having experienced it himself, first-hand. So Crowley said, "Yes, I probably could have."
Bobby sighed again. Such a waste. He waved his hand to cast her down to Hell and clear away the body, but she had been stabbed so viciously that it took both his and Crowley's strength combined to pry the blade out of the floor.
Wow. Bobby looked over at Cas, who was now embracing Gail, his head on her shoulder. Bobby resolved to keep an eye on Cas, just on general principles. He wasn't convinced his friend was completely back to normal.
Bobby looked at Crowley suspiciously, but Crowley's expression was neutral. "Is he gonna be OK?" Bobby asked Crowley, jerking his head in Cas's direction.
"Of course," Crowley said innocently. "He has the love of a good woman and all of you Angels to keep him on the straight and narrow, doesn't he?"
But Crowley was his Father's Son, and it occurred to Bobby later that Crowley hadn't exactly answered the question. What was OK to the King of Hell may not be OK to God. It was all in the way you looked at it.
Gail was kissing Cas now, her earlier reticence gone. She'd been so scared so often that they were both going to die today, yet they were still here, and they were together. The rest of the people in the room had disappeared to her temporarily, and she felt like it was just the two of them, here. She was kissing his face, ignoring the blood on it. Red was only a colour, and it could be washed off.
He kissed her on the mouth, and the kiss became a very human one. Gail felt herself responding, oblivious to all the eyes in the room staring at the two of them. Cas's hands were roving, starting to explore her body, and she moved closer to him, forgetting where they were for a moment. Bobby and the humans were shocked to see such an open display from them, but Crowley was grinning. He'd told Gail she'd thank him later, hadn't he?
But Frank was disgusted. "What the hell, Gail?" he yelled at her. "Nobody needs to see that!"
Dean was with Frank, on this one. He would normally have teased them about getting a room, or something, but Dean was uneasy about what he was seeing from Cas. Even when the two of them had been humans in Las Vegas, they'd always kept private things private. This aggressive behaviour from Cas was out of character, and Dean didn't like it.
Gail broke out of the embrace, coming to her senses. What the hell were they doing?
Cas smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, everyone. I was just so glad that we were OK, I guess I got a little carried away."
A little? Jody was no prude, but she'd felt like they'd been watching a very private, intimate moment, that had no place in this context. She'd never thought that Angels could behave that way. But she saw the way that Crowley was looking at them now, too. He clearly approved, and she had seen Crowley casting what appeared to be a Demon out of Cas; though, she had never seen red smoke before, only black. Something was really weird, here.
Frank was not convinced by Cas's apology. As far as Gail's brother was concerned, Cas had known exactly what he was doing; he just hadn't cared. Some Angel, Frank thought sarcastically. Gail had led a very sheltered life on the run with her brother, cloistered away in motel rooms, reading, while Frank was out Hunting. Frank couldn't even remember her ever going out on a date with a guy, let alone doing anything else with one. Cas was good-looking, he was charming, and he was an Angel; it wasn't too difficult to imagine Gail falling hard for the guy. Frank had thought that Cas was a good and decent man when he'd come to get him from Hell, and Sam and Dean and Bobby had had lots of positive things to say about him, too. But Cas was entirely too cozy with Crowley, in Frank's opinion. And what exactly were the crimes he had committed in the past that were so severe that Heaven had felt they had to put him to death? And Gail had been there with him, on trial, painted with the same tarnished brush. They'd glossed over that whole thing, but Frank was determined to get some answers, and he was going to get them today.
"Well, it's been a pleasure, as always," Crowley said, nodding to everyone. He looked at Bobby. "We'll talk soon, I'm sure." Then he looked at Cas and Gail. "Perhaps we'll talk, as well." He snapped his fingers, and then he was gone.