La Vie est Belle - Indochine

(Life is Beautiful)

Lips against lips, he felt the angel's body melt under his hands. When Sam opened his eyes, a tall, lean, almost skinny, red haired woman was digging her bones in his thighs. She had vivid eyes heavily smoked and a dress who's décolleté was letting not much to the imagination.

Not that there was much to imagine, she was all bones. And sensual in a strange way. The way she moved maybe : both sinuous and feral, no bra. Sam wondered if she had panties.

She winked at him, playful smile on her lips and rolled down window. That was when he noticed the car behind theirs, and the sheriff coming toward them. Of course... no parking on the side way. She leaned over the opened window, allowing Sam to count her vertebra: the dress was even more widely open behind than in the front.

Playfully he circled her waist with his hands, and laughed : he could fit two of her.

She flicked his ribs.

_ Pay attention.

_ I do.

She rolled her eyes and focused on the sheriff.

_ Everythin' allrigh' there?

The guy could be around forty, and puffed up with self-importance. So many dudes who thought having a gun made them men. Sometimes he wondered whether the fact he could snap the man's neck even before he could draw his surrogate penis was funny or tragic.

_ It was. Until you showed up sir. Kind of busy.

Gabriel new persona's voice was low and heavy, the kind you wouldn't know if male or female on the phone. Her smile was lascivious, she was peering at him from under her eyelashes. The man swallowed heavily.

_ You can't do that there. Should go back to your seat and move over.

She laughed, a deep laugh, and shrugged suggestively.

_ I could, but... It might be inconvenient right now.

She dropped her gaze on their joined lap, covered by her dress. The interested look the man gave in the same direction made what was left of his boner die quite nicely. And his still sore balls to shrivel.

The playful tone lowered to dangerous.

_ So, big boys do interest you too.

The guy reared back, flushed and distraught.

_ I... what are you talkin'about.

_ That you should stick to grown men instead of playing hands with your 15 years old son best friend.

Sam felt something dark and vicious coil into his guts, as dark as Gabriel's gaze. Maybe he could snap the man's neck after all.

_ And If you "really love him", you might want to wait until he's off age.

She lasciviously let a kiss on his cheek and leaned back on the wheel, slowly, revealing that their position wasn't as intimate as she let on. Hushing the guy out in the same motion.

_ What will happen if he doesn't stick to grown-ups?

_ Necrosis?

To Sam's relief, Gabriel was already back to himself, cocky grin and sparkling honey eyes.

_ Nice.

_ I get you're not fond of thin women?

_ There is a difference between thin and skinny.

_ Like curves? I thought it was your bother the one obsessed with big breasts.

_ I have big hands.

He simply answered, letting his hands run down Gabriel's spine to his round bottom. Making his eyes grow darker.

_ Sooo... why don't we just go back to where we stopped? I'm pretty sure it was about...

He moved forward, tempting, a hair away from his lips.

_...there...

Sam let the kiss happen, but pulled back soon. He smiled at Gabriel's pout.

_ Sorry, the guy kind of killed the mood. And, you wouldn't want the ice-cream to melt, would you?

The horrified look he got back made him laugh.

Dean climbed down to the basement, drinks in hand and got an overall look on Sam's work. Sure his brother always had a firm hand when it came to draw on floors and walls.

He was actually drawing squary things under Gabriel's supervision.

_ I brought some fuel for the workers." He put the bottles, beer for Sam, soda for the shortstop, and nodded toward the actual work. "What's this ? Doesn't look like any devil trap or protection I've ever seen.

_ Protection against angel's interference actually.

_ I guess we don't want anyone to open that door again.

_ No we don't." Deadpanned Gabriel. "Thanks for the drinks, no biscuits?

_ Nope. No biscuits, I'm not letting you fatten my brother up.

_ Don't worry about that. I can also make sure he is properly exercised too.

_ Gabriel!" Came the indignant and somewhat mortified yelp from Sam.

As if Dean didn't know, not only that they were 'dating' but also that they hadn't come to that yet. He and Sam were still spending their nights together.

Sam was like a tropical fish in a coral reef, down in a moldy basement, preparing to summon a demon with the help of an archangel. Very different from when he found his brother in the kitchen a few days ago.

He had just finished with Baby and was heading for a long, hot, exquisite shower (not sleeping alone had some downsides, even if sleeping at all was the upside) when Jo, giggling like mad, pointed the kitchen to him.

The first thing he noticed was flour.

Flour almost everywhere: all over the table, in Sam's sloppy mop, on the floor, on Gabriel's butt; definitely not the size of the small angel's hands. The second was the disgruntled look on Sam's face and the empty, floured, bottle in his hand.

"What you think you're doing in there?

Sam had a very heated glare when he wanted to; if dough could be murdered...

"Trying to make a pie.

Dean had been impressed, and touched. But the sight was hilarious. When he got back from his shower, Sam had dropped the bottle and was simply flattening the dough directly into the pie dish with his fingers and palm. To be honest, even baked, it had looked like about anything but a pie. But Gabriel must have pulled a leg out or something, because it had been suspiciously edible, even good.

Still. Dean took over the kitchen after that disastrous episode. To realize with mild horror that the two bozzos had bought absolutely nothing ready-made. Except, obviously for Gabriel's snacks and ice-cream.

And this, was the only reason he enlisted Jo's help to do the cooking.

And maybe because she had a massive crush on him and a nice little ass. Maybe.

Sometimes Dean thought about Lisa, and the boy she swore wasn't his. But he couldn't. There was no way he would have them bear the burden of a trauma paranoid guy with enemies as powerful as archangels or demons. At least, Jo was already deep into it.

Sam had already made it, quite painfully, clear that he was hell bent on Dean having someone other than him to hold onto were things going south.

Not a memory Dean wanted to recall right now, not a future he wanted to contemplate either. On the other hand, right now, his relationship with Sam, no matter how weird it was, was at its best since... years. And despite how strange the idea of his baby brother hooking up with the Lily Archangel, who told Saint Mary she was pregnant with the son of God, they looked happy together.

He would, just have to move on. Or at least try. Or pretend he had.

_ Dean!

The warning drew him out of his reverie a tad too late, he found himself sprayed with pink paint (last one of a long list of Gabriel's antics).

_ What the Hell dude?!

_ Stop brooding.

_ And you, Gabriel, stop spraying paint everywhere, it has been already long enough not to spoil my work now." Chided Sam with false anger.

He broke the pretense seconds later, bursting in laughter.

Of course. Dean spread his arms for them to admire the job.

_ Happy?

Sam got closer and tried to wipe some of the splashes on Dean's face.

_ Pink freckles so trendy. Makes you look cute.

_ And my shirt is ruined." Dean retorted in apparent dismay.

_ It's water paint, will get away with the next laundry.

_ By the way, Cass' back. So come upstairs when you're finished. And... erm... Gabriel, about getting him to pace himself. He doesn't listen when it's from me. You'll have to tell him yourself.

He was already halfway up the stairs when it came to his mind: "and no time to grope!"

_ I can grope your brother a million ways to Sunday and it would be only a second for you. Archangel remember?

Dean shrugged it off. There were things about his brother he didn't want to know. He already knew way too much. And still, sometimes, he couldn't get him.

On his way to the library where Cass and Bobby were waiting, the girls were on a salt and burn in Illinoi, he found another of those forsaken books Gabriel was disseminating in and around the house. Dean has made a habit to hunt them down and make sure Ellen or Jo wouldn't find them, or worse, read them. Bobby he knew wouldn't care to open them, only use them as fire combustible.

This one was "The Mystery spot".

Curious.

Coincidences didn't exist around an archangel.

He pocketed it, maybe to read. Maybe to light the barbecue. Why not both.

Hmmm... ribs and spiced sausages, with chips. And tomato salad with fresh basil for the health freak down there.

He schooled his features before entering the room, Hunter mood on.

Sadly, Castiel had not much to say, he has ruled out three more cities of the list, and wiped them of their demons despite Dean constantly reminding him that there were hunters to do that job.

Apparently the guy was hardwired to smite demons every time he found them. Lucky he managed to refrain from smiting Sam when he was on his bad trip.

_ I... might have found something.

it was Sam, hunched over his laptop, checking Donna's site.

_ You wait for a Bristol boy?

Dean chuckled, unsurprisingly Sam refrained to answer that, despite the bitchface.

_ Carthage, Missouri, barely a city, but the omens keeps on piling up, and the missing reports too.

_ There is not that many." Commented Dean looking over his shoulder.

_ This is more the sudden rise than the actual number that strikes me.

_ I've seen something on Carthage, there.

Bobby fished an old book (come on, as if there were any recent one in here) and flipped through it. There had been a gory battle on Carthage grounds, during the Secession war. So gory it had been called The Battle of Hell.

_ Worth the shot. And I'm tired of doing nothing there.

_ Not so fast hotshot. You still have something planed for tonight.

Dean huffed. Right. But the paintings in the basement wouldn't go away. There were people dying out there, or officially "missing". They all knew what laid behind that word.

_ I'm going there, now. Meg can wait.

_ Meg's Azazel daughter, high rank and powerful. I'd rather have her trapped here than risk facing her on a hunt. And if it's the place Lucifer's gonna summon Death, she will probably be there too. And who knows how many back-up.

Dean turned toward Sam, disbelieving and angry.

_ There are people dying Sam! While we stay there all warm and cozy!

_ And there will be more if we fail! Rushing head first every time we find some strand of lead is what brought us there in the first place Dean.

_ Fine, stay there if you want to. I am going!

Unbelievable! How dare he!

Dean stormed out of the house in fury. To come back an instant later, more pissed than ever.

_ What did you do with my car?!" He shouted in Gabriel's direction. "I swear to you if anything happens to her!

He felt something soft and warm against his leg. Looked down and jumped in fright.

_ What the Hell!

There was a huge, like very huge, black cat nuzzling his calf. He immediately drew his gun to point it toward the beast.

_ Hey, put that back !

Sam got himself between him and the jumbo cat, putting his arms around the beast neck, scratching it behind the ears. Believe it or not, the feline purred and nuzzled him before taking interest in Dean's jeans once more.

_ What the Hell dude?

His baby brother shot him that not really apologetic smile he had sometimes.

_ No. You don't tell me...

He looked down to the black... thing chewing on his jeans.

_ You must be kidding! That big cat's my Baby?

This time, he sounded more bewildered than angry.

_ It's a panther Dean.

_ What I said: a big cat.

He crouched before the... damn, Baby.

_ Hey, beautiful, is that you?

She purred and bumped her head on his chest in answer. Amazing. And she didn't even triggered his cat allergy. Her fur was rough under his fingers, all hard compact muscles. He vaguely registered that Sam has withdrawn, out of his sight.

Better be, Dean was still pissed at his defection, and Gabriel better be able to give him his four wheeled Baby back exactly how it was.

_ Please, don't insult me." came the bored retort.

_ Nice trick you got there Feathers. And for the record, I agree with those two Dean: better get prepared and wait for the girls to come back before diving into that one.

_ Come on Bobby, for all we know, it might as well be a bust like the twenty others.

_ He didn't ask you to be cautious, or try to stop you going to the twenty other cities we checked.

Bobby nodded toward Gabriel, who pretended to be engrossed with Sam's cleavage. Or maybe he was; Sam's V-necks looked good on him.

_ I like that man. He's clever." He did comment offhandedly. "More than those two combined.

That earned him disgruntled look from Sam, almost a pout.

_ Oh, they are clever," Bobby went to their rescue "when they want.

Or not.

_You know what we say about youngsters: they always think they are right and know everything, so no need to be smart.

This time it was Dean's turn to feel a little betrayed.

_ Talk about our fledglings! Because they are supposed to carry dad's will, they think they cannot be wrong. Righteousness is a very dangerous thing.

_ Kids." They echoed like two gramps.

_ Should I feel concerned with that statement?

That one was from Cass who, until then, had been so quiet Dean almost forgot he was still there. He looked a bit offended to be put in the same basket as the Winchester brothers. Well, for that, too bad for him.

_ Yes you are." Answered Bobby without batting an eye. "Been days we told you to get easy and let hunters do the cleaning and you won't listen. You're precious idjit, and your mojo might come handy if this one goes AWOL. But only if you keep some in store.

Dean heaved a sight at the look Cass threw in his direction. Yes he did say otherwise.

_ Cass.

This was Sam, stepping in what was more and more looking like the start of a fight.

_ Have you ever seen Dean or I waste our ammo shooting on coyotes just before a hunt, knowing we won't find a shop to buy more?

_ Hum... I guess no.

_ Then you got it.

It did take Cass a moment to truly get it. Guess it wasn't easy to consider something that was a part of oneself as a limited resource.

_ So, to get it straight: we wait for the girls, go to Carthage in a scout mission. If it's our place, we draw back and set the plan in motion.

_ And if it's not, we wipe those son of bitches out.

He turned toward the warmth pushing at his hand. Yep, Baby was still very... breathing. Still as disturbingly alive.

_ I'll turn her back, if I can be sure you won't bail tonight.

Dean hesitated, he was growing fond of the big cat. But he would need his car too.

_ Ok. Do it.

It would be difficult to hide what was Gabriel if they let his creations roam free around. One pat later, the black beast leaped toward the yard. When Dean followed, Baby's hood was again where he had left it.

g'night.