Revenants

Dean slammed into the wall. Hard. He shook his head and blinked a couple of times, trying to clear his vision. Didn't these evil bastards have any respect for prophets? Apparently not, he thought as he felt himself being lifted and hurled headlong into the opposite wall. He just barely had time to protect his head before he hit with a jarring thud. Why the hell did everything want to throw him? Sam had better find that damn altar soon…

Sam skidded to a halt just outside of the last door in the hall. And didn't it just figure that the room he was looking for was the last one he found. He felt Ariel at his back, trying to protect him from the revenants that were attacking everyone else. They'd killed the witch, but even in death she was strong enough to control them. The only answer was to find her altar and destroy it. He kicked the door in, not even bothering to try the door knob. And there it was. He'd never been so happy to see a black magic altar in his life.

Ariel followed Sam into the room, walking backwards and holding out one hand as a focal point of all the psychic energy to keep the shield she'd erected around them intact and trying to ignore the roaring in her head. These things, these vengeful revenants, were strong and extremely pissed off. They all owed their deaths to at least one Winchester, and the witch blamed Dean and John for the death of her mother. Ariel hadn't even known that it was possible to give tangible focus to the revenant of a supernatural creature, let alone bind them to your purposes. All she knew was that they were draining all her energy. She used her free hand to unbuckle her sheath and caught it just in time to keep it from hitting the ground. Without looking she tossed it to Sam. "Use this to break the altar. Don't cut your fingers off."

The last toss landed Dean inches away from his sawed off. He had just enough time to snatch it up and fire blindly in the direction of the spirit. He hoped he didn't hit one of his men, because seriously, they were getting banged up enough without that. Thankfully, rock salt still worked. A spirit was still a spirit, even though Ariel and the witch had both said that they were more like left over energy then spirits. But as far as Dean was concerned, it looked like a spirit, it talked like a spirit, it reacted to salt like a spirit… so spirit. He wasn't tossed immediately so he guessed that his aim had been accurate. He leaned over and grabbed the crowbar still on the counter and began to look around with slightly blurry vision. There was blood running in his left eye, but he really didn't think he could afford the luxury of wiping it away.

Sam huffed indignantly and rolled his eyes as he easily caught Ariel's sword and drew the blade out of its sheath. It felt like a thing of power. Usually such things weren't beautiful. Actually 9 out of 10 they usually looked like something you'd see at a second hand store across from the Rubik's Cube and right next to Great Aunt Millie's paste broach. But this sword was gorgeous. The light from the candles on the altar gleamed brightly off the highly polished curved blade and the metal seemed almost translucent, as if it were some sort of silver colored crystal. The lettering on it felt familiar, like he could almost make out what it said if he concentrated hard enough. He shook himself and focused on the task at hand. The altar. He stood in front of it and held the sword with the tip down, directly over its center. With one thrust the sword slide smoothly straight through to the floor. At first nothing happened and just as he was about to pull the sword out and try slashing the damn thing, cracks began to radiate through it from the sword. With a loud crack, it literally fell apart.

Ariel felt the pressure from the revenants disappear as the altar fell apart. She staggered as she pulled what energy she had left back. "Oh, thank God." She looked over at Sam where he stood staring at her sword. "Please tell me that you're not going to start stroking it and calling it 'My Precious' are you?"

Just as he was slashing though one with the tire iron, Dean felt a second one grab him by the other arm. Fucking hell. It was hard enough dealing with one ghost at a time. This whole being ganged up on shit? So not cool. He was bracing himself to be thrown again when the grip on his arm was just gone. He looked around and the spirits were disappearing. Sammy must have found the altar. He'd have to remember to give the kid a gold star. Once he could move again. He leaned heavily against the wall behind him and slid down to the floor.

Sam smirked at Ariel. "Whatever." He bent to pick up the sheath where he'd dropped it. He had to admit, though, that he wouldn't mind keeping the sword.

"So."

Dean didn't have to look up to know that it was Garrison who was sliding down the wall next to him when he heard the man's distinctive baritone. He reached up and wiped at the blood over his left eye. He could hear the men groaning. "So."

"That's what you do for a living."

"Yeah, times about two hundred."

"I'm gonna feel this in the morning."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "We all are, dude."

"Yeah, well at least the rest of us aren't getting married in the morning."

Dean raised an eyebrow and canted his head in a shrug as he felt for the cut that had finally stopped trying to blind him. It was above his hairline. Good… he could hide that. "Just as long as I'm not bruised and swollen anywhere that's visible, it's all good."

"You know, I've been in combat situations before, but that was just… insane."

"Yeah, well, there's nothin' quite like being tossed around by an angry ghost. Except maybe being tossed around by a pissed of werewolf. Or an irritated vampire. A ticked demon, though? That my friend is in a class all by its lonesome." Dean cleared his throat and raised his voice so that everyone nearby could hear him. "Hey, anybody know where we can get some pie?"

A set of work boots came into view. "I guess it's safe to assume that you'll pull through."

"Hey Sammy," Dean allowed his head lull to the side so that he could look up at his brother without raising it. "Good work on the altar. Think you can find me some pie now?"

Sam rolled his eyes and bent over to help his brother up. "I'll see what I can do. Come on. Let's get you into the other room so I can take a good look at you first."

"'M fine."

"Sure you are, tiger."

"Bitch."

"Dick."

The Gray Penguin and the Bride

Dean tried to stand still while his brother fixed his ascot, which just had to be the gayest thing any man could ever be expected to wear with a straight face.

"Nervous?"

Dean snorted. "Dude… I've never been this nervous in my damn life. I wish…"

"Dad was here?"

"Yeah," Dean acknowledged softly. "I'd bet he'd never believe it. Me, getting hitched. I've actually been monogamous for over six months, Sam. Can you believe it?"

Sam huffed. "I met Cassie. I'm sure you're too attached to the family jewels to cheat on her."

Dean laughed. "You got me there."

Sam tugged the god-awful tie one last time and smoothed down the jacket lapels. "Dad's here, Dean. So's Mom. I can feel them."

Dean nodded, not trusting his voice. He actually could. "Yeah," he finally said softly as he let his kid brother pull him into a hug.

"Congratulations, man."

Dean finally pushed his brother away. "You're such a girl, dude." Sam just smirked and rolled his eyes as he watched Dean look in the mirror again. He grimaced at his own reflection. "Damn. I look like a gray penguin." He was glad that he'd refused to let Sammy touch his hair. He was geeked out enough as it was.

There was a knock at the door and Ariel was telling them it was time.

After standing up front, with his brother behind him, Enoch next to him and a room full of mostly strangers, for what seemed like an eternity the wedding march finally, finally, began. Ruby came out first. Dean had to admit that she looked pretty in the pale gold bride's maid dress and wondered what happened to making the bride's maids ugly to make the bride look better in comparison. Cassie was right behind her and Dean suddenly found it hard to breath. He'd never seen anything so beautiful before. The rest of the ceremony was a blur and he wasn't sure how he managed to answer on cue. Then he was kissing Cassie… his wife.

The wedding was amazing. Everything had gone without a hitch. Dean looked incredibly hot in his suit and there were no emergencies, supernatural or otherwise, to distract anyone. But Cassie was happy to finally have her new husband alone. She left him to go change out of her gown into something more comfortable. She had chosen something that was white and almost innocent looking, but that left nothing to the imagination. She changed as quickly as she could and took her hair down. After she was finished, she took a few seconds just to calm down. She didn't understand why she was so nervous. It's not like they had never had sex before. But this was different. She opened the door and found him sprawled out on the bed, most of his suit gone except for the pants, his shirt untucked and half unbuttoned, his hair mussed, his feet bare. She smiled to herself. How could he look that sexy when he was so completely disheveled? He pushed himself up on his elbows when he heard her come in and smiled at her.

"So… Mrs. Winchester."

"Yes, Mr. Winchester," she asked softly as she crawled onto his lap.

"Nothin'. Just like sayin' it. Sounds pretty damn awesome."

She smiled and leaned forward till their foreheads were touching. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it."

"Tell me."

Dean's voice rumbled through her and settled in the pit of her stomach. It took her a second to understand what he'd said. She dropped her head so that it rested on his shoulder, breathing him in. "What do you wanna know?"

"Tell me what you want. Tell me how you want me to make love to you."

She moaned softly in the back of her throat, felt her cheeks flush. Dear God, he was going to be the death of her. "Hmmm… I have a few ideas…"

Sam smiled at the look of complete bliss on Ruby's face as he messaged her feet. "I take it you like that?"

"You take it right," She sighed, practically purring. "Cassie was absolutely gorgeous, wasn't she?"

"Yeah. And Dean seems really happy. I thought he was going to pass out for a second there, though," he said with a brief laugh that was cut short as Ruby sat up suddenly and pressed a hand to her stomach with a small gasp. "Are you alright," Sam asked, his gut clenching in sudden fear. "Is it the baby?"

"Give me your hand," Ruby said holding out her free hand.

Sam put his hand in hers, frowning at her non-reaction. "Do you want me to call someone?"

"I'm fine." She placed his hand flat against the side of her stomach. After a second he felt a fluttering against the palm of his hand. "So's our baby."

"Oh my God. Does that… does that hurt?"

"No. Feels kind of strange though. But it's kinda cool too."

"That's amazing. There really is someone growin' in there, isn't there?" Sam didn't hear exactly what Ruby was saying. Something about a crib. That's all he could process because he was too busy trying not to freak out. Ruby was pregnant. He was going to be someone's father. He was going to be responsible for an innocent child. Suddenly the air was too thin and he felt lightheaded. He had enough presence of mind to be gentle when he moved Ruby's feet off his lap. "We'll talk about the crib later. I… I need to go."

As he bolted from the house, he knew that he'd probably hurt Ruby's feelings, but if he stayed a second longer he'd lose it right then and there. Twenty minutes later, he found himself leaning against a land table, trying to control his breathing the way his father and brother had taught him.

Temptation

Lucifer was humming nervously as he entered the Throne Room. He still came when the Sons of God were summoned to give an accounting of their behavior, since he was, technically at least, still a Son of God. Oh well. You couldn't choose your family. The closer he got to the Presence, the less comfortable it was. But he would be damned if he showed it. If Father had his way, he'd be just that, wouldn't he? His glory had been darkened and twisted since his fall, but Lucifer was still beautiful. A sight to be envied, he thought to himself proudly. He waited his turn, busying himself with counting the feathers of the Prince before him. He used to be first in these things, but now he was last and he had to wait through it all to the end. Some of it was blocked from his hearing by a Divine Will that was so complex that he had yet to find a way to penetrate it.

Finally the Brother in front of him stepped aside and it was his turn. He couldn't stop the tremor that ran through him as those eyes found his and seemed to burn through his beautiful exterior and fasten on the rottenness underneath. "Where have you been?"

It was the traditional question, but Father could layer it with so many meanings. Lucifer took a deep breath and smirked. "Oh, here and there. Seeking souls to destroy. Business is booming right now. Humanity is nothing but one big cesspool of vice. I really don't know why you keep this little charade going. But then, it doesn't matter, does it? It'll all belong to me soon."

"Yes, but you belong to me. So, it's the same difference, isn't it?"

"Just because you made me doesn't mean you own me!"

God merely laughed and leaned back against his throne. "No more fallen are to enter this fight, am I understood?"

"But a prince walks among the humans, helping them, using the secrets of Heaven to aid them."

"Ariel Lion Heart is human. She is what they once were and almost what they will all be once they are raised to their full potential. I suppose you could say that she is the second born among many brethren. As such, she has the authority to use the secrets of Heaven as long as she does not fall. You have your witches and Nephilim. I have Ariel and Enoch."

"Then I ask permission to tempt her. Even the First Born was tempted."

"And you found nothing in him. Do your worst, serpent, but you are not to touch her life."

Lucifer smiled. "Before I am through with my old friend, she will be cursing the day she was created. Cursing you."

"We shall see. Now leave. You have defiled my presence long enough."

Sam watched as Ariel leaned over the counter, standing on her toes to reach the top shelf. They had just finished meditating and her feet were bare. The more they did this, the more relaxed Sam felt. But right now he was feeling anything but relaxed as he watched her t-shirt rise a few inches, revealing a small stretch of skin just above the waist of her jeans. The skin was flawless and looked like alabaster. Sam found himself wondering if it would be cool to the touch. Before he could stop himself, his hand was there, sliding to curl around the curve of her side. He felt her tremble at his touch, frozen in mid movement.

"Sam."

Her voice came out a breathy whisper that went straight to his groan and he was so hard… how could he be this hard from just a touch and the sound of his name? How could he want something this badly when he hadn't even realized until this moment he wanted at all? He leaned against her, melting into her body. She wasn't cool, she was warm. So warm, like a furnace. He couldn't help wondering what it would be like inside her as he dropped his head forward so that he could whisper in her ear. "Shhh…"

"We can't do this."

"Why not? We both want it. Tell me you don't want it." His voice was a low growl and he barely recognized it himself. She gasped and bit her lip. His hand reached around to her stomach, feeling the ripple of dense, corded muscle under soft skin and pulled her against him so that she could feel his arousal. He felt her tremble again.

"I'm not even sure I'm supposed to do this."

"You wanna go ask permission and get back to me," he teased as he slid his hand down until it was just above where he knew she wanted it – where he wanted it – and started tracing slow circles against the skin just under her belly button with his thumb. Her hips jerked lightly and he smiled.

"Ruby…"

"We're not together."

"B… but she lo… loves you."

Sam ran his fingers through her long hair. It was soft and thick between his fingers as he curled them around the strands and pulled her head back, baring her neck. He licked a long strip from the juncture of her shoulder to her jaw and was rewarded by a chocked off whimper. "You can't always have what you want," he breathed against her damp skin. She shivered again and let out something between a moan and a sob. God, he loved the sounds she was making, wondered what other sounds he could get out of her.

"Maybe that applies to this too," she said. She was trembling and nearly gasping for breath. He could tell how much effort she was putting into making her voice steady.

"You talk too much," he said as he turned her head and kissed her. She didn't kiss back at first but he persisted until she moaned into his mouth and opened to him. It felt like surrender and what was it that made that just about the hottest thing ever?

His cell phone chose that moment to ring and Ariel snapped out of whatever spell they were under enough to push him away and rush out of the kitchen. The ringtone was the Godfather theme which meant it was Dean with his usually awesome timing.

"Yeah Dean?"

"Dude, where the hell are you?"

Sam covered his eyes. "Staff meeting, right? Shit. I forgot. I'll be there in a few minutes. I just have to take care of somethin' first."

"You forgot a staff meeting? You? The guy who's always buggin' me to be more organized?"

"Dude! I'm sorry. I just… give me a minute okay?"

"Okay. Does this have to do with Ruby?"

Sam huffed out a laugh. "No Dean."

Sam hung up the phone just in time to see Ariel slipping on her overcoat. "Whoa, wait a minute, can't we talk about this?"

"Talk about what? How you can't stand my guts but you want to take me on my kitchen counter like a whore?"

Sam flinched. "That's not… I don't hate you. You aggravate the hell out of me sometimes, yes, but I don't hate you."

"Could have fooled me."

"I think I fooled myself too. Look, I have a meeting. When I get done, can we just talk? Please? I swear, no touching."

Ariel folded her arms as she considered his request. "Okay. At the café."

Sam knew that she was picking somewhere public so that it would be less likely that things would get so… intense again. "Alright. I… I'll call you when I'm done."

"Hey, gargantuan!" Dean got no reaction. His brother just sat staring at nothing, rolling a pen between his fingers. He snapped his fingers in the kid's face and got a startle reflex. "Earth to freak of nature."

"Dude! What the hell?"

"That's what I should be askin' you. First you're late, which like never happens, then you get here and you spend the entire meeting off in lala land. What hell gives?"

"It's nothing."

Dean made a buzzing noise in the back of his throat that he knew annoyed the hell out of his brother. "Wrong answer. Try again."

Sam scowled at him. "Dude… it's just…"

"Just what, Sammy?"

"Actually, it's about Ariel."

"What, did the two of you get into another big fight?"

Sam felt himself flush as he looked away, not sure how to answer.

"What a minute… the two of you… did you…"

Sam sighed. How did his brother always figure these things out? "Nothing happened!"

"But somethin' almost did, right? That's why you're all space cadet today. I gotta say though, I can't really blame you for wantin' to hit that. Ariel's a hottie."

"That's just the problem, Dean. Until an hour ago, I had no idea I felt this way about her. I thought I hated her."

"There's a thin line between love and hate young Jedi. Hell, some of the best sex Cassie and I have had has been after screaming fights when we just wanted to strangle each other."

"What about Ruby? I know you don't like her, but I still love her Dean. I can't just jump into another relationship until I figure out if the last one's over. And there's a baby on the way, all mixed up in the middle of it."

Dean canted his head and looked away. "Yeah. I guess you're right. You sure this isn't just a passion thing?"

Sam looked up at his brother with such a tortured expression that dean just wanted to hug the kid, find a way to make it all better. "I honestly wish I could say it was. I mean it was definitely hot… but underneath all that intensity was something more." Sam shook his head. "And I feel like it's been there the whole time, just under the surface."

"So what are you gonna do?"

Sam rubbed his head, feeling a migraine coming on. "Hell if I know."

A/N: Well, my characters are still ignoring me and doing whatever the heck they want. But I think it's turning out well… a few curves here and there to keep things interesting. Anyway, let me know what you think. And thank you to all my readers who aren't review, although it would be really nice to hear from you too.

No problem, Gadget Girl 25.

HI casammy. Yeah, I kinda have to agree with you about Dean's reaction to a possible Sam/Ariel relationship. The part I have in this chapter between the two was from a dream I had two weeks ago and I just couldn't not write it. I never had any intention of there being anything romantic there and I really don't know what's going to come of it.

Thanks Spuffyshipper. I really like Cassie/Dean… and I liked how the wedding turned out. I hope you do too. We have to see where Sam/Ruby goes. They were my original end game, and they may still end up together. I honestly don't know.

-Angie