Reflection or Perception?
Chapter 21

Co-written by the wonderfully talented sexdrugsandoreos

After his brother was done explaining probably the most complex mythology they had ever had to get their heads around, Dean announced that all this confusion had made him possibly even more starving.

"We'll talk on a full stomach, okay?" he said. Then he grabbed his burger and headed outside onto the roadside, where he sat and stared straight ahead.

Thus far, he hadn't taken a single bite.

(And if that wasn't a testament to the extent of his confusion and indecision, he frankly didn't know what was.)

Sam wasn't kidding when he said it was a risk.

There was just so much uncertainty. Not only could they not be sure that the Tablet of Destinies did or had ever existed, or that it could have helped them if it did, they'd no way of knowing if the Tablet of Providence was even anything like it – and certainly no way of knowing if it could be applied to angels, even if it was. No way other than somehow getting their hands on it, giving it to Gabriel and letting him do the rest.

Easier said than done – and possibly, maybe even probably, futile. But what other choice did they have?

"The Tablet of Destinies was a mythological symbol in the ancient Mesopotamian world."

"Oh, right. The Mesopotamians. Obviously." Dean's voice was laden with sarcasm. "Why didn't I think of that?!"

Smiling in a smug, superior sort of a way, Sam refused to rise to the bait.

"Mesopotamia's an old name for areas between the Tigris-Euphrates river system, most of which now form parts of modern day Iraq," Sam explained patiently, "There were a wide range of different cultures, laws, even languages, but all the Meospotamians had one thing in common. They shared a pantheon of gods, and the religious and philosophical beliefs that corresponded with..." He trailed off then, finally clocking that Dean was alarmingly close to falling asleep and/or throttling him. "The Tablet of Destinies are one of the most mysterious aspects of what we know about their culture, but they were definitely important."

"Important like how? Like the Heaven-saving, Crazy-Scribe-Guy-destroying kind of important?" Dean queried.

"Maybe yes, maybe no." The extent of Sam's ambiguity was frustrating even to himself, but at this point he just didn't have any other choice. "From what we can tell, the tablet mostly acted as a permanent legal document – giving Enlil, the most important god in the pantheon, ultimate authority over all other gods and the universe."

"So it is kind of like...never mind." Charlie's sentence trailed off midway, but she was grinning to herself, viewing the latest development as an indubitable victory for the case she'd been making for years – computer games are relevant to real life! She mimed zipping her mouth shut. "Carry on."

"The tablet was also associated with bringing power and success in general. Alongside the tablets of the ten commandments, they're the only tablets in mythological history associated with empowering humanity – with changing and manipulating astrological influences to change an individual's fate, or even the fate of humanity as a whole. Some major theological scholars have identified the tablet as a necessary prerequisite for universal salvation." Sam paused for breath. "But what would angels be doing coveting the key to humansalvation? In the Bible, sure, but from first-hand experience it's safe to say they're pretty much just out for themselves. Especially now."

Sam referred back to the list, his finger landing next tothe Tablet of Universal Providence. Only now did Dean notice the small letters underneath it, corresponding with a small set of symbols underneath what theyassumed was the Enochian translation.

"From what I can tell, this is the only part of the whole document the Men of Letters managed to translate – orthought they managed to translate, anyway. Guess they must've thought it was pretty important."

Charlie and Dean craned their necks to get a better view.

"For unconditional restoration and salvation," Charlie read aloud, "Sounds like a goer to me. Where do we start?"

It wasn't that simple, of course. (Was it ever?)

According to the map, the tablet was located at Mount Vernon, Virginia.

"Mount Vernon...why does that sound so familiar?" Sam wondered aloud, typing it into his laptop. Dean was still outside, presumably eating, and Charlie was also devouring her burger at the other side of the room. Sometimes he felt like the only one around who didn't make food his first priority. George Washington's Mount Virginia read the first link. Sam clicked on it. "Oh, it was George Washington's estate, but now it's a tourist attraction...two museums, farm animals...oh."

"So what? You think Balthazar had it guarded by pigs or something?" Dean had made his way back inside unnoticed, licking the last traces of burger off his lips. "Are we gonna have to fight our way through a sea of chickens to find it?" It said a lot about their lives that that wouldn't even be the weirdest thing they'd done by a long shot. "Cool. Not the most dignified battle, but I'll fight it."

"Er, possibly." Considering Sam had just announced that the possible answer to all their problems was in a freaking tourist attraction, Dean couldn't help but think he sounded strangely apprehensive about the whole thing. "Or possibly..."

Sam turned the laptop around to face Dean.

"''Within this Enclosure Rest the remains of Gen.l George Washington." This is the brief legend inscribed on a stone tablet over the entrance to the tomb vault at...Mount Vernon...oh."

"Exactly," Sam sighed. "I mean, I don't know, but what do you reckon are the chances of an angel choosing chickens over corpses as guards?"

Dean groaned loudly.

Freaking angels.

"So... when are we going to Mount Vernon?"

Sam raised his eyes so to shoot a worried glance across the table at his brother, it had been a week since they had found out the destination that their quest to save heaven would take them but in that time cause for concern had appeared.

The thought had suddenly dawned on Sam whilst gathering further information on the mythology of the Tablet of Destinies so they were as prepared as possible for their seemingly impossible task. They encounter Charlie for a second time that year in April 2013. Time travel was messy business, but they always knew that but now they were risking messing with Charlie's timeline as well as their own. He had seen Back to the Future, he knew the consequences. After breaching the subject with Dean they knew there was only one option, neither particularly liked their decision but they knew it was the only way to ensure their histories weren't altered.

Dean placed his hands on the table and stood up slowly. Charlie was his best friend after Sam and looking upon her innocent, confused face broke his heart. He knew that she couldn't understand why both he and Sam had been distant with her for the past week, thankfully they would not need to tiptoe around her much longer. They were ready to head to Virginia, and Charlie would not be accompanying them.

He kept his eyes locked with hers until Sam cleared his throat, "Dean, it's time" he said solemnly.

Charlie looked from Sam to Dean, "time for what?" she could have sworn she saw a tear form in Dean's eye but it could have been the poor lighting in the warehouse.

Silently Dean turned his back on the table, "come on guys, I thought I was one of you now. Do you have to keep secrets?" she asked sadly slumping into her seat.

He slowly followed his brother outside stealing one last look at his best friend hoping to God - any God - that she would be safe and they were doing the right thing by her.

"Ok" Sam began into thin air, "Gabriel, if you can hear this or any of your posse, cause we know you're not working alone on this double 0 heaven mission, we need your help cause you put us in this mess. We need you to return Charlie to her original timeline with the last few months erased from her memory but replaced by the memories of what she should have been doing. We all know she's got nothing to do with this, we dragged her in and we would appreciate it if you could take her back out, she doesn't deserve this"

Once he had concluded he looked over his shoulder at Dean and gave a half shrug. Angels weren't always the most responsive of creatures but it didn't mean that they hadn't heard and acted, that was if they were feeling in a generous mood of course.

Dean turned on his heel and returned back into to inspect the situation. He looked inside wearily and nodded slowly. The table was empty. Charlie was gone.