Chapter 21

"What?" I felt like throwing something.

"It's the way that the thing works," he said.

"Bobby," I took a deep breath, "why didn't John destroy the thing?"

"It would be complicated to do it," Bobby said. "Besides, the boys would never have opened the box. It's the two idiots who stole the damn curse box who opened it. Sam got a hold of the rabbit's foot while fighting with one of them."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I muttered.

"It doesn't make me feel better either," Bobby agreed. "Look, we have to find something that will get rid of it."

"There's only way that I can think of," I said.
"What's that?" Bobby asked.
"You actually have the ritual in one of those heavy books," I chuckled. "Actually it's in the same book I used to brain John with."

Bobby's eyebrow shot up. "Oh you did hit him pretty hard that time," he grinned.

"I should have used a shovel," I grimaced.

"I'll go get the book and get back to them," Bobby said. "You gonna hang around?"
"I think that I'd better until I know that they're safe," I replied.

"Yeah I was thinking the same thing," Bobby agreed. "Um, Kelsey, What about them?"

"Don't worry," I assured him. "You're safe."

Bobby arched an eyebrow, "You know I'd never to think to be worried about being in danger from angels."

"Well, like I keep saying Bobby, ain't no halo wearing, harp playing angels here," I grinned.

"Yeah," Bobby chuckled. "I seem to recall you saying that on more than one occasion."

I turned to leave while Bobby returned to the gun. I leaned against the doorjamb and thought for a moment.
"Um, Bobby?" I interrupted.

"Yeah Kelsey," Bobby continued staring that the gun.

"The key is the bullets in conjunction with the firing chamber," I told him.

"What?" Bobby's head snapped up.

I merely smiled in return.

"You mean I got to smelt the bullets?" he demanded.
"I didn't say anything," I replied.

Bobby's forehead cleared. "Ah!" he said.

I nodded and left him with the gun.

I found Sammael on the front porch staring at the trees. She was silent and contemplative. Micah and Azrael occupied themselves with the various books that Bobby had in the house. I frowned for I remembered that Bobby needed to get the ritual to Sam and Dean. I walked back inside the house and located the book. I took it to Bobby who wore a dark expression on his face.

"The gun's stumped you already?" I asked.

"No," he muttered. He saw that I held a book in my hand. "Is that the ritual?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"Well, they're going to have to find the damn thing first," he spat.

I swallowed the horror that I felt welling inside. "Sam has lost the foot?" I croaked.

"Yep," Bobby said. "To a Bella Talbot."

"Who is she?" I asked Bobby.

"That damn girl is a thorn in the side of every hunter who has ever had the misfortune to come in contact with her," Bobby was incensed.

"I take it that she's not a good person," I guessed.

"She's a screwed up little girl who is going to end up getting killed," Bobby muttered. "So, does that mean that you don't have a problem with her dying?" I mused.
"If you were to meet her, you'd probably actually go find that shovel you were always threatening John with and actually use it on her," Bobby smirked.

"That bad, eh?" I was amazed. "So I take it she's a?" I stopped.

"A thief is what she is," Bobby shook his head. "She knows enough about the supernatural but she doesn't care. She just wants to steal things and sell them to the highest bidder. If someone gets harmed in the process that's not her problem, in fact, she thinks that we're not much better than serial killers."

"You've met her I take it," I pressed.
Bobby remained silent. I nodded and sighed, "So, what is Dean going to do?"
"He's going to find that girl and get the foot and save his brother," Bobby said quietly.

"I see," I fought the urge to laugh.

"He's an idiot at times," Bobby grimaced.

"Dean," I guessed.

"Yeah," Bobby took up the book and thumbed through it searching for the ritual.

"Page 112," I told him.

Bobby's eyebrows shot up. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I will wait here with you, until we know that Dean's got the foot and then I shall travel to where they are and…" I stopped.

"And what?" Bobby pressed.

"I'll drag them back here physically if I have to," I exhaled.

"It's hard," Bobby mused.
"What is?" I was puzzled.
"Being their parent," he chuckled.

"They don't need a parent," I argued. "They need a good swift kick."

Bobby threw back his head and laughed. "I always thought that you had more patience with them than this."

"I am patient," I refuted. "It's just that the older they get the more they become like John."
"No," Bobby disagreed. "Trust me, no one will ever be that stubborn or aggravating."

"Or that able to inspire love and devotion?" I asked.

Bobby rubbed his jaw. "You know, I treated John with respect. And maybe I tolerated him a lot more than I would have ordinarily. But I wanted to be there…"

"It's okay to love them Bobby," I said.

"How can anyone choose between them?" Bobby asked. "I didn't want Sam to die. But I don't want Dean to either."

"Don't go making any deals," I warned.

"I'm not," Bobby said. "But I'm begging you Kelsey. If you know a way to get them out of this, and don't give me any of that crap about Free Will. These boys are your family too. John thought of you as family. He loved you like his own."

I nodded. "I'll do what I can Bobby. I'll do what I'm permitted to do."

"That's all I ask," Bobby said.

The phone rang and Bobby picked it up. "Great!" Bobby said. "Now, you got a pen, because this is one complicated ritual."

I walked out of the room and returned to the front porch. I found Sammael with an expression of mutiny on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm not leaving," she said.

"Where are you going?" I wondered.

"We're going to Elizabethtown, Ohio," Micah said. "There's something happening there and we're going to check it out."

"I'm going to Black Rock first," I said.
"I'll go with you," Sammael nodded.
"No," Micah insisted. "She'll go. She'll meet us later."

"That's not right," Sammael muttered.

"Huh?" I was puzzled.

"Michael's orders," Micah explained. "He said that you're to be on your own for a while. We're to do some work. Sammael doesn't want to leave you."

"I can be left," I assured her. "Besides, I may have to tangle with a couple of demons. It's for the best."

Sammael screwed up her face and folded her arms. She made a funny picture and I half expected her to throw a tantrum. Micah however appeared worried that she might actually have a tantrum.

"Come now Sammael," Azrael said soothingly. "Denri can take care of herself. She's pretty good at it. She'll meet up with us and then we can continue together. Right?"
"Yes," I agreed. "I'll meet you in Elizabethtown, Ohio."

"Fine," Sammael relented.

"Why are you going to Black Rock?" Micah asked after Azrael had dragged Sammael to the pickup.

I was puzzled by Azrael's actions. "Um, aren't you giving Bobby back his truck?" I asked.

Micah stared at me for a moment. "He said that we could keep it. He needed the car for a while," Micah explained.

"Okay," I nodded.

"Denri?" Micah became impatient.

"What?" I asked.

"Why are you going to Black Rock?" he repeated.
"Oh," I shrugged. "The boys ran afoul of a cursed rabbit's foot. Sam got it by accident and it appears that it was stolen from him by Bella Talbot."
Micah drew in a sharp breath. My attention snapped to him. "What?" I demanded.

"Bella is a story," he said.
"I bet she is," I agreed. "But you're not going to say are you?"
"Let's just say that she has an overdeveloped sense of self preservation," Micah said.
"How overdeveloped?" I asked.

"To the point where anyone else's survival is inconsequential," Micah confessed.

"Oh brother," I sighed. "Okay, I'm going."
"Don't kill her," Micah warned. "As much as she may tempt you. She's not possessed."

"I see," I commented. "So she doesn't have an excuse."

"Something like that," Micah agreed.

I walked to the gate and became light. I traveled to where they boys stayed. I knew that they were going to a cemetery to perform the ritual. I wasn't worried about it. I found signs of a struggle in the motel room. I also glimpsed two men staggering out. They were muttering about Sam. I listened as one of them said that Gordon was right. I felt a chill. Gordon Walker was in prison. He had tried to kill Sam and if he was still after Sam I felt that there would be trouble. Gordon was one who saw everything in extremes; there was no middle ground. Which made him far too dangerous to be around the boys.

I entered the room and perched on the back of a chair to wait for them to return. I heard the key turn the lock in the door. Dean was the first one in the room. He stopped and stared at me in shock. Sam walked into him.
"Dean!" he said.

"Sorry," Dean grabbed Sam and pulled him into the room.

My eyes widened as I realized that he had been shot. I was puzzled.

"Dean?" I hopped off the chair.

"It's just a shoulder wound," Sam grimaced.

I took Sam from his brother and placed him on the bed. I stripped off his jacket and shirt and examined the wound.
"Dean where's the kit?" I demanded.

"Are you going to tell us why you're here?" Dean asked.
"Are you going to hand me the kit?" I glared at him.

He reached into his bag and pulled the kit out. I opened it and began to search for the bullet. I found it and pulled it out and then began dressing the wound.

"That's not bad," Sam commented.

"Yeah," Dean admitted.
"Is that object destroyed?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean told me. "And I'm out forty grand."

"What?" I was puzzled.
"Bella got the lotto tickets from Dean," Sam told me.

"She shot you?" I demanded.
"Yeah," Sam admitted. "It was her way of getting our attention."
"Well aren't there easier ways? Like hiking up her skirt and dropping her blouse?" I argued.

Dean chuckled. "Um, a gun was probably more effective."

I narrowed my gaze at him. I finished with Sam's wound and found painkillers for him to take. "You should go to sleep now," I ordered.
"And if I don't?" Sam asked.

"Do you really want to challenge me at this point in time Sam Winchester?" I placed a hand on my hip.

"No ma'am," Sam replied. "I'm going to get into the bed and go to sleep now."

"That's a good idea," I said. "You too," I told Dean.
"I don't," his protest died before he could get it out.

They both got into the beds and pulled the covers to go to sleep. Dean sat up for a moment.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You're going to be here when we wake up?" he asked.
"Oh you bet I am," I threatened.

"Dean, we better go to sleep," I saw Sam smother a grin. "She's in full mom mode."

"I hear you," Dean agreed.

They both settled under the covers and waited for sleep to overtake them. They were human and their lives were finite. I always knew this and this was the risk that I took by becoming involved in their lives. I settled on the ledge of the window and chose to watch over them. I thought back to all the other times I had watched over them while they slept.

I sensed the presence and left the room. I was surprised to see so many of them gathered in the motel parking lot. Michael stood next to the Impala while the others loitered in various areas.

"This almost looks like an invasion," I observed.

"We're increasing our numbers on the surface," Michael admitted.

"I see," I stared at the others lurking in the shadows. "Are they going to tangle with any of the others?" I asked.

"You know how tied our hands are where things are concerned," Michael sighed.

"We're following Ruby," I said.

"Where are you taking them?" Michael asked.
"Back to Bobby's," I said. "Sam was shot. I'll stay until he's well enough. Then I'll join the others in Elizabethtown."

"Good," Michael said. "We'll meet up with you there."
"Okay," I shrugged.

Michael stared at me for a moment but said nothing. I returned to the room to wait for morning to take them to Bobby's.