Happy Holidays people.
I was sick for a few days but am feeling so much better, so here is a chapter as a holiday present. I deeply love you all. These stories are my babies, they help me deal with a life that is not always happy. Life has been tough recently, so writing these stories have been a real help.
This chapter is dedicated to HeavensMercy and Grimm Magician who helped me bounce off so many ideas off.
Hopping out of the car Bobby had given him, Gabe chose to get into Dean's Impala as they drove into the night. He had driven through the night, so he was rather sleepy and was trying to fall asleep when Sam started chatting.
Sam was reading the paper Crowley had given them. "So, the vic's a real class act. Owned a bunch of slum-grade apartments. Couple houses, too.?
Dean groaned like a little bitch. "So this is it? This is – this is what you're gonna do?"
"What am I doing?"
"Crowley. He's so far up our asses we're – we're – we're coughing sulfur, but you – you're just gonna work the case?"
Rolling his eyes, Gabe leaned forward. "Why not? Again, I reiterate, he has all the power here. You are going to be hunting anyway. He could kill Bobby effortlessly despite Bobby being an awesome paranoid hunter. You guys are tempting fate running your mouth to a being so powerful, with so many connections, so much influence. Why do that, why risk that much when you really don't have to?" Dean sneered at him, so Gabe squeezed his fist and focused his thoughts, making the man choke and swerve the car wildly for a moment before Gabe released his grip. "See what I mean? I used a tiny amount of magic to hurt you, but in doing so I would have hurt myself by possibly dying in an accident. That is the same as getting a small amount of pleasure pissing off Crowley. I am not saying you have to like him, just don't brass off to a being that strong."
"Why do you care what I do?" Dean asked, like the idiot he was.
"Cause Bobby is all I have, he is the closest thing to a decent parent I have ever had despite only knowing him for a few months. I'd rather not lose that... plus I respect Crowley.
That too made Dean swerve, but it was Sam who turned to him and said. "You respect Crowley?"
"Power, intelligence, and hard work. Turns my gears, all of them." Both boys shuddered, making him roll his eyes. "Please, Don't tell me you've never got the hots for something evil?" He turned to Sam and smirked. "Like Ruby?" It was Sam's turn to roll his eyes. "That Truth spell lingered on him when you spoke to him Dean, I learned a few tidbits. Anyway, outside of him turning me on, I also genuinely respect him, Evil or not, he worked hard, earned his position and power. That makes him especially dangerous, even by your standards. People born to power are dangerous enough, people that earn it are far, far scarier..."
Dean frowned. "You really respect that dickbag?"
"Yes, like I said, he earned his power. He is vastly more intelligent then you two morons. He is centuries old, and mastered the craft of manipulating others. He is the definition of dangerous and respectable. Now... when are we pulling over? I am exhausted and frankly, I can sense that you are too, Dean."
"""
"Bobby, I hate the little bastard already. He's choked me twice! You sure he's not corrupt by his magic?" Dean said this, knowing Gabe was happily hogging the shower in their crappy hotel room.
Dean swore he felt Bobby's glare from his hotel room hundreds of miles away. "Dean, I wouldn't have sent him you if he was. He's a bit dark, naturally, his childhood would allow nothing more really... he wouldn't have survived it without looser morals I think... but honestly, that is why I sent him. You both regularly commit fraud and other things considered immoral to gain an income which you need to do good things like Hunt. I want him to see that. I can only tell him to be good so long, showing it... well that is better. Oh, and if you touch a hair on his head, I'll beat you bloody, boy. He's my kid, that makes him your brother in all but blood."
Groaning, Dean sat down. "Why do you even like him? And you said nothing about him choking me?"
"What did you do? Kid's a bit trigger happy but not that bad."
"I ran my mouth to Crowley, then he was making a point about running my mouth to powerful beings in the car."
Bobby sighed. "He respects Crowley, any powerful being really, he hates the idea of pissing people off when Might is right and honestly he should. You shouldn't go against powerful beings with the means to fight them. Look at how I went against Crowley, I had him by the balls and then I fought him. You're a great Hunter, you and Sam both, but you both tend to go in half-cocked and that ain't smart."
"That hurts, Bobby, it really does..."
"Shut it and be nice to the boy. Listen to him, he is really smart and kind of wise even. He has some interesting insights. However don't let him bully you, he will do that if you let him. Just keep it balanced and all will be fine."
" Fine, just... fine. Anything else?"
"Don't piss him off... like ever. He's scary Dean, he had his father killed. He will not hesitate to kill you both to make a point if it really comes down to that. He won't for my sake, but honestly, if we were not close he might actually kill you. You did cause the apocalypse, which in his eyes is deserving of death... but also don't forget that he is creating a spell to bring back Sam's soul, almost single-handedly. His understanding of the Craft is beyond any witch I've seen, though to be fair I haven't seen a lot of witches. I really think he will manage to complete it. I am doing the research now, but when he returns to me he will be the one that makes the actual spell."
That made a weight shift in Dean's chest. "He's what?"
"Yup, he's doing that. For me mostly, but yeah he is doing just that."
"Wow... okay, be nice to the witch boy..."
"Yeah, be nice to the genuinely scary, smarter than Sam by far witch boy. Anyway, I got to go, so much research. Talk to you later, kid." Bobby snarked and then the shower door opened and Dean saw the kid walk out sans shirt.
Unable to stop himself, he asked. "What's with the scars?" he saw that the boy had several purple scars on his well-defined stomach. The boy sighed and turned to him, eyes very, very cold.
"My dad was unkind, the Crossroad demon sent me to the hospital, it did not magically heal me. The doctor had to do surgery to heal my internal bleeding. Not all of us have angels to heal us."
And that broke Dean's heart, all he saw was his Sammy being hurt like that and he could not break out a soft smile. "You were very brave to go through that, kid."
The kid smiled, not in a cocky way though. It was oddly genuine. "I know, but it is nice to hear that. Bobby said something similar when he saw my scars. Oh, and I heard your conversation with Bobby. Hearing spell I found. Anyway, I won't kill you, Dean, you matter too much to Bobby and you save a lot of lives." Shrugging, the boy hurried to his bed and started to actually meditate, literally levitating as he did so. " Tell Sam, if he buys breakfast, to grab me some vegetarian. Please and yes eggs are fine, as is cheese. I adore both. Please and thank you."
Dean nodded. "Sure thing, kid."And like that, Dean could not help but gain some fondness for the boy who could not be any more different than Sammy or Ben. He lacked any innocence, but that only made him care for the kid all the more. The kid had that robbed by the one person who should have been his most ardent protector. It disgusted Dean and honestly... seeing those Scars, he hoped his father burned in hell forever. He knew the torture Alistar could do, he hoped to have the chance to work on the kid's dad if he ever had the chance. "So... why levitate?"
"It helps with focus and control, keys to magic, but also with the super strength spell which yes I know." The boy turned to Dean, eyes open. "Do you really want to talk shop? You wanted to kill me a few minutes ago?"
"Yeah, Bobby talked me off that ledge. Do you want to kill me?"
"Slap sense into you, not kill."
"Then we are good... so... let's talk shop. Bobby said you love the craft, magic, and all that. Seems a safe thing to chat about, to get to know you if we are supposed to be brothers."
Gabe smiled. "Be warned, I am obsessive. First a question, your aura is great for magic, why not practice? You would be incredibly powerful incredibly fast. So would Sam I think, intelligence and a strong will are the requirements for magic."
Dean frowned. "I... I never...I don't like what magic does to people, It's like crack, once people have a taste you never know what they'll do for power."
"Fair point actually... but that suggests you do not care for yourself, or trust that you will not do terrible things with power. Do you really think so little of yourself?"
"I...I am not sure, really."
"You are a bad liar, Dean. I am able to read auras, lies shift the colors. You have not an ounce of love for yourself. I can't tell much else beyond that but it is true. You ought to work on that. It actually... explains a lot, painfully so really. Like why you and Sam are so willing to sacrifice yourselves for the world."
They said nothing else for the rest of the night, but Gabe's words haunted Dean for quite a while later. He knew he thought so little of himself, but did Sammy feel the same towards himself... had Dean failed him in that way too?
"''
Dean's aura was distracting for Gabe, his point about him and Sam not loving themselves must have really hit home... Still, it was a valid point that he needed to hear. Dean's aura spoke of self-hate, pain and misery. A deep-seated spiritual rot that he had never seen before but somehow understood. Much as he disliked the man due to his arrogance, he could not help but feel bad for that. It took real high suffering to create that kind of rot...
He genuinely hoped it got resolved one day... no one deserved that kind of misery. He wondered if Sam had it too, with his soul. If he did, would he really want it back? That kind of emotional baggage would be agonizing when snapped back into place.
'I have to find a way to help with that... note to self, say something to Bobby...'
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a powerful, fun chapter.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.