Chapter 10 – You Bet Your Life
Abbadon had teleported Gail to the Florida coast first, for a "private chat".
It was all very civilized. They sat on the patio of what must have once been a noisy but fun Spring Break bar, overlooking the beach. Gail was looking at the Demon woman with a wary expression, curious about what Abbadon had to say.
Vincent's erstwhile confidante was smiling at Gail. "Aren't you going to go for your blade?" Abbadon asked her, sounding amused. "That's what your husband would do."
Gail let out a breath. "In case you haven't noticed, we're separate individuals," she said calmly.
"Really? That's not what I've heard," Abbadon retorted. "I've heard the two of you can't be pried apart with a crowbar."
"Do you see him here now?" Gail replied, not bothering to hide her sarcasm.
Abbadon leaned back in her chair, eyeing the Angel. Then she murmured a few words and a glass appeared in her hand, half-filled with amber liquid.
Gail threw her hands up in the air. "All right; that does it. I know you're a Demon, but that's just mean." She gestured to the glass.
The Demon woman nearly laughed. She'd had no idea that Castiel would have married such a...spirited woman. No pun intended, considering. "Would you like a drink?" she asked Gail.
"Have you got any white Zinfandel, in your bag of tricks?" Gail quipped.
Once she had the glass of wine in her hand, Gail raised it to Abbadon in a mock toast. "Promise me you'll let me get a couple of swigs of this in me, before you kill me," she said to the Demon. "At least then, I can die doing something I enjoy."
As Gail took a gulp of wine, Abbadon's smile turned genuine. "Oh, I have no intention of killing you," she told Gail. "Not when you're about to do me such a big favour."
"OK, I'll bite," Gail replied. "What favour would that be?"
"How are your acting skills?" the Demon countered.
Two glasses of wine and one conspiracy later, the women had reached an agreement.
Gail had been skeptical at first, but Abbadon was able to convince her, in the end. So, THAT was why Joe hadn't been able to kill Damien. Joe wasn't the Chosen One, after all: Gail was! Now that Abbadon had quoted the ancient prophecy to her, it made a strange sort of sense.
The prophecy stated that the Chosen One who was destined to kill the Beast was an individual who should never have been born. Hearing it expressed that way stung more than a little, but Gail had to admit that the point was no less valid. She had only been born in this timeline because Vincent was a sick bastard who liked to experiment with human lives. They had all been convinced that it was Joe, because his mother had been shot in her abdomen when she was pregnant with him.
It was likewise with another part of the prophecy, Abbadon told Gail. The language was arcane, but basically, it referred to the Chosen One as having known for all of their existence that he or she was destined for something else; something greater than themselves. Gail could remember sitting on the bed in her room at her childhood home, fantasizing about a life filled with adventure. Talk about daydreams coming true. But that was what had ultimately made her believe in what Abbadon was telling her.
Now, Gail realized why she'd felt so personal about this whole thing, and why she had resisted asking for help. It was up to her, and her alone, to end Damien's existence. That, she would be very willing to do. But something had occurred to her: "What did you mean when you said we had a birthday party to plan?"
Abbadon informed Gail that Damien was supposed to have come of age nearly two weeks ago, but that she had been dosing him to keep him from maturing. "Vincent started making noises about the kid's birthday this morning," Abbadon went on. "Luckily for us, he's such a bad father he didn't know his own son's actual birth date. But I thought I'd better come and get you, before he gets suspicious. The thing is, you'll have to act like you're on board with us, or he'll never let you near Damien. We'll have two or three days for the potion to wear off. After that, it's game over. Vincent is planning a big initiation ritual tomorrow night for the new arrivals. You'll have to take part, or he won't believe you're with us."
Oh, geez. Gail's heart sank. But that only made sense, she supposed. "What would I have to do?" she sighed.
"Nothing much. Just dance around the fire, have a drink or three, and pledge to do whatever Vincent wants," Abbadon said smoothly.
Gail rolled her eyes. Right. Like that was going to happen. Still, it didn't sound that bad to her. Other than that pledge thing, it kind of sounded like a beach party. The pledge didn't seem like a big deal to her, either. When it came to her father, Gail had absolutely no problem lying her face off.
Abbadon had expected to be questioned further about the ritual, but instead, the Angel asked her, "So what's in all of this for you?"
The Demon drained her glass, setting it down on the patio table. "Damien's death is what's in it for me," she replied.
"And?" Gail prompted.
"That's it," Abbadon assured her. Seeing the skeptical look on Gail's face, the Demon woman shrugged. "I know; you don't believe me. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't believe me, either. Look, you and I don't know each other very well. You've probably heard that I'm a duplicitous bitch who'll stab you in the back while I'm looking you in the eye. I can just imagine all the horrible things those delicious Winchesters have said about me. Not to mention your husband. Castiel is complicated, isn't he, Gail? But I'm sure you don't mind a little baggage every now and then if the trip leads to the bedroom, am I right?" She waved her hand, and two more drinks appeared on the table. "Come on, you can tell a sister. I promise to keep it to myself," Abbadon went on, smiling mischeviously.
Gail wasn't about to say anything in response to that, so she picked up her fresh glass of wine and took a couple of sips, staring pointedly at the Demon woman.
Abbadon knew they would have to get back soon, but she was enjoying herself too much at the moment. "Oh, come on, Gail. Don't play innocent with me. You're Vincent's daughter, aren't you? He may be a total bastard, but I'm guessing the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, when it comes to Earthly pleasures. I've been wanting to try your husband on for size for centuries, but he just wants to torture me, instead." Her grin widened. "So I say, can't we do both?"
"Look, I get it," Gail said irritably. "Cas is a good-looking, sexy man. Nobody knows that more than me. Ever since he and I met, I've had to watch while dozens of women ogle him. Not to mention more than a few men. So if you think what you're saying fazes me one little bit, you shouldn't have stopped for popcorn on your way into the theatre. Having said that, my sex life is none of your damn business. Just make sure you keep Dear Old Dad happy until party time, okay?"
Abbadon raised her glass. "It's too bad I'll have to kill you, the next time I see you. I think the two of us could have been good friends."
Gail took another drink. Yeah, sure. And then, Crowley would don a glitter-covered rainbow dress, and he and Cas would hug it out. Although, the part about killing Abbadon the next time she saw her sounded okie-dokie to Gail.
"Hey, as long as you don't kill me at Damien's party, you've got yourself a temporary ally," Gail agreed. The women clinked glasses, and drank once more.
It had started out as just another day in the Netherworld, indistinguishable from any of the others. Many of the individuals who had either gone to their reward or been banished there, depending on one's point of view, led very ordinary after-lives in the realm.
Luke had become one of those souls. After Linda had graced him with her company a number of times, she inexplicably no longer came. Nor did anyone else. The Gospel writer's days were interminable, but uneventful.
But on this particular day, as Gail arrived in New Babylon and Castiel was beginning to be tempted by the urge to go to her, Luke's gold-embossed Bible flew open to the Gospel according to Luke. A disembodied finger appeared out of thin air and touched the open book. A horrified Luke watched as a trail of fire rose from the page. Luke approached the Bible cautiously, but he backed away immediately, uttering a shocked squeak.
The rising flame shot up to the ceiling, then began to write a quote there, in the ancient language:
"You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm, you will gain life."
The flame extinguished itself, but the words remained, etched into the ceiling. Luke gaped up at the quote. The words were his, all right. Everyone had thought that the Gospel writer had been quoting God in that passage, but he'd actually been referring to Lucifer. Satan had made his most steadfast acolytes pledge their loyalty to him, and in return, he had made them this promise. But, Lucifer was dead. Wasn't he?
"Lucifer?" Luke whispered.
"Not exactly," Phanuel's Master replied. "However, you should kneel before me, anyway. I am your new Lord."
Luke knelt.
Castiel had been walking along the coastline, debating with himself. Should he go to her, or would his sudden appearance alter the events which were meant to occur?
The instant Luke sank to his knees in the Netherworld, Cas stumbled over a piece of driftwood. He fought to keep his balance as Mitchell rushed over to him. "Are you all right, Castiel?" the young man asked anxiously.
"I'm fine," Cas said, steadying himself. But then, he did a double-take. "What did you call me?"
"Castiel." Mitchell replied, looking puzzled. "You told us that was your name."
Now it was Cas's turn to be puzzled. He'd been trying for days to get his followers to call him by his name, rather than "my Lord", or "Saviour". He looked around and was surprised to see only a handful of True Believers, but no one else.
"Where is everyone?" Cas asked the men.
"They wandered off," Lew said, frowning. "We're sorry, Castiel. I guess most people aren't as devout as we are."
Cas's lips twitched. He might have chosen the word "fanatical", instead. Still, it seemed as though people were finally ready to accept the truth about him, and for that, he was grateful.
However, there was one True Believer who apparently hadn't gotten the memo. Cas could now hear hoofbeats a little further inland, and Jeremy shouted, "Halt, in the name of the Lord! Who are you, and where are you going?"
Luke closed his Bible calmly. His mind had been modified to the extent that he would be unable to reveal the identity of the man who had just appeared to him. However, if the Gospel writer was called upon to serve, he would do so, without any hesitation.
The entity who had come to visit had built a fire in the fireplace of Luke's dwelling before disappearing again. Luke picked up the Bible, running his hand over the engraving on the cover. His most prized possession.
He rose from the couch, tossed the Bible into the roaring fire, then left the room.
"So you're telling me that you've come over to the dark side, and I'm just supposed to take your word for it?" Vincent said to his daughter.
"No, of course not," Gail said with a smile, taking a sip of the drink he'd handed to her. "Why on earth would you? I sure wouldn't."
"Uhhh...then why did you say it?" Vincent inquired. He sat down in the big wicker chair, setting his own drink on the end table. It was just the two of them now. The ritual was about to start, but Papa Legba wanted to question Gail, first. He had his black outfit on, but no makeup.
"Because it's true," Gail replied. She shrugged. "But mainly, it's because I want my powers back."
"And what will you do, once you get them back?" he asked her.
"Whatever you tell me to do," Gail said, keeping her voice steady.
Vincent laughed. "Oh, come on," he retorted. "How stupid do you think I am?"
"I mean it," she insisted. "I know there's a price that has to be paid, and I'll pay it. I'm not here to use my powers against you. I just want my independence back."
Papa regarded her, saying nothing. Gail could tell that he didn't believe her, but also, that he was intrigued. Abbadon had ushered Gail into Vincent's suite earlier, and the Angel had told the Voodoo Priest that she had come there by herself. No husband, no Hunters, just little old her. She and Abbadon had had a chat, and Gail was willing to take part in the ritual for the newly initiated tonight, "just as long as you don't want me to eat any babies," as she had put it. Vincent had laughed. His first-born daughter was a pain in his ass most of the time, but she was also very entertaining.
Finally, Vincent took a healthy swig from his glass. "OK; I'll tell you what," he said. "Go find Abbadon. She'll give you an outfit to wear. See you on the beach."
It was another near miss, even closer than the previous one. The moment that the True Believer named Jeremy had accosted Sam and Dean, Cas received a loud and distinctive call on Angel Radio. Therefore, the Angel didn't hear Dean's sharp retort.
Neither did he see the Winchesters approach, because Castiel had transported himself to Heaven immediately, upon receiving Leah's summons.
"We've got a problem," Abbadon said, seizing Gail's arm. The Demon teleported the Angel out of earshot of the other white-robed inductees.
"What is it?" Gail said nervously.
"Damien," the woman replied. "The potion's worn off. He's growing taller, and getting whiskers on his chin. Vincent's inducting him tonight, instead of tomorrow!"
Oh, geez. Oh, crap. Gail was unprepared for that. She supposed she could get Abbadon to zap her back over to the changing area. Gail had hidden her blade there, because weapons were prohibited at the induction ceremony, and Abbadon had warned her that they would all be searched.
On second thought, would a regular Angel blade even suffice? Gail's blood ran cold as she realized that there was a pretty big detail that she had forgotten. When Joe had attempted to kill Damien, he had been armed with Gabriel's Archangel blade!
"How am I supposed to kill him without the right weapon?" Gail muttered.
"You'll have to get Vincent to return your Angelic powers to you before Damien becomes a man," Abbadon said insistently. "Then, you can smite the kid. If you're the Chosen One, that's the only weapon you'll need."
"What do you mean, IF I'm the Chosen One?!" the Angel exclaimed. "You told me I was!"
A loud gong echoed up and down the beach, signalling the start of the ritual. "Yes, I did say that, didn't I?" Abbadon remarked with a smile. She grabbed Gail by the hand. "Let's go. It's party time!"
Leah was seated in the corner chair in her room with a blanket on her lap when Cas tapped softly on the door.
"Come in, my Lord," Leah said. "I was just finishing my daily Bible reading." She picked up the book. "Actually, now that you're here, maybe you can read the last passage to me. My eyes aren't what they used to be."
Cas drew up a chair and took the Bible from her outstretched hand. He looked down at the passage she had marked. "'For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted'," Cas read aloud. He closed the Bible and laid it on the nightstand, looking at her curiously.
Suddenly, it dawned on Cas: "Where's your quilt, Leah? Did you finish it?"
"No," she answered him. "It was taken from me, and destroyed."
Cas was startled. "What? Who would do such a thing?"
"I cannot say," Leah replied vaguely. Whether she meant that she didn't know or that she was prohibited from telling him wasn't clear. But before Cas could ask, the elderly Angel was speaking again:
"I don't have much time, Cas," Leah continued, sending him off-balance once more. That was the first time Castiel could remember her having used his Earthly name. "Evil comes from light, as well as dark. You will find Sam and Dean Winchester along the coastline of Florida, near where you were when I requested you to come. You may take them to New Babylon, but none of you can intervene, until the Beast has fallen. Our Father has already given you His instructions. You and the Winchesters are His weapons. Vincent and the Demon woman will flee, but you must not follow them. Is that clear?"
Castiel had been listening intently to every word Leah uttered. She had helped him immensely in the past. The woman seemed to be a conduit of sorts, a source of information that no one else had access to. He thought about the quilt that she had worked so hard on for all of these years. Whenever he had visited before, Leah had always pointed to a square on it that depicted events that were to occur in the future. But now, that quilt had been taken from the elderly Angel and destroyed. What had been on it that Castiel was being prevented from seeing?
"Who caused The Event on Earth, Leah?" he said suddenly. "What was the purpose?"
The old woman reached out and put her hand on top of his, and Cas could see that she was trembling. "You may enlist Gabriel's help after New Babylon is no more, but watch him, my Lord. He has been modified, by a powerful hand. He knows not what he does."
Cas found himself nodding. That didn't particularly surprise him. Cas and Gail had known for quite some time that there was something strange going on with Gabriel. What Leah was saying did not bode well, but it did make sense.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Leah said, "Go now, my Lord, or it will be too late!"
Cas stood immediately, but he lingered for a moment. "It's been an honour to be in your presence," Leah said in a quiet tone.
Impulsively, Cas bent down to kiss her gently on her forehead. "May Father bless you, and keep you," he said to her.
Then, he was gone.
The ritual was in full swing, and so far, it hadn't been too bad. Abbadon had been right; there was a lot of drinking and dancing around, but that had been it, up until now.
Vincent had called each initiate to come to him, and receive a "blessing", as he'd called it. Then he and the inductee would exchange a few private words and then, assuming the newcomer was deemed acceptable, Vincent would tell them to take off their white robe, and burn it in the fire.
Gail stood in line, trying to make out the conversation between her father and the first one in line. Maybe it was the wind, or maybe it was due to a spell of some kind, but she couldn't make out a word.
Three individuals later, it was Gail's turn. She approached her father, who was grinning at her through that weird skull-and-crossbones makeup he wore as Papa Legba.
"So, here we are," Vincent said cheerfully. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Hold on a second," Gail said. She drained the glass of alcohol she'd been holding. "Yep. Ready."
She'd expected him to laugh, but somewhat surprisingly, he sighed instead. "I guess Abbadon told you that I'm going to order you to do something, right?" Gail's father asked her. She nodded. "And, no matter what it is, you'll be compelled to do it?" he went on. Again, she nodded her head.
Vincent was giving her a weird vibe. He was looking around, not saying anything. It was almost as if he was stalling for time. Finally, he let out a frustrated breath. "I thought Cas would be here by now," Gail's father said irritably. "I was going to tell you to kill him. Then, I would know if you were really mine, or not."
Gail's stomach churned, but she said nothing. Truthfully, she'd thought the same thing as Vincent. Although Cas's personality had been altered at the outset of The Event, she'd thought for certain he would have come here to help her. But the fact that he wasn't here was a good thing, at least for now. Gail was here to get her powers back, and kill Damien. After that, the entire God Squad could come running down the beach, for all she cared.
Vincent spoke again: "So, if I can't have that, I'm willing to settle for Plan B."
"Plan B? What's that?" Gail asked him, feeling a flutter in her stomach.
"I want you to open up the gateway to Hell and release the Demons, who will kill a third of mankind," Papa Legba responded in a loud, booming voice. The people who had been enjoying their revels by the fire all stopped what they'd been doing, and the white-robed initiates started to murmur amongst themselves.
OK, this was crazy, Gail thought, perplexed. What was he talking about? She couldn't do that! She couldn't do anything that even came close to that.
"All right, done!" she called out for everyone to hear. Then she lowered her voice. "But I'll need to get my powers back in order to do it."
Vincent grinned. "So, that's it? You'll do it? Great! Just a minute; I want your brother to see this. Damien, come forth."
Damien had definitely grown in height and bulk since Gail had last seen him. The boy who was on the verge of becoming a man came out from behind the crowd of cult members, to stand in front of his father. Gail's heart missed a beat. She'd better do something, and quick, before it was too late.
Cas appeared suddenly, and Sam's horse stopped in its tracks. Dean's horse reared up, but when Cas said, "Easy," it calmed instantly.
"What have you seen?" Cas asked the brothers tersely.
Before a puzzled Sam could ask the Angel what he meant by that, Dean frowned. "I'm gonna see my fist in your face in about ten seconds, that's what."
Castiel knew why Dean was so angry at him. Obviously, Paul had kept his confidence. Also, his visit with Leah had helped tremendously. Cas was no one's Messiah; he was a humble shepherd. It was up to him to bring his family back together.
"They were Demons, Dean," Cas said, including Sam in his gaze. "Carolyn and Mike were inhabited by Demons. That was why I had to smite them."
"What about Gail?" Sam asked, dismounting from his horse.
Dean approached Cas, and his Angel friend regarded him cautiously. But Dean didn't strike him, although the older Winchester still looked as if he wanted to.
"Gail is with Vincent," Castiel told them. "I'll take you there, but we can't intervene until the Beast is no more."
"The Beast?" Sam inquired. "You mean Damien?"
"Yes," Cas said. "Now, please tell me: what have you seen on your journey here? Have there been deaths? Mutilations?"
"People hanging from trees," Dean said bluntly. "Crucified."
Cas grimaced. "Then that means the sacrifices have begun." He waved his hand, and the Winchesters' horses vanished.
"What the hell, Cas?!" Sam exclaimed.
"I've sent the animals to Frank's, and let Paul know on Angel Radio that they should be fed and cared for," Castiel replied.
"If we're going in there to kick some ass, shouldn't you call Bobby?" Dean asked, but Cas shook his head. "There's no time for a debate," he told his human friends. It was going to be hard enough to keep Sam and Dean from intervening without having to deal with Bobby, too. As it was, it was going to take all the restraint that Cas could muster to keep from rushing to Gail's aid. But it was made very clear to him that the Beast had to die, first.
Without another word, Cas laid his hands on the brothers' shoulders, and the trio vanished.
"Go ahead, my child," Vincent said to Gail, in his best and deepest Papa Legba voice. "Open the gateway to Hell."
"Uhh, I told you that I'd be glad to, once you give me back my powers," she replied, more loudly, this time. This was ridiculous. They could keep on doing this all night. What was the point?
"She's not gonna do that," Damien scoffed.
"Yes, she is," Vincent contradicted his son. He put his hand on Damien's head, pushing the young man to his knees. "Once you drink from the sacrificial cup, you will be immortal. But, before you do that, there's something I want you to do for me."
"Yeah? What's that?" Damien said insolently.
"Check your atttitude, you little snotnosed brat!" Vincent thundered. He grabbed Damien's head by his long hair and pulled the youth's head back. The Voodoo Priest snapped his fingers with his free hand, looking at Gail. "Come here," he commanded her.
As Gail approached Vincent warily, Cas's mouth tightened.
"Cas..." Sam said in a stage whisper, but the Angel shook his head. "Not yet," he cautioned the brothers. "Not yet."
"Screw the gates of Hell!" Vincent shouted. "THIS is what I want! Kill him!"
Gail's hand reached automatically for her blade, but of course, she didn't have it. Dammit! What the hell was her father trying to pull? She looked at him, confused.
"I never took your powers," Vincent told her. "Crowley modified you to THINK I did. Go ahead, Chosen One. Do what you were meant to do."
The shock paralyzed her, at first. What?! What did he mean, he never-? Then Gail suddenly remembered having been alone in that dark forest, about to be torn apart by wild animals. She had been shaking from fear, wishing she could be somewhere else, anywhere... The next minute, she had found herself elsewhere in the forest. How had she gotten there, if she wasn't able to teleport?
Her temper rose, but if there was even a slight chance that she actually could kill Damien, Gail had to take it. She sprang forward.
"Cas, he's gonna kill her!" Dean exclaimed from their hiding place in the jungle at the edge of the beach.
"No, Dean, I don't think he is," Cas replied slowly. Vincent had called her the Chosen One. Now, everything that had happened up to this point made sense.
Gail slapped her hand on Damien's forehead. Nothing happened. Wasn't something supposed to happen?
Vincent turned his back on her, addressing the people on the beach. "I can't raise the dead en masse, any more than SHE can open the gates of Hell," he said loudly. "But, none of that matters. You know why? Because, like the Bible says, 'From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded'. For those of you in the cheap seats, that means that I'm willing to sacrifice my own son to become your new God."
Castiel was enraged. He gripped his blade and rushed out from the mens' hiding place. The Winchesters exchanged eye-rolls, then charged after him.
A bright, golden-white glow emerged from Gail's hand. It enveloped Damien's head, and then, his entire body. He started to scream: "No! This isn't what's supposed to happen!"
Vincent smirked. "You know what? You're absolutely right, kid. I expected a lot more from you than what I got. If you had shown me some balls instead of laying around here acting entitled all this time, I might have respected you a bit more. But, you didn't. Enjoy your smiting."
The Voodoo Priest strolled away as Damien fell to the sand, still screaming. Gail kept her hand on his head, though, remembering one of the most important lessons Castiel had taught her: when in battle, don't let up.
"See you guys on the flip side," Vincent said as he passed by Cas and the brothers, who were rushing to Gail. "It'll be fun to see how much of the game you can figure out, before the end of the game." He looked at Sam. "Better crack those books open. You'll need every brain cell you've got, Sammy."
He looked at Cas next. "I knew that line about being the new God would do it," Vincent said with a grin. "You know, it's really too bad my daughter won't join me for real. She's got more balls than any son I ever had."
Cas brandished his Angel blade, even though he knew that using it wouldn't do any good. Vincent laughed. "What a wonderful pair you and your wife make. I can't wait to see your face when you find out that I'm not even the worst bad guy in this story."
Then Vincent waved his arms dramatically, and everyone on the beach except for Abbadon fell to the ground, bleeding and moaning in pain. A minute later, they were all dead.
Startled by her father's action, Gail removed her hand from Damien's head and straightened up from her crouch. The boy's eyes were burned out of their sockets, and he was weakly gasping for air.
"Daddy?" the child croaked.
"Brian," Sam said in a strangled voice.
Damien's burned-out face had morphed into the face of the child they'd all thought was Sam's son, if he had been allowed to grow into his teens. He wasn't Damien any more; he was Brian, the child that Sam should have had, if life was in any way fair.
Sam came to where the boy lay in the sand, kneeling beside him.
"Daddy, are you there? I can't see you," Brian said weakly.
"I'm here, Brian." Sam took the child's small hand in his. "I'm here, son."
Gail felt a sharp stab of pain go right through her. She looked up to see Vincent's grinning face, and Abbadon was standing right by his side, looking smug. If ever there was a moment that Gail felt genuine hate, it was then.
"I'm sorry you weren't my father," Brian told Sam. "I'm sorry for a lot of things."
A couple of tears squeezed out from the corners of Sam's eyes. "I know, Brian," he said softly. "We forgive you. Your mom and I forgive you."
Brian took his last breath. Sam stayed by the child's side for a moment; then he let go of the boy's hand, and the corpse disintegrated into black ash.
Sam rose to his feet and Gail embraced him. She could feel his entire body shaking from emotion. She decided she would give him an extra minute to compose himself, and then see if her smiting hand was still working.
Dean's heart was breaking for his brother, but they could deal with that later on. Right now, there was a voodoo bastard who was going to pay. He fired on Vincent, hitting him in the head and chest half a dozen times. Then, the gun jammed. The damn gun jammed! Unbelieveable!
Meanwhile, Castiel was approaching Abbadon with his Angel blade in one hand, and the other hand was outstretched. If he could wound her, then take her feet out from under her, Cas could smite her. His extra level of power had been slowly ebbing away due to all the healings he had performed, but he felt certain he had enough juice left to dispatch her.
Abbadon was backing away from the Angel, but she was still smiling. She would have to pop out of here in a minute, though. As good as Abbadon was, and she was very, very good, she knew that it would be suicide to go up against Castiel in hand-to-hand combat. Not to mention the fact that he had Sam and Dean Winchester as backup. Even Castiel's wife had proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with. And there was no way Abbadon was going to look to Vincent for any help. The guy was a damn maniac, and not in a good way. Abbadon had enlisted Gail's cooperation, and Gail had succeeded in killing the little brat. So why did it feel like Vincent had been playing them this whole time, and not the other way around?
But Abbadon could puzzle that out later, when she was far away from here. Still, she had her reputation to maintain, so she said, "Sorry I can't stay, Cas, but we'll see each other again soon. And make sure to bring your wife, next time. I can't decide which one of you I like better."
Castiel rushed forward, but of course, Abbadon had vanished.
Dean threw his gun away in disgust when it jammed. He knew that bullets couldn't kill Vincent; he'd just been so damn mad.
But as he and Vincent stared each other down, Dean noticed that the Voodoo Priest's skin was moving. That was the only way Dean could express it to himself, and it was giving him the creeps. Vincent's eyes burned bright red, and his skin stretched so thin over his face that it was almost opaque. Dean could see a monster underneath the human skin it wore; an ancient creature that was older and uglier than Nosferatu, Krampus, and the Jersey Devil, combined.
"I see you, you son of a bitch," Dean said through gritted teeth. "You're just another monster. You're not immortal, and you're not the Devil. We killed the Devil, and we'll kill you, too."
"YOU SEE NOTHING!" the creature roared. It reached into Papa Legba's pocket and hurled a handful of grey powder into the fire. "AVEG!"
Two tendrils of orange smoke shot out from the bonfire and struck Dean in the face. He went down on his knees in the sand, clutching at his eyes.
"Cas!" Gail yelled over the noise of the roaring fire. "Smite It! Smite It, before It turns back into Vincent!"
Cas could have kicked himself. Of course! One of Vincent's most powerful offspring had just been killed, meaning that he was in a weakened state. He rushed forward, but the creature raised Its arms to the sky, and the flames rose to form a solid wall of fire between them.
Gail sank to her knees beside Sam. He looked down at her, curious. "Stand still!" she exclaimed. She grabbed the cuff of his jeans at the bottom of his right leg and yanked the pants over the top of his boot. There it was: the Angel blade he always kept hidden there. She withdrew it, and sprang to her feet. "Thanks for not wearing skinny jeans," she quipped.
Cas and Dean were on the wrong side of the wall of fire, but Cas didn't consider that to be much of an impediment. All he had to do was wink himself over to the other side. But Dean was still laying prone, and his hands were still clutching his face.
"Dean!" Cas shouted. "Are you okay?"
"I'm blind!" Dean replied. "I can't see a damn thing!" He took his hands away from his face, and Cas was shocked to see that his friend's eyes were a misty white colour.
"I've got him, Cas! Help Dean!" Gail exclaimed from the other side of the fire. She gripped Sam's Angel blade tightly in both hands and plunged it into the creature's back, twisting it with all her strength.
But it was already too late. Vincent turned to face her. The creature Dean had witnessed was gone.
"You little backstabbing bitch," the Voodoo Priest snarled.
"It takes one to know one," Gail retorted.
Vincent reached around behind him and pulled out the blade. He looked at Sam, who was approaching with his gun drawn. "When will you people ever learn?" Gail's father said, rolling his eyes. He waved his hand, and both the Angel blade and Sam's gun disappeared. "Sorry to be so...disarming," Vincent said sarcastically. "See, Gail? I don't hold a grudge. But you're going to have to do a lot better than that. A LOT better. You've got the proper aggression now, but you still think like an Angel. You said 'it takes one to know one', and you're right. When you let go of your last shred of decency, you might finally be able to do something about me."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam said angrily.
Vincent pointed at him. "Unless you want to end up like your brother, you should shut your mouth. This is a family discussion, Sammy."
"What DOES it mean?" Gail asked her father.
"Ask your husband," Vincent said with a ghoulish smile. "He already knows."
Then Vincent vanished, and so did the wall of flames. Sam made a beeline for Dean, with Gail right behind.
"Dean!" Sam exclaimed. He knelt beside his brother.
Cas had his hand on Dean's forehead. "Stay back and shield your eyes, Sam! I think I can heal him, but it's got to be done now!"
Sam turned his head away, shielding his eyes with the crook of his arm. He knew from experience how bright a burst of Angel power could be.
As an Angel herself, Gail knew she would not be harmed by the white light. Therefore, she watched nervously as the glow passed from Cas's hand to Dean's face, covering his eye sockets. After a nerve-wracking couple of minutes, the colour returned to Dean's eyes as the glow faded.
"Can you see?" Sam asked his brother eagerly.
"See what, Captain Hindgrinder?" Dean said in a falsetto voice. There was only silence. "Too soon?" the older Winchester added, smirking.
Sam realized that Dean was fine, so he cuffed his brother on the shoulder. "Jerk."
"Bitch," replied automatically.
Gail rolled her eyes. "And you call US weird," she remarked, touching Cas's cheek. Her husband smiled, taking her hand in his and kissing it gently.
"Awww, man. I didn't get my sight back just so I could watch you guys make out," Dean groaned as he and Sam stood up from the sandy beach.
"Oh, give me a break, Egbert," Gail shot back. "Do you know how long it's been since-?" She looked up at Cas, and her voice caught.
"Too long," Cas said quietly. "Too damn long."
As the Angels kissed, the Winchesters exchanged glances. "Take your time," Sam said loudly. "Dean has to shake the sand out of his butt-crack."
"Are you kidding?" Dean responded, playing along. "I've got sand in places I won't even let Nicole see."
All four of them laughed. Then Cas and Gail extended their hands to the brothers.
"Let's go home," Cas said. The quartet formed a circle.
"Wait!" Gail exclaimed. "I forgot! My Angel blade is-"
"Right here." Cas patted his chest, indicating the inside pocket of his jacket. "I went to get it as soon as we arrived. I could sense its location."
"Oh." Gail didn't know what else to say. He didn't miss a thing, did he? But at least Cas seemed to be acting more like himself, now. She hoped so, because she didn't want to be apart from him any more. Whatever it was that had gone wrong between them, she was determined to iron it out.
The Angels and the humans joined hands and disappeared.
Sam tapped on the front door of Frank and Jody's house, even though he knew they didn't keep it locked. Frank had said that if this was the way the new world was going to be, he didn't want to live in a society where friends and neighbours had to lock their doors against each other. Besides, he'd said under his breath, only an idiot would walk into a house full of Hunters, with bad things in mind. Frank might be advocating for a kinder, gentler world, but he also wouldn't hesitate to shift into Hunter mode if anyone were to threaten his family.
"You guys decent?" Sam joked, opening the door. "We brought company."
He and Dean entered the house, with Gail and Cas right behind them. Frank, Jody, Rob, Suzanne, Bobby and Gabriel were gathered in the living room.
As soon as Frank saw his sister, he rushed past the Winchesters and enveloped Gail in a big hug. Then he clapped Cas on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're OK. Thanks for keeping her safe," Frank said to his brother-in-law.
"Uhhh...we're OK, too," Dean said dryly, and Jody laughed.
"Have a seat," Frank's wife said. She grabbed Gail's hand and gestured for her sister-in-law and Cas to sit on the loveseat. "Rob, get some more chairs," Jody instructed, and the young man hopped up immediately.
Cas was astounded. He had expected quite a bit of hostility to come his way, but they were treating him as though-
"Relax, Cas," Bobby said gruffly. "Frank told us what really happened with Carolyn and Mike. It stinks, but for what it's worth, we all back you. We've all had enough experience with those kinds of things to know that Demons don't care who they kill. There's no way we could have let that happen."
Cas was glad to receive the support, but he looked at Frank, bewildered. How had Frank known? The only one Cas had told was Paul, and Paul had said that he wouldn't tell anyone else.
"So, I guess I'm a blabbermouth," Frank said good-naturedly. "Paul told me why you did it, Cas. You should have said something. I knew there had to be a reason. You're family, Cas. Don't feel like you have to keep stuff like that to yourself."
"Before you ask, Barry knows, too," Jody added. "He told Peter and Ilene, and they've accepted it. Peter has been more withdrawn than he used to be, but that's not your fault, Cas. Losing your parents is hard, especially when you're a young kid. Nearly everybody in this room can tell you that."
Gail took Cas's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She knew how bad he felt about the whole incident, even though he hadn't acted like it at the time. The spells that had been cast on the Angels in that barn had changed them, but luckily, those effects seemed to be gone now. She had full use of her Angelic powers, and Cas wasn't being a sanctimonious ass any more. He had explained about Mike and Carolyn, and she now understood why he had felt compelled to do what he'd done. It was tragic, but it had been necessary.
"Where is Barry?" Cas asked the assembled group. "I'd like to speak to him privately."
"He's sleeping in the 'back fourty'," Rob replied. He grinned at the Angels' puzzled expressions. "Oh, right. I forgot. You guys have been away for a while. That's what Dad calls the big extension at the back of the house. Gramps and Uncle Gabe built a bunch of rooms past where mine used to be. Me and Suzanne have our own apartment suite back there."
Suzanne smiled. "We were upstairs for a while, but I don't really do stairs, any more." She rubbed her expanding abdomen.
"How are you?" Gail asked the girl.
"Oh, I'm fine," Rob's wife assured her. "It just feels like I'm carrying a litter, sometimes."
"Well, that's because you are," Gabriel remarked with a smirk. He looked at Cas. "How's it going, Bro? Finish saving the world?" Before Cas had the chance to form a suitable answer, the Archangel looked at Gail. "How about you, Kitten? It looks like the two of you made up. Everything hunky-dory again?"
"Where have you been, Gabriel?" Cas inquired, remembering what Leah had said. "What have you been doing?"
Gabe shrugged. "A little of this, and a little of that. You heard the kid: Bobby and I have been building bars and house extensions all over the community."
Bobby rolled his eyes. "Let's not get too carried away, here. It's not like we put on coveralls and hammered nails. He snaps his fingers, I wave my hands, and: voila. That's about the extent of our labour. Plus, we've been visiting other countries, helping out. I deployed a few thousand troops of Angels to different places, and Gabe and I were sorta overseeing them."
"A few thousand troops?!" Castiel exclaimed, shocked.
"The cat's pretty much been let loose from the bag, Cas," Gabriel said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah. The old way of doing things ain't gonna cut it any more," Bobby stated. "From now on, no more hiding who we are. Humanity has gotten a huge ass-kicking. We don't know who was behind it, and we don't know why. I don't, and Gabriel doesn't, either. Cas? Any ideas?"
"It wasn't God; I know that for certain," Cas replied earnestly. Gail elbowed her husband, gesturing to Bobby. Cas looked at her blankly for a moment, and then he realized his faux pas. "I'm sorry, Bobby, I meant-"
But Bobby waved him off. "I know, Cas. You meant the Original. The one-and-only. I don't get too hung up on having the title. It's more important just to do the job." His beard twitched. "But thanks, dear," he said to Gail.
"OK, so if it wasn't God who pulled the plug, who else could it be?" Dean mused aloud. "Who else has got that kind of mojo?"
"Johnny, from that Airplane movie," Suzanne piped up.
Everyone turned to look at her, and then Gail and Frank burst out laughing. "We've taught you well, Young Grasshopper," Frank said to his daughter-in-law, as Suzanne smiled proudly.
Cas was confused again, but he'd become used to this sort of thing around his human family. What interested him far more was the question at hand: Who DID have the kind of power it would take to precipitate such an event? He could think of no one, single individual. It had to have involved several otherworldly beings, banding together. The problem was, he couldn't think of any group who would have such ill intent. Yes, the Angels had some formidable enemies: Vincent, Abbadon, and most notably, Crowley. However, even the King of Hell didn't have enough power at his disposal to have caused such a cataclysmic occurrence. Although, now that Cas was thinking of Crowley, he realized that they would have to have a very serious discussion sometime soon about how those Demons had come to possess Mike and Carolyn in the first place.
They visited for a little while longer, catching up with each other. Suzanne had excused herself and headed for bed, explaining that she tired easily these days. Rob followed soon after, and the other humans were looking tired, as well.
"I know you guys don't sleep, but do you want us to fix up a room for you, anyway?" Frank asked his sister and Cas.
The Angels exchanged glances. The couple hadn't really discussed any future plans.
"No, it's OK," Gail answered for the both of them. "I'd like to go to our house and make sure everything's still there." She was only half-joking. There had been a fair amount of vandalism done to buildings she'd seen on her journey south. Their house had otherworldly protections, but since it was their home, she just wanted to make sure.
"That's an excellent idea," Cas agreed, taking her hand. "Thank you for the offer, though. We'll see all of you in the morning."
As Gail was hugging everyone goodbye, Cas gestured to Gabriel. "A word, please?"
They moved into the front corridor of the house.
"What else has been keeping you busy, aside from your architectural duties here on Earth?" Castiel asked Gabriel, watching his face closely.
Gabe's eyes narrowed. "Sarcasm much? What's the matter, Cas? Did I piss you off?"
"No," Cas replied. He could see nothing alarming in Gabriel's appearance or demeanour, but Leah had warned him that the modification had been performed by someone with considerable power and expertise.
Gabriel was still looking at him expectantly, so Cas added, "I'm sorry. It's been a stressful time for all of us. But at least the Beast is dead, now."
Gabe's expression relaxed. "Yeah, at least there's that."
Gail wandered out to the hall. "What are you two talking about that we're not supposed to hear?"
"Nothing. Just catching up," Cas told her.
Gabriel put his arm around Gail. "So, my little Kitten is the Chosen One, eh?"
"Yes. She was chosen by me, to be my wife,"Cas quipped.
"You heard the man. Hands off the merchandise," Gail said, nudging Gabriel playfully. But then, her smile faded. "I'm sorry, Gabriel. I'm sorry for everything I said. I didn't mean a word of it. I don't know what we'd do if you weren't around." She kissed him on the cheek.
Gabe smiled crookedly. "Hey, ain't no big thing." He gave Gail a brief squeeze to let her know that he had forgiven her. Then he let go, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Sorry, Cas, but I can't help it if all the women find me irresistible."
Cas gave him a quick nod. "We'll talk soon, Brother." He took Gail's hand, and the Angel couple winked out of Frank's house.
"'Brother'?" Gabe said aloud, making a face.
He tried to remember the last time Cas had called him that, and found that he couldn't. What the hell was going on with Castiel, anyway? The instant he and Gail had come into Frank's place hand in hand, Gabe had known that Cas was pretty much back to normal. So, what was with that parting shot?
No. No way. Gabriel's blood ran cold. There was no way that Castiel could know. He couldn't possibly know...
"Gabe! Let's go! These people want to get some sleep!" Bobby called out from the living room.
Oh. Right. Humans and their sleep, Gabriel thought, rolling his eyes. By the time he and Bobby teleported out of there, Gabriel had forgotten all about Castiel, and what he had been afraid the Angel might have discovered.
Stacie had been bustling around Heaven's seniors' centre for a couple of hours now, making sure that everyone's morale had been lifted. Word had reached the general population there that a major occurrence had befallen Earth, an apocalyptic event that had caused the deaths of many, many humans.
Most of the long-serving Angels knew very well what that sort of event was like. They had all been around way back in Biblical times, when God the Father had been much more wrathful toward His human creations. Fires, floods, pillars of salt, entire cities levelled to the ground.
The elderly Angels in Stacie's charge had been agitated during the past couple of months, wondering what the Almighty had done to the human race, and why He had chosen to do it now. What did it all mean?
Stacie had volunteered to spend time with the Angels in the seniors' centre, much as Liz had some time ago. The two Angel women resembled each other in appearance and personality, and the elderly folks had come to love and rely on Stacie now, just as they once had with Liz.
Regular Bingo games were still being held, and Stacie had also introduced an Arts and Crafts hour that had proved to be very popular. It was the latter that she had been cleaning up from when the young blonde Angel felt the tug on her sleeve.
"Come with me," Ruth said sharply.
Stacie was used to this manner of speech from Ruth by now. Ruth was blunt and cranky most of the time, but Stacie knew that the senior was the first female to have a chapter in the Bible named after her. Ruth had been a pioneer in that she had had a mind of her own way back in an era when women had been treated as little more than babymakers, or concubines. Ruth had some interesting and inspirational stories to share, and Stacie had been fortunate enough to have heard some of them. It just seemed as though no one had the patience or the inclination to draw them out of her. Stacie had always thought that was a shame. They were all eternal beings, weren't they? She had nothing but time to show these people some kindness, and pay attention to them.
But as Stacie accompanied Ruth down the corridor to the residents' quarters, the young Angel realized with alarm that the elderly Angel was trembling. "What's wrong, Ruth?" she asked the woman.
They had arrives at Leah's room. "I wanted to check in on Leah, so I knocked on her door before Arts and Crafts hour to see if she felt up to joining us. You know how down she's been ever since her quilt went missing."
Stacie nodded. Yes, she certainly did. Leah had worked very hard on that quilt, and she had enjoyed showing some of the more intriguing squares on it to the young Angel, once Stacie had made her acquaintance.
Ruth went on, "She didn't answer, so I just let her be. But she still wasn't answering after the hour was over, so I opened the door to see if she wanted company, and...well, take a look."
Stacie was perplexed, but she did as Ruth requested. The young Angel swung open the door to Leah's room, preparing to apologize for the intrusion.
But the words died on Stacie's lips as she saw Leah sitting up in the chair in the corner of her room. Her lap blanket was blood-soaked, and two silver knitting needles protruded from the elderly woman's chest.
"Bobby!" Stacie screamed over Angel Radio. "Bobby! Come quick! Leah's been murdered!"
END OF BOOK 48.