Chapter 16: El Diablo
June's Mansion. Saturday, October 28, 2006.
Peter refreshed El's wine glass but didn't linger. She was sitting in a group with June, Tricia, Diana, and Angela. No doubt they were discussing baby clothes. He'd initially intended to visit the Labyrinth of Horror with El but who knows when she'd break free.
Peter heaved a slow sigh. Sure, he was delighted for Angela and Michael, but how he wished it was El who was getting the congratulations. Not that she'd shown any disappointment. She'd simply whispered, "Next time, it will be us." She added with a sly smile, "How can I resist Eliot Ness? You may make an honest woman out of me."
He'd joked along with her, hiding the unease that it was his fault she wasn't pregnant. The disappointment she felt he did as well. El had insisted they wait till the new year before discussing alternative solutions. She argued he had enough on his plate with the new job. But hadn't they decided to stop letting their careers dominate their decisions?
He wandered into the music room. Mozzie, Janet, Henry, and Eric were standing with some guy wearing a devil's disguise. At first glance, you might not even realize who he was meant to be. But those red eyes and nubs of horns sticking out from his hair were telling. Peter shuddered at how uncomfortable the horns must be. He was quite pleased with the look El and Janet had designed for him. El knew Kevin Costner, who'd played Eliot Ness, was one of his favorite actors. The 3-piece suit with fedora was something he wouldn't mind keeping.
Peter took another look at the handsome devil. The suit looked very familiar. And that voice . . . Peter took a second look. Confirmation came when he saw the guy was drinking Scotch neat.
Peter scanned the crowd for Neal and saw him heading toward the dining room. Darting forward, he grabbed Neal's arm. "Do you know Crowley is here?" he demanded in an urgent whisper.
"Are you sure?" Neal asked, his eyes dancing with merriment.
"Yes, I'm sure! What's he doing here?"
"Calm down. No need to alarm the guests. Jones and Diana don't suspect anything, and that's for the best."
"Hagen's a wanted fugitive."
Neal had the temerity to glare at him. "You think I don't know that? As for Crowley, I don't believe there's a warrant out for him. He's my guest, and he's promised to behave."
"You believe him?"
Neal shrugged as he smiled. "I gave him an offer he couldn't refuse."
"I want details," Peter insisted.
Neal took a breath. "Can't you just trust me? I don't think you want to know."
"Let me be the judge of that. C'mon, I sense a story and I want in on it."
"Even if it involves Bigfoot?"
"Especially if it involves Bigfoot."
Neal grinned. "Okay, grab a beer because this will take a while. I'll get more wine. We need privacy. Let's go to the loft. We can take the service elevator and avoid the crowd in the labyrinth."
The loft was the last space slated for renovation. Neal and Sara were living there while the rest of the floor was being remodeled. To sneak into the loft, Neal led him down a passage blocked off from the party labyrinth.
"Please excuse the clutter," Neal said. "Some of the construction equipment is being stored here." Half of the living area was filled with boxes and electric tools, but he still had his easel erected in one corner. The kitchenette, the section of the living room around the couch, and the sleeping alcove appeared untouched.
Peter had sat with Neal many times at his small dinette table, but this was special. "Thanks for bringing me up. This place holds a lot of memories."
"For me as well," Neal agreed. "And you'll be happy to hear those memories will continue to accumulate. We're not making many changes to the loft. The sleep alcove will become my studio. The kitchenette will hold paint and office supplies. This will also be Sara's study." His expression turned serious. "You're sure you want to know about Bigfoot?"
"For the last time, yes."
As Neal told him about the Bewitched con, Meskagkwa, and Sasquatch, Peter didn't know which aspect to focus on. The thought that Neal had once more been in touch with Astrena was worrisome, but he understood why it was necessary. Crowley's behavior was especially puzzling.
Then there was Bigfoot. Was it really the legendary creature? And where was it fair that Peter hadn't gotten to see the creature too? He tried to dismiss the thought as childish, but there was a little part of him who felt cheated. Okay, a big part.
"Meskagkwa accepts me now," Neal said casually. "If you ever want to take a road trip with me to Hockomock Swamp, we may run into them."
Peter groaned. "You read me too well." He took a swig of beer. "It's bad enough I missed out on an enchanted netsuke. Now Bigfoot."
Neal gave him an amused look. "I tried to tell you on the phone. Maybe next time you'll believe me."
"I guess it's for the best. How could I have explained to El that I needed to take off to chase down Bigfoot?"
Neal eyed him thoughtfully. "You're not upset, are you?"
"Of course not," Peter said hurriedly. "Besides, if I'd been there, all we would have run into would have been vampires out to drink our blood." A quick change in topic was in order before Neal realized the truth. "Out of all the wild events of your weekend, the swamp woman's ability to sense the women's connection to Airmid may be the strangest."
Neal nodded. "I discussed the druid with Chloe and Maia on the drive up to the swamp. They've known for a while that they're distant kin to her, but for Maia, it runs deeper. She's also convinced that Sara and I are members of her clan. In addition to the Winchesters and Bobby, she also includes Mozzie and Janet, Henry, Eric, and his grandparents—even Crowley. You and El are also members."
"There's no Irish blood in my family tree," Peter protested.
"I wouldn't be so sure. Didn't Vikings invade Ireland and Scotland? One of them might have carried off a Gaelic woman." Neal shrugged. "I'm not going to try to make sense of it. I'm content to attribute it to Maia's longing to have a family. As for Crowley, who knows what his ancestry is."
"Why are you so sure he'll behave?"
"It's called the Hoodwinked con. I'm quite fond of it. Crowley's aware of Chloe and Maia's banishment potion but he doesn't know how it's administered." The corners of Neal's mouth twitched. "It could be an additive in his favorite Scotch or even in a slice of raisin pie."
"A neat threat to hold over his head," Peter said, chuckling. "This is one con I wholeheartedly endorse."
"Dean thinks that if the potion was used on Crowley, he'd most likely be banished back to Hell where he'd have to endure Abaddon's tortures." Neal shrugged. "I'm confident he'll keep his word."
Peter took another look at the drawings. "Are you going to send these to the Winchesters?"
"I already sent them digital copies. I'm keeping these. I should draw Astrena and Dolos too." He eyed the wall of his sleep alcove. "Perhaps I should create a private gallery of supernatural entities."
"Henry may claim it. The way he keeps expanding Win-Win's cases, will it be long before he'll have a supernatural branch?"
"And hire Dean and Sam? Reinstate the Men of Letters? I wouldn't bet money against it."
Peter could have continued chatting with him for hours, but he knew Neal needed to get back to his guests. He missed their conversations. Both of their schedules had been so packed, they rarely had the time to meet for lunch like they'd hoped to.
He'd only been in his new position for a month. As he settled in, he'd be more comfortable with the role. Missing the wild escapades he'd gotten into with Neal was a temporary aberration. Still, he would have loved to be present when Neal hoodwinked Crowley. He took a breath. He could still enjoy hearing the tales, but that part of his life was over. He had a future to build for El and their baby.
El would be the first one to say, though, that he shouldn't abandon his commitments. Dean and Sam, for instance. It couldn't have been easy for them to learn that their girlfriends had been in touch with Astrena. Hell, it bothered him that Astrena might be able to sink her hooks into Neal once more. Calling it the Bewitched con made it sound like a lighthearted sitcom, but Astrena was seriously bad news with a trail of murder victims. She didn't shoot her victims, but sucking their vital spirits till they withered and died was just as bad if not worse.
Was Neal's relaxed attitude a con to keep Peter from stressing? Neal had been known to shield the women he cared about. Peter was dismayed to think he could be getting similar treatment.
#
When Sam returned to the motel room from a foraging mission for burgers and brew, he took one look at Dean's bag and his brow dissolved into worry lines. "What are you doing?"
"It's called packing," Dean said. "We can take off right after lunch. We'll be back in New Haven by nightfall." They'd spent the past few days in a small town in upstate New York. Thanks to them, the town no longer had to worry about a nest of fangs in their midst. Bobby had been tracking vampires since the apparent disappearance of the pure-blood vampire Lutar. Astrena had created several pure-bloods, but so far he was the only one they'd identified. The best they could tell, fangs were now scattered in small units throughout the country. They couldn't track everyone down, but that was okay. It was only when a nest went on a killing spree that they had to be taken out.
Sam had been unusually enthusiastic about the job. He was the one who linked the murders to vampires. Dean hadn't paid much attention to what the geek in the household was researching. When you have an awesome mystery machine to play with, chasing after a few vampires running amok can't compete.
But the trip had gone well. The nest only consisted of two fangs. The woman was meaner than the man. The greatest challenge had been finding them. Dispatching them to Oblivion was simple.
"Don't we need to make sure we got them all?" Sam asked. "Spending a couple of extra days is only prudent."
Dean scowled at him. "And miss Halloween? After all the work we put into the train, no way am I going to miss out on the party." Chloe had clued him in on the costumes they'd prepared. This was one Halloween Dean was honestly excited about.
"You should go on," Sam declared. "I'll rent a car and come back after I'm sure the town's safe."
Dean might not be the most empathetic guy on the block, but even for him, the alarm bell was ringing. "You're doing this deliberately, aren't you?" The size of Sam's grimace meant Dean had struck pay dirt. "I don't get it. You put almost as much effort into the Halloween Express as I did. Chloe and Maia are going to be thrilled. Don't you want to be there to witness it?"
"It's better for everyone if I'm not," he muttered.
Dean knew what would happen next. Sam would make some half-ass comment, shutting him out. Well, this time, it wasn't going to happen. "If you explained, I might understand. Who knows? I might even go along. Why don't you give it a shot?" He nodded toward the bag of burgers and beer. "You've got through lunch to start talking."
Sam clamped his mouth into a frown, but Dean didn't care. He ignored his brother, popped open a frosty one, and sprawled on the bed with his burger. Dean had once held an enlightening conversation with Peter about being shut out. Peter told him the silent treatment often worked with Neal. Peter would ask a question then clam up, waiting patiently till Neal couldn't stand the silence anymore.
"The thing is," Sam said after a few minutes of quiet munching. "You'll never let me live it down."
"Yes, I will . . . maybe . . . okay, I promise. No matter how embarrassing or goofy it is. It can't be as bad as clowns." Dean made a mental note to tell Peter the trick worked.
Sam shuddered. "Nothing could be that bad." He exhaled. "I didn't use to mind Halloween." His face darkened. "Till sixth grade. I can see it now. You remember Andrea Howell?"
"The girl you were crushing on? How could I forget? You were goopy-eyed over her for months."
Sam could roll his eyes as much as he wanted to. It was the truth. Dean crossed his arms and waited to hear the sordid details. Finally, Sam's dislike of Halloween made sense. Nothing like a disaster with a girl to twist an adolescent boy into a pretzel.
"Andrea invited me to a Halloween party. I didn't feel all that great, but I didn't want to miss out. When we bobbed for apples, I lost it." He looked at Dean with a woeful expression. "I hurled all over her. Luckily we moved away a few weeks later. Usually, I hate to drop out of school, but not this time." He gave a rueful chuckle, but he was plainly still embarrassed about it.
Dean ventured a smile too, forcing himself to avoid teasing him. Mr. Empathetic, he could do this. "Understandably not one of your fondest memories. But you and Andrea wouldn't have been an item for much longer anyway. You could rationalize it that this was your subconscious saving you for Maia." Psychological mumbo-jumbo wasn't usually his gig, but Neal said Henry excelled at it. Might as well give it a try. So far, Sam wasn't throwing anything at him.
Sam nodded, but damn if he didn't look more stressed than ever.
"What's going on with you?" Dean blurted in exasperation. "You can't tell me this is only because of a dumb apple-bobbing disaster. Did something happen during your abduction? Did Swamp Man hurt you? 'Cause if he did—"
"Stop. It wasn't anything that happened in the swamp." Sam scratched the side of his neck. "At least, I don't think so." He took a slow breath. "I've been having nightmares of Mom and Jessica again. You could be right about my subconscious, but what it's telling me is that Maia's next. I love our new life, but it scares the hell outta me. What if the Yellow-Eyed Demon comes after Maia and Chloe?"
All jokes got tossed out the window. The Yellow-Eyed Demon had killed Mom then Jessica. After he took their dad's life, he'd disappeared. "Are you having visions again?" Dean asked.
"Yes and no. Sometimes they're just weird. But the last couple of nights, I saw Maia . . ." Sam swallowed hard. "Like Jessica."
"Hunters are monitoring for any sign of the demon and nothing's been found. I bet I know what this is."
"What?"
"Deep down, you're trying to distance yourself from Maia. Maybe you think you're not good enough for her. So, without realizing it, you're throwing up roadblocks. I get it." Dean shrugged. "I've felt that way about Chloe."
Sam's eyes widened. "You have?"
"Yeah." Dean felt better for having admitted it. "But you're taking it a step further. You're trying to ruin something good before anything bad happens. Man, that's twisted on so many levels."
"Maybe for me, but not for her," Sam argued. "What kind of future could Maia have with me? Seeing how happy she and Chloe are in preparing for Halloween made it real. We're hunters. Hunters don't settle down, fall in love . . ."
"Sure they do." Dean thought for a moment. He'd heard those words before but not coming from Sam. "You should have been in Nebraska. Neal and I talked about this very thing. I took your same attitude, but Neal jolted me out of the rut I'd fallen into. He challenged me to create a new future, a life with Chloe. He's done it with Sara. And although he hasn't come out and admitted it, it's pretty clear from his experience and things Peter has said, that Neal used to be on the run. If he can do it, why can't we?"
Sam shook his head. "Our lives now are so great . . . they're too perfect, you know? I have the feeling that something's gonna snatch what we got away."
"Not this time," Dean asserted. "We won't let it. Hell, someday we might even have mini-hunters and witches playing in the Mystery Mansion. Don't you want to give that future a chance?"
Sam hesitated for only a moment. "More than I can put into words."
"All right. We'll head back to New Haven. This conversation stays strictly between us. But you have any more nightmares, you'll tell me, right?"
Sam nodded, but Dean didn't hold out much hope. Still, Peter's technique had worked surprisingly well. He should call him. Maybe Peter had some extra tips to share. And while he was at it, he should also contact Ash. The ex-MIT geek who hung out in a Nebraska roadhouse had all of their dad's research on the Yellow-Eyed Demon. Ash had developed a demon alert system by monitoring for signs of its appearance. Were Sam's nightmares simply that or was he starting to have premonitions again? The first year he had them, he didn't tell Dean till events gave him no choice. Dean hoped the experience had taught him a lesson but that was probably wishful thinking.
For now, Dean was hitting the pause button. He'd gotten Sam to agree to return home. They'd celebrate Halloween like regular folks, and he was sure that would include pie.
#
When they returned to New Haven, Dean paused at the curb to admire the decorations. Chloe and Maia had lit jack-o'-lanterns on the front porch and in the windows to greet them. Dean laughed aloud at the ones resembling Scooby-Doo characters, and even Sam snickered. The women would be working away from the house the next day. That would give them plenty of time to set up the haunted train. Bobby swore he hadn't finagled for the women to be gone, but Dean thanked him anyway.
This was the first Halloween party Dean had ever attended, and he could already predict it wouldn't be his last. They placed the train on a table in the living room. A skeleton was perched on the locomotive. Ghosts, witches, and vampires rode the train and made mayhem along the tracks. Dean was particularly proud of a cauldron he made that emitted steam. The two figures beside it represented Chloe and Maia, and thanks to Crowley, they looked like them.
He wished he'd recorded Chloe and Maia's squeals of delight when he and Sam led them into the room. It was like they were kids looking at a Christmas tree for the first time. He was already writing down ideas about how to make next year's Halloween train even better. There'd be more haunted houses along the route, maybe even the Mystery Mansion. Sam's whittling skill was improving by leaps and bounds. Dean overheard him telling Maia that he hoped to make the houses then turn them over to Dean for the special effects. Sam making plans to be around next year was reason enough to celebrate the holiday.
The trick-or-treaters would be able to see the train as they came up the front steps. He already knew he'd be inviting them inside to view it.
Chloe and Maia had gotten everyone Scooby-Doo costumes. How awesome was that! Of course, he was Fred, and only Sam could be Shaggy, Chloe was Daphne, Maia was Velma. Convincing Bobby to wear the Scooby-Doo outfit wasn't as challenging as Dean had expected. For one evening, they put hunter concerns on hold. Chloe had baked Halloween cookies for the kids. For the Scoobies, she made raspberry ghost pies and mini cherry vampire bites.
Shortly before the onslaught of trick-or-treaters, he, Sam, and Bobby were making final touches to the train display when the women stepped into the room.
"We have a special guest this evening," Chloe said, "and we want you to be nice to him."
Bobby groaned. "You didn't."
"Well, he is a crossroads demon," Maia said, crossing her arms. "And we needed his help for the Bewitched con. Inviting him to the party was an easy exchange to make."
"This is priceless," Crowley said, sauntering into the room before Dean could object. "Halloween with the Mouseketeers."
Dean sighed. "Please. We're the Scoobies."
"Even better."
"And if you stay, you have to be in costume too," Bobby added.
"Not a problem, kids." Crowley snapped his fingers and turned into a debonair devil. "Just call me El Diablo."
"Actually we'd already planned on something else," Maia said. "Since we're all Scooby-Doo characters, we knew you'd want to be one too."
Crowley glanced around. "You've already covered all of them."
Crowley knew who the characters were? Was there a hidden side to the demon Dean didn't know about it? He'd used nicknames from The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle for him and Sam. Dean kept his grin to himself. If Crowley intended to make himself a regular fixture at the Mystery Mansion, cartoons would be in his future.
Bobby shook his head complacently. "I figured you might show up. Your Scrappy-Doo costume awaits you."
Crowley's eyes flashed red. "You wouldn't!"
"If I have to be Scooby, you can be Scrappy," Bobby retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. And he did make an intimidating Scooby.
"How about a compromise?" Crowley pleaded. "I could be Vincent Van Ghoul instead. Expert warlock with a biting sense of humor. He sounds perfect." He turned to the women. "Did the boys mention I was the one who painted Sam's figures? Surely you'll agree."
Sam made a show of rubbing his chin. "I don't know . . . Should we give him a break?"
Dean shrugged. "It will cost you a future favor down the road."
Crowley was already eyeing the bottle of Scotch in the wet bar. "Deal." With a snap of his fingers, he transformed himself into Vincent Van Ghoul.
Only at the Mystery Mansion would neighborhood kids be treated to hunters, witches, and a demon passing out cookies. But hell, they all needed to have an evening off. And if the Yellow-Eyed Demon was resurfacing, they could need Crowley's help.
Dean conceded he might have been looking at it the wrong way. Instead of groaning at Maia's weird clan, he should embrace it. Bobby and Mozzie had been quoting Sun Tzu at him. Keeping enemies close seemed like a good strategy, and if he could convince a demon they needed each other, all the better.
Notes: Dean's concern about the Yellow-Eyed Demon is well-founded. He'll make an appearance in my next Crossed Lines story, The Family Business. I'll post it beginning in August.
But, first, there's the small matter of an upcoming wedding. Neal and Sara have set November 17 as their wedding date. That's less than three weeks away in their timeline. The story is called Set in Amber and features a certain amber music box you may remember from canon. I'll begin posting the story in late June.
For the next few months, I'm taking a break from Caffrey Conversation to post Shadows of Crellos, the second story in Sedlow Chronicles. This sci-fi fantasy series is available on Fiction Press and Wattpad. Background information is on our blog. If a tale of extraterrestrials, parallel worlds, and romance appeals to you, I hope you'll take a look. I'll post the first 2 chapters on April 6.
Thanks for including my stories in your reading!
