Yippie! Check out all my shiny reviews… (Pets the reviews like Golem from LoTR.) Precious, my precious…. Ahem.. anyway. I'm glad you all liked the first chapter. I was worried that someone might be upset about me killing the boys, but no one seemed upset. (And to anyone who might be sad; don't worry; being dead is not so bad… you'll see.) And this is one of the chapters where I warp theology/meanings.
I am so glad that you all helped me out with Jessica's name too. I get distracted when I watch the show sometimes. Those boys are too hot for their own good.
Keep up the reviews, because they make me feel all warm a fuzzy inside… Plus they encourage me to get chapters out faster. Thanks to: Faye, SapphireRavven8, Adara-chan15, LOSTSugarPoof, and Renni. (PS I may not thank all the reviewers in each chapter but I have read them… I just forget to add the names sometimes.)
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Dean sighed as he watched the wound on his arm heal. Looking around the dark tunnel, he found Sam, who was also healing, and sat down next to him. "Hey, you almost ready?"
Sam glanced at the body of the being that they had just killed, and nodded. "I guess."
Dean raised an eyebrow at Sam's tone of voice. "What's eating you?"
Sam shook his head. "Nothing… But have you noticed that all of this has somehow gotten easier since… you know?" It had been almost a month since their death, and Sam still couldn't say it. He was having trouble accepting everything that went along with being dead and an angel. Dean on the other hand, had adapted easily.
"And that's a bad thing?" Dean blinked before standing back up and wiping the blood away from the now non-existent cut on his arm. "And I thought I had issues. When we were alive you thought all this was too dangerous, but now that we're dead, you can't get enough. It's always something with you isn't it?"
Dean looked at the body for a moment, watching it until it caught flame, then back at Sam. "Let's go, your girlfriend says we have to show up at some party later."
Sam stood following Dean through the shimmering haze, it looked like a mirage but it was actually how they traveled now, and grimaced at the slight twisting of his stomach. Sam still got slightly sick from it, but he was getting better at pushing it aside. "And you actually want to go!"
Dean grinned, tilting his head slightly. "Yeah, have you seen how hot all these angel chicks are?"
Sam rolled his eyes, "There are days I wish angels really didn't have any genitals."
Dean smirked as they walked through one of the doors into the area that acted like an angel dormitory. "But then you couldn't do anything with Jess either."
"Okay, then there are days I wish you didn't have any." Sam turned down the hall toward the apartment/heavenly abode that he shared with Jessica. Dean followed, still with a cocky smile on his face.
When he followed Sam into the apartment, Sam looked at him questioningly. Dean shrugged, "What?"
"Why are you here?" Sam somehow managed to glare at Dean, while at the same time smile at Jess as she came down the stairs to see them. The laws of physics were irrelevant here, otherwise stairs would be impossible. Living quarters tended to look however the owner wanted and suited any needs or wants. Space was not a problem.
Dean plopped down on the couch and stretched out, as if he were planning to stay for a while. "Jess said she needed to talk to us. By us, I assumed that she meant me and you, not just you."
Sam sighed, remembering the conversation, and gave Jessica a kiss before sitting down in a plush chair that sat kitty-corner to the couch. "What's up Jess?"
"I just need to give you a little lesson in angel types. You guys have only met two kinds so far, but there are going to be more at the gathering. You need to know what is what." She perched on the arm of Sam's chair and began to explain.
"I am a seraphim, that means I greet souls, direct them to Peter, and keep them happy until they reach their final destination. Seraphim have 3 pairs of white wings, that means 6 total." Jess turned to show her wings, Two of the pair were covered by a larger set (1). Then in an instant, the wings that had been visible and tangible, vanished. Being able to make their wings vanish was a space saving feature that angels had, it also allowed them to go out in the world without being noticed.
"At the gathering everyone is going to have their wings out, so that means you too." Dean groaned. He hated his wings, that was one of the few things about being an angel that he didn't like. Instant travel-good, healing-good, semi super powers-good… Wings- bad. The other thing he hated was the fact that there was no beer in heaven… Wine and champagne out the kazoo, but no beer. He had to go down to earth to get that.
Both Sam and Dean had cream colored wings with speckles. Like the wings of an owl. Sam understood why Dean hated his wings, Sam didn't like his either, but for different reasons. Dean hated the way they made him look. Sam didn't like the way they felt. All their wings were sensitive, the slighted bump could send shooting pains through their spine and a soft touch could be extremely arousing. Plus having them hovering behind all the time made Sam feel paranoid, like someone was too close to him.
"Dean, you have to have your wings out, no arguments. Our wings are a way to tell who is who." Jess was stern with Dean and Sam, giving both of them looks that promised punishment if they didn't do as she told them.
"You guys are Guardians. As you know, Guardians protect humans from evil, both natural and supernatural. There are two types, your kind which protects from supernatural evil, and the second kind that protects from natural evil. There is not much difference in the two in looks, and there aren't separate names for them. One set of wings, cream colored with black or brown spots. Your spots are black and their spots are brown. There will be more of them then there will be of you, but don't worry about it."
"Now about the ones you don't know… Valkyries are the ones that have the very large yellowish wings; you will be able to tell right away. Their job is to transport souls to and from heaven, and to take unworthy souls back to earth to be reincarnated so that they can redeem themselves. That is why they have such large wings, they need the power to carry the struggling souls."
"Cherubs are in charge of the protection and transportation of children who are still in the age of innocence. Children are naturally innocent up to a certain age and depending on how they were raised, so when they die they automatically get to go to the higher place. You will recognize Cherubs because they look like children, just like in any painting you might have seen, but they wear clothes."
"The last group is the smallest in number. Most of the others stay away from them so I think you should do the same. They are called the Darklings. They tend to have small dark wings that range in color from purple, blue, brown, and black." Dean and Sam looked at her curiously. Most angels had light colored wings. Seraphim had white, they had cream, Valkyries had pale yellow, and Cherubs had white.
"The Darklings do things that other Angels either can't or won't do. They tend to be referred to as Karma on earth. They make sure that bad people are punished… Sometimes killed."
Dean sat up and stopped Jess right there. "Wait a second. How come they got such a suck-ass job? If they were bad people they would have been sent back to earth to be reincarnated, and good people don't deserve that kind of job."
Jessica sighed. "I don't make the rules. I was told that Darklings are people who did bad things against their will. They are usually people who were influenced by supernatural beings, or they were supernatural beings."
"Werewolves and vampires make up the majority of the Darklings, but there are a few others mixed in. There are one or two Succubi, people who were possessed by demons or ghosts, and few others here and there. They were good people until something influenced them. In the case of werewolves, they are unaware of their actions when they are transformed, they have no control. Vampires and Succubi try to fight the need to take people's blood and energy, but eventually their need drives them to it."
"They have two leaders within the group who the others report to and take their orders from, whereas the rest of us don't answer to each other. Their power structure is strict and volatile, and no one outside their group knows who the leaders are. But at gatherings like this, it is usually easy to tell who the leaders are. The others will follow them, look to them for direction or permission to do things. They can be dangerous too. I heard a story about a female Darkling that attacked a Valkyrie and won."
"So I want both of you to promise me that you won't approach them…" Jess looked at the two of them. "Please…?"
Sam nodded immediately, but Dean hesitated. "Jess, do you really think it is fair to make them outcasts? You said they were good people…"
"Dean, please. They may have been good people, and they may not suck blood or transform anymore, but they aren't like us. They may not do the things they did when they were alive but they still have the instincts, features, and powers that they had when they were alive... they just have more control over their needs and transformations." Jess put her hand on Sam's arm and looked at Dean, hoping that Sam would agree with her. He shifted, looking uncomfortably between the two of them.
He cleared his throat and came to a compromise. "How about if Dean promises not to approach them," Dean jumped up to protest and Sam quickly rushed ahead, "BUT if one of them approaches him, he can do what he likes?"
Both Jess and Dean were unhappy with the compromise, but reluctantly agreed. It was the best that they would get.
Dean was still standing and when he agreed not to go up to any of the Darklings, he stepped around Jess and Sam, "When do I have to be there?"
"Just come here in about 2 hours. And dress nicely Dean."
Dean grumbled as he left, "I don't have anything that goes with wings Jess, so you will be happy with whatever I decide to wear…" He closed the door behind him as he headed to his own living quarters.
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As ordered, Dean showed up 2 hours later. He wasn't dressed as nicely as Jess would have liked, but he was clean and none of his clothes were torn, so she just shook her head. Sam on the other hand, wanted to make Dean change. Jess had him dressed in a suit. So since Dean refused to change, Sam went back to his room and changed quickly.
Jess was not happy. She was wearing a soft cocktail style dress, and the two of them were wearing jeans. Sam gave in though and had a button up shirt tucked into his jeans and was wearing the suit jacket over that. Dean was wearing a clean t-shirt, that was thankfully design and word free, and his usual leather jacket. Before they left Jess made them reveal their wings, which fit through cuts in the back of their clothes… Oddly, whenever their wings weren't visible the cuts weren't there.
Then they were at the party with a simple shimmer. Sam managed to hide his discomfort, and the three of them began to walk around the area. Jess would introduce Sam and Dean to a variety of different people, and both the boys managed to nod and smile for almost an hour.
Dean finally had enough. "Sam, tell Jess I'm outta here, I need some air or something." Sam nodded and after telling his girlfriend, he followed Dean to the tables that held food and drinks.
"At least we aren't the only ones who decided to go casual…" Sam held his plate as he stood next to Dean and looked around. It was true. Quite a few of the others had dressed casually in jeans, sneakers, or t-shirts. Some had dressed it up like Sam had, and others were dressed to the nines like Jess. The gathering resembled a barbeque or a yard party.
Dean nodded and shoveled a scoop of something that resembled lasagna onto his plate, followed by potato-salad, and a slice of steak. There were other things, like caviar, shrimp, and other high end foods all next to the regular fare. There were foreign dishes that both Dean and Sam stayed away from since they had no idea what it was. After Sam loaded his own plate and they both got some punch, they headed to an arch that led to a patio area. Sitting down on a bench the two of them started to eat.
They were just about finished when Gregory, a seraphim Jess had introduced them to, came up followed by another man. "Guys, this is Kirkan, he is a friend of mine. Kirkan, this is Dean and Sam."
"Nice to meet you." Kirken shook hands with both Sam and Dean, who had set down their plates and stood up. "I've heard a lot about you, in fact there has been quite a debate about the two of you."
Dean narrowed his eyes slightly and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Debate? What for?"
Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise at the sight of a chocolate brown wing tip. He was taller than Dean, who missed the flash of brown feathers, and was about to say something when Kirkan answered Dean.
"There have been arguments that you should have been with us instead of the guardians." Kirkan shrugged before continuing. "You are definitely more our type."
"And what type would that be?" Dean was still looking at Kirkan suspiciously, but Sam nudged him.
"Dean," Sam was about to whisper but at the look on Kirkan's face, he decided it would be okay. "He's a Darkling."
Kirkan smiled with a wink. "Guilty as charged, and before you ask, former vamp."
For the first time Sam and Dean noticed that Kirkan's incisors were slightly sharper and longer than normal. If they hadn't been looking, they wouldn't have noticed the subtle hint of his past. He didn't look like a typical vampire, in fact he looked fairly average. Regular haircut, brown hair, he was taller than Dean but shorter than Sam, and he was average build. Nothing striking about him.
"Ugh" Sam looked at Kirkan with an expression. "Why would there be a debate about where we belong?"
"Well, most of us think you are in the same situation as the rest of us. I mean, no offense, but you guys weren't exactly saints, you know?" Kirkan gave them a grin that was oddly playful, and they realized that he was flirting with them. Almost immediately Dean and Sam shifted away from him.
"When you say 'us' you mean the Darklings…?" When Kirkan nodded, Sam continued. "So who is arguing with you?"
"Everyone else. There are even a few Darklings who disagree… But most of us think you belong with us." He paused and then smiled wider. Who knew vampires were so friendly? "Hey how would you guys like to come and meet everyone?"
"Other Darklings? Hell yeah, sounds like my kind of crowd…" Dean grinned, "Lemmie throw this stuff away." Dean bent to pick up his almost empty plate and his cup, and Sam bent with him, covertly whispering to him.
"Dean, I don't think this is …" Sam never got a chance to finish his sentence. A loud bang echoed through the inner rooms, followed by a crash and a roar of voices. Dean and Sam turned looking through the arch, watching as Kirkan shook his head and turned back to them.
"Will you excuse me. I think a friend is in need of some support." Kirkan gave Gregory, Dean, and Sam a distracted nod of farewell before walking quickly back into the main gathering. He weaved his way through the people and soon they lost sight of him.
Dean and Sam looked at each other before Dean turned to Gregory. "What happened?"
The blonde man chuckled as he took a sip of his champagne. "Well, I would guess that there has been a physical altercation between a Darkling and another Angel. When things like this happen, the Darklings stand together no matter what."
Dean stared at Greg. "A physical altercation?"
Sam rolled his eyes, "A fight, Dean."
Dean scowled at Sam before shoving his younger brother. "I know what he meant, college boy." Shaking his head Dean followed in the direction that Kirkan had gone. With a hasty apology to Gregory, Sam rushed after him, leaving the seraphim to follow at a slower pace while he chuckled.
When Dean found Kirkan, he was standing behind a dark haired girl with his arms crossed over his chest. There was a group of about 7 people in a cluster behind the two of them. All of them were easily recognizable by their wings alone, and a few of them were obviously inhuman. One of the women was painfully beautiful, her features too perfect, and her clothes were too tight and skimpy to be appropriate. Her features were like a mirage though and seemed to be changing slowly. One of the men was extremely thin and pale, his eyes sunken in and his skin a grayish color. But most of them were like Kirkan… normal looking but with subtle differences.
The girl only looked about 22 or 23. She had a short dark mop of curly hair, and her eyes were a dark color, probably brown but Dean couldn't tell for sure from where he was. She was pale, but not sick looking, with a slightly pointed chin. Her lips were a light pinkish color and looked like they could be fairly plump if it weren't for the fact that they were thinned in anger.
The girl was glaring rather violently at Michael, one of the higher ranking human Guardians. Most of the other angels were standing to the side, not interfering, just watching.
Michael seemed to be lecturing the girl, and his tone was not only scolding but also disdainful. "… behavior that I hope you have learned from, and in the future will not repeat. It is unfitting of an angel to behave in such a manner, and inappropriate for a gathering of civilized beings."
The girl was average height for a woman, about 5'8", and Michael was easily 6'5". Despite the fact that he was physically intimidating, she leapt forward a step and launched a counter attack that was so violent and passionate that she almost made everyone take a step back. Her intensity almost rocked the room and she suddenly seemed larger and more intimidating than she had been moments before.
"I don't answer to you, Michael. I don't answer to anyone." She took a step forward and Kirkan placed his hands on her shoulders, subtly restraining her despite the fact that she continued to shout at Michael. "You have no right, no right, to try and tell me what to do. We are an authority unto ourselves! We will not be disrespected, and I will not, not, be treated like an inferior!"
If not for Kirkan's hands on her she would have leapt forward at that moment. Dean could feel the tension in the air as she strained against him. He would have sworn that he could feel strain between the two people and the massive strength of them. Sam was standing slightly behind him, Dean didn't know when he had gotten there, but he was certain that Sam could feel it too.
Michael sniffed disdainfully, and when he started to walk away the girl broke free, and spit on the other angel. Kirkan grabbed her and the moment she was distracted, Michael turned on the girl and lashed out. She was being pulled back and had no time to react before the Guardian struck her, hard.
Almost immediately the room was filled with a riot of sounds coming from the group of Darklings. Dean didn't hesitate after seeing Michael hit the girl; he may not have a perfect set of morals, but hitting women was on the list of no-no's. He jumped out of the crowd and grabbed Michael's arm as he pulled it back to hit the girl again, jerking Michael back.
"Hey, get control of yourself…" Dean looked down at the man he had pulled off balance and sent to the floor. "I don't care what she did, or how angry you are… you cannot hit her."
Dean nodded towards the shimmering exit before taking the small step to stand between Michael and the Darklings. The subtle move made the room drop into silence.
"Who do you think you are?" Michael glared at Dean as he said that. "No one else cares what happens to these low-lifes…"
Sam stood on the edge of the circle, hesitating for a moment before moving to stand next to his brother.
Michael got to his feet and dusted off his cheesy silk suit. "I should not be surprised…" Then, as if that was a satisfactory response he left, followed by a few others who were dressed the same.
With a few glares from Dean, the rest of the spectators quickly disbanded. That's when Jess showed up.
"What happened… What have you done?" Jessica had Sam's arm gripped in her hands and her expression was full of stress and anger.
"Sorry Jess, my bad, next time I'll just let the guy beat up on girls…" Dean shrugged and turned away from them to look at Kirkan and the girl who was now standing in front of him. She was calm even if she was staring at him oddly. The bruise on her face was already fading, but the yellow and purple discoloration was still visible.
Dean had to look away from her and at Kirkan so that he wouldn't get angry again. "Everything okay?"
Kirkan just stared at him for a moment before blinking. "Ugh… yeah, I guess. What was that!"
"You know him?" The girl was the one that asked that, turning her body slightly towards Kirkan while still keeping her eyes on Dean.
"Yeah, this is Dean and that is his brother Sam." Kirkan shook his head for a moment before introducing them. "Dean, Sam…" Kirkan nodded to Jess since he didn't know her, " this is Brenna."
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Was anyone else FREAKED out by the latest episode (Benders)?( And why was the episode called "Benders" anyway?) Something about human killers scares me more than monsters in the dark… Because that episode scared the crap out of me.
Reference (Replace the words (dot) with periods.):
A picture of the wings, only instead of looking like bat wings think white feathers:
http/www(Dot)newwavegames(Dot)com/minis/contest/minidesign/imagelg/andrewroberts1(Dot)jpg
And here is a picture of Brenna:
http/i5(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/y170/Gumballtiger/Originregularnew(Dot)jpg