Hello! We've got a lot going on in this chapter, but I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! It really means a lot.
I'm working on a few different chapters at once right now that all take place in different seasons, and I've been wondering if people prefer chapters that stick closer to the show or more original stuff that deviates or happens at the same time events in the show are happening. Let me know in the reviews or PM me! I'm really interested in what people think. Anyways, on with the story. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: In no way do I have any rights to Supernatural or any of the characters you are familiar with. I only own Amriel and any OCs that pop up along the way.
Thirty One: Deception
They drove to the bunker in separate cars, the Winchesters in the Impala and the angels in their own vehicle, and when they arrived it was silent for a few minutes as the brothers unpacked. Amriel looked around the room, feeling like it had been ages since she had last been there, when in reality it had been only a few months.
"So, Dean," Sam started cautiously, "Uh… Are we gonna talk about this, or what?"
"About what? Yeah, I lied, but you were being an infant."
The two argued back and forth about the First Blade, and Amriel made her way over to Cas, asking him if they could speak in private.
Cas looked down at her, his eyebrows furrowing as he nodded, and she took his hand, leading him down the hall and away from the bickering brothers.
"Are you serious, Cas?" Amriel hissed as soon as the door to their room slammed shut behind her. "Your grace is burning out and you didn't think it was important to tell me?"
She was beyond furious, Castiel could see her shoulders tense and her face turning red as she worked herself into a rage.
He moved farther into the room to distance himself, but she merely followed him until he finally stopped and faced her.
"Amriel, I wanted to tell you but-" he was cut off as she slapped him across the face, his head turning from the sheer force she had used.
"Don't lie to me," she yelled, the lights flickering as she seethed. "I will not be lied to, Castiel. Especially when it comes to you."
The blonde turned on her heel and rushed to the door, her hand hovering over the doorknob and she hesitated- was she really going to walk out on him?
"Elle..." he said quietly, and she tried to ignore his use of the nickname. "Please, don't leave me..."
"How much longer do you have until it burns out?"
He walked up to her, backing her against the door as he leaned down, looking her in the eyes as he said, "Not long… Maybe enough time to take out Metatron, but I'm not sure."
Amriel grabbed the lapels of his trench coat and tried to shake him, but he stood firm and set his hands on her arms. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, looking up at him as she tried to hold back tears.
"What will I do without you?" she asked, her voice cracking as she spoke.
Whatever Cas was going to say next completely left his mind as he was hit by the realization that he could possibly die. He faltered, suddenly feeling like he couldn't stand and he leaned into Amriel, pressing her against the door.
Amriel sighed as his head fell to rest on her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around him, mumbling that they would find a way to keep him from dying.
"How are we going to take on Metatron on our own?" he asked, and Amriel closed her eyes at the feeling of his warm breath tickling her neck.
"As long as we stick together, we can do it."
She felt him take a deep breath, but before he said anything, she heard Sam yelling something from down the hall. Pushing Cas back, she whirled around and opened the door, sprinting down the hall with Castiel following behind.
Gadreel was standing there, telling the Winchesters that he wasn't there to fight. When he saw Cas appear behind Amriel, he told him that he had thought about what they had discussed, and that something needed to be done about Metatron.
"And why should we trust you?" Sam asked, eyeing the angel wearily.
"Because I can give him to you. I know where Metatron is. I know everything. I know the bombers," Gadreel told them. "They were his agents, not yours. You don't trust me, fine. I understand I've made mistakes, but haven't you? Haven't we all? At least give me a chance."
Amriel was willing to accept his help, and she watched Dean and Sam exchange a look. Dean stepped forward and extended his hand to shake Gadreel's, and as soon as he grasped it, Dean pulled the First Blade out of his jacket, slashing Gadreel across the chest. Amriel saw a shimmer of grace, and she flew forward, catching Gadreel as he fell to the ground while Sam and Cas leapt at Dean to hold him back.
"What the fuck, Dean!" Sam yelled at his brother, holding him down as he watched Gadreel's grace seeping out of his chest.
Dean somehow got out of Sam's grasp, and Cas watched the two brothers stare each other down. He saw Amriel standing over Gadreel, her hands pressed to his chest in an attempt to stop his grace from escaping.
Sam told him to drop the blade, and they went back and forth, neither of them budging until Cas tackled Dean to try and get the blade from his hand. They subdued him after a struggle, and took him to the room they had kept Crowley in while Amriel stayed with Gadreel.
"Something is wrong with you, Dean. And until we figure that out, this is where you have to stay," Sam told him."
"And you two are gonna do what? Take on Metatron yourselves? That's smart. Oh, no, wait. No, you," he motioned to Cas, "You lost your angel army. And you," he motioned to Sam next, "Now you're trying to lock up the one guy that has a shot at killing the son of a bitch! Hell of a plan, fellas!"
Sam and Cas turned and pushed the doors shut, locking the doors to the dungeon, ignoring Dean as he called out to them.
In the library of the bunker, Sam put the First Blade into a box on the table.
"Sam," Cas started, frowning as the Winchester turned to face him
"Yeah?"
"Dean… wasn't wrong. Our followers have abandoned us." As much as it pained him to admit out loud, it was true.
"Yeah, and Gadreel says he can help us. From where I sit, that's more than an even trade."
Cas went into the main room to look for Gadreel and Amriel, and saw nothing but a trail of blood. They followed it outside of the bunker and found Gadreel standing with Amriel slumped against him, her eyes closed and her breathing slow.
"Elle?" Castiel said suddenly, rushing to the two and taking her into his arms, his fingers going to her neck to find a pulse. It was normal, he noticed, and he tilted her head from side to side to try and find what was wrong with her.
Then he looked to Gadreel and saw that he had been healed—
Before Gadreel could explain what had happened, he heard a familiar voice come on over angel radio.
"I'd like to take a moment to welcome you all back. I want you to know how moved I am that you've accepted me as your new God," Metatron said. "My heart, as they say, is full, which is why I want to share some wonderful news with you. I'm going on a short trip. Heaven's door will be temporarily closed pending my return, but rest assured all will be explained. And it will be… glorious."
"Did you hear him?" Gadreel asked, and Cas nodded, moving his gaze back to the unconscious Amriel.
"Metatron. Where is he going? What does he want?"
"I'm afraid he wants humanity," Gadreel answered.
Cas picked Amriel up, and they headed back into the bunker, where they found the box that had been holding the First Blade was empty.
"What's that smell?" Gadreel asked, and Sam frowned, saying that it was sulfur.
Sam ran down to the dungeon to see if Dean was gone while Cas went down the hallway to his room and set Amriel on the bed. He knew that she had drained herself to heal Gadreel— the cut must've been bad if she lost consciousness because of it. Cas sat on the edge of the bed and moved her hair out of her face, admiring how strong she was for putting herself at risk so she could help Gadreel.
"You're far too selfless for your own good," he muttered quietly, furrowing his eyebrows when she started to move.
The last thing Amriel remembered was running outside, chasing after Gadreel and finally catching up to him.
"What happened?" she asked, sitting up and noticing how Cas moved closer to her, taking her hand in both of his.
"You healed Gadreel… It must've been a very deep cut, or he must've tried to fight you off, because you passed out," he told her before taking a deep breath. "Do you think you're okay to go out there, or would you like to stay here?"
Amriel leaned her forehead against his shoulder, heaving a sigh, "I'm fine. Just a little tired, but I'm okay.."
"Come on, then, let's get back to Sam and Gadreel." Cas squeezed her hand and helping her up off of the bed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and together they walked down the hall, following the sounds of Sam's voice.
The Winchester was on the phone, leaving Dean a voicemail asking him to call him back.
"He must've summoned Crowley," Sam said once he had hung up his phone. "He and Crowley have been bromancing over the Blade ever since Dean got the mark…"
"The mark?" Gadreel cut in, and Amriel noticed that he was careful to avoid making eye contact with her as he spoke.
"The Mark of Cain," Cas clarified.
"So, that's what Dean cut me with — the First Blade. In a way, that could be helpful," the angel mused.
"What?" Sam asked, and Gadreel went on to explain that while Metatron was more powerful, their best chance might be Dean having the First Blade.
Sam wasn't having it whatsoever, but Cas told him to hear Gadreel out.
"I believe Metatron has found a way to tap into the Angel tablet, harnessing its power to give him powers equivalent to —"
"God, right?" Sam interrupted. "I mean, that's what this fight is about, isn't it? Metatron wants to be God."
When Gadreel nodded, Sam kept going, "Great. That basically makes him unstoppable."
"Not if we can break the connection between Metatron and the tablet," Cas started, and Amriel realized where he was going with it.
"That would make him a regular, everyday angel. Where's the tablet?" She finished, and finally Gadreel looked at her as he said that it was in Metatron's office in Heaven.
"I can get us to the door," Gadreel told them, and Amriel felt her heart begin to race at the mere thought of returning to Heaven.
"And then what? I mean, why would they let you in? If Metatron's number two shows up with Heaven's most wanted," Sam said as he motioned to Cas, "the gig is up."
"Sam, we have to try," Castiel told him, looking down at Amriel and asking if she was okay with this.
She froze, unable to form a response. Staring at the ground, she shook her head slightly. Cas shouldn't risk himself to potentially get the tablet.
"Elle?" Cas asked, setting a hand on her shoulder, and she finally looked at him.
"You can't go alone," she said quietly. "I can't let you do that…"
"It'll look suspicious if I bring the both of you. It would be more believable that I was only able to capture Castiel," Gadreel told her.
"Then I'll do it. Metatron has it out for Cas," Amriel tried, staring up at him as he shook his head.
"That's what we're banking on," he said in a reassuring tone.
"Fine. But, I'm not on board with this plan, just so you know," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and listening intently as they started to plan.
Amriel knocked on a worn looking door in a grungy apartment in a sketchy part of New York City. Cas had told her to take a trip while he and Gadreel were off on their attempt to get into Heaven.
So, here she was, albeit somewhat unwillingly. It was better than sitting around and waiting for Cas to come back.
The door opened and Amriel focused her attention on the redhead that was suddenly before her.
"Amy?" Marissa asked, her eyes widening, moving to fill the space between the door and its frame.
"Hey, Marissa… I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced, but I was in the area and I really wanted to see my best friend," the blonde smiled, unsure as to why Marissa seemed so uneasy.
"Look… Now's not really a good time," Marissa told her, running a hand through her messy hair.
Amriel took a moment to look her friend over. She was skinnier than she remembered, pale, and gaunt. The angel peered past her and into the apartment, and from what she could see it was a mess.
"Are you okay?" Amriel asked, "What's going on?"
"Y-you better come in," Marissa said as she stepped aside and opened the door wide enough for her to step through.
It was a disaster in the tiny studio apartment. There was a twin sized bed pushed up against one wall, a rickety dining room table for two, and a ratty looking couch. Clothes scattered the floor, and dirty dishes filled the sink and were piled high on the counter.
Marissa told Amriel to have a seat on the couch while she made them coffee before asking her about what she had been up to since they last spoke, and so the angel had to come up with something off the top of her head.
"Oh… Steve's mother wasn't doing so well, so we stayed with her for a while to help her around the house," Amriel lied smoothly, surprising herself in the process. "I cleaned and made sure all of her household things were taken care of while Steve dealt with her medical stuff."
"So, she's doing better then I assume? Since you're here and all," Marissa said, bringing over two mugs and setting them on the coffee table. While Amriel blew on hers to cool off, Marissa began stirring a packet of sugar into her mug.
"Yes, well enough to be on her own… A nurse visits her once a week now, more if necessary," the blonde continued to lie. "Steve had to go over payments and insurance, so I thought it'd be nice to come see you. I've been meaning to for months."
Marissa narrowed her gaze slightly, and Amriel could see the dark circles beneath her eyes, showing just how tired she was. The girl nodded, accepting what Amriel had told her and moving on to the little packets of creamer now, opening one up and dumping it into her drink.
"What have you been up to, now that you're in New York?" Amriel asked, wondering just what her friend was doing in such a large city. "How have you acclimated?"
"It's fine," Marissa answered with a shrug. "Nothing to report, really. Just school and stuff. I work nights so I can take classes and do homework during the day."
"Have you designed anything?" the blonde prodded, nodding to the kitchen table where a sewing machine sat and a mass of fabric laid over the chair.
"Yeah, a few things here and there for some projects. It's not really what I thought fashion school was going to be like, though. I thought we'd be designing all the time. There's a lot of theory and stuff," Marissa sighed. "And business classes. I didn't sign up to do math."
"Do you mind if I take a look?" Amriel asked, but she was up and off of the couch before Marissa could even answer. She walked over to the small table and peered down, noticing that it was covered in sketchpads, colored pencils, pens, fabric scraps, buttons, and curiously, a small scale and plastic baggie filled with a white substance.
Amriel raised an eyebrow, wondering what the powder was and how it pertained to fashion. She quickly thought back to a television series she had watched about drugs on a documentary channel, and she realized that it was something along those lines.
"I have a lot of work to do. Finals are coming up and I haven't slept much," Marissa said with a yawn, and Amriel felt like her friend was trying to get her to take her leave.
"So, how does this incorporate in your designs?" Amriel asked in a blunt manner, annoyed with the girl she had grown to see as a sister. "You move to New York to better yourself and your life, and you're wasting it away with.. what is it?"
"Cocaine," Marissa answered quietly.
"So you're squandering your magnificent opportunity with cocaine! I've seen shows about what it does to people-"
"Oh? Who are you to judge when you were a pill junkie!"
Amriel's mouth dropped, unsure of how she knew or what to say in response.
"Yeah, it was pretty obvious you were fucked up for like the first two months I knew you, Amy. So you have no room to judge me!" Marissa seethed, getting up and grabbing the bag off of the table, stuffing it into her back pocket.
Nodding in agreement, Amriel knew she had a point.
"You're right, Marissa. I shouldn't judge you. But I only want you to live to your full potential.." Amriel glanced around, frowning. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here. This was a mistake…"
Amriel took a deep breath and shook her head.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your studies. Live your life to the fullest, however you wish—"
"No, you can't just pop up every once in a while and then fall off the face of the Earth! I've needed you, but you're nowhere to be found," Marissa yelled, causing Amriel to flinch slightly.
Was that how her friend had felt since she left Rexford?
"I- Steve and I had to leave, we've been busy…"
"Oh I'm sure. Where is your boyfriend really? Usually you guys are attached at the fucking hip, so it must be somewhere important if you're apart," Marissa hissed bitterly.
"He's with his mother, like I told you. But you wouldn't understand what we've been dealing with- the things we've gone through," Amriel tried to explain without really letting on too much. There was no way she could tell Marissa that she was an angel.
"Yeah? You think I can't tell that you're lying? Please, tell me all about what you and perfect Steve have really been up to while I've been here, scraping by with my shitty job and barely staying awake in classes," the redhead was seething, and Amriel tilted her head in confusion.
"I thought you liked living in New York… Every time we spoke on the phone-"
"I was lying, Amy. I didn't want to worry you when you were off doing whatever it is that you've been doing. And honestly, I don't care what you and Steve have been up to. Go back to wherever it is you came from."
Not knowing what else to do, Amriel shrugged and threw her hands up, signaling that she was done.
"If that's what you want, fine. But just so you know, friends don't lie to each other, so you've been a pretty terrible friend too. If you ever decide that you need help, just call me," she said over her shoulder as she left the apartment, not looking back.
Wandering around the city, Amriel ended up at Central Park, where she sat on a bench and started people watching, trying not to think about the strange argument she had just had with her supposed friend.
She thought their visit had been going well. Was that something that happened in normal friendships? If she had been a human that knew how to interact properly, would she have noticed that something was going on with Marissa?
She had been sitting for hours in silence, replaying that had been said and trying to figure out what she could've done differently when all of a sudden she heard Castiel's voice in her mind, broadcasting on angel radio.
"You'll never get away with this," Cas said, and she assumed he was talking to Metatron.
"Get away with what? You told a silly story to a group of less-than-believers. I'll clean up your mess in an hour." Metatron's grating voice filled her head and Amriel groaned internally.
"You give our brothers and sisters far too little credit. They will soon learn that you've been playing them," Cas replied, and Amriel could tell that he was merely biding his time.
"You know, while you could never quite pull it together, Castiel, while you're sitting here with your Grace slowly burning away and your reputation long extinguished? No curiosity. You didn't read enough. You never learned how to tell a good story," Metatron scolded, making Amriel frown.
"But you did," Cas finally said, and Amriel knew that he had just revealed his true intentions to Metatron.
Her phone rang from her jacket pocket, and Amriel saw Sam's name flashing on the screen. She frowned, accepting the call and holding her device up to her ear.
"Sam?"
"A-Amriel, I need you to come to the bunker," he stammered, "It's Dean.. Metatron stabbed him with an angel blade. He- he's dead."
Amriel felt her heart stop. Her stomach lurched and she thought she was going to throw up.
"I'm in New York. I'll take a bus and get there as soon as I can-"
"Use the emergency credit card I gave you. Buy a plane ticket. Get here now, please," Sam begged, and Amriel nodded even though he couldn't see her.
She got up and started walking to the edge of the park so she could get her bearings and try and find the airport.
"Okay… I'll let you know when I'm on my way. Sam, we'll fix this, I promise you." She could hear him take a shaky breath, like he had been crying not too long ago, and she knew that he must've been. The bond he shared with his brother was like nothing she had ever seen, and it hurt her to know that her charge was going through so much pain.
"I'm trying to summon Crowley, but it isn't working. I just… I need to do something. I need to get him back."
"I know, Sam," Amriel was walking through throngs of people, trying to get to the street, where she hailed a taxi. "As soon as I get there, we'll figure something out. I'll call Cas once I'm off the phone with you and we'll go from there, okay? You're not alone in this."
She heard Sam heave a sigh, so she told him that she'd see him soon. They hung up, and Amriel quickly called Cas, hoping that cell phones worked in Heaven if he was still there.
"Elle? Did you hear everything over angel radio?" he asked immediately, and Amriel was relieved to hear his voice.
"I did. That's not why I'm calling, though. Sam just called me… Dean's dead. I'm on my way to the airport right now to fly back from New York—"
"Dean is dead?" he asked, and Amriel frowned at the devastated tone in his voice.
"Sam said Metatron stabbed him with an angel blade. He must've done it before you acted on your plan. If you're done with your business in Heaven, could you head back toward the bunker too? Sam's gonna need all the help he can get." Amriel paid the driver when they arrived at the airport, and she stood outside the terminal.
"Yes. Metatron is imprisoned here, so I'll take my leave soon and get on the road. I shouldn't be more than a six or seven hour drive, I believe," he answered. "Elle, I know you're going to want to help Sam in any way possible, but we might not be able to save Dean this time. Just keep that in mind…"
"I know, Cas. But we still have to try. Look, I'm at the airport. I'm gonna see if they can get me on the next flight out of here to the closest airport to Lebanon. I did a Google search and apparently that's Kearney, Nebraska."
"All right. Travel safely, and I'll see you back at the bunker. I love you, Amriel," Cas said in a confident voice that sent tingles down her spine.
"I love you too, Cas. Drive safe."
She hung up the phone and stuffed it into her jacket pocket, heading into the airport. Amriel approached the desk of one of the airlines and smiled politely at the woman behind the counter.
"I need a ticket for the next flight out to Kearney, please."