Hey hey! Welcome to another chapter! FYI, I've decided to cross post this on AO3, so if you prefer reading there, my username is hello_berkeley. I would've kept it the same, but they don't allow punctuation to be used in usernames.
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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.
Chapter Thirty Seven: Something Borrowed
They had arrived just in time, as it turned out. Cas had stopped one of Randy's creepy friends from assaulting Claire, and while he and Amriel were out in the car consoling the girl, Dean had killed everyone in the house.
The five returned to the bunker, and for a few days they laid low. Sam and Dean were trying to deal with the Mark, while Cas and Amriel were trying to help Claire adjust to being in the bunker.
Claire was currently in the room they had made up for her, while the pair of angels were in the library, Amriel seated in a chair while Cas paced. Truthfully, his pacing was making her feel restless too, so the next time he passed by she reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him to a stop.
"You're making me anxious," she told him before pressing a kiss to the back of his hand. "Take a seat and tell me what's on your mind."
He ran a hand through her hair, rubbing the back of her head with the tips of his fingers, as he said, "She barely speaks to me."
Sam came in and Amriel sent him a nod as he sat down at the table, listening as Cas continued to talk.
"She's like a wounded animal, just watching me," the angel frowned, squeezing Amriel's hand.
"Look, Cas, you know what? You really tried to do the right thing that night," Sam told him. "This guy Claire was hanging out with, Randy, all he did was use her."
"Well, she thought he was kind, and for that, she loved him. Shows how little kindness there was in her life," Cas shook his head, "You know, whatever Randy did, he didn't deserve—"
"No, yeah, I know," Sam interrupted, "I hear you. Dean has had to kill before. We both have, but that was—"
"That was what?" Dean asked as he walked into the library, startling the three that were already in there.
"Dean…" the younger Winchester started, but Dean cut him off.
"That was a massacre, that's what it was," he said, looking from Sam to Cas and Amriel, "You can say it. You're not wrong. I crossed the line. Guys, this thing's gotta go."
Amriel let go of Cas' hand, getting up from her chair and approaching Dean. She took his arm in both of her hands, lifting up the sleeve of his plaid shirt and looking at the Mark of Cain. She felt him tense as her fingers grazed over it lightly, and Amriel shuddered at the dark energy radiating off of it.
"It won't be easy to remove this," Amriel mumbled, releasing his arm, not liking the feeling she got from being so close to it.
"Well, then burn it off! Cut it off," Dean told her as he rolled his sleeve back down.
"It's more than just a physical thing," Cas said from the chair Amriel had vacated. "It'll take a very powerful force to remove the effect."
"Dean, we've been through all the lore. There's nothing," Sam stressed, looking to the angels for confirmation.
Amriel merely nodded her head, and Cas said, "This reaches back to the time of creation. It may pre-date the lore. If we had the demon tablet, maybe."
"But you said it was missing," Sam said, shooting him a confused look.
"It is," Cas answered, and Amriel watched a reluctant look cross his face. "But there may be another way."
"I can't believe we're doing this," Amriel said under her breath, unsure if Cas had heard her or not as they approached the playground that was home to the portal to Heaven.
She noticed the guards were still there, one in a woman's vessel and one in a little girl's, watching from their position near the sandbox.
"They should be here by now," Cas said impatiently, "Was there word of a delay?"
"All I do is watch the door. Who are you two expecting?" the angel asked, and before either of them could answer, the portal opened and an angel named Ingrid came through, escorting a prisoner with a hood over his head.
"Thank you, Ingrid," Cas told her, ignoring the way Amriel had tensed beside him.
"I did as you asked at great risk, Castiel," Ingrid answered.
"I know. We approached you because we know you share our belief that it is the angels' mission to protect humans. It's possible that we can eliminate a great threat to them, but we will need his help," Cas explained, and Amriel bit the inside of her cheek.
"He must be returned intact," Ingrid stressed, "Is that clear?"
"Yes," they both nodded, and Cas took the prisoner while Ingrid and her companion left through the portal.
Cas removed the hood, revealing Metatron, who was looking up at them with a smirk on his face.
"Told you last time I saw you I'd get out of the slammer. Hello, Amriel, how've you been doing? Still with this wannabe hero, I see," Metatron teased, and Amriel frowned.
"Your presence here is temporary, trust me," she told him bluntly, hoping he would stop speaking. But of course, he didn't.
"Well, speaking of temporary, you, Castiel, must've borrowed more grace. You're looking very good. Of course, we both know that won't last. Is that why I'm here?" Metatron asked, "You think I'm gonna help you?"
"This isn't about me," he snapped.
"Of course not," Metatron rolled his eyes, "The great Castiel never stoops to such selfishness. So what is it then?"
At that moment Sam got out of the Lincoln, Amriel saw Metatron's eyes widen.
Metatron was chained up in the Men of Letters dungeon, where Sam was interrogating him about removing the Mark of Cain from Dean's arm.
Amriel could hear the interrogation wasn't going well as she stood in the war room, watching Cas pocket his car keys, eager to leave.
"I'm going to go check on Claire. Will you stay here and make sure nothing happens to Metatron?" he asked, and Amriel nodded in response.
Claire hadn't been adjusting well to the bunker, so Cas had put her up in a hotel nearby.
"Of course," she told him, "I'll keep things under control here. Just… Be careful with Claire. She's vulnerable and doesn't know what to do now."
"I will, you don't have to worry," Cas answered, and Amriel shot him a look. "What?"
"Cas, you're not familiar with the inner turmoils of a teenage girl. Be understanding, but don't let her walk all over you."
Castiel shook his head and walked over to the blonde, who had moved to sit on the table, laughing that she watched too many teen dramas on TV. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and mumbled, "I just want to check in on her. There's no need to worry."
They walked to the stairs that led to the bunker door, and Amriel wrapped her arms around Cas in a tight hug. She inhaled deeply, loving that he smelled like a forest in the early morning.
"Don't be gone long," she told him. "I don't like it when we're apart for longer than necessary."
Amriel kept her face buried in his chest so she didn't have to see his reaction, but he moved her so she was at arm's length. She looked up and saw a slight frown on his lips, his eyes glittering with apologies he wanted to tell her. He hated having to say goodbye.
"I know, Elle. I promise I'll be less than an hour or two."
After one more kiss, Cas left the bunker and Amriel went to go listen in on the brothers' interrogation of Metatron.
She stayed outside of the room he was being held in, not wanting to cause a distraction or interact with the angel unless she had to.
Amriel listened as they went back and forth, Sam asking how to get rid of the mark, Metatron giving him vague, winded replies that didn't really make sense to her.
When Metatron told them that they'd need the First Blade to even begin getting the mark off of Dean, the brothers decided they had enough and left the room.
Following the men into the library, Amriel asked what was going on.
"We need the blade," Dean told her, making her eyes widen.
"This is the single worst idea I've ever heard," Sam interrupted. "You just whacked a whole house full of people, and that's when the Blade wasn't even around. And now you wanna be in actual contact with it?"
"We don't know if I have to be in contact with it," Dean shot back. "All we know is that we need it."
"That's what Metatron says though. How do you know he's telling the truth? He's not exactly known for his honesty," Amriel said as she rolled her eyes.
"A step at a time, okay? We play it safe, learn whatever the spell is, how it works, and we keep the Blade out of my hands," Dean pulls out his phone and starts to make a call, "I don't know what he wants, but if we weren't willing to take a shot, what was the point of bringing him here? Unless you got a better idea…"
Amriel looked to Sam, who seemed exasperated to say the least. She could hear Crowley on the receiver of Dean's phone, the older Winchester telling the demon that they needed to meet as soon as possible.
She pulled out her own phone, texting Cas about what was going on while Sam and Dean argued over whether or not they were going to go meet with Crowley.
"Do you want me to come with you guys?" she asked, "I'm more than capable of making sure Crowley does what he's supposed to."
"You should probably stay here in case Metatron tries anything funny," Dean told her. "You'd be able to handle him, right?"
"Of course," Amriel snapped, annoyed that Dean thought she was incapable of keeping him under control. "He won't be going anywhere."
"Good," the older Winchester nodded in response, accepting her answer. "We're gonna roll out then."
They said their goodbyes quickly and once the brothers were gone, Amriel strolled around the bunker, unsure of what she should do.
She could hear Metatron in the dungeon, and part of her wanted to go and have a word with him. So, she made her way towards the room, treading quietly as not to alert him to her presence.
"I can hear you, Amriel. Come on in, keep me company between the interrogations," Metatron's voice rang out suddenly, making her jump in surprise.
Entering the dungeon, Amriel closed the door behind herself and stayed close to the perimeter of the room, eyeing Metatron warily.
"You can come closer, I don't bite," Metatron said with a laugh, then he raised an eyebrow suggestively, "Or maybe I do. Want to find out?"
"Not really," she mumbled, "I doubt you practice good oral hygiene."
"Oh Amriel," he chuckled at her response, "You spend far too much time with Asstiel."
The blonde frowned, not liking the name Metatron called Cas, "I don't think I spend enough time with him, to be honest."
She watched as Metatron stared her down, his gaze unnerving as she tried to figure out what she wanted to ask him. Before she could open her mouth, though, he began to speak.
"I'm sure you're still scrambling to find that missing grace of his. Too bad it's in a place you'll never think to look. I could give you a clue or two, for a price," he smirked.
"Castiel made it clear I wasn't to make any sort of deals with you," Amriel answered quickly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm sure there are other ways to get you to spill your secrets, however."
"So you're gonna torture me?" Metatron rolled his eyes, "Taking a page out of Dean Winchester's book, I see. I thought the nerdy one was your charge."
"Sam is my charge, and he's taught me a lot," Amriel said, approaching Metatron and smiling down at him. She looked at the table to his right and spotted exactly what she needed. "Like how to snoop through someone's cell phone."
Amriel picked up the device and pocketed it quickly, backing away from the angel and leaning against the wall again.
"You know, I remember you were much quieter in Heaven. You kept your head down, did your job- I remember you did other angels' duties, too," Metatron mused. "What happened to that quiet, passive angel?"
"That angel fell to Earth and had to figure things out on her own," Amriel snapped back. "I will never forgive you for causing the Fall-"
"But you've forgiven Castiel! It was his grace that sealed the spell," the angel argued, but Amriel shook her head.
"You're the one that performed the spell and tricked him into helping you. I'm not here to argue, Metatron," Amriel said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm here for answers, and I'm going to get them."
She heard the door to the bunker open and the familiar footsteps of Sam and Dean rumbling down the stairs, so she sent Metatron one last look.
"I can't wait for you to be punished the way you deserve. Karma is a bitch, I've heard," Amriel told him, turning around and opening the door.
"Feisty! I like this Amriel. It's that kind of attitude that will get you places!" he called after her, and Amriel slammed the door behind herself, walking away from the dungeon without looking back.
She didn't have time for Metatron's riddles or commentary, so when she got to the library where she found Sam, she sat down at the computer and pulled out the phone she had taken.
"Where'd you get that from?" Sam asked, and Amriel flipped it open, surprised to find that there wasn't a passcode.
"It's Metatron's. I thought I could go through it to see if we could find anything useful," she shrugged.
The brothers told her that they had tasked Crowley with getting the First Blade, and Amriel was a little worried by how much trust they put in the King of Hell. She texted Cas, letting him know what was going on, and he had told her that he would be back at the bunker momentarily.
When he walked through the door, he asked, "The First Blade is back in play and Crowley is the one getting it?"
Amriel glanced up from Metatron's phone and Sam looked surprised, both by Castiel and the fact that the blonde hadn't moved an inch.
"I don't mean to be an alarmist but you-" Cas was cut off when Dean came in from the library, holding a beer.
"Yeah, well you know us. When we screw ourselves, we like to go whole hog."
Amriel vaguely listened to them go back and forth about the blade and Claire while she snooped through Metatron's phone, finding about a dozen selfies, some text notes about recent movies he had seen and why they were flawed.
Cas had asked Dean if he would talk to Claire, and surprisingly the Winchester agreed to it. When Dean left the room, Cas commented about how calm he seemed, considering the effects of the Mark and how close Metatron was.
"He's too calm," Sam said. "I think he's worried about what happens if he pops the cork."
Amriel tilted her head in confusion as she worked out his choice of words, frowning at the thought of Dean losing it and going on another killing spree.
"Hey Cas," Amriel said, peeking into the library to find him sitting in a chair and reading a book. "I've been looking for you."
"Oh? Why?" he asked, placing a marker in to hold his place as he closed the book and set it aside. "I've been right here for the past hour or two."
"I don't like being away from you for too long," she shrugged as she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Even being a few rooms apart feels like miles."
"I know the feeling," Cas answered, snaking an arm around her waist while the other cupped her cheek. "I think we should go out looking for Claire soon, though."
"Cas…" she sighed, leaning her forehead against his, looking into his impossibly blue eyes. "I know you want to help her, but sometimes being overbearing isn't the answer. Maybe let her cool off for the night, and go look for her in the morning."
Sam poked his head in through the doorway, interrupting the angels and asking if they had seen Dean anywhere. The pair shook their heads, and exchanged a look before Amriel hopped off of Cas and pulled him up, taking off for the dungeon Metatron was being held in.
They got to the door only to find it locked, but they could hear the muffled sounds of Dean punching Metatron.
"Dean!" Sam called, knocking on the door.
"What is the next step in removing this Mark from my arm?" Dean's voice filtered through the door, and Amriel couldn't even imagine what he was doing in there.
"Dean, open the door!" Sam shouted as he continued to bang on the door.
Amriel could hear Dean asking Metaron for the next step in removing the Mark over and over, and she realized that things weren't going to end well if this continued any longer. She shot a quick glance to Cas over her shoulder, narrowing her gaze and mouthing for him to step aside.
"Sam, move," Amriel told him in a firm voice, trying to ignore the look of confusion that crossed his face as he turned to look at her. He stood there, dumbfounded, and the blonde rolled her eyes, moving him with a flick of her wrist before turning her focus back to the door. She focused on the door and sent a push of energy towards it, watching it shatter.
Sam rushed in, and she and Cas followed quickly, watching as Sam pulled Dean, who was holding an angel blade, away from Metatron. Castiel checked on the scribe, watching as his wounds slowly began to heal.
"You were killing him," Sam yelled at his brother, and Amriel placed herself in the middle of the pairs, her blade in her hand, ready to defend if she needed to.
"I have to take him back," Cas said suddenly, and Amriel nodded in agreement.
"Cas, this won't happen again," Sam said in an attempt to get him to keep Metatron there.
"I gave my word," Castiel snapped. "I have fences to mend in Heaven, and as it is, I have a lot to explain."
"If you ever ask me for help again, I will choose death," Metatron breathed, "You realize you're going to get worse, Dean. You're only gonna get worse!"
Amriel watched as Cas untied Metatron from the chair and dragged him out of the room, and she followed them up the stairs and out to the Lincoln.
"I want you to stay here," Cas told her once Metatron had been secured in the car. "Please, keep an eye on Dean. He- he's out of control."
"Cas, if he tries something, I won't hesitate to immobilize him in any way I can," she answered truthfully, making sure he knew what she was willing to do to keep Sam and herself safe.
"I understand," he nodded, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out the car keys. "Do what you need to do if a situation arises."
Castiel leaned in and kissed her quickly, interrupted by Metatron making fake barfing sounds.
"Get a room," Metatron rasped, and Amriel merely grinned up at Cas, who was rolling his eyes.
She grabbed the lapels of his trench coat, pulling him down and kissing him hard, making sure the scribe got an eyeful as she slipped her tongue into Cas' mouth for a few seconds before she let him go.
"I was hoping for a quiet ride, but you just ensured that he'll talk the entire way," Cas sighed, and Amriel merely shrugged and told him to drive safe.
She watched the Lincoln take off, and once it was out of her sight she returned to the bunker to find the brothers in the library.
Dean was sitting at the table, his head in his hands as Sam leaned against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Did Cas leave with Metatron?" Dean asked as she sat down across from him.
"Yes," she answered, trying to keep him from seeing how much his actions affected her. "I decided to skip the ride, though. The scribe talks too much for my taste."
"More like Cas told you to babysit me," Dean scoffed, ignoring the way her gaze narrowed at him in annoyance.
"To make sure you don't attempt to make any more fatal mistakes," Amriel hissed, "You were going to kill him."
"So what? Metatron is the reason you fell from Heaven! Don't you want him dead for what he did to you and every other angel?" Dean asked, looking up at her as he rested his chin on his hand.
"No. I want him to pay for what he's done, but not with his life," she shook her head. "So many angels have died…"
Amriel trailed off, feeling the loss of her fellow angels and frowning.
"He said the river ends at the source," Dean finally said.
"What does that mean?" Sam asked, and Amriel furrowed her brows in thought.
"Maybe nothing. It was the last thing he said before you guys busted in."
"Dean- Look, man, we had to…" Sam started, but his brother shook his head.
"Hey, no. I get it, all right. I- I was gonna kill him, and I couldn't stop myself," Dean admitted.
Amriel looked between the brothers, feeling like she was intruding on them.
"We'll figure it out, all right? You know what Cas said about needing a powerful force? I've been thinking. Cain still has the Mark, right?" Sam asked, and Dean nodded. "He's lived with it. For years, he's lived with it. So yeah, the Mark is strong but - Dean, maybe there's a part of you that wants to give in to it. And maybe you have to fight that, you know? Maybe part of that powerful force has to be you."
The blonde listened to Sam, and as Dean's phone went off and he picked it up, she thought about Sam's idea. Maybe he was right. Dean controlling himself and fighting against the Mark would only be part of the battle, but if he did, the hold the Mark had over him could be a bit more manageable.
Dean got off the phone, saying that it had been Claire that called. She wanted to meet him and talk at a campground site a few miles away.
Once he had left, Sam and Amriel had a couple beers and played cards until Cas returned. Sam looked between the angels and quickly made an excuse to leave the library, saying something about needing to do the dishes before going to bed.
"How angry were they when you returned Metatron?" Amriel asked, shuffling the deck of cards out of habit.
Cas heaved a sigh and sat beside her, rubbing his face with his palms as he said that they weren't thrilled.
"They were surprised I brought him back alive. He will heal with time, but I'm not going to be asking for any favors in the near future."
"Well at least they didn't try and detain you," Amriel said with a shrug. "I didn't really feel like going up there to retrieve you from them."
Cas was wide awake as Amriel laid fast asleep beside him. Dean had come back as they were getting ready to go to bed, and he had told them that Claire had essentially lured him to a campground so two people could try and hurt him. He had considered killing them, but in the end he merely scared them off and left.
Staring at the ceiling, Cas could feel Claire's longing to speak to him. She wasn't quite praying to him, but he knew she was thinking about him, and she wasn't too far away from the bunker.
It was nearly 9 a.m.- the pair had decided to sleep in after the tiring day they had, but Castiel wanted nothing more than to go find Claire and talk to her.
"Cas, I can practically hear you thinking," Amriel mumbled, rolling over and looking up at him. "What's up?"
"I can feel Claire calling out to me, whether she realizes it or not, I don't know. She isn't far… I'm going to go speak with her," he answered, and the blonde nodded in understanding.
"Do what you have to do. Want me to come with?"
Cas shook his head, pressing a kiss to her temple and telling her to stay in bed.
"You deserve the rest after putting up with Metatron and the Winchesters yesterday," he said as he got up and started to get dressed.
Amriel watched him pull off his t-shirt and put on a clean one, feeling her heartbeat speed up a little bit at the sight of his exposed skin. She would never get used to the physical effects Cas had on her.
"If you insist," she said with a yawn, rolling over onto her side and fluffing up her pillow. "I'll be here when you get back."
Cas followed his intuition as he drove along the road, and eventually he spotted Claire. Slowing down to a coast, he unrolled his window and called out her name.
"How the hell did you find me?" she asked, a look of confusion on her face.
"Angels are able to find those who pray to them," Cas answered with a small shrug.
"Pray?" Claire laughed, "Oh, believe me, I gave up praying a long time ago."
"Well, it doesn't have to be a formal prayer. I could pick up on a - a longing," he tried to explain. "Perhaps you wanted to tell me something?"
"No," she snapped, then stopped walking. "I don't know… Maybe."
Cas turned off the engine and got out of the car, approaching her slowly as she tried to sort out what she was trying to say.
"I guess I just wanted to tell you that I- I thought about what you said. I'm gonna try doing things a little bit different. Let go of the little bit of monster in me," she finally said.
"Well, I could try to help you with that," he offered, but she shook her head.
"I still gotta go it alone," Claire answered, but smiled slightly. "But I could maybe call sometime? Just to talk or whatever. Now get out of here, would you? No one's gonna pick me up with that butt-ugly car sitting there."
"I'll see you, Claire," Cas told her with a nod, heading back around the front of the car.
"Oh, hey," Claire said, stopping him. "Not that you care, but I like you better in a tie."
Cas shot her a smile and got in the car, heading back to the bunker.