Galen watched as father and son locked eyes. John seemed torn, wanting to rush to his eldest son, but being mindful of what he had become. All his instincts as a hunter screamed at him to kill. Galen decided he would ease the tension.
"Question…how did you follow me downstairs with that leg?" He pointed to the cast on John's leg.
"Being a stubborn bastard," Dean laughed softly. Making John smile, it was Dean.
"Well sit down before you fall down. I have had enough of looking after people today. I'm a demon not a doctor…" Galen walked over to where Dean had been cooking before, adding more steaks.
"Oh dude…. did you have to?" Dean whined, bloody star trek reference.
"Yes I did, you have no idea how long I have wanted to say that? Now sit down with your family. No doubt they have questions" Galen prodded him with a wooden spoon.
"All right mother….OW!" Galen whacked him over the head with the spoon, and then went back to cooking. "Touchy demon"
Dean went before his father before he sat down. The two Winchesters facing off. Then Dean was in a strong embrace as his father held him close.
"I thought I'd lost you son…" John had lost so much; the guilt in him for hurting Dean in the cabin while possessed was now joined with the guilt of firing the Requiem bolt at him in the church. "I'm sorry, I…saw the wings…and Sam at your feet. I thought the demon had gone into you."
"Still willing to kill it at all costs dad?" Dean asked sadly.
"He didn't know it was you Dean" Galen said from were he was mashing potatoes….a demon mashing potatoes…you don't see that everyday Dean randomly thought.
"What?"
"Not when he fired….He thought it was the corporeal form of the demon. It was only a second after he pulled the trigger he realised. So don't be too hard on him" Galen had five plates out, he placed the steak and mashed potato with on them then added gravy before placing them on the table. He indicated to them all to dig in.
"Thank you Lord Tzeentch" Bobby spoke finally; thanking Galen for the food and the cold beer he placed before them.
"Call me Galen, hunter. I am not overly fond of my old name. It's been twisted somewhat over the years"
They all began to eat the food placed before them, Sam and John each looking to Dean to make sure he was still there. Once they were sated, the food devoured they went into the living room, the fire blazing in the fireplace nicely heating the room. Now was the time for talk.
"So what happened Dean?..After the crash?" Sam asked, looking at his brother.
"I don't remember much after being in that cabin. All I know was I woke up in a four-poster-bed. Galen was there. He said he had come to give me a choice, saying that I was on the brink of death. He showed me that you two were in hospital, and that the demon was coming to get you. He said we were in my mind and if I didn't accept the deal to become a demon I would die." Dean finished.
"So you're not possessed?" John was now interested in this
"No, as I explained to Dean, he's just got the powers of a demon. Just like I don't possess this body. It's mine. Though it sometimes takes a lot for me to remain. With the seals God put in place. But we are allowed to pass them to hunt. The one who would have been in this body died in the womb. I took his place. I have a mortal family. I knew everything the moment I was born, but had to pretend to be mortal most of my life. I am the only one of my kind to do this. So…I'm a bit strange in their eyes. But needs must"
"Do you kill mortals to stay in this body?" Bobby asked, looking through one of his books to see if he could find any record of this.
"No, sacrificial lamb" Bobby nodded in understanding
They talked for a couple of hours, each filling the other in, the snow always falling outside. Galen kept some of his past guarded. He really wasn't one for opening up. They were just beginning to relax when Galen gave a deep demonic grow, his eyes flashing as his head snapped to the window. The lights flickered just as a shout from outside reached their ears.
"Tzeentch. I know you have them there!" the demon was back, all knew they were in no state to fight, and without the colt…"
"Stay here" Galen growled, then walked to the patio doors, opening them to the cold wind before closing them. The hunters went to the window, to see the form of Galen passing effortlessly through the snow. Before him waiting in the garden was the demon they hunted, now knowing its name was Slaanesh.
"Get off my land Slaanesh. You have no right here""Oooh such animosity towards an old friend" Slaanesh taunted
"You are not my friend Slaanesh, so tell me what you want. And leave" Galen's fangs grew in his mouth as his wings spread, Dean could now see in the light, the ends of Galen's wings were tipped with red, as if the had been dipped in blood. Horns came from the top of Galen's head, curved and pointed skyward, almost like ram horns placed the wrong way round.
"I want them," Slaanesh pointed to John and the rest.
"Well you can't have them" Galen smiled, Slaanesh went to lash out, but stopped with a smile as he realised what he just about done "Oh please do hit me. It will make my life so much easier"
"Oh, nearly Tzeentch, nearly. You can't protect them forever, I will get them" Slaanesh walked round Galen, touching one of his wings, making the wing flitch back on instinct as the growl rose in Galen's throat. Slaanesh then looked to the parameter of Galen's land, seeing the red glow of hell start. "Seems I have out stayed my welcome. But I wouldn't want to leave without a parting gift.."
Galen heard the whistle of parting air too late as a silver arrow imbedded deep in his shoulder, the smoke rising from the bolt as the holy water and the Latin inscriptions burning him from the inside out. He roared in pain at the impact, the force making him take a step back. Slaanesh just laughed as he disappeared, the shockwave from the hell ring missing its target. But that was okay; Slaanesh could no longer set foot here. Nor could any possessed mortal. Galen turned and walked back into the house. The others tired to come and help him but he snap/growled like a wounded dog.
"Keep away from him guys. He is his true self right now; his demonic side has taken hold. Let him calm down" Bobby stated from the chair he had sat himself down in. Galen walked to where the fire was, placing one taloned hand on the mantle piece for a moment before grabbing hold of the bolt, growling more as it now burnt his hand. Then with a roar of pain he yanked the bolt free, flinging it across the room were it imbedded itself into the wall.
"Ow… I hate those damn things," Galen gasped out. All turned as one of the windows smashed as a form jumped through it. There in the centre another bolt ready was Mark. "Someone disarm him before I kill him" Galen snarled. He would only get that one warning in the state Galen was in
"Mark, put the crossbow down you stupid son of a bitch" John growled.
"Don't worry John, I kill him for you" Mark replied, as if he had never heard John speak. He fired the bolt once more. But Galen would not be caught of guard again. One moment he was before the fire, next he was behind mark.
"You only get one warning mortal" then before everyone Galen ripped him asunder, his screams tearing through the night, his carcass thrown before the fire. The flames roared as a demonic laugh filled the room.
"You are mine mortal" The hand of the Devil grabbed the foot of Marks soul. The man pleaded begged.
"No…please no…I never meant to kill her….she shouldn't have screamed NOOOO!" the flames devoured his soul, leaving the room as before. All looked on stunned at Galen, his eyes returning to the green of before, the horns and wings hiding themselves. Galen looked up at their faces, then to the body.
"Hum…haven't done that in a while" his voice no longer demonic "Seems he had a dark little secret. Poor girl…she was only 12." The others still had not moved. "Come on….I am a demon after all. I am no angel" Galen went over to another decanter that had the demonic symbols on it, taking a long draught from the bottle, the wound on his shoulder healing as he watched. But it left an incantation there in its wake, a holy cross that he reached up and itched. "Hum….strike 2" he commented quietly.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Oh nothing. Look, make yourselves comfortable; there are plenty of beds. I don't know about you but I am tired." With that Galen left them to their own devices. For some reason he was just so tired.
8888888
"Damn Tzeentch! Always interfering. Give him the chance to join. But oh no the good lackey till the end. I need to get him out of the way" Slaanesh kicked over one of the vases in his home, the priceless ornament shattering.
"So what's the plan?" one of his demons asked,
"We can no longer trespass on my dear old friends land" he replied with a sneer, so you and no question that this "old friend" was not a friend at all. "But he will have to be watched, there are no more bullets in the colt. So I am safe from that. But knowing my old friend as I do, he will find another way to train the Winchesters."
"Can you not bind Lord Tzeentch?" his minion came forward, a silver chalice filled with mortal blood in his grasp.
"No, be he is on his last marker. It he is wounded by another holy relic, he will be sent back to the only place he truly fears" The demon smiled a moment, then began to laugh, a deep chilling laugh that rung out into the darkness.
TBC….
KITG: sorry if this chapter seemed a little short, my brain has fried in the heat :P