Amelia placed the laundry basket down on the couch before heading to the row of fake FBI phonelines, frowning slightly when she realised that the ringing she had heard from the other room hadn't actually been from any of them. They had been ringing on and off over the last few days, as had been his cell, but he refused to answer any of them and she'd given up making excuses for the fake agents he was supposed to be playing. She picked up her Uncle Bobby's cell, which had been discarded on one of the many small tables which were now being used as desk space. She curiously checked the caller ID, smiling to herself before answering the call, holding the phone to her ear.
"What's up, Podge?" She asked, perching herself on the edge of a table.
"Watch it, Miller." Dean warned from the other side of the line, "You're going to hurt my feelings."
"Oh, I didn't realise you were so sensitive, Princess." She retorted, "What can I do for you this fine afternoon?"
"I've just taken down a vamp nest in Pennsylvania, thought I'd drop in on the way past." He replied, "I was going to surprise you, but the you went and answered his cell."
"Pennsylvania is like, a days drive away." She replied with a frown, "Where are you heading, exactly?"
"Wherever the wind may take me." Was he corny reply and she rolled her eyes, "How come you're answering Bobby's cell?"
"Oh, he's busy at the moment." She brushed aside, glancing behind her to make sure he wasn't coming through the door, "Researching this whole apocalypse thing. It's a full time job."
"You are not wrong there." Dean murmured, "How's he doin'?" Again, Amelia glanced behind her. Terribly - that was the answer to that question. He wasn't researching, he was just sat in front of the television, swearing at the daytime commercials and slowly drinking himself to sleep in his wheelchair. She had to thank anyone who was listening for the fact they had both an upstairs and a downstairs bathroom, but other than that he had no way of getting to bed as it was, and so he didn't even try.
"How do you think?" Amelia replied sardonically, "Want me to make up the couch for you?"
"And here I was thinkin' we could share your bed." He retorted and she rolled her eyes.
"And on my Uncle's cell as well, Dean?" She scolded playfully, "You're just asking for it, Podge."
"Oi, don't disrespect your elders." He told her, "See you tomorrow, Miller."
"Smell you later, Winchester." She hung up, placing the cell back down where she'd found it and picked up the laundry basket again. She normally did the ironing in front of the television, but given that her Uncle Bobby had taken over the living room, she was going to head upstairs.
"Do you want me to grab you anything before I go do the ironing?" She asked him, peaking into the room. He didn't turn around, just took a swig out of the bottle of beer in his hand.
"I'm not completely useless, you know?" He snapped and she held back the sigh at his tone.
"Okay, well, I'm only upstairs if you need me." She replied lightly, heading up before they started yelling at each other again. She couldn't even begin to understand how frustrated he must have been, her Uncle Bobby didn't ask for help off anyone and to feel so useless was just a gigantic blow to his pride and his self esteem. She had to remember that he wasn't angry at her, he was angry at the situation and so she tried to overlook most of his comments. He hated that she didn't seem to be as torn up about what had happened as he was, but quite frankly she was just glad he had woken up. Sometimes he didn't seem to realise just what he meant to her, and yes she was deeply upset about how badly he was injured, but she could never get past the fact that all she had to do was go downstairs if she needed to see him, and there he was. Getting drunk and sitting in the dark, but still there.
She sniffed, shaking her head and dropping the basket onto the bed with a little bit more force than was necessary. He was fine, this was stupid. Plus, Dean was coming and even though he wasn't hunting with Sam anymore, the Winchester boys always cheered Bobby up. Hopefully Dean still would, if only for a little while.
~0~0~0~
Amelia chucked her arms around Dean the moment he stepped into the hallway, not even giving him a chance to put his bag down. He chuckled at her enthusiasm, then frowned when she didn't let go as quickly as she normally would.
"Is everything alright?" He asked. She shook her head into his shoulder, but before she could answer, Bobby's voice came from the living room.
"And this is not a hotel!" He was ranting, "I have no control over my own fuckin' house!"
"It's just Dean, Uncle Bobby!" She shouted back at him, letting go of Dean to glare at the doorway, "Since when has he not been able to stay?!"
"Since you don't ask my per-shit!" There was a crash as something made of glass shattered on the floor, "That was my best whiskey!"
"Er, should I stay at a hotel..." Dean started but she just turned her glare on him.
"No, don't you dare, Winchester." She warned angrily and he held his hands up in surrender, "This is my house too, I say you can stay even if some people have their heads up their asses!" She shouted the last bit.
"What have I told you about your language?!" Bobby shouted at her and her hands tensed.
"I'll watch my language when you pull your head out of your ass!" She screamed back before turning to Dean, "Your old room is a bit of a dumping ground for old lore books right now, and as you can see, the couch might be off limits. You're bunking with me."
"You're not sharing your room!" Bobby shouted.
"Come stop me!" Amelia barked back before smiling at Dean brightly, the sure sign she was angry, "Come on." She headed up the stairs, Dean glancing back at the darkened doorway before following her up.
"Has he still not left the living room?" He asked.
"Barely washes, won't eat unless he's half-drunk." She explained sadly, "I don't know what else to do, Dean. I've tried to be supportive. I don't blame him for being upset, but all he does is shout at me."
"You've got to cut the guy some slack, Amy." Dean told her as they stepped into her room. She'd finally got it finished, she'd painted the castle that had been her headboard onto the wall and Dean nodded in approval as he took in the music and lyrics that were painted about, "He's just feeling useless, you know what he's like." Amelia sighed, sitting down on her bed as Dean chucked his bag on the floor by the other end.
"I know," She murmured, "but I can't take much more, Dean. Nothing I do is right anymore."
Dean wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a sideways hug, "Why don't you come with me for a bit, then? Maybe you both need a break from each other?"
"What, and come back to find him drowned in his own vomit?" She scoffed, "I can't leave him on his own, he'll kill himself." She shook her head. Her Uncle Bobby had always been there for her, had raised her as his own when really he didn't need to. She had always been so grateful for everything he did for her and for the world, even if the world didn't exactly play fair with him in return. She just wanted to give back what he'd given her, take care of him until he got back on his metaphorical feet, but he just wouldn't let her. It was getting on both of their nerves, and so now all they did was fight, and they'd not even really fought when she was a teenager.
But, she hated moping over it. They'd sort it out, they always did, "How's life without the little brother?" She asked Dean, who shrugged.
"I can listen to my tunes as loud as I'd like, and I don't have to worry about whether or not he's keeping secrets from me." He replied shortly.
"He's your brother, Dean-" Amelia started.
"Who teamed up with a demon instead of me." He interrupted, "Who-Who kick-started the apocalypse and got both you and Cas killed!"
"He didn't mean to." She replied, but left it at that. Normally she would push the subject, they'd spent hours arguing when Sam had run off the Stanford, but without Bobby on her side she needed Dean to not be angry at her, "Have you seen Trench coat lately?" She inquired.
"Not since he took my amulet to go searching for Daddy." He replied, shifting backwards so he could lean against the wall.
Amelia joined him, "Do you think he's having any success?" She asked, "I mean, he would have told you if he'd found him, wouldn't he?"
"I don't think he'd want me to know." Dean retorted, "I think he knows I'm not a big fan of God, probably worried I'd say something embarrassing."
"Nah, that can't be it, otherwise he'd never speak to you at all." Amelia teased and he shoved her sideways as she giggled.
"Shut it, Miller." He said, "He's not been breaking down your door to go meet his parents, has he?"
"Yeah, but I'm not his best friend." She pointed out, "You're not worried he's found someone new, are you Dean?"
"Piss off, Miller." He put his arms behind his head, "So, we topping and tailing, or what?"
She let out a snort of a laugh, "What, you think I'm sharing my bed with you? Dream on, Podge."
~0~0~0~
"Every time I've offered to make you something, you've told me that you can take care of yourself and to stop badgering you!" Amelia shouted as Dean made his way down the stairs. Their arguing had woken him up, and after he realised Sam wasn't there and he wasn't in a motel room, he decided he probably should break the pair up.
"Oh, cry me a river." Bobby snapped, "You're just too busy looking after your pretty boy to give two craps about the man who raised you."
"Oh, you are not pulling that on me, Bobby!" She shouted back. They were both in the kitchen, she was making her and Dean some bacon sandwiches for breakfast and really had just wanted to avoid the argument she and Bobby had every time she tried to ask him if he wanted something to eat. That had been awful mistake on her part, because the argument they were having now seemed to exceed all of them, "I don't know what to do anymore! Everything I do just seems to piss you off!"
"What have I told you about your language?" Bobby snarled.
"And I told you that I'll watch my language when you pull your head out of your ass!" She snapped, "I can't do anything else right, I may as well fucking curse!"
"Maybe if you hadn't dropped out of college you would feel like such a failure." Bobby retorted and Dean winched, Amelia's lips pursing angrily, "While you're livin' under my roof, those are the rules. If you don't like it, get your angel pals to zap you up to mummy's house and live there instead!" Amelia didn't reply, but the loud slam of the back door told Dean she hadn't even stuck around to think of something to say.
"Jesus, Bobby." Dean started incredulously, stepping into the room from his place in the doorway, "I know you're feeling useless and all, but that was harsh."
"Piss off, Winchester!" Bobby snapped, wheeling himself back into the darkened living room. Dean rolled his eyes, heading out after Amelia, taking a moment to take the pan off the hob before it burnt the house down.
She was stood just outside the house, hands clenched by her sides as she stared out into the scrapyard.
"I can't take any more, Dean." She told him the moment the door shut, "I need to get away. I know he's frustrated, but that was unnecessary."
"Damn right it was." He murmured, falling by her side, "How about we find something close? Spend a night in a motel, gank ourselves some classic, easy monsters. You'll be gone one night, two tops." She rubbed her eyes tiredly, completely stressed out. It sounded so tempting, even with the monster-slaying thrown in.
"I can't just leave him, can I?" She pointed out, looking up at Dean like she needed him to correct her.
"He's a grown man." Dean scoffed, "If he needs you to open his hunter's helper, then we've got bigger problems." A night away was so tempting, and maybe the time apart might calm them both down. She didn't know how else she could help her uncle, but he wasn't about to tell her what he needed.
"Fine, fine." She relented, "I'll do it." She pointed at him in warning, "I want separate beds though, Podge. If there's some sort of suspicious 'mix-up', then you're on the floor."
Dena held his hand on his chest, "Oh, Amy, you wound me." She pushed him away from her.
"Piss off, Winchester." She told him, unknowingly echoing her uncle even if she didn't mean it like he did.
~0~0~0~
Bobby had reacted to Amelia leaving just as she had expected, with a lot of shouting and telling her she was abandoning him for the Winchesters yet again. She hadn't even understood what that had meant, but she was too close to her wits end that she hadn't stuck around to ask for an explanation. She'd just snapped that she would be back in a couple of days and to try and not drink himself to death while she was gone.
Dean hadn't commented on her held back tears in the car, or the fact that she didn't say anything on the drive to the random motel he had pulled into a few hours away from Sioux Falls, but instead of renting the two rooms they would have normally gone for, he'd gotten them a twin instead and she was so grateful she had chucked her arms around him for a hug he'd allowed for a moment, then had pushed her away and told her to go and stop turning everything into a 'chick flick' moment.
"So, you're really not going to hunt with Sam anymore?" She asked him, flopping onto the bed she decided was hers, kicking off her favourite brown boots onto the floor. Dean had been so broken up when Sam had run off to Stanford, as much as he'd tried to hide it. To think he was willingly letting his brother go seemed strange. Even before the Apocalypse he had tried to give up being Sam's older brother and had failed miserably.
"It's for the best." Was all Dean would say about it, chucking his bag onto the bed left over for himself, "I saw a burger joint down the road, I'll grab us something fatty and greasy and we'll watch one of those sappy movies you like on Life."
"That I like?" She scoffed, "I seem to recall you crying your eyes out-"
"Hey, hush!" He scolded, pointing at her in warning.
"-At that poor girl who's mom had cancer, but then she died instead."
"That girl just wanted her mother!" He snapped before turning and storming out. Amelia giggled, laying back and looking over the room. Motels rooms tended to be pretty generic no matter when they were, barely decorated and cheap furniture. It was a lovely sight, though, when she wanted to be as far away from her actual house as possible. She felt for her cell in her front pocket, making sure she had it close in case Bobby needed to get in contact with her. He was a very grown, very capable man who could look after himself even in his new-found state but she still worried. She was always going to worry that he would disappear on her like her mother did, no matter how long it was since her mom had died. Reasonably she knew that he wouldn't just 'disappear', she was the first person anyone would tell if he died. He wasn't about to drop her off for a weekend and never come back for her. Yet it was always there in the back of her mind as an actual possibility.
She reached for the remote on the bedside table that sat between the two beds and began to flip through the channels. She immediately decided nothing of any worth was on, so she settled down for a night of channel surfing.
~0~0~0~
Dean headed into the bathroom while she got changed out of her pyjamas, under the strict instructions to not look into the bedroom no matter how much he wanted to. It wasn't like he'd never seen her in her underwear before, but then again she couldn't exactly encourage the behaviour, could she?
She quickly stripped off, bending down to grab her bag off the floor so she could get her hastily packed outfit out. She turned to put it on the bed and jumped, completely taken by surprise by Castiel, who was stood with his normal slightly confused expression, staring at her.
"Jesus Christ, Cas!" She exclaimed as the door to the bathroom slammed open and Dean appeared, "Give a girl a bit of warning, would you?"
"Sorry." He muttered, "Hello Amelia, Dean." Dean watched him stand there, arms by his side like the awkward little man he was.
"Dude." He exclaimed and Castiel's brows furrowed in confusion, "She's in her underwear!" Castiel turned from looking at him to Amelia and Dean's mouth fell open in disbelief, "Dude!" He repeated, "Stop perving on her and turn your back!"
"Oh." He replied simply in realisation, "Sorry." He apologised to Amelia, who shrugged. He turned around at the same time as Dean, leaving her to get dressed.
"How'd you find us anyway?" Dean snapped, wanting to turn the conversation away from his half-dressed childhood friend, "I thought I was flying below the angel radar and you couldn't see her to begin with."
"Bobby told me where you were." Castiel explained, "He seemed a lot more disagreeable than usual."
"Yeah, he's been like that lately." Amelia muttered before pulling her top over her head, "You can turn around." They both did, Dean looking like someone had taken all his toys. He always joked around about trying to shag her, or see her naked, but when it came to other people he suddenly became Mister Prude. It never really bothered her, and she hadn't been naked so it wasn't like Cas had seen any more than the rolls on her torso that she was an expert at hiding with her clothes.
Cas looked around, observing the room in growing confusion, "Where's Sam?" he asked the pair and Dean walked over to his bed, busying his hands as he tried to sound like he didn't give a crap about his younger brother.
"Me and Sam are taking separate vacations for a while." He replied as calmly as he could, pulling on his outer shirt over the top of his plain t-shirt. They'd been getting ready to head off to another motel for another night before he took Amelia home, some angel wasn't going to stop their plans.
"Which means they're both sulking." Amelia translated for the angel, who tilted his head in confusion.
"I do not sulk!" Dean protested and she rolled her eyes.
"Dean, you're worse than a teenage girl. And I should know, I was one." She retorted, "Found you dad yet, Cas?" She asked him gently with a smile, leaving Dean to mutter to himself. Sometimes she thought she was so clever, but he wasn't sulking. He was getting on with his life, like Sam was. Not everything he did revolved around his brother.
"No, I haven't found him." Castiel regrettably told her, "That's why I'm here. I need your help."
"With what? God hunt? Not interested." Dean replied, rolling his sleeves up his arms as he did.
"Dean!" Amelia snapped, "Of course we'll help." She told Cas, sending a pointed look to Dean as she approached the angel. He turned to shoot her what was his version of a grateful look and a small smile appeared on her face as their eyes locked. She'd forgotten how blue they were. She cleared her throat, "How can we help find God, though?"
"It's not God. It's someone else." He explained.
Dean stopped what he was doing, now intrigued and Amelia smiled slightly. He could never resist a mystery, "Who?"
"Archangel." Castiel replied, walking over to him as he saw he had Dean's attention, "The one who killed me and distracted Amelia so Zachariah could kill her."
"You're going after Raphael?" Amelia exclaimed, surprised, "Cas, that's suicide!"
Dean looked between the two, "You were wasted by a teenage mutant ninja angel?" He asked.
"He's an archangel, Dean!" Amelia replied, walking over to the two men. Castiel was looking at Dean stoically, while Dean was still looking like he didn't really want much to do with the conversation, "You can't be serious, Cas!" Everyone who knew even the most basic of angel mythology knew that archangels were stronger than any other class of angel. Even Cas, who wasn't the weakest and she'd seen what he could do, didn't stand a chance one on one with an archangel!
"I've heard whispers that he's walking the earth. This is a rare opportunity." The angel told the pair.
"For what? Revenge?" Dean scoffed. That road never led anywhere good, he'd seen enough vengeful spirits to know that.
"Information." Castiel corrected.
Dean let out a quiet laugh of disbelief, "So, what, you think you can find this dude and he's just gonna spill God's address?" He asked, leaving the pair stood where they were as he headed over to the set of drawers on the far side of the room, picking up his gun and giving it the familiar once over he always did before pocketing it.
"Yes, because we are gonna trap him and interrogate him." Castiel declared and Amelia shook her head.
"You can't be serious about this!" She protested, "He'll tear you apart, he'll tear all of us apart. You're not exactly on Heaven's friend's list, are you?"
"Raphael will know where Father is." Castiel replied simply, obviously holding onto that belief very firmly, "If I can talk to him, then I will be able to convince Heaven that he did not want Lucifer let out of the Cage."
Dean frowned as he leant against the set of drawers, watching the pair very closely. Amelia never liked to see people get hurt, especially people she knew. However, the look she was shooting the angel in a trench coat was one that was normally reserved for himself, Bobby and Sam. He knew she fancied Castiel, but really? The level of concern on her face wasn't improving his mood at all, "Give me one good reason why we should do this." He challenged and Castiel turned around to face him.
"Because you're Michael's vessel and no angel will dare harm you." He replied and Dean turned to face him, equal parts offended and incredulous.
"Oh, so I'm your bullet shield." He declared, expecting Castiel to backtrack and correct him.
"It's only a precaution." He reassured, "The Choir will be able to hold off an archangel should we need more forceful persuasion."
"Wait, you expect Amy to just go and fight an archangel after last time?" He exclaimed, "Are you freakin' kidding me? Last time she tried to help, you got her killed!"
Castiel paused for a moment. He wasn't wrong, and he still hadn't worked out why she had stayed by his side, no matter how grateful he was that she had been there. He owed her a lot for her sacrifice, and he knew asking for more was not fair, but he needed their help, "I need your help because you are the only ones who'll help me. Please."
Amelia wasn't completely convinced that he'd ever find God. She hated to agree with him, but she was more inclined to go with Zachariah's declaration that he'd left the building. However, this obviously meant a lot to Castiel and they might actually be able to find out what the angels were planning to do now that Lucifer was out of his Cage, "I'm in."
"Oh no you're not." Dean snapped as if he had any say over what she did at all.
"Come on, Dean!" She retorted, "It's a long shot, I'm not saying it isn't, but what if we actually manage to find out what the hell God is trying to do here? It'll be a lot easier to get him to shove Lucifer back in and stall this apocalypse looming over our heads than stopping it ourselves." She had a point. He hated that.
"All right, fine." Dean grumbled. He always gave in way too easily, but the pair of them were shooting him puppy dog eyes. He wasn't a monster, "Where is he?"
Castiel nodded his head slightly in silent thanks. He knew that it was a lot to ask, and while he may not have been happy about it, he was glad to have Dean on his side, "Maine." Was all he offered, "Let's go." He reached up with two fingers, ready to touch Dean and Amelia on the foreheads but Dean darted out of the way.
"Whoa." He protested and Castiel quickly moved his hand away.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Last time you zapped me some place I didn't poop for a week." He declared and Amelia groaned, "We're driving."
"Oh too much information, Dean!" She exclaimed, "Maine's like, a day away!"
"We're driving." He repeated, pointing between the two of them, daring for one of them to protest. However, Amelia sighed and grabbed her bag off the floor.
"Fine, Winchester." She muttered, "Shotgun." Castiel's brows furrowed as he followed her out of the room.
"What do firearms have anything to do with travel?" He asked her. Dean looked down at his own bag. Perhaps he should have put up with the constipation; it was a long way to Maine.
~0~0~0~
I know, I know! I'm doing terrible with updating. If you follow me on Tumblr (which you should do, if you're not because I'm awesome? Nah, but do it anyway :P), you'll know I've been struggling with this. Eventually I just decided to finish it so I can move onto something I knew what to do with.
Thanks again if you're still here! You all deserve all the cookies or any other treat you may wish to eat if, like me, you actually don't like cookies. I'd go for ice cream, but that's just me :)
