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Chapter Twelve

Nick scrolled down the page and muttered a curse.

The hunt he thought he'd found on one of his regular websites had already been debunked. It had been a vague chance anyway, a werewolf sighting that turned out to be too much marijuana on a camping trip. The werewolf had been a homeless man that had been squatting in a cabin near the witnesses' campsite.

He and Dean had been on the road for two weeks, but all they'd found was a spirit that had been taken out the same day. They'd kept busy moving around the Midwest, looking for something, coming to Columbus, Ohio, and finding a motel on the outside of the city that Dean had some vague memory of from their childhood. He'd wanted to see if the burgers in the attached diner were as good as they were when he'd been there thirty years ago. Judging from the satisfied sounds he'd been making at lunch, they had been.

Nick clicked open a new tab, this one a newspaper and began to read.

Sitting opposite him with his phone in his hand, Dean jerked his head up and slapped the table. "Got something!"

Nick looked up from the screen and said, "Yeah?"

Dean nodded with a wide smile. "Nicky, I think we've got a ghoul in Illinois." He ran a finger down the screen and read the headline aloud. "Grave robber at large in Mid-Chicago. Blah, blah, blah, devil worship, possible dark rites on campus… Oh."

"Oh, what?" Nick asked.

Dean looked at him and Nick saw a shadow in his eyes that had wiped away his triumph at finding the case. "It's Normal."

"Grave robbery is normal?"

"No, the town the cemetery is in is called Normal. It was a cemetery retired in the sixties after a larger and more modern one was created on the other side of town. This one barely got any traffic."

"So it's not a ghoul," Nick said, feeling disappointed. "There would be nothing to eat if it's that old a grave."

"It's Normal, Illinois, Nick."

Something pricked in Nick's mind and his mouth dropped open. "But that's… Henry!"

"Exactly. It sounds like the cemetery where we buried him with the other Men of Letters. It's not the hunting ground for a ghoul since there wouldn't be meat left, so there's another reason for him to be dug up. Some other reason for someone to want that body."

Nick pressed the heels of his hand to his eyes. "It's Michael. Dammit. Why didn't we think?"

"We've been busy with the rest of the crap storm. Lucifer has been the louder voice for us with his whole… change thing going on."

"The act," Nick corrected.

"Yeah, that."

Nick swore loudly. He had been focused on Lucifer more than Michael, thinking that Michael was less of an issue without a vessel. Apparently, he now had a vessel.

He crashed the power on his laptop and slammed it closed. "We've got to go home"

"Yeah, but I think that we should detour to Illinois first," Dean said. "I get that it's a long-shot, but it might not be Henry."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "That's a long long-shot."

"What do we have to lose looking?" Dean asked.

Nick conceded his point. "Sure. We'll put a call into Cas and Jack, first, let them know what's going on, then we'll go. Get Mom back to the bunker, too."

Dean looked worried. "You think Michael will go after her?"

"Honestly, I don't know. But I at least want to talk to her about it, and not on the phone. I'll feel better if we can all be together for a while, see Mom."

He wanted to make sure she was okay. He didn't think Michael would go for her really, but he wanted to check in with her, make sure she knew what the risks were.

"Take a breath, man," Dean said in a tone that was supposed to calm but aggravated instead. "So Michael has a vessel, okay, we can handle that. Panicking isn't going to help anyone."

"I'm not panicking."

He wasn't. There was some relief even. If Michael had Henry, he wasn't going to be coming for Dean. That was good news. He just wanted to see his family together. He wasn't being weak or emotional. It was tactical. They needed to be together to plan.

Dean examined him a moment, clearly not convinced, and Nick shoved the laptop into its bag and picked up his phone. "I'll call Mom," he said. "You call Cas."

Dean nodded and Nick hit the second speed-dial that would connect him to his mother's cell. He'd get her to the bunker while they went to the graveyard in Normal then join her at home with facts instead of theories.

He wasn't sure which he wanted more: Michael to have Henry so Dean was safe, or Michael to still be grace on the air and helpless.

One was a cruel fate for his grandfather, the other was a danger for his brother.

They parked outside the rusted gates of the cemetery and Nick took the lead inside. It was as gloomy as it had been when they were there before, though it was afternoon and the sun was shining. The neglected appearance of the graves that were there, the lack of flowers and other decorations, made the place look bleak.

There was one outstanding part of the scene, a cop standing at the rear of the cemetery in front of what had been a grave marked by a wooden cross beside two others with stone markers. The grass over it was disturbed, as if it had been replaced carelessly.

"Damn," Dean groaned. "You see that? It was Henry."

Nick sighed though his own disappointment. "Yeah. Let's find out what happened."

"We already know, Nick," Dean pointed out.

Nick didn't reply. He went ahead across the tufted grass to the cop who looked up at their approach and eyed him curiously. Dean fell into step beside him, and Nick murmured, "Got your badge?"

"Always," Dean replied.

"Let me take the lead."

Nick drew his badge from his jeans pocket and held it up when he reached the cop. "Hello, Officer," he said. "I'm Page and this is my partner Plant. We're with the bureau."

The cop looked them up and down and Nick examined him at the same time. He looked maybe mid-twenties, and his blonde hair was shorn close to the scalp.

"You don't look like feds," he said.

Nick smiled ingratiatingly. "We're actually on vacation. I've got family in the area, and we heard what happened, so I thought we should check it out. I called Agent Plant to come along with me since he was close."

"Just for a grave robbery?"

Nick could tell the cop was annoyingly shrewd, and he tried to think of a way to come at the situation that wouldn't reveal his rising temper.

Dean spoke up before he could find anything to say. "We've got a personal connection to the case." He shot a quick look at the untouched grave beside the cop. "David Ackers was family on Agent Page's mother's side."

Nick nodded and formed his face into something suitably sad. "Mom's really shaken up. We didn't know whose grave it was as she wasn't notified. Obviously, I'm glad it wasn't him."

The cop looked appeased and said, "No, we've not been able to notify the family as the grave wasn't on the records. It's strange as Chicago has strict rules on burials. No one in the city department even knew there was a new grave. That's not the only weird thing. I'm not sure what you heard, but the body wasn't technically stolen. It was burned. We got an anonymous report from some kids that there was a grave robber, and when we came to check, we saw what had happened."

Nick frowned. "The body was burned?"

"Yes, we think so. There were scraps of charred wood inside that we think was a coffin and traces of ash, but nothing else before we covered it up again—health and safety, you know? Well… actually, there was one more thing, but it's even weirder."

"We're good with weird," Dean said. "What did you find?"

The cop raised an eyebrow and said, "An empty box of salt and can of lighter fluid beside the hole. That weird enough for you?"

"Yeah," Nick said vaguely. "Plenty weird enough."

Henry hadn't been taken; he'd been salted and burned. That wouldn't help Michael at all as a vessel, which meant it couldn't be him that did it. It was possible that it was another hunter, that Henry had been a spirit that had to be dealt with, but most hunters would have recognized the name Winchester. Surely, they'd have gotten in touch if they'd stumbled across the name. And how would they have traced the off-record grave anyway?

"Okay, that's great," Dean said, rubbing his hands together. "Thanks for your help."

"It's great?" the cop asked doubtfully.

"Obviously not for whoever's grave that was," Nick said quickly. "But for us, it is since it isn't Uncle David. I'll go tell mom now. She'll be so pleased."

The cop nodded. "I'm glad someone gets good news out of this anyway. I've got to stay on duty here until dark when I'll be spelled by someone else. We're waiting to see if the perpetrators return to the scene. The Chief is coming down hard on them if he finds them. There are some things that shouldn't be done, and burning bodies is one of them."

"Yeah, absolutely," Nick said. "Thanks."

He tugged Dean's arm and they set off back to the car. Neither of them spoke until they were in the car and Dean was driving them away from the cemetery.

"It wasn't Michael," he said.

"Nope. You think Lucifer? Maybe he doesn't want Michael to have a strong vessel."

Nick considered. "Maybe. It doesn't feel right though. I just can't see Lucifer digging up a grave."

"Maybe he had someone else do it. We know he's got at least one ally—Violet. And if he really did fix Heaven, the angels would be willing to fix things up for him. Who else would want to do it but him?"

"Another hunter?" Nick suggested.

Dean sighed. "We'd have heard about it. This is Lucifer going after Michael. I think we need to talk to Billie. She might have some insight into what's going on with Michael and Lucifer. At least she'll be able to tell us what the deal is with Violet. She'll know if she's joined the Darkside or if Lucifer has a demon riding her."

Nick gritted his teeth. He didn't like Billie. He'd not forgiven her for threatening to shove them in the Empty. She'd come through for them when they'd been gathering souls to take out Amara, but that hadn't been for their sakes. That had been pure self-interest. He didn't trust her and didn't want to see her.

He didn't think they had a choice though. They needed all the help they could get, and she was the most powerful and knowledgeable being on earth now that Chuck had taken off. He had no expectations that she would interfere with Michael and Lucifer, but she might be able to help them with information.

"Okay," he said. "We can talk to her, but we'll try Jessica first. She can pass along the request for us. I don't want to summon Death and piss her off."

"Agreed." Dean steered the car to the side of the road and cut the engine then climbed out.

Nick got out, too, and met him at the front of the car where he leaned against the hood and crossed his arms over his chest as he raised his eyes and said, "Jessica, are you around? We need to talk."

Dean looked around and, after a minute's wait, said, "Maybe not. We'll have to try Billie."

"I wouldn't do that," a voice said behind them. "I don't like being called like a dog."

They both turned and saw Billie circling the car and coming to a stop opposite them.

"Uh, hey," Dean said.

She shot him a withering look and then fixed her eyes on Nick, a strange look in her eyes. "Hello, Nick," she said, laying emphasis on the name. "Enjoying life with your brother?"

"Why are you saying it like that?" Dean asked. "That's Nick, right?"

Nick scowled at him. "Of course it's me. What are you thinking? Shapeshifter or do you think Lucifer slipped in when I wasn't looking?"

His tone was harsh, but the momentary doubt in Dean's face burned, like he wouldn't know if Nick was gone and replaced with someone else. They were brothers, dammit. They knew each other. If something was wrong, Dean would be able to tell.

"No, I mean, yeah," Dean said, holding his hands up in a placatory gesture. "Of course you're Nick. I just got my words screwed up."

"It is Nick," Billie said. "Nick Winchester. Tell me, Nick, how are you enjoying life with your family?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Life is awesome. We've got two crazy archangels on the loose, and Jack's grace has been drained to almost nothing so we've got no weapon to use against either of them, but other than that…"

"No weapon yet," Billie said pointedly. "I heard you had a plan to send them to the Cage." In answer to Dean's raised eyebrow, she went on, "You are still being watched. I have a rotating shift of reapers on your tail. For your own protection, of course."

Nick was pissed that they were being followed, especially as none of the 'rotating shift' had stepped in to help when they were needed, like when Jack's throat was being cut. Though he admitted to himself there was probably nothing a reaper could have done to stop an archangel.

Billie's lips quirked into a smile. "At least you have your brother with you. Not everyone is so lucky."

Nick's hands fisted and Dean placed a hand on this chest, stopping the acerbic response passing his lips.

"We wanted to ask about Violet," Dean said. "We saw her on a video with Lucifer."

Billie nodded. "She was with him, yes."

"So…" Nick said expectantly. Is she a demon or has she gone rogue?"

"Neither. She is following orders. I assigned her to help Lucifer."

Nick's eyes widened. "You gave Lucifer a reaper to help?"

Billie nodded serenely. "I did."

"Why?" Dean asked. "You get that he's the enemy, right?"

"Not my enemy," Billie said. "I am a being beyond petty enemies and allies. Neither of them poses a risk to me, so I am neutral in essence. Though…" She smiled. "I gave Lucifer assistance so he would be prepared for Michael. I don't want him destroying another of the worlds I oversee."

"You do know Lucifer will destroy the world, too, right?" Nick asked. "He tried before."

"Yes," Billie said thoughtfully. "Lucifer was quite the threat to humanity before he was dragged to the Cage."

"By Nick," Dean said pointedly. "He gave up everything to stop him, so why are you giving him help now when you know what he's capable of."

Billie smirked. "Yes, of course… it was Nick…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick growled.

The Cage was the defining moment of his life. He had given up everything to stop Lucifer, and he'd suffered almost two centuries of Hell for it. The way Billie said it was like he was taking credit for something someone else did. It incensed him.

Billie examined her fingernails with a disinterested look on her face. "Nothing that matters anymore," she said. "And I have spent all the time I am willing to spend with you today. There is something I need to do that is more important than watching you throw a conniption fit, Nick."

"Wait!" Dean said urgently. "You've got to help us. Our grandfather's body was burned and the ashes were taken. Was it Lucifer?"

"Yes. Though it came too late to really change anything. Michael already took a different vessel."

Dean's mouth dropped open. "He's got one. Who is it?"

Billie chuckled. "You like to jump to the end of the book, too. You two are so alike. Do you like to skip to the end of the book, too, Nick? Is that something that was passed on?"

Nick just stared at her. He had no idea what she was saying—who it would have been passed on by and who Dean was like—but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. She seemed intent on screwing with him, so she could go screw herself.

"Who's the vessel?" Dean asked again when it became clear Nick wasn't going to answer.

Billie shook her head. "I'm not spoiling the ending, but I will tell you one thing. The vessel was taken after some extreme persuasion that involved most of her family dying. The one survivor being her three-month-old son. You can do the rest yourself. There is someone I need to see."

"Who?" Nick asked automatically.

She winked. "Lucifer."

Before either of them could say or ask anything else, Billie had looked from Nick to Dean and then disappeared.

Nick's hands fisted so tight that his fingernails cut into the flesh of his palms. He didn't feel the pain, but when Dean grabbed his arm and forced his fingers to unclench, he saw deep, bloody crescent-shaped cuts in his skin.

"Damnit, Nicky," Dean sighed.

"She's helping Lucifer, Dean!" he said furiously. "She's helping him!"

"She is," Dean said, sounding calm. "Which means we've got an advantage. If she's relying on Lucifer to stop Michael, we do the same. We can focus on just stopping Lucifer."

"And if Michael kills him? He killed Lucifer in his world, and all the angels thought he would win here when they had their smackdown, too. Even Cas said it."

"Then we focus on them both until that happens and deal with whichever one is left." He squeezed Nick's shoulder. "This is good news. The stakes just got cut in our favor."

Nick nodded stiffly. "Sure, okay. But I want to know who Michael's vessel is. A family being killed has got to have made the news."

"We'll go home and get online," Dean said. "Mom will probably be there by now so we can fill them all in on what Billie said." He squeezed Nick's shoulder again and then patted his chest. "If you can stamp down on some of that anger, I'll even let you drive."

Nick smiled in spite of himself. He knew what Dean was offering and the intent behind it, but he didn't feel capable of calming down yet. It was more than the news about Michael. It was what Billie had said and inferred.

Somehow, senselessly, she made him feel like he was missing something huge in this puzzle, like he had done something wrong. But he didn't know what that could be.

So… A little chat with Billie and she's left a few breadcrumbs for Nick to mull over.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx