Chapter Six

Souls are Overrated

When her and Crowley first began their relationship Pandora had her doubts. She kept her guard up at all times and only meeting him on her own terms usually at a restaurant or at her own apartment. As the weeks turned into months she found herself trusting Crowley more than she probably should. She liked the fact that he never talked about Hell with her other than a few passing remarks. He never asked for help in securing his position against what was left of Lucifer followers and she respected him for that.

It was just a little over a year since the apocalypse had been averted when Crowley had called her to see if he could meet up with her. She had been out shopping for the perfect floppy sun hat after seeing a few ladies wearing them a few days ago. She had found a nice little shop that sold them and had ending up buying three different ones plus a bathing suit. Her skin didn't blemish nor could it tan but she always liked feeling the sun on her skin and she had a small balcony just outside her living room that she planned to make use of.

She had met up with him before taking him to her apartment. He seemed agitated even more so then usual as she placed the take out Japanese food on her small kitchen table.

"So are you just going to sulk standing in the middle of my living room or do you want to tell me what's wrong?" She finally questioned after a silence that lasted to long in her opinion.

Her words seemed to finally register as he moved away from the living room to join her in the kitchen.

"I just had to terminate a contract." He told her.

"I thought you didn't do crossroad demon work anymore?" She questioned.

"I don't normally. This was a special case." He told her and she watched as his jaw tightened in anger.

Pandora snapped her fingers and a bottle of red wine and a bottle of Craig appeared as well as glasses in front of their chairs at the table. Pandora gestured to the table with a smile before taking a seat and pouring herself a glass of wine.

"How exactly does someone break a contract? I always thought they were pretty set in stone."

Crowley silently sipped on his drink as he stared at her. She was almost ready to ask something else thinking that he was never going to answer her but before she could get anymore words out he spoke.

"Well," he cleared his throat seeming to still be debating on telling her. Pandora didn't see what the big deal was. "I was threatened by Bobby Singer."

Pandora really did tried to hold it in but she couldn't and soon she was consumed by laughter. Crowley didn't look happy in the least and when she caught sight of his facial expression her laughter died down quickly. She cleared her throat as the laughter subsided.

"Sorry, I was just imaging that in my head." She told him trying to be serious. His expression didn't change.

She wanted to ask him why Bobby had to threaten him to get his contract terminated since she remembered him telling Bobby that he would give his soul back to him after the apocalypse was diverted but thought better of it. She liked Bobby but she didn't want to get in the middle of that mess.

"So bad then?"

He gave a fake smile as he still stared at her. "A very bad day."

Looking over her wine glass at him she gave him a seductive smile. "I know something that will make it all better." That's all it took to make the food and the broken contract forgotten.

Pandora never felt so content in her life as she laid pressed up against The King of Hell. She never thought she would get another chance like this but now that she had it she was happy; truly happy. Crowley laid contently beside her as she talked all about her day and how she met up with Death for lunch before doing more shopping. She even told him about her human friend she had met up with for dinner and shopping; Natalie Pickman.

She had met Natalie not long after being freed from her box. Pandora had went to a nice little bar where the young human girl was being flirted with by a guy that didn't understand the word no. Pandora was enjoying a glass of wine at the bar as she watched and listened before finally stepping in. Needless to say while Pandora didn't usually resort to violence she could if she needed to. Twisting the boys arm to the point of almost breaking it would make him think twice before getting pushy with a girl after they told him no.

Natalie had watched all of this with wide eyes and stared at Pandora in awe.

"Oh my god, that was awesome!" The tall blonde girl told her.

"I don't like guys who don't understand the meaning of no," Pandora told her and it was true. She had just escaped her box and the pain of being betrayed was still very raw for her.

"Well, thanks a lot. I'm glad you came along. I'm Natalie by the way but most people just call me Nat." She held her hand out for Pandora to take.

She stared at the appendage that was offered to her before taking it lightly in her own. "I'm Pandora."

"Pandora... your parents must have loved Greek mythology." The girl commented.

Pandora stared at her for longer than was deemed appropriate before answering. "Um yes... they were." She finally settled on saying.

Natalie offered Pandora to set with her and after a few awkward moments the two finally found something in common; fashion. Natalie was a college student and an inspiring fashion designer. After letting it be known that the beautiful dress that she was wearing was made by her Pandora asked if she could hire her to make some of her ever growing wardrobe. The college student was shocked and even more surprised at the price Pandora was willing to offer her for her services.

Money wasn't something Pandora had to worry about. In her time on Earth before being locked away she had collected several artifacts that were now worth a fortune and she was able to sell a few of them to the highest bidder. Money meant very little to her.

Not having a cell phone at the time and still trying to avoid the eyes of Lucifer she only meet with Natalie a few times but after the apocalypse was averted and she had the cell phone that Crowley gifted her with they were able to meet up more frequently.

It was interesting to talk with someone that had no idea about the things that went bump in the night and it made Pandora feel slightly guilty about having to lie about almost everything about herself. Since being with Crowley she hadn't spent a whole lot of time with her blonde friend so today she surprised her with a shopping spree and dinner.

"I'm glad you're making friends," Crowley told her.

"It's nice. I don't like lying to her though but I don't want to drag her into the world of supernatural if it can be avoided." She confided in him.

Crowley always took everything she said to him and filed it away in his mind. Pandora even though she still didn't understand everything about the way of the world now and she was still horrible with technology she knew a lot of things about the old world. The world long before he as both demon and human existed.

He tried to never question her right out. He knew from her past experience that she wouldn't like him to poke around and asking suspicious questions but after time went by she opened up to him a little more. She would make comments here and there. He already knew that her powers for the most part came from her box, and he found out that there was an actual box, and she needed to be in close contact with it every so often or her powers would slowly fade. Crowley rationalized that it worked somewhat like Angles and Heaven. If an Angel was cut off from Heaven their powers would slowly fade away. He also found out that Angel blades didn't kill her... they could hurt her and slow her down. She had Lucifer to thank for that discovery. Slowly step by step he was unraveling the beautiful mystery that was Pandora Box.

Pandora hadn't seen or heard from Bobby or either one of the Winchester brothers since she had spoken to Sam a little over a year ago and she didn't think to much about it. That was until she was lounging one day in her tub and her phone started to ring. The number calling wasn't saved in her very short contact list so she answered with caution.

"Hello?" She questioned the caller. She thought maybe it could be just a wrong number.

"Pandora?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Who is this?" She asked back.

"It's uh Dean, Dean Winchester. We um had pizza with Death once." He explained as if she could forget him.

"Right, yeah I remember you." She assured him. "Everything alright? I thought you were living the normal life these days?"

"I was but um I found Sam was back so..." He let his sentence trail off but Pandora didn't need any more of an explanation. "Actually we were wondering if we could meet up somewhere?"

Pandora blinked and stared at the faucet of her bath tub for a minute trying to figure out how they had gotten her phone number before she remembered she had gave it to Sam over a year ago.

"Yeah, we can do that. Can't say no to the Winchesters now can I? I do owe you two for putting Lucifer back in his cage after all. Where and when would you like to meet?"

"Well we just finished up a case if you can meet with us now?" Dean suggested. Pandora looked down sadly at her bubble bath before agreeing she would be there shortly. After giving her an address she hung up the phone to get ready.

"You think she can help?" Sam questioned Dean after he had gotten done talking to Pandora.

"Can't hurt to find out," Dean answered with a shrug.

They both set opposite each other on a picnic table in the park that had found after they had finished the shape-shifter case. Dean watched the dogs and owners that passed by with suspicion. Sam had just admitted about what being soulless was really like for him and Dean needed to fix it. He couldn't deal with working for Crowley anymore. They needed to find another way. While they were trying to come up with a game plan Sam had suddenly remembered the visit from Pandora and how odd it was when she gave him her telephone number. Dean didn't waste anytime in giving her a call and now the two brothers waited for the lovely redhead to show up.

"Hello boys," Pandora greeted as she popped up out of no where beside Dean. "Miss me?" She questioned.

"Hey Pandora," Sam greeted her from across the table. She stared at him for a long moment before giving him a small smile in greeting.

"Yeah, hey Pandora, how have you been?" Dean greeted her with his signature smile.

"Good, very good." She told them thinking of all the great time she had spent with Crowley. "So as nice as this is I'm sure there is a reason you called me. After all I gave my number to Sam over a year go." She stared from one brother to the other. Were they aware of Sam's condition? She wasn't sure if she wanted to break that news to them.

"Yeah, about that why exactly did you give your number to Sam anyway?" Dean asked.

"Well, when Bobby told me he was top side I wanted to make sure it was just Sam knocking around in that pretty head of his," Pandora told them. "And I gave him my number cause well we have lots in common now." She told them. They both looked at her confused.

"In common?" The youngest Winchester questioned.

"Well yeah, Sam," she began with a wide smile spreading across her face. "I mean after all you have had Lucifer inside you... and well, I've had Lucifer inside me." She told them. She watched in amusement as Dean choked on air and turned to looked at her with wide eyes. Her smile never fading but instead turning more suggestive than just friendly.

"That is way to much information." Dean told her once he was able to speak again.

"That's not really the reason you gave me your number was it?" Sam asked not believing her lie.

She sighed. "Okay, than why do you think I gave you my number? Maybe I just found you super sexy and was waiting for you to man up and call me so we could have a good time."

"I think you knew what was wrong with me." He told her ignoring her not so subtle flirting. If she didn't know that he wasn't currently soulless she would be offended. "You know I don't have a soul. I don't know how you know but you do."

"Good job, you found me out." She congratulated him with fake enthusiasm. "If you already know whats wrong why did call me?" She questioned the two them.

"How did you know he didn't have soul? Cas had to put his arm in him and feel around." Dean told her. Pandora cringed.. soul searching with an angel didn't sound pleasant at all.

"Well you remember when we first meet and I touched you and your insides turned all into Jello?" She asked the two brothers. They nodded. "Well sins and virtues only work on things that have souls. Even ones with horribly mangled souls. I like Lust the best. It's the most entertaining one. I touched Sam before I left his motel room because something seemed off about him. Well, lets just say he didn't turn into a gooey lust filled marshmallow. I knew he wasn't Lucifer so I put two and two together and ta da.. he has no soul." She finished with a smile. The boys didn't look as amused as she did about the situation.

"And you didn't think to tell him that before you left?" She could hear the anger ready to bubble up to the surface as Dean spoke.

"I gave him my number. I figured he would call when he saw that something was wrong with him. I thought Sam was suppose to be the smarter one. Not my fault he waited to be groped by an angel." She told him. "I mean all you humans do is eat and sleep so I figured I would have gotten a phone call a lot sooner than this when he realized he didn't do any of those things. Besides I don't understand what all the anger and fuss is about." She waved a hand carelessly in Sam's direction. "He seems to be doing just fine to me. The Winchester brother's back together as always."

"Are you serious right now? You don't see the big deal? The guy is missing his soul!" Dean rounded on her angrily but Pandora met him head on.

"So, souls are overrated." She told him with a shrug of her shoulders. "I don't have soul and I have been around longer than you two could even process and I'm doing just fine." She explained to them in voice that hinted at that she thought they were a little dumb. "And anyway if you already know about the soulless part why did you call me? I mean don't get me wrong I like looking at your pretty faces but I don't quite understand why I am here."

"We need your help." Sam told her. She raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Yeah, were currently Crowley's bitch... and I don't like it." Dean told her.

Pandora was so confused. She felt like she was messing the big piece of the puzzle. Her silence finally made them understand that she had no idea what they were talking about.

"Crowley has Sam's soul... hostage," Dean began telling her. "He wants us to catch him a alpa-monster. If we do that he will give Sam his soul back but I don't really want to be Crowley's bitch any longer."

"Crowley... says he will give Sam his soul back in exchange for an alpha?" Pandora asked just to make sure that she understood.

"Yeah, basically." Sam answered.

"Why does he want you to capture them for anyway?"

"Purgatory," Same answered her. "He wants Purgatory apparently."

"He's trying to find Purgatory?" Pandora questioned more to herself than the brothers. "And you're helping him?"

"Don't really have a choice unless you know something we don't." Sam said.

"No, sorry souls aren't really my forte. Like I said I don't know why you would want it back personally but," she continued after an exaggerated eye roll. "if I can think of something I'll let you know."

"Alright, I guess that's all we can ask of you." Sam agreed.

"Good," she told them. "Is that all you need of me cause I just remembered I have something very important to do?" Her thoughts moving to Crowley and wondering what he thought he was going to accomplish by finding Purgatory; a place that was better left alone.

"Yeah, I guess will be in touch?" Dean questioned.

"Of course, see you around." She said before disappearing before their eyes.

Pandora was beyond pissed. She couldn't figure out how someone she thought was so intelligent was actually so dumb. A few hours after her talk with the brothers she found herself confronting Crowley about his plans for Purgatory. He seemed surprised when she told him that the bother's had called to speak to her about Sam's soul and unknowingly spilled his plans to her.

"You want to find Purgatory! Are you stupid?" She shouted at him as they both stood in her living room. "Do you not understand what it is? Even if you could find it God locked those things in there for a reason!" She told him trying to get him to see reason. She was unsettled when he seemed so calm even as she shouted at him.

"Love, calm down. I know what I'm doing." He said reaching out for her to try to soothe her anger.

She scoffed and backed away as he came closer. "Obviously not if you think your going to open that place. You have no idea what you're messing with." She warned him.

"And you do?" He asked casually as he stopped trying to come closer.

"I'm older than I look sweetheart. I've learned a thing or two." She snarled at him.

"Is that so?" He questioned her quietly giving her a look that she didn't like one bit.

Straightening her shoulders she stared him down. "I think it's time for you to leave... and don't bother coming back." She told him finally making up her mind.

"Pandora...-" He began taking a step closer to her.

"No, I want you gone... Now!" She told him and with a snap of her fingers the spot he once occupied was empty. With a sigh Pandora sunk down to the floor. She was such an idiot.

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