Patrick sat at the table shuffling the cards in his hands. He kept looking at the hunter with a skeptical expression. Last time Sam played Lia helped him gave him the spell that could help Dean to return to his original age. Patrick was shocked that his own girlfriend betrayed him. The spell would have killed him and Lia. Later on she admitted to him that she didn't want to live anymore. She was tired of living she wanted to be put at rest. Part of him felt betrayed. He thought they were going to be together forever. If he loved her he wouldn't force her to stay alive just so he wouldn't be alone. That would be selfish.
After Lia's death Patrick continued to do what he does best. Poker and witchcraft. It was what kept him alive. Sometimes he thought about death. Thought if he should stop and join the love of his life in the after life. The witch couldn't seem to put the cards down, he wasn't ready to go. The thought of death sounded impossible to him because he has been alive for so long.
He has flirted with women in the past. It was only fun it didn't mean anything. He had no intentions of settling down in serious relationship. Lia held him back. He couldn't seem to move on. Lia would want him to be happy and live his life but the witch felt if he fell for another he would be betraying her. Their love is supposed to be forever. Even though she is dead their bond is still strong. He loved her and she loved him.
The witch continued what he did best alone.
Patrick was too lost in thoughts to notice the younger hunter sitting opposite him. Sam frowns when he notices someone is missing.
"Where's the other witch?" Sam asks.
The question brings Patrick back to reality. He looks at Sam.
"Pardon?"
"Where's the other witch? Your partner?"
Patrick stayed silent not answering the question. Sam saw the familiar expression he has seen on many other faces. Grief, loss, pain.
"Oh." Sam said with realization. "Um...sorry for your loss."
"She's been dead for a long time." Patrick put bluntly. "Died shortly after you won."
Sam's face goes worried. Lia did betray Patrick.
"Did you..."
"Kill her." Patrick glares at him "I'm a gambler not a murderer Sam. Despite what she did I would have never hurt her." He sighs "She wanted to be at peace. She went all in, she lost..." He stops shuffling. His face twitched at the memory that forever haunted him "...she got what she wanted."
Sam understood how it felt to lose a loved one. He lost Jessica. Difference is she got killed while Lia chose to end her life. The pain is unbearable. It made Sam feel like a part of him died that day. Even though its been years now since he lost Jessica, the pain was still there deep down inside him. Talking about her or even thinking about her made Sam tear up. Patrick must feel the same. Sam can see how tense the witch has become, his face haunted by the memory. Sam found himself feeling quite sorry for the witch.
Sam is not here to have a trip down memory lane. He is here because of his brother.
His brother is forty. Rowena has turned him into a four year old. Forty take away four is...
"Thirty six years." Sam suddenly says.
Patrick blinks a few times thinking he is hearing things.
"Thirty six years." Sam nods. The witch raises his eyebrow. "You are not here to shave off a couple of years? Not here to become a new born are you? Start your life all over again. From what I heard you and your brother's lives suck."
Sam chuckles at the witch's humor.
"I want to gain years for my brother." He answers.
"Dean Winchester."
"I'm playing on his behalf."
The witch drums his fingers on the table looking puzzled yet interested.
"Why couldn't your brother come and do it himself?"
"Because he can't!"
"Why?" He again asks. He grins "Not trying to kill him off are you?"
"Just start the game. I will lose but instead of making me older you will transfer the years on to my brother. "
Patrick puts the cards down and folds his arms.
"No."
"Why not?"
"You are being vague giving me very little information. I do not feel comfortable to start this game until I know why you are really here Sam."
"Come on Patrick. You would you want to see me lose."
Patrick shakes his head.
"You are going to have to elaborate Sam. Why do you want your brother to be pushing seventy?"
"I just want to..."
"You are hiding something and I want to know what it is." The witch cuts the hunter off.
Sam goes go stand up with his hand in his pocket ready to withdraw his gun. If Patrick is not going to cooperate then Sam will have to do this the hard way. Patrick raises his hand. The gun flies out of Sam's hand and Sam gets pushed back down in his seat.
"Don't want to hurt you Sam. I only want to know why you are here and requesting this amount of years."
Sam straightened up in his seat worried on where this was going. Patrick didn't look pissed. He looked curious.
"What's going on Sam? What's your brother got into this time?"
"He hasn't got into anything. He never meant for this to happen. I really need those years..."
"What happened Sam?" Patrick's face goes stern "You are not leaving this table until you tell me everything."
Sam sighs heavily. He wasn't going to get out of this. Patrick said he is not a murderer but he can hurt Sam. Sam couldn't put his life at risk not while his brother desperately needs him. Sam is going to have to tell Patrick.
Sam opens his mouth and begins to tell the witch everything.
Rowena carefully puts Michael against the wall. She props him up making sure he is in a comfortable position. The witch grabs another cup and fills it with water. She kneels down in front of him and brings the glass to his lips.
"Drink." She ordered. The child showed no response. "You are going to make yourself dehydrated." She pushes the cup against him "Drink."
Slowly Michael's mouth opens. Rowena holds his head and pours the glass in. Not wanting to make him choke the witch removes the glass and waits for him to swallow. He swallows it making Rowena smile.
"Good boy." She praised him.
She brings the glass back to his lips ready to give him more. Michael's eyes snap open his eyes glowing with fury. He grabs the glass and lets it fall on the ground. The glass smashes on the ground.
"How dare you?" He growled.
Rowena backs away as the archangel rose to his feet. He walks towards her. Halfway he stops. He touches his head feeling light headed. The dizziness he felt back in the cell resurfacing.
He falls.
Rowena catches him before he hit the ground.
"Let go off me!" Michael yells.
Rowena stands up and holds the child in his arms.
"No." She answers.
She walks into the kitchen. She held on to Michael tight ignoring his little fists that are punching her arms.
"You need to drink you need to eat." Rowena puts the child down but keeps a firm grip on his hand. "Dean is not going to die because of you being selfish."
She grabs a variety of fruit from the fridge and places them on the table.
"I am an archangel. I do not eat."
"Because it is beneath you." Rowena puts the blender down and throws the food in. "Things have changed now Michael."
She presses the button and the fruit starts mixing. Michael tries to pull away but the witch is strong.
"You going to act like a baby I will treat you like one." Rowena stops the blender and opens it up. She pours the blended fruit into a bowl. "I will start by giving you baby food."
Michael looked enraged. How dare this witch treat him like this. She already made his life a misery and now she is rubbing it in his face reminding him how powerless he is.
Rowena forces the child to sit down at the table. She pulls a chair in and sits down next to him. She is glad no one is here to witness this.
She picks up the spoon and scoops the food up. She brings it to Michael's lips. Michael looks away. Rowena moves around and tries again. Michael moves his head to the other side.
"You are a fussy one." Rowena sighed.
"I don't want it." Michael pouted.
"Your body requires food without it you will be weak." Michael gave her a puzzled expression. Rowena shakes her head "You really don't have a clue do you? What you are feeling now is due to you not eating or drinking. If you continue doing this you are going to collapse again. Next time you may not even wake up. You will have to go to hospital."
"Hospital?"
"Yeah. They will attach feeding tubes to you and you will be forced to be in bed. Is that what you want?"
The thought of what Rowena said made Michael cringe. Being in the bunker stuck as a child is already bad enough he didn't want to end up in hospital where doctors and nurses would be taking care of him. The archangel being treated by humans. That would be really embarrassing.
He shakes his head at the witch.
"Then eat." Rowena says.
Michael looks at the food with disgust. Rowena brings the spoon to his lips again. Michael sighs and eats the blended up substance. He swallows it and looks at the witch with wide eyes.
"I tasted a banana followed by a strawberry." He furrows his eyebrows "And an apple."
Rowena beamed at the archangel. His puzzled expression is adorable. She scoops another portion.
"Again." She encouraged.
He nods and lets the witch feed him. They kept going until the bowl was empty.
"See wasn't so hard."
Rowena puts the left overs into a container and washes the bowl at the sink.
"After a few of these we can move you on to solids." She then chuckles "You wasted a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
She turns round to face him.
Her eyes widen.
Michael is gone.
