January 15th, 2010
Wellington, Ohio
Alex rolled out of the car. "Never doing that again."
Sam laughed. "That's what you say every time."
"This time I'm serious," the young woman protested. "If I have to get back into that car one more time, I'll die." They had driven straight from Trinidad all the way to Wellington, Ohio, with the only breaks being for eating and filling up on gas. Twenty one hours in the car, and Alex had hated every minute.
"It's not that bad." Dean got out as well, closing the door behind him. "Zep is awesome."
"Yeah, the first eight times," Alex shot back.
Dean rolled his eyes. "Get the stuff out of the trunk," he instructed her before tossing her the keys and ambling off towards their motel room. Alex complied, slinging both hers and Dean's duffle bags around her shoulder. Sam took his, and silently led her into the room. Alex dropped the bags on the floor.
"So, we gonna check this out?" Dean was asking Sam.
"Yeah. Just give me a few minutes." Sam waled back out the door. Alex watched him leave, confused. She shrugged it off and sat down on one of the beds, kicking off her shoes, looking around the room. The walls were covered in a faded green-and-yellow flowery wallpaper, and a small television sat in the corner. Dean went into the bathroom to change into his suit and tie, and afterwards sat down on the other bed and flicked it on. After flipping through several channels, he stopped.
As soon as she recognized the show, Alex rolled her eyes. "Please no," she begged. "How can you even think of watching this show?"
"What are you talking about?" Dean asked good-naturedly.
"It's like a chick-flick," Alex protested. "What happened to no chick-flicks?"
"Dr. Sexy MD is not a chick-flick," Dean said stubbornly. "If you don't want to watch it, go away."
Alex rolled her eyes once more. She picked up a book from her bag and started reading. After a few minutes she glanced at Dean out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning forward, entranced at the show before him.
The door opened, and both Dean and Alex looked up. Sam made his way over to them. "What are you watching?"
"Some hospital show," Dean responded, returning his gaze to the flickering screen. "Dr. Sexy MD. I think it based on a book."
Sam glanced at the tv. "When did you hit menopause?" he joked. Alex let out a quiet laugh.
"It's called channel surfing," the older brother defended himself. He stood up, turning off the tv. "You ready?"
Sam nodded, slipping on his suit jacket. "Are you?"
Alex tossed Dean the keys. "Can I come?"
"You want to come?" Dean asked her.
Alex paused, thinking. "Nah. I'm not getting back into the car." She watched them leave. "Adios."
Dean flashed her a smile before closing the door behind him. After a few seconds Alex heard the familiar sound of the Impala purr to life and drive away. Alex stood up and turned back on the tv. Dr. Sexy MD came back on. She wrinkled her nose and quickly changed the channel. She didn't like that show at all.
She turned on some good background noise before returning to her spot on the bed. She reached down and took out Dean's laptop, easily logging on. Dean never really bothered to change his password, and when he did, it wasn't long before she guessed it. One webpage popped up. It was the newspaper article from The Wellington Guardian. About a man who had had his head completely ripped off. That was why they were here. She scanned the article, then closed the laptop. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't eaten since that morning. She picked up her tennis shoes, slipped them back on her feet, and began to tie the laces. A flutter of wings caught her attention. She looked up.
"Alex." Castiel stood in front of her.
"Cas," Alex acknowledged him warmly. "Uh, hey. What are you doing here?"
"Didn't you call for me?" The angel looked slightly confused.
"Uh . . no." Alex looked up at him.
"Do you need help?" he persisted.
Alex laughed. "Cas, I'm just tying my shoes. And if I ever needed help with it, you'd be the last person I'd call."
The angel sat down on the bed next to her. "Where's Sam and Dean?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"They went down to the Wellington police station. We found a new case, so . . ." She ended with a shrug.
"And what are you doing?"
"Well, I was going to go find some food," Alex admitted. "That's it." She stood up. "You're welcome to join me," she added, figuring he'd never take her up on her offer.
"Okay."
"Okay?" Alex looked astonished. "Well, uh, we're going to have to walk."
"Okay." Castiel stood up and walked over to her.
Alex was too surprised to answer. "Okay," she echoed. She grabbed some money out of Sam's bag along with the keys to the motel, and led the way outside. She led Castiel down the street to a small diner a few hundred yards away from the motel.
"It would have been faster to fly," Castiel pointed out.
"Shut up and enjoy the scenery," Alex shot back humorously. They quickly arrived at the diner, and Alex led them over to a booth. Castiel sat across from her, hands in his lap. The waitress took their order, and speedily brought Alex her food. "So what brings you around?" Alex asked, taking a bite of her hamburger.
"I told you. I thought you called me," Castiel said politely.
"How's your hearing, then?" Alex joked. "You don't come when I do call, and you show up when I don't."
"My apologizes."
Alex shook her head. "It's fine." She stared at him. "You combed your hair." It was laying neatly instead of the usual mess of soft black hair.
Castiel looked up as if he could see it. "Yes, I did."
Alex smiled. She didn't like it. "Come here." She leaned closer. Castiel blinked. "Lean forward," Alex repeated.
Castiel did so, and his face flushed, something very unusual. Alex wondered what was going through his head. He placed his hands on the table, and Alex placed one of hers on his, using it to lean forward. Castiel closed his eyes, and Alex laughed. She ran her other hand through his hair, messing it up. "There," she smiled. "I like it better like that."
Castiel opened his eyes, confused. "Really?"
"Yeah." Alex smiled. "It makes you look more fun. And less intimidating."
"Oh. Thank you." Castiel leaned back in his seat. He removed his hand from under hers. Alex smiled once again.
...
Castiel flew her back to the Day-Z motel, not wanting to walk. Then he disappeared. "Nice to see you, too," Alex called out. She turned to see Dean sitting at the table in the kitchen. "Oh, hey."
"Where've you been?" Dean looked more curious than mad.
"I went out for lunch. I guess Cas decided to join me."
"Hm." Dean turned back to his laptop.
The door opened and Sam came in. "Hey."
"Find anything?"
"Well, uh, I saw the house." Sam began.
"And?"
"And there is a giant eight-foot-wide hole where the wall use to be. Almost like, uh . . ."
"A hulk-sized hole," Dean finished.
"Huh?" Alex sat down the table beside him. "Hulk-sized?"
"Yeah. We interviewed the wife of Mr. Randolph and she claims to have seen the Incredible Hulk rip the head off of her husband."
"The Incredible Hulk?" Alex looked from Sam to Dean. "Bana or Norton?"
Dean glanced over at her. "Ferrigno."
"Ferrigno?" Alex narrowed her eyes. "You mean . . ." She motioned like she had spiky hair.
Dean nodded. "Yeah. Ferrigno."
Sam interrupted them. "What'd you find?"
Dean turned back to his laptop. "Well, it turns out that Bill Randolph had quite the temper. He's got two counts of spousal battery, bar brawls, and court-ordered anger management sessions. You might say you wouldn't like him when he's angry."
Alex let out a huff.
"So a hothead getting killed by TV's greatest hothead. Sounds like just desserts, huh?" Sam asked slowly.
Dean let out a quiet snort.
"It's all starting to make sense," Sam continued. Alex let out a breath.
"How's it starting to make sense?" Dean looked from Alex to Sam.
"Well, I found something else at the crime scene." Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of candy wrappers. "Candy wrappers. And lots of them." He dropped them on the table.
"Trickster," Alex said quietly.
"Sure looks like it," Sam nodded.
"Good. I've been wanting to gank that monster since the Mystery Spot."
"You sure?"
"Yah I'm sure." Dean looked up at his brother.
"No, I mean are you sure you want to kill him?" Sam rephrased his question.
"Son of a bitch didn't think twice about icing me a thousand times." Dean said surely. Alex let out a small laugh at the memory. "It wasn't funny."
"Whatever you say." Alex shrugged.
"No, I know. I'm just saying . . ."
"What are you saying? If you don't want to kill him, then what?"
"Talk to him?" Sam offered slowly.
Dean paused. "What?"
"Think about it, Dean." Sam persisted. "He's one of the most powerful creatures we've ever met. Maybe we can use him."
"For what?" Dean looked slightly interested.
"Okay. Tricksters's like a Hugh Hefner type, right? Wine, woman, song - maybe he doesn't want the party to end," Sam explained. Alex smiled at those words. "Maybe he hates this angel and demon crap as much as we do. Maybe he'll help us out."
"You're serious." Dean looked skeptical.
"Yeah."
"Ally with the Trickster."
"Yeah."
"A bloody, violent monster and you want to be Facebook friends with him?" Dean let out a small laugh. "Nice, Sammy."
"The world is going to end, Dean. We don't have the luxury of a moral stand. Look, I'm just saying it's worth a shot. That's all. If it doesn't work, we'll kill him."
"I'm in," Alex nodded. "It is worth a shot," she added when Dean glared at her. "But good luck killing him. Hasn't worked yet."
Dean let out a sigh. "Fine. How we find this guy, anyways?"
"Well, he never takes just one victim, right? He'll show."
Dean nodded. "Alex." He turned to her and tossed her the keys to the car. "Stakes. Now."
Alex nodded, and ran out to the Impala. She opened the trunk, propped open the false bottom, and grabbed two wooden stakes. She figured she wouldn't need one of her own, having a pretty good idea of what was going to go down.
Back in the motel room, she handed one to Sam and one to Dean. Dean glanced at her. "Only two? Don't you need one?"
"We're not going there to kill him," Alex reminded him gently. "And I think we'll be fine with only two."
Dean shrugged, but didn't argue. Instead, he took out his knife and started sharpening the stake. Sam had a pulled out a small police scanner and had set it on the table. He sat down next to it, watching it carefully.
"Oh, by the way." Alex looked over at Dean. "You owe me twenty bucks."
"What?" Dean squinted in confusion.
"Sam cried uncle. We had a bet," she explained, seeing Sam's confused face. "About how uncomfortable I could make you and if you'd fold." She glanced at the older Winchester. "He gave you two weeks, I said less than."
Sam opened his mouth, then narrowed his eyes. "You're a jerk."
"I like money." Alex reached over to where Dean was holding out a twenty dollar bill. "You know me, Sammy. I don't have personal space." When no one responded, Alex sat back down on the bed and resumed her book.
...
After a few minutes, the scanner crackled to life. "Um, Dispatch? I, I got a possible 187 out here at the old paper mill on Route 6?"
Sam sat up. "Hey." Dean looked up as well.
"Roger that," the scanner crackled again. "What are you looking at there, son?"
"Honestly, Walt, I, I wouldn't even know how to describe what I'm seeing. Just send everybody."
At that, everyone in the room perked up. Alex shot a glance at the two brothers.
"All right, stay calm, stay by your car," the dispatcher said. "Help's on the way."
Sam turned the scanner off.
"That sounds weird." Dean admitted.
"Weird enough to be our guy," Sam agreed, standing up. "Let's go."
Alex stood up, grabbing a jacket out of her bag. "Okay." She followed them out the door.
...
The arrived at the paper mill within five minutes. Dean parked the car, and they all got out. Alex looked around. The mill was completely abandoned. Sam rounded the car to stand beside Dean. "There was a murder here, and there's no police cars. There's nobody. How's that look to you?" Dean asked quietly.
"Crappy," Sam replied. Alex nodded in agreement.
Dean walked over to the trunk. He pulled out three flashlights, handing one to Sam, one to Alex, and keeping one for himself, then handed Sam a wooden stake. He took one for himself before closing the trunk. "Let's go." He led them into the paper mill.
...
The next second, Alex was blinded by a bright light. She squinted, and her surroundings came into focus.
"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed. Alex looked over at him to see both him and Sam wearing white lab coats. Looking down, she realized she was in scrubs as well. She furrowed her brow in confusion, looking around her. Soft music played above her heads.
A blonde doctor passed by them followed by another nurse. "Doctor," she acknowledge them.
"Doctor." The other woman dipped her head at them as well.
"Doctor?" Sam echoed. Alex heard the door behind them open, and she turned around to see Dean looking into the closet they obviously had just come through. Dean closed the door.
"What the hell?" Alex mouthed to him. Dean shrugged, a hint of fear across his face.
"Doctor." Alex turned around to see a short brunette approach them. She reached up and slapped Sam across the face.
"Ow!" he exclaimed.
"Seriously," the doctor said.
"What?" Sam shot a confused look at Dean.
"Seriously?" The woman searched Sam's face with her brown eyes. "You're brilliant, you know that? And a coward. A brilliant coward."
"Um, what . . . what are you talking about?" Sam asked her.
She slapped him again. "As if you don't know!" she exclaimed in a passionate way. Then she walked off. Sam stood there, shocked. Alex stifled a laugh.
"I don't believe this." Dean stepped forward, his face filled with an emotion Alex couldn't identify.
"What?" Sam asked.
"That's Dr. Ellen Piccolo," Dean breathed. "The sexy yet ernest doctor at . . . Seattle Mercy Hospital." He turned to see the large sign above the nearby reception desk.
"Oh no." Alex put her head in her hands.
"Dean." Sam stepped forward as well. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"The doctor getup. The, the sexy interns. The 'seriously's'. " Dean turned to face them, eyes sparkling. "It all makes sense."
Sam shot a quick glance at Alex. "What makes sense? What's going on?"
"We're in Dr. Sexy MD."
Sam looked confused. Alex groaned quietly. "Please. Any place but this."
Dean took off down the corridors. Sam and Alex exchanged a glance, then followed. "Dude, what the hell." Dean glanced back at them.
"I don't know," Sam admitted.
"No seriously. What the hell."
Sam sped up to walk beside his brother. "I don't know," he repeated.
"One theory. Any theory." Dean glanced back at Alex.
"Uh, the Trickster trapped us in TV Land," Sam guessed.
"That's you theory? That's stupid," Dean retorted. "Alex?"
"Uh, the Trickster trapped us in TV Land," Alex admitted.
"I told you. That's a stupid theory," Dean repeated.
"But it's a true theory," Alex shot back.
"You're the one who said we were in Dr. Sexy MD," Sam reminded him.
"Yeah, but TV Land isn't TV Land," Dean argued. "I mean, there's actors and lights and crew members and stuff. This looks real."
"Cause it is real?" Alex offered.
"It can't be. How can this be possibly real?" Sam questioned.
"I don't know."
Alex snorted. "And welcome to my world."
A woman passed them. "Doctors." She dipped her head in greeting.
"There goes Dr. Wang, the sexy but arrogant heart surgeon," Dean whispered. They turned a corner next to a man sitting on a gurney.
"And there's Jonny Drake. Oh, he's not even alive. He's a ghost in the mind of . . . of her," Dean whispered, enamored at the sight of a skinny brunette dressed in scrubs. "The sexy, yet neurotic doctor over there."
Alex let out a huff at his knowledge of such a stupid show. "And here we have the Dr. Winchester, the sexy but utterly psychotic doctor and brother of the other sexy and utterly psychotic doctor." The two brother's reactions were completely different. Sam glared at her; Dean was too interested in their surroundings to really care.
"So this show has ghosts?" Sam asked. "Why?"
"I don't know. But it's compelling."
"I thought you said you weren't a fan."
"I'm not."
Alex let out a snort.
"I'm not!" he insisted, but stopped short. "Oh boy," he breathed.
"What?"
"It's him."
"Who?" Alex looked down the hall to see a tall man make his way down the hall. Long brown, wavy hair fell slightly above his shoulders, moving as he walked.
"It's him. Dr. Sexy," Dean gasped. Alex noted he looked like a child on Christmas, and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Dr. Sexy stopped in front of them. He looked at Dean. "Doctor," he said politely.
Dean studied the ground, trying to hide his broad smile. "Doctor."
"Doctor." Dr. Sexy turned to Sam.
Sam didn't reply until Dean elbowed him. "Doctor," he replied curtly.
"Doctor." He then turned to Alex, stepping forward towards her.
Alex refused to back down. She met his gaze confidently. "Doctor," she repeated dryly, dipping her head slightly.
Dr. Sexy turned back to Dean. "You want to give me one good reason you defied by direct order to do the experimental face transplant on Mrs. Biehl?"
Dean looked up, confused. He glanced at Alex, who shrugged. "One reason?" he stammered. The doctor nodded. Dean let out a breath. "Sure." His gaze dropped back to the floor. Suddenly, Dean slammed him against the wall. "You're not Dr. Sexy," he said angrily. Both Sam and Alex jumped, and exchanged glances.
"You're crazy!" the doctor exclaimed.
"Really?" Dean challenged. "Because I swore part of what made Dr. Sexy sexy is the fact that he wears cowboy boots. Not tennis shoes."
Alex glanced down to see white tennis shoes on the doctor's feet. "Yeah," she said sarcastically. "Not a fan, eh?"
Dean looked slightly embarrassed. "It's a guilty pleasure."
"You're pathetic."
"Call security," Dr. Sexy called out.
Dean turned his attention back to the man he had pinned against he wall. "Yeah, go ahead pal, you do that. We know who you are."
Suddenly everyone around them froze. Alex snapped her eyes back to Dr. Sexy, who quickly morphed into who Alex recognized to be the Trickster. Memories from the show flooded back to her. Gabriel. The name flickered across her mind.
"You guys are getting better." The Trickster let out a broad smile.
"Get us the hell out of here," Dean ordered.
The Trickster looked surprised, glancing around mockingly. "Or what?" he challenged, grabbing Dean's arm, twisting slightly, and Dean winced, backing up. "Don't say you have wooden stakes, big guy."
"That was you on the police scanner, right?" Sam guessed."This is a trick."
"Hello? Trickster." The Trickster motioned to his face. "Come on! I heard you two yahoos were in town. How could I resist?" He put his arms down by his sides, and Alex let out a laugh, drawing his attention to her.
"Something funny?" he asked.
"It's nothing," Alex promised. "Although your lab coat is a little long for your arms."
The Trickster looked down. "Is that a problem?"
Alex shook her head. "No, but it's adorable."
She ignored Sam's shock. "Adorable?" he stuttered out.
"Oh, yeah, sure. I mean, come on. His brothers are all big and tough, and then there's - him." She motioned to the Trickster, but was talking about the Gabriel side of him.
The short man looked her up and down. "I don't believe we met." He ignored her last comment.
"Hm." Alex gave no answer.
"So what's your name, eh?" He approached her, ignoring Sam and Dean.
"Alex," Alex said curtly.
"No it's not," the man said matter-of-factly. Both Sam and Dean glanced at him, confusion written across their faces. Alex raised an eyebrow, daring him to continue. The Trickster looked around. "Oh come on!" he exclaimed. "You mean you actually don't know?" He let out a laugh.
"What's he talking about?" Sam whispered to Alex.
"Nothing," she replied.
"They really don't know?" Surprise flickered across his face, followed by a broad smile. "This might be funner than I thought."
Impatience passed through Alex. "Tell you what." She crossed her arms. "You tell them my real name if I can tell them yours." Shock flashed in the Trickster's eyes, but it was gone so fast Alex thought she imagined it. She felt more confident. "Now who's secret is bigger, hmm?"
The Trickster laughed. "You're bluffing," he told her. "But I like you." He turned back to Dean.
"Where the hell are we?" Dean asked him.
"You like it?" The Trickster grinned. "It's all homemade." He rapped his knuckles on the wall. "My own sets, my own actors," He motioned to the frozen people around them, "Call it my own idiot box."
"How do we get out?" Dean asked. Sam stepped forward to stand beside his brother.
The Trickster stepped forward as well. "That, my friend, is the sixty-four dollar question."
"Whatever. We just need to talk to you. We need your help."
"Hm, let me guess." The Trickster looked thoughtful." You two muttonheads broke the world and you want me to sweep up your mess." Alex smiled at how close to the truth it really was.
"Please, just five minutes," Sam begged. "Hear us out."
"Sure. Tell you what. Survive the next twenty four hours, we'll talk."
"Survive what?" Dean asked warily.
"The game!"
"What's the game?"
"You're in it."
"How do we play?"
"You're playing it." The Trickster motioned around to their surroundings.
"What are the rules?" Dean persisted.
The Trickster raised an eyebrow, grinned, then disappeared. The people around them unfroze, continuing on as if nothing had happened. "Son of a bitch," Dean cursed.
A blonde doctor approached them. "Dr. Sexy?" she asked. "Dr. Sexy?" She hurried past them. On an unspoken word, all three followed her.
"Paging Dr. Sexy." The intercom crackled to life. "Report to the ER."
"Oh, by the way," Dean spoke quietly. "Talking with monsters? Hell of a plan."
"Monster?" Alex let out a snort. "That's a bit cruel."
Sam turned his attention to her. "You said you knew his name. What did that mean?"
Alex shrugged. "Doesn't matter now."
Dean paused. "Yeah, it kind of does."
"Seriously?" Alex turned to them. "It's not that hard. Trickster, a powerful one at that. It's Loki. Duh." She pushed herself past them.
"Loki?" Sam followed. "That's what he didn't want us to know?"
"And what about you?" Dean asked. "Your name's not really Alex?"
Alex let out a laugh of disbelief. "You're believing him? Honestly? Come on, man. He's just looking for a good show." Apparently her answer satisfied them, as they didn't press her. She continued walking. "Now what do we do now?"
"I know what I'm doing?" Dean walked passed her. "Leaving."
A young woman known as Dr. Piccolo stepped out in front of Sam. Alex recognized her as the one from before. She tried to slap at Sam, who ducked barely in time. "Lady, what the hell?" Sam asked, slightly pissed.
"Your a brilliant, brilliant . . ."
"Yeah, coward," Sam finished for her. "You already said that. But I've got news for you. I'm not a doctor."
"Don't say that," Dr. Piccolo insisted passionately. "You're the finest cerebrovascular neurosurgeon I have ever met, and I've met plenty. So that girl died on your table. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. Sometimes people just die."
"I have no idea what you're saying to me." Sam shot Alex a questioning glance. She just shrugged, finding herself slightly amused.
"You're afraid. You're afraid to operate again. And you're afraid to love." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and she quickly departed, quietly sobbing.
Alex sighed. "Sounds like a chick flick. Gross."
"Yeah. We're getting out of here," Sam agreed with his brother. They started walking down the hall again.
"Hey, doctor." Alex turned to see a man step out of a patient's room.
Dean turned around as well. "Yeah?"
"My wife needs that face transplant," the man insisted.
"Okay, you know what, pal? None of this is real, and your wife doesn't need jack squat. Okay?" Dean turned to leave. They started walking away.
"Hey, doctor." Alex heard a gunshot, and beside her, Dean fell to his knees. White fear pulsed through her spine as she connected the dots. She looked back to see the man, a small handgun in hand. She rushed forward, knocked the gun from his hand, and punched him across the face, effectively knocking him out. Then she rushed back to Dean.
"Real." He gasped, "It's real."
"No no no no no no no," Sam said frantically. "Hey! We need a doctor!" he called out desperately.
Alex knelt down beside Dean, supporting him carefully. "You're a doctor," she offered helpfully.
"Shut up!" Sam yelled. By this time, other nurses had gathered around. They started talking, and as Alex watched, they lifted Dean up onto a gurney and wheeled him down the hall.
Alex and Sam were shoved along into an operating room. Alex was placed behind a glass wall. As she watched, Dean was wheeled into the room in front of her, and Sam followed, having been prepped by other nurses. He was now wearing operating scrubs and gloves. He looked frantically around, only pausing when he met Alex's gaze. She shrugged helplessly. Dr. Piccolo stood next to Alex, staring out at Sam. She let out a quiet sigh.
"Shouldn't you be in there helping?" she asked Alex.
"Uh, no." Alex quickly went on the defense. "I'm just moral support." Her gaze returned to the scene in front of her. Sam was holding gauze against Dean's back, trying to slow the blood flow. One of the doctors held a scalpel to Sam. He looked at it, confused. Dean shifted, and Sam leaned over, talking to his brother. Alex strained to make out words, but it was impossible. Suddenly Sam straightened up, meeting Alex's gaze. She looked helplessly back at him.
I don't know what to do. Alex could almost hear Sam's voice in her head. She smiled supportably.
It's going to be fine, she mentally told him.
Sam started talking to the nurses around him. They looked perplexed, but Sam yelled, "Stat!" and they scattered.
...
Alex watched Sam operate on Dean. She had seen it before, having seen them after many bloody hunts, but watching it happen in a hospital was different, almost scary. Finally Sam straightened up, snipping off the last piece of dental floss. He looked over at Alex, who grinned in relief. Beside her, Dr. Piccolo sighed, and whispered, "I love you" before placing her hand against the glass. Sam looked away, unnerved. Alex started laughing at that, partly out of pure relief.
Suddenly the room began to spin. Faint clapping grew louder, and Alex found herself standing in the midst of blue-tinted smoke. It faded, and Alex saw Sam and Dean standing in front of her. They were no longer dressed in their lab coat and scrubs, but in normal clothes. Alex looked down to see herself in a red halter and mini skirt, accompanied with high white boots. "Damn you, man," she muttered to the Trickster, hoping he heard her. A door next to her slid open, and a Japanese man ran out, wearing a shiny silver suit. He approached Sam and Dean, who were standing on some sort of platform, their feet held apart by boots attached to the stage.
The man spoke some words in Japanese, and there was a roaring applause. Squinting, Alex could see a large crowd before them. "Let's play Nutcracker!" the Japanese gameshow host yelled in poor english. Both Sam and Dean glanced around, and Dean looked behind him, his eyes catching Alex. He looked her up and down, and Alex shot him a glare, feeling herself blush. He turned back to Sam. "Sam Winchester." the game host began. He quickly rattled off a question in Japanese. "Countdown." The LED sign off to Alex's right started to countdown from 20.
"What?" Sam asked. He glanced around. "Uh, what am I suppose to say?" he asked Dean.
"You think I know?" Dean exclaimed.
Sam glanced back at Alex. He was slightly taken aback when he saw her. Alex shrugged. "I don't know Japanese."
"Uh, I, I don't speak Japanese." Sam tried to talk to the game host.
He turned back to Sam and repeated the question.
"Is he screwing with me?" Sam asked. "I, I, I can't speak Japanese."
The buzzer went off, and the crowd sighed. The host turned back to Sam. He said something in Japanese once again, what Alex assumed to mean, "The answer is," followed by the word, "Ruby!" The sound of bubbles popping filled the stage. "I'm sorry, Sam Winchester," he told him.
"Sorry? Sir? For what?" Sam looked around desperately. The host brought his hand to his mouth, apparently covering laughter. "Dean?" Sam looked helplessly confused. Alex frowned. Suddenly a metal pole with a red ball at the end flew up from the floor, hitting Sam squarely in the crotch. Dean looked absolutely horrified, and Alex visibly cringed.
However, the host laughed. "Nutcracker!" he yelled, punching at the air.
"Sam?" Dean asked, cringing a bit. Sam let out a pained noise, looking up at his brother.
The Japanese woman next to Alex, wearing the same getup, said something to the host. She walked up and started talking. Alex ignored her, and hurried over to stand by Dean. Sam let out another gasp, and Alex winced. Dean looked over at Alex, then down at the platform. He cringed again. "You okay?" he asked his brother.
The woman stopped talking and returned to her spot. Alex did the same. "Oh, what now?" Dean asked. The large blue doors opened, and Alex stopped, faintly surprised. Castiel strode forward. The crowd cheered. "Cas?" Both Dean and Alex spoke at the same time.
Castiel glanced over at Alex, looking her up and down, blue eyes wide. She blushed and tried to pull the skirt down to cover up more of her skin.
"Is this another trick?" Sam asked, bringing Cas' attention back to the two Winchesters.
"It's me. Uh, what are you doing here?"
"Us?" Dean looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you." Castiel looked back over at Alex. "You've been missing for days."
"So get us the hell out of here!" Sam exclaimed.
Castiel strolled forward to stand beside Sam and Dean. "Let's go." He reached out to touch both Sam and Dean on the forehead, but he vanished suddenly in a burst of static.
"Cas?" Dean called.
"No, no, no." The host approached Sam and Dean, waving a finger. "Mr. Trickster does not like pretty-boy angels."
"I'm sure he doesn't," Alex growled under her breath. "Must get jealous when other angels are prettier than him." She remained unheard.
The host pulled a small card out of the inside of his suit. "Dean Winchester." He rattled off another question in Japanese. "Countdown." The clock started ticking.
"What do I do, what do I do?" Dean asked his brother, his voice rising in desperation.
"What?"
"I don't want to get hit in the nuts!"
"I don't know. I, I, uh, just, uh . . . wait."
"What?"
"I played a doctor," Sam realized.
"So?"
"So I played a doctor in Dr. Sexy MD. I operated."
"So?"
Something clicked in Alex's brain. The one piece she had forgotten fell into place. "Oh," she breathed. "Dean!"
"What?" Dean looked back at her.
"You, you need to play your role. Just go along with it!"
"What?" Dean looked confused.
"Just answer the question!" Sam told him quickly.
"In Japanese?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know Japanese!" Dean's voice rose.
"Just try!" Alex told him.
"Dammit." Dean swore, and hit the red button.
The crowd gasped. Dean looked around. "Kotaeha iesudesu?" he stammered out.
The host looked down at the card. "Sudesu." he confirmed.
"Sudesu." Dean repeated, rather confused at himself.
The host yelled something in Japanese. Dean braced himself, but the host held up Dean's arm. "Dean Winchester, Nutcracker Champion!" he yelled.
"How'd you do that?" Sam asked.
"I have no idea," Dean admitted.
"So that's it. We play our roles, we survive," Sam established.
"Yeah, but play our roles for how long?"
"Good question."
Dean forced a small grin, waving the crowd. Then everything faded.
...
Alex found herself outside on a basketball court. Looking down, she found herself in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Yay. Real clothes. Looking back up, she saw Sam and Dean beside her. Two other men were near them, one dribbling a basketball. So how do I do this? Alex wondered to herself. She found herself walking towards the men. Before she knew it, both she, Sam, and Dean were playing along. Sam got the ball, shooting from a distance. It swooshed through the net. Sam turned around. Alex noted he looked very uncomfortable. "Seriously?" he asked.
Dean ran up to him. "Hey, your the one who said play our roles." he said cheerfully. He patted him on the back before running back to the game.
Sam sighed. "I have genital herpes," he finally said. Alex almost laughed, very much glad she wasn't part of this one. He paused a few seconds. "But now I take twice daily Herpexia to reduce my chances of passing it on." He paused again, looking even more uncomfortable than before. The basketball came to Alex, and she dribbled towards Dean. A quick crossover left her a wide open net, and she took the shot. It bounce off the backboard and into the net. "I'm doing all I can to slightly reduce the spread of . . . genital herpes," Sam finally stumbled out. "And that's a good thing." Then he turned back to the game, running up. Dean passed him the basketball, and he made an easy layup. Alex patted him on the back. Then everything faded once more.
...
She turned to find herself standing in front of a large window. The view took her breath a way. "Damn." They were looking down at the Earth. She heard Sam and Dean breathe out in amazement. She looked back at them. "The hell are we?"
Dean shrugged, not tearing his eyes away from Earth.
Alex studied the rest of the room. It was obviously man-made; the walls were metal, and a automatic door sat against the far wall. "What if this is Doctor Who?" her voice jumped with excitement. "Or Star Trek!"
"Or Star Wars," Dean suggested.
"There's no Earth in Star Wars," Sam pointed out, finally speaking. He walked towards the door. "Maybe someone can tell us where we -"
The door slid open. "Intruders!" Four suited creatures rushed through the door. They looked human, but Alex couldn't see their faces to tell for sure. They raised their large guns, and Alex immediately raised her hands.
"We, uh, come in peace?" Dean stammered out, confused.
"How did you get here?" one barked out.
"We don't know," Sam insisted. "We're were on Rizeth in the Gamma Sector just a few seconds ago."
Alex blinked, confused. Oh. Of course. He was playing along.
"Who are you?"
Dean strolled forward. "I'm Captain Ross J. Sickler, Captain of the Second Federal Fleet." He straightened his navy blue jacket pridefully. "This is Collin Anderson," he motioned to Sam, "and Wilson." He jerked a thumb at Alex.
Wilson? Alex frowned. Fine. Whatever. She was Wilson. She straightened her back, falling into character.
One of the men pulled back its visor, revealing four eyes and a reddish tint to the skin. He immediately dropped to one knee, and the other three followed. "I am sorry, Commander. I did not recognize you."
Dean ignored him. "Where am I?"
"You're on the observation deck of the S.S. Speight. I am Boaz, Chief of Security." Boaz stood up, and the other three did the same. "Please. Come with me. I shall take the three of you to the bridge-" Suddenly he stopped, his four eyes focusing on something behind their shoulder.
Alex turned. What she saw took her breath away. A large spaceship loomed in front of them, the light of a nearby star gleaming off of its black exterior.
A light pitched sound filled the room. Alex knew that sound. That was a bad sound.
...
This went of for quite some time. Alex found herself in a sci-fi, a western, and a soap opera, something Alex hated. There was also a detective show, something that faintly reminded Alex of Pirates of the Caribbean, and even a musical. The plot was cliche, but hearing Sam sing had been worth it.
...
Finally Alex found herself back in their motel, sitting on the bed, reading a large book. It had the same flowery wallpaper, but it was much brighter, and less dirty. Dean stood in the kitchen, a large, foot tall sandwich on the table. "I'm going to need a bigger mouth!" he exclaimed. The sound of an audience laughing filled the room. The door opened, and Sam stepped through. The invisible audience applauded. "Hey there, Sam. What's happening?"
"Oh, nothing. Um. Just the end of the world," Sam said in an over-the-top animated voice. The audience laughed. Sam glanced at the sandwich. "You're going to need a bigger mouth," he told Dean campily. More laughter. "Hey, uh, have you done your research yet?"
Dean looked embarrassed, turning towards Alex. She raised an eyebrow. Laughter. He turned back to Sam. "Oh yeah," he lied. "All kinds of research. All night."
"Yeah. Research," Alex said sarcastically.
The bathroom door opened, and a dark-haired woman in a bikini stepped out. She leaned sexily against the door frame. "Oh, Dean," she called softly.
Dean turned around, pulling a 'busted' face.
"We have some more research to do," she purred silkily.
Sam crossed his arms. "Dean."
"Son of a bitch!" Dean exclaimed. The audience laughed again.
Sam frowned at his brother. He walked over to the woman. "Uh, I am really, really, very sorry, but, uh, we've got some work to do." He escorted her to the door.
"But we did do work. In depth," the woman insisted. Laughter. Dean waved at her as she left. Sam closed the door, and walked back over to them.
Alex stood up, wandering over to them. She opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. "Next time you do research," she said, addressing Dean, "warn me ahead of time." More laughter.
"How long do we have to keep doing this?" Dean asked through a force smile.
"I don't know," Sam answered. "Maybe forever? We might die in here." The audience applauded.
"How's that even funny?" Dean asked them. "Vultures."
"I am so done," Alex added quietly. "Like, I am pissed at this guy."
"Agreed." Dean was going to say more, but was cut off by the sound of the door being thrown open, followed by applause.
Alex looked up. "Cas!" she exclaimed. A frown covered her face at the sight of him. "What happened to you?" she asked, seeing blood and small cuts over his face.
Castiel's blue eyes ran over Sam and Dean before coming to a rest on Alex. "I don't have much time," he told her.
"What happened?" Sam repeated.
"I got out," Castiel explained.
"From where?" Dean stepped forward in front of Alex.
"Listen to me." Castiel's eyes still sought out Alex. "Something is not right. This thing is much more powerful than it should be."
"What thing? The Trickster?" Dean persisted.
"If it is a trickster," Castiel corrected him.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
Castiel opened his eyes to respond, but was violently flung backwards into the wall. The Trickster happily jumped through the door, and the crowd applauded, cheering loudly.
"Hello!" he yelled. Alex growled slightly. Castiel stood up. His mouth was now covered with a large piece of duct tape. "Thank you, thank you, ladies," the Trickster continued. He turned to Cas. "Hi Castiel!" He flicked his hand at Cas, who disappeared in a flash of static.
Dean and Sam looked utterly surprised, and Alex took that chance. "Well if it isn't our good friend Gabe," she said dryly. Confidence shot through her as the Trickster froze, turning to look at Alex, shock in his eyes. But it was gone so fast, Alex thought she imagined it.
"Gabe?" Sam glanced at her.
"He looks like a Gabe," was all she said. "I'm just playing the game." She returned her gaze to the Trickster, meaning something completely different. If he caught it, it didn't show.
"Where did you just send him?" Dean asked angrily.
The Trickster looked over at Dean. "Relax, he'll live . . . Maybe." More laughter.
"All right, you know what? I'm done with your little monkey dance, okay? We get it." Dean walked around Alex and Sam to stand in front of the shorter man.
"Yeah? Get what, hotshot?" the Trickster challenged him.
"Playing our roles, right? That's the game?"
"That's half the game." the Trickster corrected him.
"What's the other half?" Sam asked.
"Play your roles out there." He motioned into the distance.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Oh, you know. Sam, starring as Lucifer. Dean, starring as Michael. Your celebrity death match. Play your roles."
"You want us to say yes to those sons of bitches?" Sam looked confused.
"Hells yeah! Let's light this candle!"
"We do that, the world will end," Sam reminded him sharply.
"Yeah, and who's fault it that? Who popped Lucifer out of the box? Hm? Look. It's started. You started it. It can't be stopped. Now let's get it over with!"
"Heaven or Hell, which side you on?" Dean asked angrily.
"I'm not on either side."
"Yeah, right. You're grabbing ankle for Michael or Lucifer. Which one is it?"
"You listen to me, you arrogant dick," Gabriel hissed. "I don't work for either of those S.O.B.s. Believe me."
"Oh, you're somebody's bitch."
The Trickster's smile vanished. He roughly grabbed Dean's collar and spun him around, pinning him into the wall. "Don't you ever, ever presume to know who I am," he said quietly.
Alex made her move. "Try me." She stepped forward. "But what about me? What's my role? Does that make me the younger sibling? The one too scared to see my brothers fight?" She pouted mockingly, crossing her arms. "I don't think so. 'Cause I'm not turning tail and running like a scared little bitch."
Anger flashed through the Trickster's whole face. He let go of Dean, turning to face her. He stepped forward, and flicked his hand. The room disappeared. Alex found herself in a small, dark room. She let out a huff, looking for a way out.
...
After a few seconds, the Trickster appeared. Alex turned to face him and crossed her arms. "That wasn't very nice."
Anger flared up again in his eyes, but his voice remained steady. "What do you know?"
"I mean, was that really necessary?" Alex ignored his question. "I mean, seriously . . ." She was cut off when the short man roughly pinned her against the wall.
"I asked you a question," he growled in her ear.
"Ow!" she complained. "I forget how short-tempered you archangels can be. Let go." She tried to struggle free, but to no avail. She relaxed. "Dude. Gabriel. Let me go." Gabriel stepped back, running his hands through his fairly long hair. Alex smoothed down the front of her shirt. "Thank you." She critically looked him up and down. "Well?"
"What do you know?" the archangel repeated.
"What do I know? That's rather broad. Well, I know how to tell whether something is rock or bone by licking it . . ." She was cut of again when she hit the wall. "Ouch!" she yelped again as her head banged against the hard wall. "Be gentle!"
"What do you know about me?" he growled slowly.
"Let go, and I'll tell you," Alex growled back. He reluctantly did so, watching the young girl warily. "Thanks. Now where would you like me to begin? You're not the Trickster; you're Gabriel. The archangel. You fled Heaven because Michael and Lucifer were fighting. You came to earth, pretending to be a trickster. The other pagan gods know you as Loki. Blah, blah, blah. Anything else?"
"How do you know about me?" Gabriel looked shocked, but was slowly regaining his composure.
"Don't worry." Alex cracked a smile. "No one told me, if that's what you're worried about." She paused, a certain thought coming to mind. "Where's Cas, by the way?"
"Doesn't matter," Gabriel shrugged. "But how did you know all this?"
"It matters to me," Alex shot back.
"You didn't answer my question."
"You didn't answer mine first."
Gabriel took a menacing step forward.
"Fine." Alex tried to look unfazed. "I came from a universe where all of this is just a show." Gabriel looked unconvinced. Alex shrugged. "Take it or leave it; it's the truth. Now, can I get back to Sam and Dean? I wasn't going to tell them who you really are. 'Cause where's the fun in that, eh?" She laughed slightly, stopping when she realized Gabriel wasn't laughing with her. She rubbed the back of her head, not remotely surprised to find a large bump forming.
"Not a chance," he shook his head. "You are staying right here." He disappeared.
"Gabriel!" Alex yelled after him. He didn't come back. "Castiel!" she yelled. Still nothing. "Hey, Cas! You okay, man?" No answer. Alex sighed and sat down on the ground. "Well, Gabriel, I hope this is fucking entertaining for you!"
...
A full day passed. Or, at least it felt like a day. Alex was bored out of her mind. Neither Gabriel or Castiel showed up. Finally, at one point, everything flickered and disappeared. Alex was sitting on the floor of the abandoned paper mill. A few feet away, Sam and Dean stood near a ring of fire. In the middle of that ring: Gabriel. Alex stood up. "Finally," she said loudly. "It's about time." She walked over to them. "Hey, man," she addressed the angel.
Gabriel ignored her. "Where'd you get the holy oil?" he asked Dean.
"Well, you might say we pulled it out of Sam's ass," Dean told him.
"Huh?" Alex looked very confused. "Well, okay."
"I'll explain later," Sam promised awkwardly.
Dean looked over at Alex. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just been really, really bored." She glared at the archangel. "No thanks to you, Gabe."
"Gabe?" Sam looked at him. "You're Gabriel. The archangel?"
"Guilty." Gabriel flashed Alex a smile. "I'm sorry, but I was a little, occupied."
"Okay, Gabriel. How does an archangel become a trickster?" Dean asked.
"My own private witness protection. I skipped out of heaven, got a face transplant, carved out my own little corner of the world. Till you two came along and screwed it all up."
"What did Daddy say when you ran off and joined the pagans?" Dean asked unbelievingly.
"Daddy doesn't say anything about anything," Gabriel told him.
"Then what happened? Why'd you ditch?" Sam asked.
"Do you blame him? I mean his brothers are heavyweight douchenozzles."
"Shut your cakehole," Gabriel snarled. "You don't know anything about my family. I love my father, my brothers. But watching them turn on each others? Tear at each other's throat? I couldn't bear it, okay? So I left. And now it's happening all over again." Alex let out a sympathetic murmur. Gabriel looked over at her, confused. "Is that pity I hear?" he asked her pointedly.
"Pity?" Alex shook her head. "No, not pity. But I am sorry. I mean, I know how that feels . . ." She trailed off, not sure what else to say.
"You know about all this?" Dean asked Alex. "You were talking about him. Before you disappeared. That's why he got so pissed."
"Yeah," Alex shrugged. "Sorry I didn't tell you. But it was better this way."
"But what is her role?" Sam asked Gabriel.
He shrugged. "As far as I know, she doesn't have one," he said simply. "I don't even know how she knows about me."
"I told you-" Alex protested.
"I don't believe you," Gabriel shot back at her. "I mean, seriously. A different universe? Please." He laughed, which faltered when Sam and Dean looked serious. "You believe her?" He looked surprised.
"She fell out of the sky onto my car," Dean said bluntly. "That's a rather elaborate joke. She knows what's going to happen. She can stop it."
"It can't be stopped," Gabriel said matter-of-factly.
"You want to see the end of the world?" Dean exclaimed.
"I want it to be over!" Gabriel's voice rose. "I have to sit back and watch my brother's kill each other thanks to you. Heaven, Hell, I don't care who wins. I just want it to be over!"
"It doesn't have to be like this," Sam pushed. "There's got to be some way to pull the plug." He looked over at Alex.
"You do not know my family. What you guys call the apocalypse, I used to call Sunday dinner. That's why there's no stopping it, because this isn't about a war. It's about two brothers who loved each other and betrayed each other. You'd think you be able to relate."
"What are you talking about?"
Gabriel shook his head. "You sorry sons of bitches. Why do you think you two are the vessels? Think about it. Michael, the big brother, loyal to an absent father, and Lucifer, the little brother, rebellious of Daddy's plan. You were born to this boys. It's your destiny! It was always you! As it is in Heaven, so must it be on Earth. One brother has to kill each other."
"What the hell are you saying?" Dean hissed.
"Why do you think I always took such an interest in you? Because from the moment Daddy flipped on the lights, we knew it was always going to end with you. Always." He was met with silence. Both Sam and Dean glanced at Alex, but she didn't argue with the angel. They looked at each other.
"No," Dean decided. "That's not going to happen."
"I'm sorry, but it is." He let out a long sigh. "Guys, I wish this were a tv show." He met Alex's gaze. "Easy answers, endings wrapped up in a bow . . . but this is real. And it's going to end bloody for all of us. That's just how it's going to be."
More silence followed his words, both Sam and Dean lost in their own thoughts. Finally Gabriel spoke again. "So, boys. Now what? We stare at each other for the rest of eternity?"
"No," Alex spoke. "You're going to bring Cas back. Now."
"So demanding." Gabriel studied the young girl. There was something about her, but he couldn't place it. "I am, am I?"
"You are." Dean backed Alex up. "Or we're going to dunk you in some holy oil and deep-fry ourselves an archangel." That made Alex smile. Gabriel rolled his eyes, but snapped his fingers. Castiel appeared.
"Cas. You okay?" Dean asked. Alex turned to see the familiar angel in a trench coat.
He didn't immediately answer, but stepped forward to Alex. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Alex promised him. She didn't understand why he always had to make sure she was okay before he checked on Sam and Dean. Why did everyone treat her like some delicate flower?
"Good." He stepped forward. "Hello, Gabriel."
Gabriel was staring at Cas, and his gaze slipped down to Alex, an eyebrow raised. She blushed, and studied the ground. She ran her hand through her hair, flinching as her fingers brushed over the bump on the back of her head. She sharply inhaled at the pain. Castiel's voice reached her ears. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah. Just a bump."
"Sorry about that," Gabriel apologized in a sarcastic tone. Alex looked up to see Castiel glaring at his brother. She nudged him gently, and his blue eyes turned back to her. He quickly reached up and touched her on the forehead.
...
Then she was back in the hotel. "Uh, Cas?" she asked aloud. No response. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Okay then. Could you bring back some fries?" she joked, fairly certain she remained unheard. "Or chocolate. Chocolate is always good." She laughed at her joke before sitting down on one of the beds. She picked up Dean's laptop, looking at the calendar. Cas hadn't been lying. They had been gone for almost six days. She whistled in amazement.
There was a flutter of wings. Alex didn't look up until something was dropped on the bed next to her. Alex looked at it, and a look of happy disbelief crossed her face. "You didn't," she laughed, picking up a bag. Opening it, she found a box of fries.
"I thought you said you wanted them."
Alex looked up into Castiel's confused expression. She smiled again and stood up. "Come here." She pulled the angel into a hug. "You are unbelievable."
Castiel returned the hug. "Thank you, I think."
Alex broke the hug and sat back down on the bed, taking a handful of fries.
"I'm sorry, but the restaurant didn't have chocolate," Castiel apologized, sitting down on the bed next to her.
"That's perfectly fine," Alex promised him. "Thank you."
"Where did he hurt you?" Cas asked.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Alex insisted. "I just banged my head. When I was thrown up against a wall. But it's nothing." Castiel reached up to touch the back of her head, but Alex stopped him. "It's nothing," she repeated. "Seriously. Don't waste your angel mojo on me."
Castiel looked like he was going to protest, but thankfully didn't. He nodded, and disappeared.
Alex sighed, and returned to the laptop, nibbling on a fry. There was another flutter of feathers. "You back?" Alex asked, expecting Castiel.
"I suppose you could say that." Gabriel's voice reached her ears. Alex jumped, and looked up to see the archangel leaning against the wall. "So you and Castiel, eh?"
"Huh?" Alex looked perplexed. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh come on!" Gabriel rolled his head back. "I'm not stupid. There's something between you and my brother."
"There's nothing between me and your brother," Alex shot back, crossing her arms.
"That's exactly what someone would say when there's something."
"It's also what people say when there's nothing!" First Bobby, now Gabriel. If anyone else asked her about her love life, she swore she would shoot them. It wasn't any of their business, dammit.
Gabriel laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it," he told her humorously. "Fine. If you won't answer that question, here's another. What's your name? And don't say Alex," he added when Alex opened her mouth. "We both know what's not true."
"It doesn't matter. As far as anyone needs to know, my name is Alex. Just Alex. It's been two years. My old name died with my old life, Gabe. I'm not the same person anymore."
Gabriel studied her carefully, then nodded. "Very well, Alex. What's it short for? Alexandra?"
Alex shrugged. "If you want. Doesn't matter to me."
Gabriel let out a grunt, shifting slightly. "Alex. How am I suppose to get a good nickname from that?" he asked, mostly to himself.
Alex shrugged. "Do I need one?" The look the archangel gave her answered her question. "Fine. As long as it's good." She turned back to her food, leaving Gabriel to his thoughts. Part of her hoped someone would come back. Then Gabriel would leave. But she had no such luck.
"Xandera," he finally suggested.
"How's that shorter then Alex?" She looked back up.
"Zan?"
Alex pulled a frown, not particularly fond of it.
"Z."
Alex shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. Not sure where that came from," she mumbled to herself. "By the way, thanks for planning this whole charade over my birthday. Nothing like it being forgotten two years in a row."
Gabriel shrugged. "Sorry not sorry."
The motel door cracked open, and Alex looked over at it. When she turned back, Gabriel was gone. "We're back," Dean called, stepping in.
"Hey, about time," she said warmly. She picked up another fry, chewing it carefully.
"Where'd you get those?" Sam asked her.
Alex looked down at the bag. "Cas got them for me."
"Cas?" Dean looked very much surprised. "The angel Cas?"
"Yeah." Alex nodded. "How many Cas's do you know?"
"What's going on between you two?" Dean asked, exchanging a glance with Sam.
"Nothing! What do you mean?"
"You know, the whole him always showing up when you're alone, bringing you food. That's a little more than nothing."
"Stop asking me about my love life!" Alex finally just snapped. "Why does everyone think they need to know? I don't like Cas, I don't like you, and I don't like you." She pointed to each of the Winchesters in turn. "Why does everyone think I have to like someone? Is it because I'm a girl? Because I flirt with you? Well, I don't. I only flirt with you because I feel comfortable around you, okay? That's just what I do. You know that. So just leave me alone!" She fell into silence.
Sam and Dean were quiet for several long seconds. "I don't think Cas sees it that way," Dean finally said.
"Dean!" Sam elbowed him roughly.
"I don't know what he's doing, okay? I mean, yeah, it's weird. But it's not like he's flirting with me." She let out an angry laugh. "Does he do that? Does he even know what that is?" She was met with more silence. "I'm totally serious. I don't know either. I mean, I'm just a human. And a crappy one at that." More silence. Dean and Sam exchanged another look. "Oh, come on! Why would an angel like me? What could he possibly see? I don't even get noticed by normal people, let along a several thousand year old angel!" Alex trailed off.
Neither Sam or Dean looked convinced, but thankfully neither pressed the issue.
The young woman shook her head. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "I - it's just been one of those days, okay?" Alex sat back down on the bed and continued eating her fries. "By the way, we've been gone for six days."
"Really?" Sam pulled out his laptop to confirm what she had said.
"Yeah." Alex sighed. "Missed my birthday again." She saw Sam and Dean exchange look, and she sighed. "Oh. You guys forgot. Again." She heaved a larger sigh. "Well, can't say I'm surprised."
Sam mumbled an apology, while Dean protested, "No way, Pip. Of course we remembered." He sat down on the bed next to her. "You think we'd forget it two years in a row?"
Alex shook it off. "Doesn't matter. So we gonna get out of here? Gabriel hasn't exactly cleared out yet."
Dean shot her a confused glance. "Uh, yeah. Sounds like a plan. We'll head out in a few hours."
"Few hours?" Alex scoffed. "You want to give Gabe a chance to get back at us?" She glanced at the clock. "Besides, its almost 5. You want to leave at eight at night?"
"Fine." Dean rolled his eyes. "We can leave in the next few minutes."
"Better." Alex nodded approvingly.
Sam agreed. He got up to pack his things. "We didn't forget your birthday," he murmured on the way past.
Alex just sighed.