Road Trip Part 1

Lebanon, Kansas

Dean and Angela were in the main room of the bunker packing up various weapons. Grace sat on her play mat, leaning forward to grab her ball.

"Dean. Angela." Castiel greeted suddenly.

"Cas." Angela breathed, immediately going over to hug him tightly.

"Look at you, all suited up and back in the game," Dean commented.

"I, um… I came as soon as you called. I was…" Castiel trailed off as he looked around.

One of the lamps was broken on the floor and books and papers were strewn about. Castiel's brows furrowed in concern.

"What happened?" the angel asked. "What's wrong?"

Angela pulled away and wrapped her arms around herself. Dean stopped packing his bag and sighed heavily.

~/~\~

Castiel, Dean, and Angela sat at the table. Dean had Grace in his lap.

"Sammy was dying." Angela murmured. "What were we supposed to do?"

Castiel sighed. "You let an angel possess him?"

"He said it was the only way, and we… I believed him." Angela explained. "Now Sammy's gone. Kevin's…"

"I'm sorry," Castiel replied sincerely.

Angela laughed humorlessly. "If only 'sorry' did anything. We have to find the son of a bitch."

Castiel looked between the two hunters. "If the angel possessing Sam isn't Ezekiel, then who is it?"

"A dead man walking." Dean retorted.

"What, you're gonna destroy him?" Castiel asked skeptically.

"Damn right." Dean nodded.

"You kill an angel, its vessel dies, too."

"Think we don't know that?" Angela's voice wavered. "If we don't…" she pursed her lips, not even wanting to entertain the idea. "If we don't end Sam and that halo burns him out and I… God I was so damn stupid." Her voice cracked.

Dean held Angela's hand with his free one, squeezing her hand comfortingly.

"You were stupid for the right reasons," Castiel assured sincerely.

"Yeah, like that matters." Angela scoffed, tears in her eyes.

"It does. Sometimes that's all that matters." Castiel replied firmly. "Listen to me. Sam is strong. If he knew an angel was possessing him, he could fight. He could cast the angel out."

"Maybe." Dean sighed. "But as far as we know, he's in the dark. I don't know how we clue him in."

Castiel paused for a moment. "Do you remember Alfie?"

"The kid angel? Yeah." Dean shrugged. "Why?"

"Before he died, he told me the demons were able to dig into his mind, access his coding," Castiel explained. "We might be able to do that here. Might be able to—to bypass the angel and talk directly to Sam."

"And you think that would work?" Angela asked.

"I don't know," Castiel admitted. "But I think we should try."

"Okay." Dean nodded. "Um, where do we start?"

~/~\~

Dean, Angela, and Castiel walked into the dungeon. Angela carried Grace in her arms, who was babbling nonsensically.

"Hello, boys. Angela." Crowley greeted with a smirk.

"Here's the deal—you're gonna tell us how to hack an angel, and I'm gonna give you some of the good stuff." Dean held up a syringe of blood. "Human blood, fresh from the tap. Word is you're jonesing for it."

"Please." Crowley scoffed. "I'll pass."

"What do you want, then?" Castiel demanded.

"Well, for starters… A massage." Crowley replied. "Between the sitting and the shackles, a body gets a little stiff."

"Yeah, I ain't rubbing you." Dean retorted.

"God, no. Get Kevin." Crowley replied. "His tiny fists can really work wonder—

"Kevin is dead." Castiel interrupted.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Crowley replied.

"Don't pretend you care. You tried to kill him." Castiel replied harshly.

"I told him this was gonna happen." Crowley sighed. "I was the only person who tried to warn him. I told him to run."

"From what?" Angela questioned.

"You," Crowley replied bluntly. "How many times am I gonna have to say this? People in your general vicinity don't have much in the way of a life-span. Now, I can't teach you how to crack open an angel. It's more… art than science. But I can do it for you. All I ask in return is a little field trip. Dying for some fresh air. Chains on, naturally."

"No," Dean replied immediately.

"No?" Crowley raised his brows. "Of course not. Because if I'm plan 'A,' I'm sure you have a totally viable, much better plan 'B'."

Dean and Angela shared a look, and Castiel pulled them aside.

"You can't be considering this." The angel frowned.

"With the chains on, he can't do anything." Dean shrugged.

"It's Crowley," Castiel muttered. "He can always do something."

"Cas, I hate the idea of working with Crowley, trust me," Angela assured. "But… we kinda need him right now."

"Why don't you get moose, Bambi?" Crowley chimed in. "I'm sure he can weigh in."

Angela clenched her jaw slightly, catching Crowley's attention.

"Unless…" he smirked. "Unless, of course, you can't. That's why you're here, isn't it? The poor giant baby's in trouble again, isn't he?"

"Are you done?" Angela glared.

"Depends." Crowley shrugged. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah," Angela replied.

"Excellent." Crowley smiled. "When do we leave?"

"Soon as I can scrounge up a ride," Dean replied with a huff.

"Well, I have a vehicle." Castiel sighed. "It stopped a few miles from here, inexplicably."

~/~\~

A lady picked up her dog as Castiel, Crowley, Angela, and Dean walked down the street. Angela was carrying Grace while Castiel carried a car seat. Crowley's cuffs were covered by his jacket folded over his arms. They approached a cream colored 1978 Lincoln Continental.

"Really?" Crowley raised his brows at Castiel. "What are you, a pimp?"

"I like it," Castiel muttered.

Dean attempted to start the car, failing. "Yeah, it's out of gas."

"Riddle me this, boy wonder," Crowley started as Dean started filling the tank. "Why do you need the wheels?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "When you betray us, I'll be the one to carve out your heart."

"Oh, Cas, such a flirt," Crowley smirked.

"Cas, why don't you set up the car seat," Angela suggested.

Castiel did as he was told as Dean finished filling the tank.

"Alright. Let's go." He sighed.

"Shotgun." Crowley smiled victoriously.

"Uh, wrong. You're in the back." Dean replied.

Castiel smirked at the demon and stepped to the front.

"Hey—you, too," Dean noted. "Keep an eye on him and look after Grace."

Crowley smirked at Castiel and got in the back as Angela buckled Grace up. Castiel rolled his eyes and followed.

"Hey. Watch the leg." Crowley complained as Angela sat up front.

"You're on my side," Castiel argued.

"Boys," Angela warned. "Behave."

~/~\~

Castiel, Crowley, Angela, and Dean sat in the lobby of a fancy office building. Grace squirmed restlessly from her place in Angela's lap.

"Your source is in here?" Dean asked Crowley.

"And she can track anything you need, even our little lost Samantha," Crowley replied.

"How?" Castiel questioned.

"Well, this place isn't really… this. It's a front for an N.S.A. listening post." Crowley explained.

"What are they listening for?" Castiel's brows furrowed.

"Everything." Crowley shrugged. "The U.S. government is quite the voyeur these days. So, I planted one of my best and let her go to work."

"Looking for terrorists?" Castiel raised his brows.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Looking for marks, slow boat."

Two security guards walked over to the group.

"Mr. Crowley? She'll see you now."

Castiel, Dean, and Angela stood up to join him.

"Uh, just Mr. Crowley." The guard corrected.

"I'll be listening to every word you say," Castiel warned.

"Promise?" Crowley smirked.

~/~\~

"Hear anything?" Angela asked.

"No." Castiel sighed. "The room Crowley's in has been warded."

"Awesome." Dean rolled his eyes. "That's friggin' awesome."

~/~\~

Crowley walked down the stairs and handed Dean a paper.

"Your phallus on wheels just ran a red light in Somerset, Pennsylvania, 10 minutes ago."

"Let's go." Dean pursed his lips.

"The four amigos ride again," Crowley smirked.

"He's not my amigo," Castiel grumbled.

~/~\~

Somerset, Pennsylvania

Dean, Angela, and Castiel walked down the street. Dean carried Grace and stopped next to the Impala, running his free hand over the hood of the car. Angela walked into the house alone and saw Abner with his throat slit on the floor. She heard the sound of running water, and followed it to the kitchen. Gadreel was washing the blood off his hands in the sink.

"You should not have come here, Angela." He noted without bothering to turn around.

"You killed my friend, then you take my husband, and you think I'm gonna let that stand?" Angela retorted.

Gadreel finally turned around, staring down at Angela. "I allowed you and Dean to live."

"Mistake." Angela clenched her jaw. "I told you what would happen if you didn't kill me."

Angela lunged for Gadreel, but he used his angel force to knock her back into a nearby bookcase; knocking her unconscious. As Gadreel stepped towards her, he heard Castiel and Dean behind him. As he swung around Castiel delivered a knockout punch and Gadreel crumbled to the floor. Dean immediately rushed over to Angela.

A/N: Hey, guys, I hope you like this chapter! I'm currently writing First Born and I'm so, so excited. In the next few chapters, we're really going to see Angie blaming herself for everything that's happened. Of course, thank you for the recent reviews, your feedback is so important to me. Love you guys, xoxo.

~Emily