Ch 8.
Dean, Sam and River left Bobby's a day later. They caught wind of a haunting near Illinois. The spirit was put to rest relatively quickly and with little collateral damage, minus a few scrapes and bruises for the hunters. "So tired…." River mumbled when they finally checked into their room at the Willow Tree Motel. She peeled off her top layer of clothes, kicked her boots off and climbed under the blankets followed momentarily by Dean. Sam watched as they quickly fell asleep without so much as a mumbled 'Goodnight'. He sat on his bed fully clothed and waited in the dark motel room. His phone eventually buzzed sometime after 2:00 am and he got up silently, grabbed his jacket and left the two sleeping forms of Dean and River.
Dean dreamt of blood, pain and screams before jarring himself awake. He sat up and was startled to see the angel, Castiel watching him. "Hello, Dean. What were you dreaming about?" the angel asked quietly. Dean took a deep breath and looked behind him, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of River's breathing. "Her dreams are quite peaceful at the moment. She won't wake."
"You get you're jollies watching people sleep?" Dean muttered, "What do you want?"
"Listen to me," Castiel said, "You have to stop it."
"Stop what?" Dean asked. The angel tilted his head and touched two fingers to Dean's forehead. Dean disappeared from the motel room with out a sound. Castiel remained in the room silently watching the woman sleep, watching her dream play out. Her thoughts were usually muddled and mostly hidden from him, a gift or trick he had yet to figure out, but she was unable to hide her dreams from the angel. He watched as the peaceful dream of her and Dean laying in bed laughing at some stupid tv show were melting into a nightmare of teeth and screams. River turned over in her sleep reaching out to the empty spot where Dean had been. Her brow furrowed and she curled in on her self still sleeping. Castiel disappeared from the room a moment later in a flutter of wings.
The clock on the nightstand clicked and Dean sat up in bed. He was back where he started, laying in the lumpy motel bed next to River, who still slept . He noticed Castiel standing at the foot of the bed, "I couldn't stop it. She still made the deal… she still died in that nursery didn't she?"
Castiel nodded, "Don't be too hard on yourself, Dean. You couldn't have stopped it."
Dean stood up slowly, "What?"
"You cannot change destiny," Castiel said. "All roads, all paths lead to the same destination."
"Why send me back? If I couldn't change anything, why?" Dean asked.
"For the truth. Now you know as much as we do."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean yelled. River finally stirred and sat up groggily on one elbow, wiping a mix of tears and sweat off her face. Castiel glanced down, Dean and River followed his line of sight and noticed for the first time Sam's bed was empty and fully made.
"What's going on? Where's Sam?" River asked confused.
"We know what Azazel did to your brother. We just don't know why. All the trouble and planning Azazael went through to cover his tracks; what's his endgame?" Castiel continued.
"Where's my brother?" Dean asked.
"425 Waterman," the angel answered. River kicked the blankets off and quickly pulled her jeans and boots on while Dean threw on his jacket. "If you don't stop him, we will." Castiel called ominously as the hunters left the room. Dean paused, glancing back at the blue eyed angel before climbing into Baby after River. She yawned and stretched as she piled her hair into a messy knot on top of her head.
"So what the hells going on now, D?" River asked as she pulled a gun out of her duffle bag. Dean let out a deep breath and pushed down on the accelerator causing the Impala to surge forward.
"Castiel sent me back in time to before I was born," he glanced over at his girlfriend, she raised her eyebrows but remained silent. "I met my mom and dad…my mom was a freakin' hunter."
"No fucking way," River smiled.
"I know right? But she was. Her family, my family we were hunters from way back. God, she was a badass and so beautiful and smart," he smiled. "You'd love her, Riv. She reminded me of you; a beautiful monster killing badass."
River looked at him and blushed, "But why did he send you back? Winchester family reunion?" Dean startled, remembering the conversation he had with Alastair and the surprise waiting on the silver platter. A sudden urge to scream at her reared up but there was no way River knew anything about Alastair.
He swallowed down the anger and cleared his throat, "My mom…she made a deal with Azazel, old yellow eyes himself. He killed her parents, my grandparents, Samuel and Deana Campbell and my dad."
"Azazel killed John? Turn right at the next light," she glanced at her phone, reading off the directions to Dean as he continued the story.
"Yeah, snapped his neck. Mom made a deal to bring him back in exchange for…whatever he did to Sam," Dean found a spot well away from 425 Waterman and parked the car. "Castiel said the angels wanted me to see the whole story, how it all started and now-now here we are. The fuck is that kid up to?"
"He's not a kid, Dean. He's a giant grown-ass man," River said quietly as they walked to the dark warehouse, "Wait, did you say your grandma's name was Deanna? I always figured you were named after James Dean or something." The sounds of snarls and yells echoed off the cold cement walls. The hunters pulled out their guns and walked silently towards the sounds.
Sam's voice rang out, "Where's Lilith?" He stood in a dark room, a devils trap painted on the floor and a sweaty, dirty man chained to a chair in the center. River and Dean hid in shadows in a small alcove behind Sam and out of sight of the trapped demon.
"Kiss my ass, hunter," the man snarled. River elbowed Dean and pointed to a figure obscured by Sam's shadow.
"I'd watch myself if I were you," Sam warned.
The demon in the chair sat forward, pulling at the chains, "Why? Because you're some big time hero, Sam Winchester?" The demons eyes shifted to black and he looked at the shadowed figure, "And yet here you are slutting around with some demon whore." Sam shifted his weight and the slight change in position gave a line of sight to the figure behind him. River recognized the woman; she was the same gorgeous, brown haired woman that had greeted her, Dean and Bobby back in Sam's motel room weeks ago. "Tell me about those months without your brother. All the things you do in that dark with that demon cunt." Dean stiffened next to River, the muscles in his jaw twitching.
"Watch your mouth," Sam said quietly. The short brunette next to him smirked but didn't move. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed and looked very much like she had not a care in the world.
"Tell me, hero, how's her pretty demon lips feel wrapped around your self-righteous cock?" Sam took a half step towards the demon his hand outstretched. "What are you doing?" the demon struggled harder against the chains and began gagging and coughing. Thick, oily black smoke came hurling out of the man's mouth and congealed on the floor at Sam's boots. The smoke curdled into a thick puddle before sinking into the cement floor leaving behind nothing but smoldering ashes. Dean looked down at River as she turned her shocked blue eyes up to him and chewed her bottom lip.
Sam rushed towards the figure still chained to the chair and checked for a pulse, "He's alive! And no headache this time. I feel great."
The woman standing next to Sam smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder, "Good job, Sam. You're becoming a real pro at this." Dean surged out of the shadows and towards his younger brother.
"Yeah, great job Sammy!" Dean yelled, "Anything you might want to tell me?" River followed quietly behind him, her knuckles white from grasping her gun so tightly.
"Dean, hold on! Let-" Sam began.
Dean shook his head, "You gonna say 'let me explain'? How are you gonna explain this?" he pointed at the man in chair and the woman standing behind him. "How about you start with who this is?"
"Good to see you again, Dean," she said sweetly, "River, sorry to hear about the babies. Lilith's a real nasty bi-"
River raised her gun and tried to shoot the woman. Sam rushed forward and shoved the gun up at the last second, yelling "River, no!" the bullet flying up into the ceiling and showering them with flecks of plaster.
"Dean, it's Ruby!" River yelled, struggling to pull her gun away from the much taller man. Dean pushed past Sam and grabbed Ruby by the shoulders, shoving her back into the wall. He pulled the demon killing knife out of his jacket and raised it, ready to strike down the woman. Sam pushed River away causing her to stumble back, he rushed forward and grabbed the knife his brother held. Ruby took the opening to grab Dean by the throat and shove him up against the wall.
"Dean, stop! " Sam yelled, "Ruby, let him go!" The demon glanced at Sam then released Dean.
"Well aren't you a little obedient bitch?" Dean grunted, rubbing his throat. Ruby sneered at the green eyed hunter and stepped towards him again.
"Ruby! Enough, he's hurt!" Sam nodded towards the formerly possessed man. River had limped over to unchain the man in the chair and was checking him for obvious injuries, she murmured to him quietly and got staggered responses back. Ruby nodded at Sam and leaned down next to River.
"Fuck off, demon" she hissed, "You're not touching him."
"I can rip your arms off and drop you both off at the ER if you'd like," Ruby replied quietly. She wrapped the man's arm around her shoulders and helped him walk out the building. River turned around, keeping her eyes averted from Sam and holding her hand out to Dean.
"Dean!" Sam yelled, "Dean come on!" Dean ignored his brother and grasped River's outstretched hand and the two left the dark building.
They drove in silence for a few hours around the sleeping city before Dean finally returned to their motel. "Stay in the car, I'll get our stuff." Dean barked before climbing out of the car. She watched him throw open the motel room door then slam it shut, muffled yelling soon followed. She rubbed her hands down her face and groaned, "I'm so fucking exhausted." She muttered to herself.
"How about we go on a relaxing vacation to Bora Bora?" A smiling, honey coated voice cooed from beside her.
River jerked her head and looked into the whiskey colored eyes of her friend, the Trickster Loki aka- "Gabriel! What in gods name are you doing here?" she whispered, frantically looking around the parking lot.
"Hey, don't take my dad's name in vain," he said smiling, "How've you been sugar cookie?"
"I'm fine, everything is fucking fabulous," she muttered. "You know the angels are probably following us right? They could be hiding out there somewhere. They see you and the millennia old gig as Loki is up."
He scoffed at her and pulled a bag of Reese's Pieces out of his jacket pocket. He offered her some and she took a handful and started munching on them. Listening to the muffled arguing still echoing from the room.
"I don't lying to Dean, he should know you helped me. Know what you really are." River continued when the yelling dissipated for the moment.
"You tell Dean, tell anyone and I'm dead, your dead, the Winchesters are dead. I'm a deserter, lollipop, disobeyed the old man and I'll be put to death."
River rubbed her fingers along the small lollipop pendant around her neck. "I met your brother," she said after a moment.
Gabriel looked over at her and raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, which one?"
"Castiel."
"Cassie? I taught him how to fly. How's that kid doing?"
"He's uh, got horrible timing and no sense of humor." River laughed and tossed another piece of candy in her mouth, "Gabe, did you know Lilith's trying to break your big bro out of the penalty box?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "Baby mama drama, lemon drop. Nothin' new." River opened her mouth to say something else but the level of yelling in the room reached a new octave and the sound of something shattering tore her attention from her friend.
"Shit!" she muttered and rushed out of the car and into the room. Gabriel disappeared with a huff a second later.
"If I didn't know you, Sammy, I'd want to hunt you!" Dean yelled at his younger brother. River surveyed the damage done to the room, pictures hung askew on the wall, a lamp lay shattered on the floor. Sam had tears in his eyes and a swelling lip and Dean stood shaking with barely controlled rage.
"You were gone Dean!" Sam said quietly, "I was here and I had to keep fighting without you. This works, what I'm doing. What I'm able to do with my powers, I'm saving people."
Dean stepped back and ran his hand tiredly over his face, "If your powers are so great, why couldn't you tell me about them? And why did a freaking angel tell me to stop you?"
"What?" Sam said shocked.
"Yeah, brother. Cas told me if I didn't stop you then he would," Dean paused and took a shaking breath, "You know what that means, Sam. It means God doesn't want you doing this. So are you gonna stand there and tell me everything is all good?" Sam didn't get the chance to answer because his phone rang. Dean turned away from his brother and walked towards River.
"Hey, Travis, . Now's not a great time actually…yeah ok. Where?" Sam walked to the small table and quickly wrote down an address. "Carthage, Missouri. Ok, yeah will be there." Sam relayed the case details to Dean and River. A former associate of their father's had caught wind of a possible Rugaru and requested back up from the younger Winchesters. The three hunters agreed to take the case and headed to Missouri. Dean told his younger brother about his angelic time travel experience while River dozed in the backseat.
"Our parents, our grandparents all murdered and for what, Dean?" Sam said exasperated, "So yellow eyes could break into my nursery and bleed into my mouth?"
Dean looked at his younger brother, "I never said anything about the demon blood Sammy. How long have you known about that?"
Sam pursed his lips and ran his fingers through his hair, " 'bout a year. I'm sorry. I should've told you."
"Yeah you've been sayin' that a lot." Dean murmured. River's phone rang loudly from the backseat and she cursed loudly, fumbling with the phone in her half asleep state.
"Hola, Levi," she mumbled into the phone, eyes still closed. "No, why would I be sleeping its only 4:30 am on a random Wednesday." She sat up suddenly, "A Senkia, really? In Doylestown. Hell yeah I can be there, we're headed to Carthage for a Rugaru. The boys can deal with that nasty and I'll borrow a car at the next pit stop and pick your non-driving ass up and we'll play Buffy. You get to be Giles…see ya soon." She hung up the phone and stretched.
"Where the hell do you think your going?" Dean asked over his shoulder.
"My Amish boyfriend has a case he would like some assistance on," she said sweetly. "A Senkia. Two families are already dead and he thinks he's got a lead on where it's gonna hit next."
"I don't want you being so far away, come on Riv with all the shit going down. Levi can get someone else," Dean said.
"I'm going Dean, you two have some shit to work out anyways. I'll call you when the jobs done, it shouldn't take more than three days, a week at most."
"The first sign things might go sideways…" Dean stood in front of the door to the small, nondescript car River had boosted from an over night parking lot. He stared down at the shorter red head in front of him; she tapped her foot impatiently on the gravel. "I threw a couple flare guns in your bag. Senkia's don't like fire."
"I know Dean and I'll try not to die. I'll call you and I'll try to keep my raw sexual attraction to Levi in check," she smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him. "See ya soon, hot stuff." She kissed him deeply again, pulling at his lower lip in the way she knew drove him crazy, "I need to hit the road and so do you." He stepped away from the door and she climbed in. She waved to Sam and left the Winchesters in the rear view mirror.
"She'll be fine, Dean. She's hunted worse things than a Senkia on her own and she'll be with Levi. He won't let anything happen to her," Sam told his older brother as the got back into Baby to continue on their way to Carthage. Dean nodded but said nothing, instead turning up the stereo to nearly deafening volume and blasting AC/DC.