Ch 47
"What?" River yelled. "Don't you think maybe you could've fucking mentioned that a little earlier, Chuck?"
The author jumped behind the diminutive yet fierce woman that had just proclaimed her love for him. Becky narrowed her eyes at River. "I didn't…I didn't remember! I swear. I was half drunk when I wrote those damn books. "
"Crowley? Who is he?" Dean asked, he put a hand on Rivers arm to calm her. He felt his heart thundering in his chest. This could be a win. A big god damn win.
"There's not much else in the book. Just his name and he had a funny accent...He was Lilith's second in command and sometimes lover. That's it. I just thought maybe it could help," Becky answered. The hunters thanked Becky for the tip and nicely threatened Chuck with murder if he ever wrote anymore 'Supernatural' books.
River slid into the back seat of the Impala and let out a deep sigh, eyes closing and hands running along the soft seat. "Missed you, Baby." She murmured finding her perfect comfortable spot on the long bench seat. Dean watched her in the rearview mirror. They drove in silence for nearly an hour not wanting to spoil the budding feeling of hope that Becky's information had provided. River's ringing phone broke the stillness in the car and she jolted awake, patting the pockets of her many layers of clothing until she found the small phone. "It's Bobby," she said flipping the phone open, "Hey Papa Bear. Man, have we got news for you."
"Yeah, well save it," he replied. "You wanna tell me how you and Levi got yer'selves tangled up with someone like Harob?"
"Well, I didn't go lookin' for the asshole, Bobby," she shot back. Her tone prickling at the gruff hunter. "You're the one that sent me after Sam and Dean in the first god damn place."
"What the hell you talkin' about?"
"Louisiana, Bobby! Those raggedy ass swamp witches I obliterated. That was Harob's coven. He called them his 'wives'."
"I have no god damn idea what you are talking about," Bobby said bewildered.
River sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Do you have dementia, old man? Do I need to find a home for you?"
"Will you two just-" Dean muttered angrily reaching behind him and taking the cellphone out of Rivers hand and putting it on speaker, "Get on with it Bobby we aren't growing any younger."
Bobby huffed loudly on his end of the phone, "The little information I could glean from a demonic text I was able to scrounge up doesn't paint a pretty picture of this Harob character." Bobby paused and they heard papers rustling. "Apparently a few thousand years ago, after Lucifer was locked away, there was a big dust up down in the Pit. Different factions squabbling over who was to inherit the throne. A Demon by the name of Balom came out on top and deemed himself King of Hell. Well that apparently didn't sit too fondly with Lucifers bottom bitch, Lilith."
"Papa Bear, did you just correctly use the term 'bottom bitch'?" River interjected.
"You're not the only one that watches 'Sons of Anarchy'. Speaking of which did you see this weeks episode? That Gemma is one dirty bitch."
Before River could answer Dean cut them both off, "Bobby, focus!"
"Right…Where was I… Lilith spent the next few centuries gathering her own forces. She attacked and Balom was executed in the melee. Lilith's now the new Queen Bee down under. Balom's forces either joined Lilith or scattered to the winds; including Balom's second in command Harob. This demon, Harob, was a real son of a bitch. Feared by his own kind for his brutality and known to control a vast harem of witches that did his bidding topside."
"This is all very Shakespearian, Bobby. What the hell's the point?" River said from the backseat.
"When Balom fell, Harob's control over his coven faltered. The witches splintered off, choosing to follow various other demons. Harob went into hiding in the deepest caves of Hell. For the last several hundred years he's been gathering followers and trying to regain his strength to overthrow Lilith. He was mounting an offense against her and planning on stopping her from raising Lucifer," Castiel said appearing next to River in the backseat. "Harob's coven abducted Dean and Sam. They were planning on using them as sacrifices to free Harob from Hell so he could mount his counter attack against Lilith while her focus was elsewhere."
"Why? Why use Sam and Dean? You guys would've just brought them back if the witches killed them, right? If I didn't get there in time?"
Castiel shook his head, "The orders from my superiors were to not allow the Demons to know how involved they were in allowing the seals to fall. If the Winchesters had been sacrificed that would have been the end of Lilith's campaign. For a few generations at least. My superiors put all their efforts behind driving Sam and Dean down their paths to Armageddon."
"So you're saying if Bobby hadn't sent me after them-"
"I didn't send you nowhere!" Bobby echoed over the phone.
"Bobby Singer is not the one that called you. It was me. I could not personally interfere so I sent you." Cas said quietly turning to face River, "If Dean and more importantly, Sam, had been killed our hands would have been tied. Harob would have been raised and perhaps he would have been the one to kill Lilith."
"Then what? Lilith was the last seal. It had to be Sam that killed her, in that exact fucking spot right? To break the final lock on the cage?" The angel nodded. "Sam going crack fiend? The fucking Apocalypse? Could've been stopped if I'd gotten a flat tire? Or been eaten by that Loup-garou?"
"I was under orders," Castiel said.
River's jaw tightened and she sat back heavily in the seat. "I am a heavenly fucking plot device."
"Ok, but those bitches didn't kill us. So how the fuck did Harob get out? And why go after River and Levi?" Dean asked Castiel.
Castiel tilted his head, considering. "When Lucifer broke free of the cage Hell gates all over the planet were weakened. He could have escaped from any of them."
"I fucked Harob's plans to gank Lilith and take over Hell. So now he's fucking me and Levi." River answered. "How do we find him? How do we find Levi?"
"We'll summon him, trap him, beat the shit out of him until he tells us where Levi is," Sam commented.
"Fine. Best play we've got. He wants me dead or fucking worse. I can summon him right now," River said untying the stinking satchel on her belt loop. "I burn this and he'll come running."
Castiel snatched the bag out of her hand, "Is this all you have? Dried Lantana petals, a Gregorian charm and a horse tooth? Gabriel must have given you some sort of protection."
"It's gone. Everything is gone. I can't even see your wings or your grace. Pretty sure you could read my mind now if you wanted to," River said quietly.
Castiel's lips drew into a thin line and he let out a deep sigh, "This may sting."
"Wha- ah fuck!" River yelled. Castiel touched his fingers to River's breast bone and it felt like a Mack truck smashed into her, immediately followed by the unpleasant sensation of burning along her rib cage. Just as quickly the sensation was gone and River struggled to draw in a deep breath. "What the shit Cas?"
"You are properly warded. Against Angels and Demons. Something my brother should have had the foresight to do for you," the Angel replied sourly.
"He did what he could. He couldn't exactly sign his fucking name on my insides. It was risky enough for him," River said rubbing her sore ribs. "If I'm warded against Demons now how the hell is Harob is gonna find me?"
"That's kind of the point, sweetheart," Dean told her. "And all we got the is the knife. We don't even know if that'll work against Harob and Cas's is runnin' on half empty. We go after the Colt and then we go after that asshat."
"The Colt?!" Bobby, who's voice echoed from River's cellphone now laying forgotten on the seat between the Winchesters.
"You have information on the Colt?" Castiel said sitting forward intently and leaning his face to close for comfort to Dean's.
Dean shifted in his seat, "Yeah. The Colt. We got some semi reliable intel that a demon named Crowley was the last to have it. Not Lilith."
"This is good news, Dean. I'll find him." Castiel said.
River grabbed his arm before he disappeared, "Will you just make sure your phone has minutes?" Castiel nodded and disappeared. "How long do you think it'll take Cas to find this asshole?"
"Maybe a day or two," Dean answered.
"Harob's already had Levi for almost three days. We can at least try the knife."
"I'd feel better if we had The Colt, too." Dean said meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror. "We don't know what this guys capable of. If he's anything like Alastair…" Dean shook his head and ended the conversation. River sat back in her seat defeated. Levi had been a close friend and source of calming strength to River in the months Dean had spent trapped in Hell. She felt an immediate connection to the quiet, strong willed Pow-Wow magician since he had healed her after the violent assault from the Shapeshifter that had stalked her for several years.
The trio drove for several more hours, waiting for word from Castiel. The Angel finally called in the late evening just as Dean was pulling off the road and into a gas station parking lot. "Dean, I've found him," Castiel said in his quiet gravelly voice. "Crowley is making a deal. Even as we speak it's…'going down'."
Dean couldn't help the smile tugging at his mouth, "Going down? Alright, Huggy Bear. Just make sure you don't lose him." The deal Crowley was making was with a beleaguered big time douchey, Ponzi scheming son of a bitch banker. The deal drew to a close as Castiel watched and was sealed with a kiss form the demon Crowley. The demon disappeared from the vacant lot even as the flabby, sweaty banker ran back to his waiting limousine. Static screeched loudly in Dean's ear as Cas flew after Crowley. The Angel landed a second later outside a sprawling mansion and cursed under his breath in Enochian. "I've found him. It's not far but the building is covered with Enochian warding magic. I can't get in." Castiel relayed the address to Dean and the hunters piled back into the gassed up Impala. They arrived several hours later and scoped out the sprawling Hacienda style mansion from the woods. Armed demon guards patrolled the grounds, security cameras every few feet and a twelve foot high stone wall and iron gate surround the property.
"That place is locked down tighter than Fort Knox. How the hell are we supposed to get in there?" Dean muttered handing the binoculars to his brother.
Sam shrugged his shoulders, "We climb the wall. Sneak past as many of the guards as we can, break the warding and Cas smites Crowley."
"This isn't just one sigil to break. The building is infused with warding, right Cas?" River asked. The Angel nodded in agreement. "It's in the fucking brick and mortar of the place. Cas can't get in. We're going in alone and we won't make it over that wall without being seen by at least one of the cameras."
"Then what? Burrow under the wall?" Dean snapped. "The god damn Colt is in there! I know it is."
"I got a plan." She said after several moments of watching the guards on their rounds. "You're not gonna like it."
She was right. Dean did not like it. It made his guts cold and his palms sweaty. But is was the only plan they had. Dean drove them to a rest stop a few miles away from Crowley's mansion so River could get ready. "You're not going in alone." Dean repeated for the thirtieth time. He, Sam and Castiel paced in the empty women's restroom. They had propped a trashcan and an 'out of order' sign on the door to keep any intruders at bay.
River nodded and checked her makeup one last time in the cracked mirror after slipping her dress over her head. "Zip me up," she said turning towards Dean. He blew a long, angry breath out of his nose and stalked over to her. The 'dress' was covered in shimmery silver sequence that reflected the dull halogen lights in the bathroom and barely long enough to cover the demon knife she had strapped to her upper thigh. The zipper was basically just for show as the dress could easily fall to the floor if River slipped the thin straps off her shoulders. Dean pulled the tiny ridiculous zipper up, trying not to focus on River's lack of appropriate demon fighting under garments. "I am. Because it's the only way those assholes are going to open the gate and the only way I can get to that control panel and turn the security cameras off. Then you two jolly giants can follow me in." She turned around to face Dean and the other two men. "I'll run if I need to. See: no high heels." River pointed to her black Chuck Taylor clad feet.
"Don't you think the shoes kind of throw off the whole outfit?" Sam asked.
"Trust me. They aren't going to be looking at my feet." She replied. "Let's get our boogie on. Moonlights a wastin'." She patted Dean's chest reassuringly and led them back towards the waiting car. Dean parked the Impala a quarter of a mile away from Crowley's mansion. Dean had decided to give River three minutes to gank the two demons at the front gate and disable the security cameras before he and Sam would follow. River took a deep breath and smiled nervously at the brothers. Cas had disappeared somewhere outside to monitor the perimeter of the mansion. "See you in three minutes." She squeezed Dean's hand quickly before walking away into the darkness. Dean glanced at his wrist watch and watched as the seconds ticked by painfully slow.
River ran to the iron gate and pressed the call button, "Hello?"
"What do you want?" a hollow voice answered.
"Oh thank goodness! I need help! I blew a tire and my car's in a ditch down the road." She said frantically. Two suit clad men appeared from the guard house as the gate swung open. River smiled widely and walked through the gate, "Thank you so much! I really thought I was in trouble there."
"What would a pretty thing like you be doin' out here all by yourself?" One of the men asked.
"I have a hen party I was headed to. My BFF from my college sorority is getting married. I really need get a tow truck out here like now," she said.
"We got a better party inside. You and that plump ass of yours just made the VIP list." The first demon guard sneered.
"Just gotta make sure you don't have any surprises under that dress." The second man walked behind her, resting his hands on her hips. The stench of sulfur was overpowering and River struggled to keep her features calm. He bent down and ran his cold hands up her thighs. His fingertips found the edge of the hidden knife. The demons eyes widened. "The hell is that?" he muttered.
"That? Oh that's just my demon killing knife," River said smiling. The knife was in her hand and imbedded to the hilt in the kneeling demons throat before his partners eyes shifted to black. The remaining demon lunged for her and River struck him in the chest with the knife in quick, short prison yard stabs. The demon gurgled, sickly orange light flashing as it died. She stepped over the dead bodies and ran into the guard tower. A few button mashing and wire cutting seconds later the security cameras and power to the mansion were off. Dean and Sam were at the doorway to the guard house by the time she turned around.
"You ok?" Dean asked looking at her arms, legs and shiny dress that was now splashed in dark red blood.
"Five by five, hot stuff." She answered handing him the knife.
"Wait for us at the car with Cas." Dean told her tucking the bloody knife into his belt loop.
River snorted, "Uh no. Let's go waterboard this asshole." The front door was unlocked and the three hunters entered the dark halls. They spent the next several minutes silently drawing salt lines and various demon traps along the floor and under rugs.
"Well, well, well The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew finally found me," a dark figure called out in a gentle Scottish brogue. He stopped a dozen feet from the waiting hunters. They raised their guns and waited. "Took you long enough."
"Gabh Transna Ort Fhéin, ya prick!," River yelled 'Go fuck yourself sideways' in Gaelic at the shadowed figure.
Crowley laughed, "Ohhh I do love a woman that speaks the old language. And such a filthy mouth." He took a step towards them, the hunters adjusted the groups on their guns. Crowley used the toe of his expensive Italian loafer to kick the edge of the Oriental rug at his feet. He scowled at the paint marring the back of the rug. "Do you have any idea how expensive these are?" Crowley stepped around the rug. "Tell me, love. Where do you hail from?"
"Clan McGregor, arsehole," River answered.
The demon laughed again, "I should've figured."
"Crowley doesn't sound very fitting for a Scotsman. What's your real name?" She asked.
The demon shook his head, "I like a woman that can curse like an old Scot bastard, love. But not that much." Two more demons appeared behind Sam and Dean grabbing the men around the throats and bending their arms back. The shotguns clattered to the floor as the brothers grunted in pain. Crowley curled his index finger in a 'come hither' motion and River was pulled across the room, sliding across the carpet like she was on ice skates, into his waiting arms. He wrapped one arm tightly around her chest so that she faced the trapped Winchesters. With his free hand Crowley produced the Colt from the folds of his jacket. "This is what you're after. Isn't it?" River's eyes darted up tracking the gun as Crowley placed the barrel against her temple. He cocked the pistol and River met Dean's dark eyes.
"You smell kind of like my grandma. She had an affinity for Haggis and cheap whiskey," River snarked struggling uselessly against Crowleys arm.
"I never drink cheap whiskey, love." Crowley purred before aiming the pistol at Dean. The hunter took a deep breath. The gun went off like a cannon next to River's ear. The demon behind Dean dropped dead, followed by the one holding onto Sam. Crowley released her and River stumbled several steps holding her hand against her ringing ear. Dean caught her and pushed her behind him and Sam. "We need to talk. Privately." The demon turned and walked back down the dark hallway he had come from. The hunters shared a look and followed the demon; Dean's hand latched onto River's. "Do you have any idea how deep I could've buried this thing?" Crowley told them as he poured four tumblers of whiskey. "The only reason you are here, the only reason you've made it this far is because I wanted you here." He took one of the glasses of whiskey and sat in a large leather chair behind an ornate desk. River and Dean each picked up a glass of whiskey and watched the demon warily.
"Why the hell would you want us here?" Sam asked.
Crowley smiled, "Because I want to give you the gun. And I want you to empty it in Lucifer's face."
"And why exactly would you want us to do that?" Dean asked.
Crowley sighed dramatically, "Survival. Survival for me and my kind. Mostly Me."
"How would giving us the gun that could kill you going to help your survival?" River asked.
"You are a bit thick, aren't you?" Crowley said taking a sip of his whiskey. River couldn't help the smirk that pulled the at the corners of her mouth. Crowley was a flamboyant, snarky asshole. He set the Colt onto the desk in front of him. "In case you've forgotten. Lucifer is not a demon. He is an Angel. And my experience with the majority of Angels is that they despise humans. But do you know what they dislike even more? Demons." He waived his manicured hand at himself. "Behind every dapper demon is the shell of former humanity."
"But Lucifer created you," Sam said.
Crowley nodded, "To prove to God and the other Angels that humans were weak and easily corrupted. He created us to be his servants. To be his cannon fodder." The humans remained silent, each ruminating on Crowleys claims. "Look lets put this in terms you three can understand, I'll help you and you will kill that genocidal megalomaniac before he has the chance to annihilate both our kind. Then we all go back to our baser instincts. I'm in sales for goodness sakes! I never wanted any part of this nonsense Lilith was obsessed with." The demon picked up the Colt and held it handle first out to Sam. The taller hunter looked at his brother and River, they both gave a slight nod.
"Okay," Sam said taking the Colt from the Demon and tucking it into his jacket. "You wouldn't happen to know where the Devil is, would you?"
Crowley smiled, "A little birdie told me has an appointment this Thursday in Carthage, Missouri."
"Sláinte mhaith (good health)," River said raising her glass and smiling at Crowley.
The Demon responded, "Slàinte agad-sa (and to yours)." They each took a sip of the amber liquid.
Dean couldn't help the "Wow" that escaped his lips as the smoky alcohol hit his tastebuds. "What happens to you after we ice the Devil? Aren't you gonna be a marked man?"
"Well after you three leave I'm going on an extended vacation to all points nowhere," Crowley answered. "So do us all a favor and don't miss morons! Ah yes, before I forget you'll need more ammo." He reached into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a large leather pouch. He tossed the pouch at Dean and disappeared. At least two dozen solid silver bullets met his gaze when he opened the bag.
River ran her finger reverently along the cold metal, "One of those is for Harob." Dean nodded and tucked the bundle into his jacket. River grabbed the mostly full crystal decanter of Crowley's whiskey on their way out of the mansion. They walked quickly back to the Impala where Castiel was waiting.
"Did he have it?" The Angel asked. Sam responded with pulling the gun out and showing it to him. Castiel nodded.
"Lucifer will be in Carthage, Missouri on Thursday." Dean told him as the group piled back into Impala.
River picked some clean clothes out of her duffle bag, kicked off her shoes and said, "Everyone who's not driving close your eyes so I can put some decent clothes on. Dress this tight I'm not exactly wearing any under things." Sam complied and even covered his eyes with his hands. Castiel squinted unsure then copied Sam. River pulled the ruined dress off over her head then shimmied into her underwear and leggings catching Dean staring at her in the rearview mirror. She gave him a quick wink as she pulled her shirt on. "Alright I'm decent. We have the Colt, it's time to summon Harob and find Levi. Then we'll still have plenty of time to strategize our next play."
"Let's get to Bobby's. We'll demon proof the barn and summon the son of a bitch there," Sam said.
"Yeah, alright. Riv, drop Bobby a line. Let him know where we stand and what we're planning. Maybe he can scrounge up a couple more hands to help out." Dean said. They arrived at The Singer Salvage yard by early morning. Bobby was waiting for them at the top of the wheelchair ramp. River's face breaking with each step towards the man stuck in the wheelchair.
"Don't you dare cry," he warned. She didn't listen and fell to her knees in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. The gruff old hunters bottom lip quivered as he patted that back of her head. "It's all right now, sweetheart. It's all right. I'm damn happy to see you."
She sat back on her heels and wiped her face, "I'm sorry. I should've come."
"You're here now. Jo and and Ellen'll be here tonight. I got the stuff you need to summon that demon bastard in the kitchen. Come caffeinate then have at it," he said wheeling himself back into the house. The hunters did just that enjoying Bobby's much needed hot, gut rot liquid energy as Castiel stood awkwardly holding his up of coffee and taking small grimacing sips.
They finished the summoning and binding sigils less than an hour later. "I don't like what he starts spouting and I'm putting a bullet between his eyes." Dean said.
"Not before he tells us about Levi," River told him. She stood in front of a small table they had used for the summoning altar and started reciting the spell. The last part of the spell required a blood sacrifice and she cut into the pale skin of her forearm, letting her blood drip onto the table as she beseeched Harob. The flames flickered. They waited for several silent minutes.
"Maybe he's on another call?" Dean muttered sarcastically. River 'shushed' him and restarted the spell, slicing her arm again to offer more blood. "River enough! He isn't coming!" Dean yelled as she started the spell for a third time.
"No. He has to come, god damn it!" She held the knife to her arm again and Dean had to wrestle it out of her hands. She screamed in frustration, "Son of a bitch! Come and get me!" The candles flickered then burned out but the demon still refused to show. She kicked the table in a rage sending the candles and other ingredients scattering around the dirt floor of the barn. "Fuck it!" she yelled. Dean, Sam, and Castiel stood silently and she picked up the table by its upturned legs, smashed it to pieces on the ground then kicked the barn door open and stomped angrily back to Bobby's house. Castiel disappeared from the barn with a flap of his wings and the Winchesters followed River's path. They found Castiel standing next to River at the kitchen sink where she was washing the cuts on her arm. The Angel murmured something to her in Enochian and she shook her head answering in English, "No it's not ok Cas. I got my friend killed." She looked over Castiel's shoulder at Sam and Dean. "I figure odds are we're all going to die in a blaze of glory tomorrow so I want peanut butter banana pie as my last meal. What do you two want?," Dean wanted blueberry pie, Sam wanted fried chicken and mashed potatoes. River gave Castiel a shopping list including a hefty order of alcohol and the Angel disappeared again glad to have an errand to run. He came and went several times, laden with packages and bottles until each item had meticulously been acquired.
Sam quickly put together a playlist of everyones favorite bands, even getting Jo and Ellens request in the mix as soon as they arrived. Dean hovered incessantly while River worked on his pie and Ellen and Jo got to work making their famous Harvelle fried chicken. The booze flowed and the food was thoroughly enjoyed by all. 'Friends in Low Places' started playing on the stereo and Bobby started singing along loud and out of tune. River grabbed his hands and the two started dancing, Bobby rolling around as River shimmied alongside him. "This song was playing at the bar in Ontario after we finished that Skinwalker case….Oh my god, do remember Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?" Jo suddenly asked River.
River nodded smiling, "The Canadian Tuxedo wearing bull riders that were dumber than a box of rocks. How can I forget?"
"Oh come on you sat at the bar moping to Tweedle Dum for like 45 minutes: 'Look here's me and Dean in the Impala, here's me and Dean eating pie, here's me and Dean in front of some creepy mausoleum blah blah blah…" Jo laughed.
River blushed, shooting Dean a quick shy glance. "First off, You had Tweedle Dum on the dance floor. I was talking with Tweedle Dee and it was not 45 minutes it was maybe 15 and Second, I don't fucking mope. I'm a grown ass woman not a 13 year old girl pining over a Backstreet boy."
Ellen laughed, "That poor guy sat there listening to you ball into your glass of beer. You could see the hope drain from his face when he realized you weren't gonna give him any."
"Well, I was just brought back from the dead like a month before and things we're still a little raw…" River huffed, "Don't feel too bad for him. He found someone to give him something because he disappeared just about the same time Jo and Tweedle Dum vamoosed back to the motel and you went MIA."
"Well, you weren't gonna do anything with that cowboy and I wasn't gonna let an ass like that go to waste," Ellen answered. River and Jo both laughed hysterically as the men in the room shook their heads.
"Just tell me he at least lasted more than 8 seconds," River said through laughs.
"He sure as shit did," Ellen answered taking a long drink from her beer.
"Oh god, mother," Jo whined, blushing at her mothers antics.
The night was punctuated with Jo and River competing in a hand stand contest (River won), Ellen for some reason thinking it was a good idea to have a drinking competition with Cas and a group photo that Bobby demanded. The flash on Bobby's camera went off and the heaviness behind the photo hung in the air. Bobby would be the only one not going with them to face Lucifer in person for obvious reasons. For the rest of them they knew this was possibly the last picture they would ever take, they last time they would gather with friends and family and perhaps their last night alive. The revelry drew to a quiet, natural close sometime after midnight. Dean and Cas sitting at one of Bobby's cluttered desks talking quietly. Bobby fell asleep snoring in his favorite chair in the library. River helped a very drunk Ellen up the stairs and into Bobby's old room, the older woman asleep the moment River pulled her boots off and covered her with a warm old quilt. Jo and Sam passed River on her way back downstairs. The women high fived as Jo followed Sam into his room. The taller hunter blushing furiously as he shut the door behind them. River walked back into the warm kitchen and procured the crystal decanter of whiskey she had stolen then hidden under Bobby's sink. She poured two fingers of whiskey into two glasses and walked across the kitchen to Dean and Cas. She gave Cas a kiss on cheek murmuring "Goodnight Angel" in his ear, set the second glass of whiskey down in front of Dean and walked out the back door to the junkyard behind the house.
Dean worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment, " 'night Cas" and followed River out the backdoor. He found her leaning against the Impala sipping the whiskey. She smiled at him and set the empty glass down on the hood next to her. "So you moped?" he asked her taking a long swallow from his own glass and standing in front of her.
She smiled and blushed again her cheeks and chest pink even in the moonlight, "I don't mope. I might be emotionally unstable at times and I cry a lot but then I put my big girl panties and get on with life."
Dean finished his whiskey and set his empty glass next to hers. "Are you wearing your big girl panties now?" He wrapped his big hands around her hips snaking his thumbs between the fabric of of her jeans and underwear.
River couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped her lips, "You're so fucking cheesy Winchester."
Dean smiled pressing his body in closer to hers. "Come on, you love it," he murmured against her ear. He let his warm lips trail along the curve of her ear and down her neck causing a shiver to run through her and a small moan to escape her parted lips. The feather lite kisses continued along the exposed skin of her collarbones and up the opposite side of her throat. "You still my girl?" He asked. His lips hovering millimeters from hers, his warm breath tickling her nose causing her to look up at him through half closed eyes.
"Yes," she smiled wrapping her hands around his head to bring his lips to hers. The kiss started gentle, her lips parting tentatively as Dean faintly ran his tongue over her bottom lip. Darting his tongue inside as she gasped when one muscular thigh nudged her legs apart. She tasted the smokey hints of whiskey and the sweetness of the blueberry pie on his warm, moist tongue. Dean pressed into her further, wrapping his hands under her thighs and lifting her effortlessly onto the hood next to their discarded glasses. River wound her legs around his hips and smiled against his lips at the feel of the growing bulge in his jeans.
"I miss you," he murmured grinding his hard-on against her. She finally pulled back to take a breath, head spinning, body aching from his touch. Dean took the opportunity to move his attention back to her neck and every other piece of sensitive flesh he could get to through her Henley, pulling at the flimsy buttons on the front to suck a dark mark at the swell of each breast. Her head fell back and her fingers ran through his hair as she shifted her hips against his; needing friction on the growing throb between her legs. He groaned into her chest bringing his lips back to hers, biting her lower lip gently as his hands moved to massage and caress the soft mounds hidden under her layers of clothing.
River pulled back again from his touch, seeing green eyes almost completely hidden behind lust blown pupils. "I don't want to fuck this up again," she told him quietly.
"I don't either. I want you. I want Us," Dean answered.
"I want us too. How do we get back to being us?"
Dean shrugged, scratched the stubble on his chin, "Make up sex? Lots and lots of make up sex." She smiled, running her teeth over her kiss swollen lips. "Or… we can go inside. Joe Bob Briggs is having a monster movie marathon."
Her blues eyes roamed over his face, the faint splash of freckles across his nose and cheeks he was self conscious about, the stubble on his cheeks he would no doubt shave off in the morning and those sinful lips that had given her both pleasure and pain. "Joe Bob Briggs, really? I though that guy was dead….You think Bobby has any popcorn?" she said smirking. She slid off the hood of the car, pushing Dean away so she could get by him. For a split second he thought she was going to walk up the winding path strewn with rusted cars back to Bobby's. Instead she opened the back drivers side door of the Impala and called over her shoulder, "It's our last night on Earth, again. Third times the charm, right?" She climbed in and slid to the far side of the bench seat and yelled, "You coming?"
Dean didn't need to be asked twice. He was in the backseat, the door closed behind him and pulling her towards him before she could get both her Converse hi-tops off. He pressed his firm body into hers again, shimmying out of his jacket and pulling his shirts off over his head tossing them somewhere towards the front seat. His lips were back on hers, no longer gentle and asking permission but hungry and demanding. His hands where everywhere unbuttoning and pulling at clothes, pieces of discarded fabric being dropped on the floorboard. Satisfied that he'd gotten the majority of her clothing removed Dean pushed her down into the seat where she lay on her back squeezing her thighs together for some relief against the growing need at her core. He kicked his boots off and pulled his jeans gingerly over his rock-hard member, sighing at the relief from the constricting denim. His cock stood firm and full against his stomach as he pulled Rivers thighs apart and settled his body on top of hers. She gasped "Fuck," as he circled his hips against hers, the head of his cock brushing along the wet fabric of her underwear.
"God you're so beautiful," he whispered brushing his lips against the sensitive skin on her ear. His hands constantly roaming, changing the intensity and pressure of each touch from whisper lite to harsh squeezes keeping her nerves on fire, never knowing where his hands would land next. The whole time circling and grinding his hips against her. One of his hands finally slipped behind her unclasping her bra and pulling it down her shoulders, Dean allowing her to only sit up enough to get it off before he pressed her back into the seat. Her hands trailed up and down the firm muscles of his back, finger nails digging in and hips jolting when ever his touches sent a flash of heat between her legs. "You're my girl," he murmured lips trailing down her neck, to the valley between her breasts his hand kneading the full mound of her right breast while his tongue darted over the peaked rosy bud of her left nipple. Her breathing becoming shallow pants. A low keen escaped her lips as Deans lips and hands moved lower, ghosting over her ribs, nipping at the curve of one hip making her shiver. He was making her a writhing, flushed mess and he knew it. Her soft thighs flexed around his shoulders, hands curling, nails pressing into her palms as Dean languidly rubbed his stubble covered cheek against the supple skin of her inner thigh, his warm breath inches from her throbbing core. He turned his head towards her other thigh, bumping the swollen bud of her clit through her Batgirl underwear with his nose causing River to sigh, "Please, D please".
The sounds escaping her lips sent a jolt straight to his dick, he felt it twitch against his stomach. Enough teasing he needed to be inside her now before they caught the Impala on fire from the palpable heat rolling off of them. Dean ran his fingers along the elastic band of her panties. River sat up on her elbows raising her hips to help him get her underwear off. His eyes locked on the bright sunflowers she had tattooed on her hip as a memorial to their sons. He placed a delicate kiss on each flower and she took a shuddering breath. Her body continued to shake under his touch and Deans eyes slowly trailed back up her body wanting to see the look of need on her face. Instead she had her hands pressed into her eyes as she fought back tears. "Shit, Baby, what did I do?" Dean said hoarsely.
River shook her head, "Nothing. I'm sorry…I don't want this to be our last time together."
He positioned himself over her, gently pulling her hands away from her face. Her blue eyes were heavy with fear and worry. "Sweetheart, it's not. We're gonna win. We're gonna beat him. Tomorrow."
"It feels like…." she chewed her bottom lip searching for the words. "It feels like the night your deal was up and we're going into a fight we can't win. I can't lose you again. Not like that."
"You're not going to lose me. We're gonna win," he repeated kissing her gently on the lips. She ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer.
"Can we….can you just hold me for a while?" Her face flushed. "I'm sorry. That sounds so cheesy," she said shaking her head. "I just want you to lay here with me and talk. We haven't talked in so long."
"Yeah, ok. Of course, sweetheart." He smiled down at her and she let out a grateful breath shifting herself over on the seat and turning so Dean could jostle himself between her and the back of the seat. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, his head resting on the top of her head, their legs tangled together. "Just ignore Little Dean. He'll go to sleep in a few minutes."
River snorted laughter into his chest, looking up to catch his lips in another kiss. "So, Sam and Jo? That's gonna be an interesting ride tomorrow morning."
"Sam doesn't kiss and tell," Dean smiled bringing one of her hands to lips and kissing her palm. He noticed for the first time a shiny, jagged scar that marred the pale skin.
"No, but Jo does." River laughed again.
He ran his thumb over the raised scar, "Where'd you get this?"
"The night we were trying to stop Sam. I ran from Chuck's house after Cas shazzamed you away," she started. "I fell on some broken beer bottles, sliced my hand up. Gabriel zapped me to Zombieville. That stupid fucking cut almost killed me. It got so infected, I had these gnarly red streaks up my arm, fever was so high I was hallucinating. I just kept thinking after everything this is how I'm gonna die."
Dean kissed her palm again, "What happened?"
River shifted against him so they could look each other in the eyes. "I found a vet office that wasn't too picked over. That's where I met Delilah." She paused embarrassed. "She was scavenging for supplies. She helped me, got me the meds I needed. I would've died without her, I mean…I don't know if Gabe really would've let me die. I pissed him off pretty good."
"Yeah, about that. You never told me you were into girls. That's pretty hot," Dean told her.
River rolled her eyes, blushing again. "I'm not. I was into Delilah…she was cute and funny. She saved my life. I'm into you, Winchester."
"Still can't wrap my head around that either. I've got nothing to offer you except barely functioning alcoholism and a short life chock full of shit," Dean murmured tiredly.
River sat up on her elbow, "You know that's not true, right?" She shook her head. "You deserve to be happy, Dean. Everything you do for everyone else. For the fucking world. You deserve so much more." Dean closed his eyes. "You make bad choices, I'll give you that. And you're a big jerk sometimes."
He opened one eye and looked at her, "Are you trying to make me feel better or worse? I can't tell anymore."
"Look whatever happens tomorrow or the day after or the day after that…I just want you to know that you are so much more. Even if you can't see it, I see it, Sam sees it, Bobby, Cas, God if he really is out there, sees it. You're the only one that can't." She ran her hands along his jaw and pulled his face towards her, their lips meeting gently again.
"We should go get everyone up," Dean finally said. Neither of them had slept, they'd spent their third 'last night' not making love or fucking but letting the hours to dawn slip by as they talked quietly. Dean told her about the weird ass cases he and his brother had run into over the last weeks and months. River nodded against his chest, finger running along the scar on his rib cage that he'd got after a tussle with a poltergeist and let out a deep breath as they untangled from each other.
"One of these 'last nights' we're going to actually have to spend it screwing," River finally said as she laced up her black shoes. Dean smiled and kissed her before they headed back into Bobby's house. Jo and Sam already sat at the table drinking coffee, Ellen was shuffling down the stairs, Bobby was staring pensively a spot on the wall and Cas rolled his shoulders no doubt nervously flexing his invisible wings.
"Well, lets go kill the Devil." Dean told them. No one came out and actually said 'Goodbye' to Bobby but they each held the man a fraction of second longer before leaving. Dean, Sam and Cas walked towards the black Impala as River veered the opposite direction with Ellen and Jo towards their Dodge truck. Dean shot her a look, eyebrows raised.
"Me and Jo have things to talk about," River said answering his silent question. The visible portion of Sam's earlobes turned crimson before the taller hunter climbed wordlessly into the front seat of the Impala.
"See you in Carthage," Ellen yelled out her window as she pulled her truck away from Bobby's home.