AFTER THE STORM
PART 6: I Won't Die Alone and Be Left There
Mary took her seat next to Castiel. It placed her across from her sons—both of whom still looked tired and tense after hours of sleep. To be honest, she felt the same.
The life of a hunter was rarely calm. She understood going days without rest, riding the adrenaline and caffeine-fueled high until the panic passed. And 'crisis-mode' often lasted much longer than the crisis itself. The scenarios changed when she shifted from hunting to motherhood, but the intensity grew when it involved her babies.
Dean's first serious fever as an infant had scared her far worse than any supernatural creature. She remembered how the late night trip to the emergency room left her feeling helpless. There was nothing to do but wait, praying the medication and I.V.'s worked. By dawn, the fever broke and they returned home. But the fear stayed with her for days, and resurged with every new crisis.
Sam had gone missing for twenty-four hours, and another full day had now passed since the grand rescue. But Mary's hands shook as she stirred her coffee, and her heart refused to slow. Knowing what she did about Sam's history, she kept expecting him to break. Of course, she kept expecting herself to break as well—had been waiting for it since the moment Dean told her the year was 2016.
"You doing alright?" Gabriel asked from her left. She hadn't even noticed him sit down.
"Yeah," Mary said, her voice a little too breathy to her own ears. "Just feels a bit surreal, maybe. All of us having a fairy tale breakfast in the forest after...everything."
The archangel nodded and bit into a berry tart. Juice dripped onto his chin, staining the skin purple. Motherly impulse had Mary taking a napkin to his face without thinking. Amber eyes went wide in surprise.
"Oops." Gabriel said around a mouthful of pastry.
"Sorry." She gave him a sheepish smile. "Cleaning up after the boys in my life has become habit over the years."
"I can imagine—Winchesters always make the most impressive messes!" He looked fondly at her boys, as though he felt immense pride at the memory of those messes. Then, his face fell. Gold light glowed from his eyes as they turned sharp and alert.
Mary's heart raced as she heard her youngest ask, "What is that?" in a voice full of revulsion.
A strange man appeared at the end of their table. His clothing spoke of wealth, as did his nonchalant behavior. "Well, well, well, what have we here? A breakfast party in the garden, eh? Shall I assume my invitation was lost in the mail?" His British accent rolled through the tense silence.
The air itself grew charged, and Mary imagined this is what it felt like right before lightning strikes. Gabriel's muscles coiled tight, practically trembling by her side. She felt the energy building where their shoulders touched. Castiel's body braced, but he didn't seem about to launch into battle—more like preparing for an explosion.
Whoever the newcomer was, he clearly presented a threat. Mary's attention went immediately to her boys. Sam sat only inches from the man, but he didn't look scared. Instead, his nose was scrunched up like he smelled something awful. But it was Dean's relaxed, semi-amused response that really gave her pause.
"Oh, Crowley," the hunter said in a tired voice and shaking his head, "You really should have called ahead."
An explosion of wind and earth erupted around the table as three other people came crashing in. Each carried a silver blade in their hands. Mary didn't have time to ask if they were angels or who the man even was—before she could blink, the three had the man on his knees with one on either side and one behind. They held him there and looked to someone behind Mary.
She followed their gaze to find Raphael standing with a silver staff held firmly in his hand. He walked slowly toward the front, his eyes never leaving the man on the ground. The man stared back, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he turned to take in the others at the table.
"Oh, you boys have some explaining to...do..." he trailed off when he got to Sam. "Moose?"
Raphael waved his hand and a wave of energy pushed the man and his three guards away from the table several feet. "You will not address him, demon," he said in a deceptively calm voice.
The man let out a laugh. "My, how times have changed. When exactly did Heaven's finest start caring about the Winchesters?" He turned to Dean. "And why are you having an outdoor breakfast at dawn with a bunch of angels? Is there another apocalypse? Jesus, boys—learn to space them out a bit! It's been less than a month since the last one!"
The man's lack of intimidation in the face of so many powerful beings confused Mary. As did the angels' aggression and her sons' relaxed response. Wait, what did Dean call him? She'd heard that name from the boys once or twice. "You're Crowley? 'King of Hell' Crowley?" she asked him.
His eyes flashed red. "Been talking about me, have they? Did they leave out the part where I saved their asses?!" His voice rose at the end, changing from playful to indignant. "Someone tell me what the bloody hell is going on!"
Dean sighed heavily and stood up. "Alright, everyone, calm down. As hilarious as it would be to watch you guys smite him, he was an ally against Amara. I'm sure he'll be on his best behavior now that he knows he's got two archangels right here to keep an eye on him. Won't you, Crowley?"
"Two—?" Crowley broke off, cursing in a language Mary didn't recognize. For the first time, she saw a hint of fear on the demon's face. He gave a shaky smile. "Best behavior, absolutely. Does that need to be in writing or can I stop kneeling in the dirt? I should know better than to wear my good suites when I drop by—they always end up ruined."
"Yeah, yeah, poor you," Dean said to Crowley before waving his hands to shoo the three unknown angels away, "Good job, you saved us all. Now, let him go and you get back to your perches. Danger's over. We'll take it from here." He dropped his hands and rested one on the back of Sam's head, pulling him to lean closer.
Mary saw the boy's face and felt her breath catch. His expression was so open and raw as he stared at the angels. All the fear and tension she'd expected him to show toward Crowley was now radiating off the tiny figure. Sam seemed frozen in place, unable to even blink as he waited to see what the angels would do.
The two male angels didn't move, but shifted their gazes to Raphael again for direction. A woman standing behind Crowley addressed the archangel in Enochian. There was a silent pause and Mary felt the entire table hold their breath. Finally, Raphael nodded and replied. Whatever he said had the angels reluctantly releasing the demon. They each glanced at Sam once before disappearing.
Crowley stood, brushing the dirt from his knees. "I swear, you boys..."
Mary didn't see Raphael move, but he was suddenly in front of Crowley with his hand wrapped around the demon's neck. "You will not address them," he repeated in a deep rumble, "You will not touch them. You will state your business to me, and then you will leave. You are not welcome here."
"Whoa there, Doc!" Dean called. "It's cool. He can talk to us. We're all adults here, mostly. We've survived a lot worse than hearing Crowley monologue."
"You're too kind," Crowley choked out around Raphael's tight grip.
Gabriel stood and walked with a swagger around the table to place himself between Sam and the demon. His hands moved to his hips, and there was a cockiness Mary wasn't used to seeing. A sharp, mean edge to his confidence spoke of imminent danger. "Isn't he, though?" Gabriel sneered. "I think preventing us from smiting you just put Deano in the running for sainthood."
"Awesome," Dean muttered, then cleared his throat. "Okay. How about we all sit back down. I know everyone's on edge, and hey, I get it—King of Hell popping by in the middle of breakfast can be cause for concern. But I think we're safe. The guy loves himself way too much to be on a suicide run."
Mary spared a glance at the rest of the table. Jody looked murderous while the twins were both standing with weapons drawn. Sam and Dean were the only ones who remained calm, and relatively relaxed now that the other angels were gone. In fact, Crowley's predicament seemed to amuse them both.
Gabriel snapped his fingers and a small wooden stool appeared behind Crowley. "Sit, demon. And stay upwind. I don't want the smell of sulfur to ruin my breakfast."
Crowley had no choice when Raphael shoved him down onto the seat. Keeping his grip tight around the demon's throat, the archangel leaned in until they were nose-to-nose. No words were exchanged that Mary could hear, but a message was clearly conveyed when Crowley quickly nodded. Raphael gave a frustrated snort and released him. Then, he straightened up and stood to the side, planting his staff in the ground inches away from Crowley's foot.
Rubbing his throat, Crowley said in a hoarse voice, "Lovely friends you have now, boys. I take it this is a recent development."
Gabriel turned to the brothers and gestured for them to scoot down the bench. Dean nudged Jody and she moved over. He stepped her way, pulling Sam with him, and sat down. The twins slowly moved to the empty seats next to Mary, but kept their weapons handy. Finally, Gabriel plopped on the bench beside Sam.
"Gabriel!" Sam complained with a grunt as he was suddenly wedged between the archangel and his brother. "I'm safe enough without you sitting on me! Shove over!"
Mary saw him send a sharp elbow into Gabriel's side, but it had no effect. Not giving up, Sam reached up and yanked on something in the air. The archangel's head whipped around, startling the boy. For a second, there was such an intense look on Gabriel's face that it scared Mary. Dean's arm snaking protectively around his brother's chest did little to calm her.
Then, Gabriel blinked, and the silent fury faded. He released a slow breath and nodded, whispering something unintelligible. Sam replied in Enochian, hesitantly patting the archangel's shoulder. Gabriel smiled and shifted over a few inches.
"I take it that is a recent development as well?" Crowley asked quietly, staring at Sam in amazement. "That is Sam, isn't it?"
"Yes, Crowley, it's me," Sam answered quickly before anyone else had the chance to speak. "It was a parting gift from Chuck for saving the world. Again. Why are you here? Has something happened or are you just bored? Better yet, how are you here?"
"Ah, so child in appearance only. It's good to know your conversion to a member of the Host hasn't diminished your ability for sass," Crowley scoffed as his eyes shifted to the archangels. "And I'm guessing their return is also thanks to Him?"
Sam rubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah, it's been one big family reunion around here. Answer my questions."
Crowley squinted, like the boy was too bright. "Yesterday, there was an explosion of grace massive enough to shake Hell. Even my mother felt it. Figured, if anyone would know what was going on, it would be you three," he explained, including Castiel in the count with nod. "I don't imagine the explosion was linked to your transformation, unless Chuck was a little too rough with His grace-giving. The scream I heard did not sound like God's healing touch."
"No, it wasn't Chuck. He changed me the same day the Dean stopped Amara from destroying the sun." Sam took a deep breath and Mary wished there wasn't a table between them. He kept his gaze on Crowley, but she saw his eyes go unfocused. "There was an...incident...yesterday that forced me into a growth spurt. It involved people from your neck of the woods."
"Demons?" Crowley asked, sounding surprised.
"Brits," Sam corrected with a tight voice.
"Humans!?"
Sam looked down at his plate. "Yup."
"Huh," Crowley huffed as though astounded. "Might I ask—why the angelic reunion? Are we gearing up for a new threat? Or did God just miss His boys?"
"I don't see how that is any of your business," Gabriel cut in.
Crowley laughed. "Gabriel, is it? Well, Messenger, I am the King of Hell. And while that may seem trivial to some around here, it was good enough for Daddy Dearest when He needed my assistance. So settle your feathers before you break something."
Mary almost spat out the coffee she'd been drinking to ease her dry mouth. Was everyone in the future this sarcastic? Crowley lit up at her reaction, then looked closely at her as though he'd caught a glimpse of something. His eyes mapped her face, and she felt like he could see too much.
"'One big family reunion,' hmm?" he said with a little too much understanding.
"Hey!" Gabriel snapped his fingers, drawing the attention back to himself. "Why would we need your assistance?"
Crowley squared his shoulders and picked invisible fuzz off his jacket. "Well, for starters, it may be beneficial to us both if I were to inform my demons to stay clear of you lot. I'm a business man—it's bad business to send soldiers to an empty death. As we currently have a tentative truce, I say we maintain the peace until such time we find ourselves at odds once again. Besides," he looked at each of them in turn, "we still have a common threat, do we not?"
"Lucifer," Dean said gruffly.
"And I called you the dumb one," Crowley drawled while giving him slow claps. "I've been keeping tabs on the devil. Self-preservation and all that."
"Yeah? And what exactly have you learned?" Dean asked. He took a bite of his food, already unimpressed by whatever answer the demon gave.
Crowley scowled at the hunter. "I followed the trail of burnt-out vessels to find who he's currently inhabiting. You'll never guess—"
"Vince Vicente," several voices interrupted in unison.
Crowley jumped, and his frown grew deeper. Obviously, he hadn't planned on them ruining his big reveal. "Yes. Well, I suppose it's easier when you have two archangels on your team."
"Three," Gabriel corrected with a grin.
Crowley's eyebrows shot up. "Three?"
"You forgot Michael," Raphael rumbled coldly from above.
"Michael's back?" Crowley's voice broke on the archangel's name. "And here I thought he'd just been quiet without his brother tormenting him in the Cage."
"Mickey is restoring Heaven as we speak," Gabriel's grin grew to include teeth. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to know Hell's management is a willing ally to our Father."
"Bloody hell, don't say things like that! I have a reputation to maintain!" Crowley said in a furious whisper, eyes searching the treeline for hidden witnesses.
"What reputation?" Castiel spoke up.
Dean snorted in agreement. "Don't worry, Crowley. Your supervillian-image is safe with us."
"I take it you have some sort of plan for dealing with Lucifer, then?" Crowley challenged. "Seeing as you're all having a relaxed picnic, can I assume the threat is gone? Or are we going the usual route of ignoring the problem until it's actually setting fire to your home?"
Mary watched Sam flinch and huddle down, making himself even smaller. Dean's left arm tightened around him at the same time he reached for Sam with his right hand. She was pretty sure he was trying to stop Sam from digging into his palm.
"Watch your tone," Gabriel said in a low, dangerous voice. "No one is ignoring any threat, including Lucifer. Leave him to us."
"Now, answer Samuel's other question," Raphael ordered.
"Which one?" Crowley asked, rubbing his temples.
"How did you get here?" Raphael's voice seemed to roll up through the ground.
"I am a demon..." Crowley started flippantly.
Raphael snarled and swung the blade of his staff around to rest against the demon's neck. It happened faster than Mary's eyes could follow. "Do not play coy. I know the abilities of every rank in Hell. How did you get through our wards?"
Crowley gasped out a breath, but continued talking in his casual manner. "As I was saying, I am a demon who was raised by a powerful witch. A powerful witch who also joined with your Father against the Darkness—and let me tell you, Hell has nothing on the torture of having to listen to those two prattle on about parenthood!"
"HOW!" Raphael roared, out of patience.
"Magic, you fucking idiot!" Crowley bellowed back. "Do you know how many times they've chained me in this pit? I am beyond familiar with their usual wards. And when we all gathered for our end-of-the-world pity party, you might say I 'propped the back door open' so I'd have a way back in. Just in case."
"How?" the Healer's whisper was far more intimidating than his yell.
Crowley shuddered, looking away from them. "Spell bags. Placed in the wall of a room no one ever uses. And a few more in the library." He sighed and waved his hand. Several tiny leather pouches appeared in his palm.
Raphael grabbed them and passed them to Gabriel without taking his eyes off the demon. He then began to forcefully pat down Crowley's suite, checking the pockets for any more hidden objects. Finding nothing, the archangel straightened back up. "If you want to be helpful, then go. Only return if you are summoned. The angels will be given orders to smite any demon that shows their face here."
"Again, such lovely friends." Crowley rolled his eyes. "Winchesters, angels, humans—the displeasure has been all mine. Enjoy your breakfast." He disappeared as silently as he'd appeared.
A collective sigh went out around the table. Mary stared at the empty stool, distrusting the relief. A hand landed on her back and she almost fell off the bench.
"Easy there, momma," Max's low voice soothed in her ear as he steadied her. "You okay?"
"Never a dull moment," she whispered back with a slight smile.
"So I'm learning with this crew," Max said, hugging her tightly.
Mary looked across the table at her boys. Dean was murmuring in his brother's ear, too quiet for her to hear. Sam's face stayed blank but his body sagged against Dean's side.
A loud beeping came from the other side of Dean. Jody pulled out her cell phone and read her message. "Well, folks. I hate to eat and run, but it looks like I've got to head out. Got a new case." She scrolled down the screen and frowned. "And, apparently, we're out of milk."
Everyone got up to say their farewells, and the twins announced they were leaving as well. They had another hunt already lined up before being diverted to help the Winchesters. Promises were made to get together in a non-work-related capacity soon.
"Don't forget—you ever need some more female company, just come see me and my girls. We'll watch cheesy rom-com movies and eat ice cream." Jody said, wrapping Mary in a hug.
"Absolutely. Thank you, Jody. For everything." Mary felt the tears burn her eyes and throat as she held tight to the older woman. This other mother who had understood Mary's loss immediately and made her feel not so alone. Who had been there for her boys when Mary was in Heaven, and had more adopted strays waiting for her back home. She missed Jody already.
"Any time, Mary. You all rest up and relax. You're due a break." Jody gave the boys their hugs and the angels a half-threat to keep them all safe.
Max and Alicia crushed Mary between them, promising to swing by the bunker next time they were in the area. "After all, you owe us a look at that library!" Alicia said.
"There's a bed here anytime you guys need it," Dean told them. "I mean it—if you ever find yourself this way and you need something, let us know. Bed, shower, food, and research is all here."
"A hunter's sanctuary," Max mused thoughtfully, "There hasn't been one in this region for several years."
"Not since the Roadhouse," Alicia agreed. "God, I miss that place. Ellen and Jo were amazing."
"You knew Ellen and Jo?" Dean asked, sounding a little breathless. Mary heard the heartbreak in their names. She wondered who they were, and what had happened to them.
"Everyone knew those women," Max answered with reverence.
"We did a hunt with Jo down South." Alicia smiled. "Shew, that girl could fight."
"That girl could drink!" Max added, also smiling. "She knew her liquors and her stories." He winked at Dean. "Heard a few about you two. But we'll have to save those for next time."
Gabriel snapped up to-go containers and sent them with more food than had originally been on the table. Everyone helped to load up their vehicles, and waved good-bye. Mary was sad to see them leave, but their absence brought an instant relief to those left behind. Being social was exhausting.
She studied the others. Gabriel still seemed tense and on high-alert, while Dean looked like he had aged a decade in under an hour. Raphael and Castiel were both drained, but calm. And Sam...her youngest had not spoken since Crowley's departure. She'd seen him nod and wave to the others as they'd left, but his attention was clearly turned inward. He leaned against his brother, listless and tired.
"What is the least stressful thing we can do right now?" she asked the group who all responded with slow blinks. "I'm talking relaxed-to-the-point-of-drooling levels of activity. Any suggestions? Besides wrapping ourselves in blankets and literally drooling?"
Gabriel giggled—a clear sign of his own state of mind. He only ever giggled when a crisis had been narrowly averted. "How about we lounge around watching movies all day?" He looked down at Sam and Mary caught a flash of concern in his eyes. "It'll give us a chance to recheck his wings."
"How's that sound, Sammy?" Dean asked as he combed through his brother's hair with gentle fingers.
Sam didn't say anything, but slowly nodded in response. Mary didn't think he'd even heard the question and was just reacting to the tone of Dean's voice. She caught her eldest's eyes and sent him a skeptical look. She mouthed the words 'Is he okay?' and nodded toward Sam. Dean shrugged.
"Come on, kids," Gabriel said, ushering them inside.
Mary followed behind, so she saw when Sam tripped on his own feet and staggered. Dean scooped him up before anyone else could move. "Watch it, dude," he fussed at the boy. "We're, like, three feet from the stairs. You almost went head-first down them."
Sam huffed and patted his brother's shoulder.
"No, falling head-first down stairs is not 'oh well.' It's more like, 'oh shit!'" Dean shook his head. "You're killing me, Smalls."
Mary didn't get the reference, but Gabriel clearly did as it made him start giggling again. Castiel stepped up alongside her, looking as confused and lost as she felt. "I think there's something wrong with your brother. He appears to be cracking."
Castiel studied the shorter archangel with obvious concern. "Cracking?" he asked in a rough voice.
"I'm kidding, Castiel," Mary quickly reassured, realizing the angel was taking her words literally. "I just meant he's doing that weird stress-laugh-thing. If he was human, I'd say he needs sleep. Not sure what an archangel would need."
"I do not have a 'weird laugh thing,' thank you very much!" Gabriel pouted.
They piled into the main entrance room of the bunker and came to a stop. Mary looked around for a new threat, not knowing why they'd quit moving.
Dean cleared his throat. "Um, so, where are we watching movies, guys? The only TV is in Sam's old room. Should I move it out to the library? It's where we have couches."
"What kind of angel do you take me for?" Gabriel snapped his fingers dramatically. Sam jolted in Dean's arms, but nothing changed around them.
"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Dean asked, rubbing his brother's back.
Gabriel just smirked and took off down the hallway. They all followed, too tired to demand an answer. He led them past the shared bedroom to a corridor that hadn't existed before. A single door stood at the end of the short passage. He pushed it open and stepped aside.
Mary gasped. A plush couch wrapped most of the way around three of the walls. A mini-island of ottomans sat in the middle, piled high with a stack of blankets. Enormous pillows littered the floor. The fourth wall held a television larger than Mary had ever seen outside a movie theater. In the corner stood an old-fashioned popcorn machine with the glass window. It was already full, and the room smelled like butter.
A long, low bookshelf ran along the wall and several different metal boxes that looked similar to VCRs. They each had a different strange remotes sitting on top. The bottom shelf held what Mary first thought were books, and she wondered why they were all the same exact size. On closer inspection, it seemed they were all movies and...games? She looked at her sons to ask, but stopped herself.
Dean stood in the middle of the room with his mouth open. It was a rare sight—her oldest son, speechless with wonder. It was exactly how she pictured him looking the first time John gave him the keys to the Impala. He was even blinking away tears.
"Does this meet your movie-watching criteria?" Gabriel asked. His voice was soft, but he kept the smirk.
"This is awesome," Dean whispered without moving.
Gabriel chuckled. "Well, get comfy, bud. It's hard to lounge while standing. Check out these couches."
Dean shuffled awkwardly around the obstacles of pillows. Mary was reassured that, if they fell, at least they'd land on something soft. She sank down into the nearest sofa section and groaned at how amazing it felt.
Dean let out an almost identical moan of his own when he fell back into the cushions. He kept a loose hold on Sam, allowing the boy to move away and sit next to him when he grew uncomfortable. "Oh my God, Sammy. This is it—I'm done with hunting. Time to hang it all up because I'm never moving from this spot again."
"That does not seem like good hygiene, Dean," Castiel stated in his matter-of-fact kind of way. Mary snorted and looked over at the seraph. He stood in the doorway, blocking Raphael who was towering behind him.
"You could help with that, Cassie. Sponge ba—" Gabriel's teasing tone was cut off abruptly by a well-aimed pillow smacking him in the face. Mary smothered her laughter into the collar of her over-sized sweater—Dean's face burned red from either outrage or embarrassment as he glared at the archangel. After a beat, he flopped back into the cushions, satisfied with his successful throw.
"Stop mortifying the hunter, Gabriel," Raphael said from the hall. "And move, Castiel! I want to know what is so special about this room and 'movies.'" He drew out the vowels like he wasn't sure how to pronounce it.
"What are we watching?" Mary asked. Some of the film titles had been familiar, but most were complete mysteries.
"What kind of movies do you like?" Gabriel started going through the strange film-cases—they were so much smaller than VHS tapes. "Are you a rom-com kinda girl, like Jody?"
"I don't even know what 'rom-com' means," Mary admitted.
"Romantic Comedy," Gabriel explained.
"Ugh," Mary shivered and made a face. Comedy she could enjoy, but romance? Those stories were never interesting enough to begin with, and John's loss was still too recent for her to watch another couple fall in love. "No, I'm definitely not a 'rom-com' kinda girl."
"Thank God," Dean muttered in relief.
"So, what's your preferred genre? Or better yet, what's your favorite movie?" Gabriel asked, looking at her over his shoulder.
Mary saw Dean sit up at the question, as though eagerly awaiting her answer. Then, she realized he probably didn't know her favorite movie, and she suddenly found herself resisting the urge to rub her eyes. "Umm, well, I didn't get the chance to see a lot of films in the theaters, and we only owned a few on tape. But I loved good action and science fiction—not the cheesy ones your dad loved, but the ones that made you feel like aliens and space travel were real possibilities."
Dean stared openly at her, like he was seeing her for the first time. "Really?" He sounded so much like his younger self. He pushed Sam, toppling the boy over on the cushion with a grunt. "Did you hear that Sammy? Mom's a total nerd," he whispered loudly.
Sam turned bright hazel eyes on her, and she noticed a small smile touch the corner of his mouth. He stayed there, laying curled up on his side. He may not be talking, but he was engaged enough to be paying attention.
Mary returned the smile, encouraged by their eagerness to learn more about her. Not just her as their mother, but her as a person. She leaned forward, searching her memories for film titles. "Oh yeah. I'm sure films have come a long way since the early eighties, but we had a few masterpieces. Don't know if you would have seen them or not. One was actually called 'Alien.' It was terrifying but so good. John couldn't handle that one."
"Dad couldn't handle 'Alien?'" Dean laughed, bewildered by the idea.
"Not after the war," Mary cringed, thinking about it. His violent outbursts had been hard, but the episodes that left him catatonic were always somehow worse. She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on those memories when she had two other war-weary soldiers right in front of her. "But there was another one we both enjoyed. It was a trilogy, actually, but I never got to see the third film. It was in theaters right after Sammy was born and it still hadn't come out on tape when I...well, you know."
"No way," Dean said.
"'No way' what?" Mary asked, unsure what she'd said wrong.
"You're talking about 'Star Wars.' And are you telling me you never got to see "Return of the Jedi?'" Dean's face and tone were totally serious.
"Um, yes?" Mary answered. "Do you have it? Did you like it? You were still a baby when the first two came out, so I wasn't sure..."
"Are you kidding me!? Do I like..." he broke off, too flustered to continue. "Gabe, tell me you included them in that library over there. If not, I think Sammy's got the DVDs in his room."
"Of course I have the original 'Star Wars' trilogy—special edition and the original theatrical release which is completely unavailable now. I also have the prequels, the animated series, and the most recent films—'The Force Awakens' and 'Rogue One.' Oh, and all the random appearances like the 'Star Wars Holiday Special' with Bea Arthur." Gabriel moved down the bookshelf and started pulling cases out by the handful.
"They made more after the third movie?" Mary asked, excitement flowing through her with each unknown title he listed. It felt strange to experience a rush that wasn't connected to actual danger. It made her giddy.
"Ha!" Dean barked out a laugh. "They probably made more than they should have. The prequels totally suck, but they're worth a watch. I actually haven't seen the two new ones either. Not a lot of movie-time when the world's ending."
"Well, I think we've got our day blocked out!" Gabriel exclaimed, bringing a pile of cases over to them. "So how do we want to do this? Start with Episode One and play them in chronological order or do we start with the classic trilogy and go in order of release dates?"
"Release dates, definitely. You have to see 'Return of the Jedi' before the prequels." Dean smiled at her and patted the seat next to him in invitation. Mary felt a warmth settle in her chest as she jumped up and joined him.
Gabriel showed her the cases and Mary marveled at how light-weight they all were. She picked up the one that had the familiar movie poster of 'A New Hope' on the front. Opening it up, she was stunned to find a simple silver disk. "How...This is the movie?" she asked, not touching the fragile-looking disk. They hadn't watched much of anything together since her resurrection except a few short videos online—something called 'YouTube.' Apparently, anyone could make a film these days. She remembered what a big deal it was to own a camera that took photos. Now, they were built into people's phones.
"Oh, the joys of modern technology!" Gabriel said, popping the disk out without a care. "These are called DVDs. They usually hold more than just the movie. Most have bonus features like bloopers, behind-the-scene documentaries, commentaries, and trailers."
"Times certainly have changed," she mused as Gabriel took the cases back to the shelf and pressed the disk against the edge of one metal box. The disk automatically got pulled inside...like magic.
Castiel joined them on the couches, sitting in the corner section next to Sam. He surprised her by kicking his shoes off and stretching his legs along the couch. She must have made a noise or strange face, because he gave her a shy smile and said, "When I had almost no power, I spent most of my time here at the bunker watching Netflix in Sam's room. I found I quite enjoyed removing my shoes and laying down during the experience. It was...relaxing."
Mary nodded and took her own shoes off, tossing them toward the door. They bounced and hit Raphael who still stood like a statue against the wall. "Oops!" she winced. "Sorry, Raphael."
He smiled at her and bent down to arrange her shoes together. "It is not a problem. I, too, prefer to be barefoot."
Gabriel glanced at his older brother while juggling several remotes. "Yeah, we're gonna need to get you some clothes and shoes if we ever take you out into the public. Most humans frown on walking barefoot in stores and restaurants."
Raphael frowned at his feet and wriggled his toes deeper into the thick carpet. "I do not think I will like that."
"Too bad, bro," Gabriel said. "If you want to be a cool kid and hang with the humans, then you gotta wear shoes. Or at least appear to be wearing shoes. And probably tone done the gloriously almost-glowing outfit."
Raphael traced the embroidered pattern stitched along the v-neck collar of his dashiki tunic. "What is wrong with my clothes?"
"Nothing. But it's usually a good idea to try and blend in with the humans around you, and these humans prefer jeans and flannel." Gabriel's eyes raked over Dean's appearance and he gave an exaggerated shudder. "Of course, there's no accounting for their tastes either."
"Oh, because you're such a style guru," Dean shot back. "I'll remind you that the first time we met, you were wearing a gray jumpsuit onesie thing."
"I was pretending to be a janitor!" Gabriel defended. "What's your excuse? An unchecked obsession with lumberjacks leftover from your youth?"
"They are practical!" Dean insisted with a huff.
"Raphael," Mary whispered and gestured for the Healer to join her. "Come sit down before they start throwing things."
"You have already thrown things at me," he said, surprised by her order, but gracefully obeying anyway. He perched on the edge without sinking into the sofa.
Mary gently put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back until he was sitting like the rest of them. She patted him twice before removing her hand with a smile. "Much better. Most people work their way up to sitting on the edge of their seat during a movie."
Gabriel growled in frustration and tossed the remotes onto the floor. "How can human invention be so brilliant and stupid at the same time? Buttons everywhere, and most have no purpose!" He waved his hand and darkness descended on the room.
Mary heard a snap, and she jumped as the television flared to life. A blast of brass instruments charged from invisible speakers as the theme song began to play. Mary sat back, clutching a pillow to her chest and staring at the incredible images on the screen. It was better than a movie theater!
"Wow," she gasped.
Dean chuckled and gently elbowed her. "Just wait. This is only the menu screen."
Mary grinned foolishly at him, feeling like a kid at an amusement park. Movement caught her eye and she looked past Dean to see Castiel arranging a pillow under Sam's head. The boy's eyes were still open, though heavy with lingering exhaustion.
The seraph whispered something in Enochian, and Sam nodded. Castiel then settled back against the cushions and began running a hand gently over Sam's back. She watched in relief as her youngest relaxed into the touch. And pushed down the pang of sadness that it wasn't her comforting Sam.
"Everyone set?" Gabriel asked, pushing the ottomans one by one under Raphael, Mary, and Dean's feet. Satisfied that everyone was comfortable, he flopped in the floor near Sam. "Good. Let's do this." And with a final snap, the menu was replaced by the slow-crawl of words across the screen.
Mary hugged the pillow tighter and leaned against her oldest boy's shoulder, quickly losing herself in her favorite story.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I've been on a super writing spree for a few days. When I was several pages past the end of Mary's POV and into Castiel's POV, I realized...if I covered everything I planned to in this scene and kept it in this chapter, then I would end up with a monsterously unmanageable chapter.
So, I decided to go ahead and post this, and count myself as ahead on the NEXT chapter! WootWoot!
I was incredibly touched by everyone's kind words of encouragement, support, and love. Thank you...all of you!
And special thanks again to nathyfaith and scrollingkingfisher for taking the time to beta this!
Love and blessings!