They were in a laundromat, Piper sitting next to Dean on a table, watching Sam do laundry. Piper was leaning back on her hands, watching Dean read the manuscript Chuck had sent with them.
"I'm sitting in a laundromat, reading about myself sitting in a laundromat reading about myself. My head hurts."
Sam rolled his eyes. "There's gotta be something this guy's not telling us." He turned to put another load of jeans into the washer.
Dean looked down at the paper in his hand. "'Sam tossed his gigantic darks into the machine. He was starting to have doubts about Chuck, about whether he was telling the whole truth.'"
Sam turned to glare at Dean. "Stop it."
"'Stop it,' Sam said.'" Dean looked up and grinned. "Guess what you do next."
Sam scowled and turned away. "'Sam turned his back on Dean, his face brooding and pensive.' I mean, I don't know how he's doing it, but this guy is doing it. I can't see your face, but those are definitely your 'brooding and pensive' shoulders."
Piper laughed. It was nice to see them arguing while doing something as normal as doing laundry, instead of fighting for their lives.
Dean looked back down. "'Piper laughed, so in love with Dean she could barely think about the situation they were in. She was too busy thinking about how nice it was to not be fighting for their lives.'" He turned and grinned at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Shut it, Winchester." Dick.
"You just thought I was a dick. And now, you're gonna think I'm smug, and you're gonna kiss me."
She glared at him. "This guy's good." He was grinning, his eyes sparkling, and she couldn't help herself as she leaned in to press her lips against his smug smile.
xxxxx
They were driving away from the motel they'd left Sam at, and Piper was worrying. Chuck had told them about the younger brother meeting Lilith that night, and Dean seemed determined to do whatever it took to stop it. Piper agreed, but was terrified that there was nothing they could do.
"Dean, what if-"
"Stop it, Piper," he snapped.
That stung more than she was willing to admit. So when he finally parked Baby, she got out without a word and started across the street.
Dean groaned. "Piper, baby, come on," he whined, following her.
"No, it's fine, Dean," she snapped, not turning around. "Be a dick, I get it, it's your main mode of communication." She was almost completely across the road, starting to step on the sidewalk.
"God dammit, Piper turn around and-" The sound of male laughter had them both turning around. A group of boys was laughing, trying to break into the Impala.
"Hey!" Dean shouted, starting to run across the road.
He must not have seen the van. "Dean!" Piper cried, running after him. She watched helplessly as the van hit him.
She ran to him, hitting her knees and pulling him into her lap. The woman who had been driving the van screamed, and she and her young daughter jumped out and ran to them. The woman was on her knees next to Piper in a second. "Oh, my God, is he okay? Oh, God, I'm so sorry."
Piper had her hand on Dean's neck, checking for a pulse. "He's out, but he's alive. He's been hit pretty hard before."
The daughter looked up at Piper. "Your hair is pretty."
Piper gave the little girl a strained smile. "Thank you, sweetheart."
The girl looked back down at Dean. "I'm a doctor. I can help."
Piper's blood ran cold as the child pulled out a handful of pink, flowery Band-Aids. "Oh, God."
xxxxx
Dean came to with something soft under his head. He opened his eyes slowly, letting himself take his time as he focused on Piper. He didn't know what happened, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "God, you're pretty." He frowned at the bruise on her face.
She smiled, blinking away the tears in her eyes. "You know, if you're going to start ending fights by being hit by a car and then complimenting me, we're going to have to have more fights." She ran a hand through his hair, and he closed his eyes again and leaned into it. "Take it easy, baby, you're going to be okay."
"I'm sorry about, you know," Dean opened his eyes again to look at a woman he'd never met before gesturing at his face. "My daughter's going through a doctor phase."
He looked back up at Piper, confused. "What's she talking about?"
Piper shook her head. "Not now, Dean. We'll talk about it later."
xxxxx
They were waiting for Chuck when he got back. He didn't look very surprised to see them.
"Dean. Piper."
Dean glared. "I take it you knew we'd be here."
Chuck examined Dean. "You look terrible."
"That's because he just got hit by a minivan, Chuck." Piper snapped.
Chuck blinked and clutched the six pack he'd brought in to his chest. "Oh."
Dean stood. "That it? Every damn thing you write about us comes true. That's all you have to say is, 'oh?!'" Piper said nothing at his angry outburst. She knew they were overreacting, but dammit, Dean had just gotten hit by a car, and she was mad.
Chuck winced. "Please don't yell at me."
Piper's eyes narrowed. "Why do I get feeling there's something that you're not telling us, Chuck?"
His wide eyes flicked to her. "What wouldn't I be telling you?"
"How you know what you know, for starters," she said calmly, fighting with her anger.
"I don't know how I know, I just do!"
"That's not good enough," Dean snarled, shoving Chuck against the wall. Piper stood, but said nothing. "How the hell are you doing this?!"
A fluttering of wings was Piper's only warning, and she still yelped a little when Castiel appeared next to her. "Dean, let him go," the angel ordered. "This man is to be protected."
Piper glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here? How dare you?"
Dean released Chuck and turned toward Castiel. Dean's eyes flicked to Piper's, his warning to let him do the talking clear. "Why?" he snapped at the angel.
"He's a prophet of the Lord." Castiel said evenly. He looked at Piper, his eyes falling to her cheek. "Why are you consistently being hurt, Piper?" She continued to glare at him.
Chuck's eyes were huge. "You... You're Castiel... Aren't you?"
Castiel nodded. "It's an honor to meet you, Chuck. I... Admire your work."
Piper frowned. "A prophet? I mean, he's not exactly Shakespeare."
Dean turned to Chuck. "Did you know about this?"
Chuck stumbled to the recliner in the middle of the living room. He opened a bottle of whiskey. "I, uh, I might have dreamt about it."
Piper turned her frown onto him instead of the angel. "And you didn't tell us?"
"It was too preposterous. Not to mention arrogant. I mean, writing yourself into the story is one thing, but as a prophet? That's like M. Night level douchiness." He took a swig of whiskey.
Dean turned to Castiel. "This is the guy who decides our fate?"
Castiel looked at Dean briefly, then looked at Piper. She met his gaze evenly. "He isn't deciding anything. He's a mouthpiece, a conduit for the inspired word."
She frowned. "Like, the word of God?"
Castiel nodded. "One day, these books, they'll be known as the Winchester gospel."
Piper outright glared at him. "What am I, chopped liver?"
Castiel gave her an unreadable look. "You will play a significant role in the Winchester gospel, Piper… Finley."
Before she could figure out what that meant, Chuck gasped. "You gotta be kidding me."
Castiel frowned at the prophet. "I am not… Kidding you."
"If you three would please excuse me one minute." He disappeared up the stairs.
Dean rounded on the angel. "Him? Really?"
"You should've seen Luke." Piper snorted, and Castiel gave her a warm glance that she ignored. She was still angry.
Dean gestured up the stairs. "Why'd he get tapped?"
"I don't know how prophets are chosen. The order comes from high up on the celestial chain of command."
Piper tilted her head. "How high?"
Castiel looked at her. "Very."
Dean shook his head a little. "Well, whatever. How do we get around this?"
Castiel frowned at him. "Around what?"
"The Sam-Lilith love connection. How do we stop it from happening?"
"What the prophet has written can't be unwritten. As he has seen it, so it shall come to pass."
xxxxx
Piper followed Dean into the motel room, wincing as he barked at Sam, "Come on. We're getting out of here."
Sam stood. "What? Where?"
"Anywhere. I don't care if we have to swim out of this town, we're getting out."
Piper looked around, bemused and scared. "Sam, where are the hex bags?"
Sam took a deep breath and faced them. "I burned them."
Dean's eyebrows rose. "You what?"
"Look, if Lilith is coming, which is a big 'if-'"
"No, it's not," Piper said quietly. "Chuck is a prophet, not a psychic."
Sam frowned at her. "What?"
"Cass showed up, and apparently Chuck is writing the gospel of us." Dean answered.
Sam shrugged. "Okay, it doesn't change anything."
"Sam, Lilith is going to wipe the floor with you," Piper said.
The taller Winchester shrugged again. "Maybe she will, maybe she won't."
"So what?" Dean scoffed. "You think you can take her?"
"Only one way to find out, and I say bring her on."
Piper sighed. "Sam…"
"You guys think I'll do it, don't you? You think I'll go dark side."
"Yes!" Dean exploded. "Okay? Yes. The way you've been acting lately? The things you've been doing?" Sam looked startled. "Oh, I know. How you ripped Alastair apart like it was nothing, like you were swatting a fly. Piper told me, okay?"
Sam glared at her, and she stared back, a little surprised. Did he expect her to keep quiet? "What else did she tell you?" He asked softly, dangerously. Piper blinked, unfamiliar fear trickling down her spine.
Fear of Sam.
Dean slowly and deliberately moved in front of Piper, blocking her from his brother's view. "Nothing I don't already know. That you've been using your psychic crap, and you've been getting stronger. We just don't know why, and we don't know how."
"It's not what you think."
"Then what is it, Sam? 'Cause I'm at a total loss." He got his bag, took Piper's hand, and led her to the door. When he got there, he turned back to Sam. "Are you coming or not?"
"No."
Dean turned to look at Piper. She held his gaze for a long moment, already knowing that they probably weren't going anywhere. He let out a frustrated huff, dropped the bag, and pulled her out the door with him.
When they were out, he turned and looked at her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. "I don't know what to do, Pipes," he said softly.
She hugged him tight. "It's okay, Dean, I think I do."
She closed her eyes. Castiel, we're fresh out of options. We need your help.
"I am gladdened to see that you have not lost your faith, Piper." Castiel said from behind her. "This is a good thing."
Dean tensed. "So does that mean you'll help?"
Piper turned in Dean's arms to look at the angel, who looked unsure. "I'm not sure what I can do."
She frowned. "Pull Sam out. Get us out of here before Lilith shows up."
He shook his head. "It's a prophecy. I can't interfere."
Dean was tense, almost shaking. Piper leaned back into his chest as he spoke. "You have tested me and thrown me every which way. And I have never asked for anything. Not a damn thing. But now I'm asking. I need your help. Please."
Castiel looked upset. "What you're asking, it's... Not within my power to do."
Piper scoffed. "Why? Because it's 'divine prophecy?'"
He nodded. "Yes."
Dean exhaled sharply. "So, what? We're just supposed to sit around and, and wait for it to happen?"
"I'm sorry."
"Screw you, wings," Piper snapped. "Screw you, your mission, and your God."
She felt Dean nod behind her. "If you don't help us now, then when the time comes and you need me... Don't bother knocking." He started to walk past the angel, wrapping an arm around Piper's shoulders.
The angel's voice stopped them. "Dean. Piper."
Dean whipped around. "What?!"
Castiel looked at Piper, and she saw something in his eyes that made her pay attention. "You must understand why I can't intercede. Prophets are very special. They're protected."
She nodded slowly. "Okay."
His gaze intensified. "If anything threatens a prophet, anything at all, an archangel will appear to destroy that threat. Archangels are fierce. They're absolute. They're heaven's most terrifying weapon."
Dean had listened, too. "And these archangels, they're tied to prophets?"
Castiel nodded slowly. "Yes."
"So if a prophet was in the same room as a demon-"
"Then the most fearsome wrath of heaven would rain down on that demon. Just so you understand... Why I can't help."
Dean nodded. "Thanks, Cass."
"Good luck."
They turned to leave, and Castiel's voice stopped them again, but it was much closer this time. "Piper."
She turned, and he placed two fingers on her forehead. Warmth enveloped her cheek, and she blinked at him. "Thank you, Cass."
Dean had his keys in his hand, and he had watched the exchange closely. "Come on, Pipes, let's go kidnap ourselves a prophet."
xxxxx
The plan had worked. Piper was worried that Castiel might get into trouble for tipping them off, but she didn't say anything about it to the guys. They had enough on their plates already.
She was laying next to Dean, examining his face as he did the same to her. It had become habit to lay face-to-face every night. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they just fell asleep like that. It was Piper's favorite part of the day.
"He didn't take the deal," she whispered, low enough that it wouldn't travel over to Sam's bed. She knew it was on Dean's mind. Lilith had offered Sam a deal: His and Dean's heads on a plate, and she'd stop breaking seals and leave Lucifer in his cage. Sam had declined.
Dean's lips twitched up and he searched her eyes. "How do you always know?"
She smiled. "Once you know how, you're not all that hard to read, Winchester."
He smiled, then sobered quickly. "He didn't even think about it, kitten. He's… I don't know, he's different."
"And you're worried that whatever he's doing to get stronger, it's making him darker."
He nodded. "And I'm right. The kid isn't the same as he was."
She put a hand on his face, running her thumb along his beautiful cheekbone. "Dean, he's not a kid. And you can help him. Maybe you can even save him."
He watched her speak, then let his eyes rest on her cheekbone where the bruise had been. "I don't know if I'm up to saving anyone, kitten."
She leaned forward and kissed him. "Then we'll save him together."
xxxxx
Hi everyone! Here's my notes:
I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)
Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.
If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.
