Chapter 2 - Marry You
Years later, if someone were to ask one of the survivors exactly when everything had started going to hell, they would no doubt have pinpointed the month of April.
The beginning of the month had started out wonderfully, for the most part. The family had welcomed a new addition in the form of Baby Brian, and while he had not been conceived under optimal circumstances, Sam, Becky and Dean had formed an uneasy truce, and were making the best of the situation. Dean and Becky had actually been getting along a little better, recently. She'd showed Dean how to hold little Brian, and how to feed him. They had bonded a bit over that, and then, when Sam had come into the kitchen and seen them all there, looking like a family, the lump in his throat had been gargantuan.
Then, they'd had the stag parties for the prospective brides and grooms, and even though Jody had been too ill to join them, that had still been a good night.
The day of Chuck and Laurel's wedding dawned bright and sunny, and the family was anticipating another fun-filled occasion. But even then, the cracks were beginning to form.
Becky was still having nightmares that she hadn't told anyone about, mainly because she didn't know if anyone would care. Everyone at the bunker was polite but distant with her, and she knew that she wasn't really welcome there. Despite her fondest hopes, Sam had made no move to propose to her, or even suggest that they take up residence together. He doted on the baby, of course, but there was no affection between him and Becky. None. Sam seemed to be satisfied with the status quo, but Becky was feeling less and less comfortable at the bunker with every day that went by. She was still having the dreams about Gail and Dean conspiring to kill her and the baby, and her sex dreams about Sam always ended the same way; with Vincent, laughing.
And the fact that Brian never cried was concerning to her too, but when Sam had suggested to Becky that they could take their son to a pediatrician and make sure that he was okay, she had freaked out. The spell that Vincent had put on her before they had parted ways had made her ultra-protective of the baby, and she couldn't bear the thought of a stranger touching him. Sam had let it alone for the time being, but it was a situation that could not continue indefinitely.
Then there was Jody's deteriorating health. Many of the group hadn't seen her in quite some time, and as she was slowly getting dressed for Chuck and Laurel's wedding, Jody had to sit down and rest for a minute.
Frank had been hovering over her, trying not to be too obvious about it. He'd deliberately buttoned his dress shirt wrong, and when she sat down on the edge of the bed, he'd looked at her. "Are you sure you're up for this, Babe?" he asked his wife.
Jody sighed. She hated feeling so worn out, all the time. "I haven't left this house since Sam's baby was born," she said to her husband. "I want to see everybody." She got back up again, checking herself in the mirror. "Nothing fits me, any more," she remarked. "It's a good thing this dress has a belt."
"You look good," Frank said, but Jody was shaking her head. "No, I don't," she said bluntly. "I look like crap. But, I don't care. I'm just so damn excited to see everybody again."
"Well, save some of that excitement for our Hollywood debut," he said, taking her hand. "We're probably gonna have to sign autographs, afterwards. Once people finally see some quality characters in those movies, we're gonna be famous." He kissed her gently on the cheek. "You ready to go see the Chuckster get married?"
Jody smiled. "I don't think anybody's quite ready to see THAT," she quipped. "Let's go find out if the boys need any help getting their ties on right. I'll bet you anything Angela's dressed before they are." She stopped for a moment. "I love you, Frank. I know we don't say that a lot. But I wanted to say it now. I know how much you do around here, and I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate it."
"Are you drunk, already?" he quipped.
Jody rolled her eyes. "How Gail ever put up with you all those years is beyond me," she said dryly.
"She didn't," he said with a grin. "She claims she rolled off that truck to get away from the Demons, but she really did it to get away from me. And, for the record, I'm glad she did, because otherwise, I never would have met you." He bent down to give his wife a kiss.
"Oh, sorry. For a minute there, I thought we'd walked into Cas and Gail's house," Rob quipped. He was standing in the doorway, holding Angela's hand. Jody's eyes prickled with tears. Rob looked so grown up, and Angela looked like a little lady. Their daughter almost always wore pants around the house, or her pajamas at night, or in the morning. Frank had opted to keep their daughter out of the school system for the time being, because of their family circumstances. But Liz or Karen popped down every now and then with some lessons that they gave their younger kids, and Rob and Eric helped her with math and geography, when they weren't on the road. Cas had also been giving his little niece rudimentary history lessons, although Frank had cautioned him not to make the stories too graphic. And Gail read books with Angela from time to time, quizzing their little girl on spelling and vocabulary. All things considered, Frank and Jody figured their daughter was probably receiving a better education than the public school system could provide.
"Let's go!" Angela insisted now. "Poochie wants a front row seat."
Of course he did, Frank thought, shaking his head. As always, she had the stuffed elephant with her. He knew that Chuck and Laurel wouldn't care. Everybody just thought it was as cute as hell. And, hey, it could have been worse. At least she hadn't tried to dress it up in a suit.
"Eric's bringing the car around to the side door," Rob told his mother. These days, it was difficult for Jody to negotiate the stairs at the front of the house, so Bobby had ever-so-subtly expanded the laneway beside the side door of their home so a car could be driven up there. Frank had asked Bobby what they should say if one of their neighbours noticed the sudden expansion and sued them for encroachment, and Bobby's reply had been so salty that Frank had laughed until he'd gotten the hiccups.
Jody took Frank's arm and Frank picked Angela up with the other, and then they left the house for the church.
It had been a brief ceremony, and now everyone was in the small hall that Hester had rented, having a couple of drinks before dinner was served.
Because Chuck didn't want to have to choose, he had asked both Kevin and Ethan, the original other two Musketeers, to stand up with him. Laurel had asked Hester to be her Maid of Honour. And, because Bobby was going to perform the ceremony, Laurel had shyly asked Cas if he would give her away. Naturally, he had been delighted to do it.
So, when they were all socializing afterwards, Cas was rhapsodizing about how much he loved weddings.
"I don't think you have to tell us that," Frank said affably, clapping his brother-in-law on the shoulder. "I think it's pretty obvious. Hey, if you ever run out of Heavenly missions, you could become a wedding planner."
"That would be a wonderful job, wouldn't it?" Cas said, smiling. "Imagine helping all of those couples unite, and celebrate their special day."
"Excuse me, I'm looking for some men," Dean said sarcastically. "Have you two seen any?"
Cas ignored him. "Did you know that some East Indian wedding celebrations can go on for a week?" he remarked now.
"There's a joke in there somewhere, just busting to get out," Frank mused aloud. "Something about 'hashtag sari/not sari', or something. Dammit! I'll have to get back to you on that."
"Daddy! Daddee! Come here, please!" Angela called out from one of the tables, where the little girl and Jody were sitting. Jody was talking to Chuck and Laurel, and Angela was trying to give Poochie a drink of water. She was holding the glass up to his trunk. Cas and Gail exchanged a smile. That elephant was the best thing they had ever gotten for anyone, and for the low, low price of only one dollar, too.
"Her Highness beckons," Frank said, and then he went over there.
"You know, we're a little saturated now when it comes to weddings, but you guys should give some more thought to renewing your vows, in a year or two," Liz said to Cas and Gail. "I've often thought it would be neat to explore how other cultures do it."
"Maybe we should talk you into doing that East Indian thing," Tommy chipped in. "A whole week of partying sounds good to me."
"Yeah, but that would also mean a whole week of those two, smooching and making googly eyes at each other," Dean said, making a face.
"How is that any different than what we do now?" Gail said, making googly eyes at Cas. He kissed his wife.
Dean thought about that for a moment. "Because sometimes, you leave," he decided on as a retort.
"Awwww, man, I've got nothing," Frank complained, rejoining the group.
"Don't be discouraged, Frank. Sikh, and you shall find," Sam quipped, and Gail's brother looked at him balefully. "Really, Sam? I'll tell you what: when young Brian gets old enough to appreciate good jokes, you send him to me."
"If we're talking about wedding traditions, when I was doing some research for mine and Paul's, I saw where some ceremonies include the couples washing each other's feet," Linda remarked.
"OK; that's just weird," Barry said.
"I don't necessarily agree," Cas stated. "I know about that tradition, and while it may seem a little unusual, the ritual is supposed to show love and service to God, and to your partner. So in that regard, I think it's rather sweet."
"Unless one of you has a big bunion, or something," Eric joked. "Then, it would just be gross."
While everyone contemplated that, and while the caterers were setting up for the dinner, Chuck raised his voice so he could be heard over all the conversation. "Excuse me, everybody? I just wanted to say something," he began. He choked up a little, cleared his throat, and started again. "I never thought that this day would come," Chuck said in a thick voice.
"Neither did we!" Dean called out, and everyone laughed.
Chuck dipped his head in acknowledgement. There was a time when a comment like that would have hurt him, or made him angry. But, not any more. Chuck felt nothing but love for each and every person in this room, and what was truly a miracle was that he knew that they all loved him, too. He looked at Laurel. "I love my new bride with all my heart, and we're honoured to call all of you our family," Chuck said. He lifted his glass. "A toast, to Laurel."
Everyone toasted, and then Hester said, "Let's get some pictures taken, before dinner. I'd like one of all of us. The whole group. One of the caterers has agreed to take it for us."
So they all grouped together, for a couple of photos of the whole gang. The only ones not there were Becky, and baby Brian. Once again, she hadn't wanted to bring the infant around so many people, she'd told Sam, and she had refused to even consider a babysitter. Sam had let it go for now. Brian was still a newborn, so he supposed she could have a point about possible germs. Still, they were going to have to deal with it, eventually.
Nicole was there too, and she would be coming back again in three days, for the preview screening of the new movie. But she was anticipating going back to work after that, albeit briefly, she told them. They had been given the green light to do a fourth installment to the saga, and they were going to film a post-credits teaser for it that would be tacked onto the end of the new movie, for public release. Chuck had written it, but he had refused to tell anyone what was in the scene, not even Laurel. Richard had it under lock and key, and he had read it too, of course, but he'd said he wouldn't share it with anyone. All the men would say was that it was a game-changer, and it was devastating.
But for now, everyone smiled happily for the camera, more toasts were made, and then the reception began in earnest, lasting until the wee hours of the morning.
Three days later, Nicole put the finishing touches on Jody's makeup, after Frank's wife had put on the new dress her husband had bought her. It was a long gown with sequins on it, of all things; something Jody wouldn't normally wear. But they were all dressing up, they'd assured her, just like a real Hollywood movie premiere. The men were wearing tuxedos, and the women were wearing long gowns. Little Angela even had a tiara on, and Nicole had done her hair for her, too. Jody didn't usually go in for that Princess-y stuff, thinking it sent the wrong message. But tonight was an exception, and Nicole had been generous in lending her professional expertise to the occasion.
Angela ran into the room now, as Jody was looking at herself in the mirror. Nicole had succeeded in making Jody look like her old self. But, like the actors in the movie, it was just an illusion. Jody was fading now, and she knew it. This was probably the last time that she was going to be able to put on glad rags and go out for an evening. She'd told Linda she was going to do her best to come to the church for her and Paul's ceremony, but Jody doubted very much that she was going to be in any condition to make the reception. But this night was about Jody and Frank, and their relationship, and damned if she wasn't going to watch that love story depicted on the big screen.
Jody laughed as she looked at her daughter. Poochie had a little tuxedo on. "Where did you get that?" Jody asked Nicole.
"I made it," Nicole told her. "I thought the whole family deserved to be dressed up, tonight."
Jody gave her an impulsive hug. "Thank you, Nicole. Thanks for everything. We're going to be the best-looking family in Lebanon, tonight."
"How is everybody - awww, geez," Frank said, shaking his head. He had just entered the bedroom, and he was looking at Poochie, in all his well-dressed glory. "Who's responsible for that?"
"I guess that would be me," Nicole said, smiling.
"You have no idea the size of the can of worms you just opened," Frank said, sighing. "Now, I'm gonna have to commission you to make a whole wardrobe for him. Just you wait and see."
Angela looked up at Nicole. "Let's see...he'll need some shorts and T-shirts, now that summer is just around the corner," the little girl said pertly. "Oh, and some pajamas, too. Thank you!" Then she skipped out of the room, as Nicole stared after her.
"See? Can of worms. I told you so," Frank said. He looked at Jody. "You look beautiful, Jodes. Hollywood glamorous."
Jody smiled. "The only difference is, I'm not an actress," she remarked. "But I can't wait to see 'us' on the big screen."
"It's a surreal experience," Gail said. "I hope you don't mind me barging in like this, but Cas said to tell you the limo is here. Jody, you look fantastic."
"Thanks to Nicole," Jody said.
Gail smiled gratefully at their Canadian friend. Regardless of what was happening or not happening between Nicole and Dean, she was so happy to have Nicole in their circle of friends and family. Obviously, things couldn't be too bad between them, because she was here as Dean's date, and they had kissed, when Nicole had arrived. Dean hadn't said much about it, because that wasn't his way. But it seemed to Gail that the couple had simply decided not to become engaged, for some reason. But it wasn't Gail's life, and it was really none of her business, she supposed. As long as everyone was happy with the situation, and they seemed to be, she was going to try to keep her nose out of it.
Richard had sent a stretch limo, and there were buckets of champagne on ice in the back, with a note from the actors who played Sam, Dean, Cas and Gail, saying it was their treat, and they hoped everyone enjoyed the movie.
The Rialto was a small theatre, but the seats were plush, and the screen was the standard big-screen size. The inevitable pictures were taken of everyone outside the theatre, dressed to the nines, and then they went in to watch the movie. Frank had nodded to Sam and Dean, and they had brought the bottles of champagne in with them. Screw the liquor laws, Frank had said. Which was pretty funny, seeing as he was a City Councilor now. But this was Jody's night, and she had said that she felt like having a glass of champagne. So, case closed.
They all took their seats, and Chuck and Nicole stood in front of the theatre to address everyone.
"First of all, let me just say that everyone looks fantastic," Chuck said, pouring Nicole a glass of champagne. Then he poured himself one. "I think you're really going to love this one. Not as many exotic locations, or explosions - sorry, Dean - but this one is a little bit more about all of us, as a family."
Everyone had laughed when Chuck had said what he'd said to Dean, but now they were listening intently. "I won't spoil it for you too much, but a lot of the plot centers around Frank's re-entry into the timeline, and his and Jody's relationship. But, because we're a bit of an offbeat family, to say the least, it's also got Angels, Demons, monsters, and suspense. The only thing we haven't got for you is the teaser trailer, that'll run after the credits. Sorry, but we weren't able to shoot it on time." Chuck was lying now, of course. They could easily have shot it in time for inclusion in this print of the film. The issue was that Chuck hadn't wanted any of them to see it. This was supposed to be a night to celebrate love, and hope. But Chuck had received God's Prophecies now, and he knew that things were about to change so radically in the next year that none of them would even recognize the status quo, in the future. Those that survived, that was. He had written part of the script already, but he feared that he was running out of time now.
Anyway, the bottom line was that this was a night for entertainment, not death and dire warnings. "I hope you all enjoy this new Supernatural feature film. It's still untitled. I'm lobbying hard for 'Hope And Chance'," Nicole said to everyone.
"And I kind of thought I'd like to call it 'Not Just Tomorrow, But Always'," Chuck said. "Richard will have the final say, but I'm good with either."
"If it's about Frank, why don't you just call it 'Still Crazy After All These Years'?" Dean wisecracked.
"Or how about 'Run, Jody, Run'?" Sam piped up.
"If we're discussing titles, we could just call it 'Winchesters Suck Giant - '" Frank started to say, and Jody looked at him sharply. " - 'Lollipops'," Frank finished quickly. He gave his wife a toothy grin, and she couldn't help but smile.
"I'm giving you a mental high-five right now, Frank-a-roni," Gabriel called out from the row behind him.
"What happened to Frank-en-furter?" Gail asked the Archangel with a smile.
"One cannot live on weiners alone, my little Kitten," Gabriel said, smirking.
"OK, we'd better get this thing started, before things get totally out of hand," Chuck said, trying not to grin too widely. That would only encourage him. "So, as they say in the film industry, roll 'em."
He and Nicole went to their seats to join their respective partners. Bobby waved his hand and the lights went down as the curtains on the stage parted and the movie began.
It had everything. Laughs, tears, romance, action and suspense. Chuck had written Frank and Jody as they really were, so their love story was still romantic and touching, but without being sappy, or maudlin.
When the reunion between Gail and Frank came on the screen, Gail leaned forward. She and Cas were sitting directly behind Frank and Jody, so the couple could sit next to Angela and the boys. When that scene came up, Gail kissed her brother on the cheek, hugging him from behind. "If you ever need a reminder of why I love Cas so much, there it is, right there," she said in Frank's ear. He smiled.
Then they were all laughing when the wedding scene came on. Chuck had managed to reproduce their vows fairly accurately, considering how long ago that had taken place. The friends and family members who had been there remembered the occasion fondly, while those who hadn't been now felt like they had.
The film turned bittersweet when it depicted Felicia's murder and the couple's adoption of her son. Frank glanced at Rob, and he could see a couple of tears glistening on their son's cheek when the film showed the couple taking him to Disneyland for their honeymoon. He remembered that trip very well, almost like it was yesterday. But now that he was a young man, he realized what a sacrifice it had been for his parents to have given up what was supposed to be the most romantic trip of their lives so that they could show a little kid a good time, so soon after his mother's death. He made a mental note to tell them later how much he appreciated that.
Then came the scene that a lot of them had been dreading: the one where the viewers found out that Jody had breast cancer. Everybody was weeping now. The impact of the scene was that much greater considering what she was dealing with now. And Chuck hadn't glossed over her ordeal, either. When he had broached the subject with her initially, Jody had told him not to sugarcoat it. So he had written a couple of scenes where the actress who was playing Jody had portrayed her pain and her struggle powerfully, and even though it was hard to watch, Jody approved. Cancer wasn't merciful, and it wasn't pretty. Look at how she was feeling right now. Look at her poor husband, trying valiantly to be a hero for her, and for everyone. Cracking jokes, even though she knew he was emotionally dying inside. But there was nothing she could do for him, because she was too busy physically dying, herself.
So Jody did the only thing she could do, at the moment: she took Frank's hand, and they watched the rest of the movie like that.
Then, when the movie was over, Bobby waved the lights on. Cas and Gail popped themselves to the front of the theatre so they could look at everyone. Gail sniffled. "I want to be the first one to congratulate Chuck on an amazing job," she said. She and Cas started to applaud, and then everybody else joined in.
"Do you feel up to coming back to our house for a bit of an after-party?" Cas asked Jody.
Jody wanted to milk all she could from this evening. It was just so great to have everyone here, all together. Just like Christmas. And, just like Christmas, she was being given a good day, today. She remembered everyone's names at the moment, and her head didn't hurt. So she said, "I'd love to, Cas."
Gail was thrilled. They had planned some entertainment, in case Jody was feeling up to it. So she and Cas told Frank and Jody to take the limo to their place, and they would start popping everyone else to their house in the meantime.
"Just make sure you don't get all carried away by the romantic movie we just saw, and make out in the back of the limo," Gabriel called out.
"Not making any promises, there, Gaberino," Frank shot back, and everyone laughed.
Once everybody was seated in Cas and Gail's living room and Frank and Jody had arrived, Gail told the group: "For those of you who aren't performing, I'm just letting you know that the upcoming show isn't intended to offend anybody. It's intended to offend EVERYBODY! We have a fun show lined up for you. See if you can guess who's who in the zoo."
Chuck got up from his seat. He started to walk slowly around the living room. "Feet off the table, before I issue you a citation," he said to Eric. Then he ran his hands through his hair. "Oh, my God! Where did all my hair go? I'd better report this to Bobby right away. We might have a hair thief on our hands." He stopped in front of Frank. "I think we can eliminate this man as a suspect."
They all laughed, and Linda said, "That's Ethan."
"Bingo," Chuck said. He sat down, and Paul stood up next. He touched the bridge of his nose. "Did you know that a tomato is not a vegetable, it's actually a fruit?"
"Oh, come on. That was way too easy. That's Emma," Hester piped up.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Besides, that's not even a little-known fact. Everybody knows that one," she said, clucking her tongue.
Then, Frank got up. When Gail had come up with this idea, she had worked out her performers, and they had drawn numbers for the order in which they would go. Only the designated performer knew who they would be imitating, and each performance was to be pure improv.
Frank emitted a high-pitched giggle, and Gail nearly fell off her chair laughing. She didn't think she'd ever heard him make a sound like that before. She'd never known he was even capable of making a sound like that.
"Cas, on helium!" Dean called out, and Frank smirked. "No, but that's a great answer," he said. He started to walk around the living room, wiggling exaggeratedly.
Nobody said anything. "Oh, come on," Frank said impatiently. "The giggle alone should have given it away."
"Hey! Less talking, more acting!" Gail admonished her brother.
He let out a frustrated breath. "Fine." He continued to sashay around for another minute. "Come on, you guys. I'm gonna blow out a hip if I keep walking this way."
"'If I could walk that way, I wouldn't need the talcum powder'," Bobby said, quoting an old punchline from an even older joke. But everybody just looked at him blankly. "Nothing? Nobody?" He sighed.
"Maybe we just like to see you wiggle your bum," Nicole teased Frank. He lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah, I heard about that. Look, I don't mind being objectified, and if you ladies want to throw money at me, I'll be glad to take it off your hands. But if you think I'm lighting anything on fire, you're crazy," Frank said.
More laughter, and then finally, Frank gave up. Obviously, they were all just yanking his chain. So he pretended to look at a watch on his wrist. "My boyfriend's late. Again. I wonder what wild excuse he'll have this time."
Sam got up, and walked over to Frank. "Sorry I'm late, BabyLips. I had to go back to 5000 B.C., and settle that paternity suit Cleopatra filed against me."
"Another one?" Frank said in a high-pitched voice.
"Yeah, but don't worry. They couldn't prove a thing," Sam said in a boastful tone. "She was in total de-Nile about it."
"You're such an asp," Frank said, batting his eyelashes at Sam.
"Oh, my God, you guys," Eric said. "I think we need 'Ethan' back, to arrest 'Liz' and 'Gabriel' for the worst jokes ever."
"I was just waiting for them to start kissing," Gabriel wisecracked. "And now, I just want to ask Cas why he would snitch on me and Cleopatra like that."
Liz gave her boyfriend the side-eye. She couldn't tell if he was joking or not. She decided to decide that he was. It made her life a lot easier that way. "I don't laugh like that," she said to Frank, who was sitting back down. "Yes, you do," several people chorused.
"I hope you know I'm totally gonna call you 'BabyLips' from now on," Gabe said to her, and Liz glared at Dean's brother, who was re-taking his seat. "Thanks a lot, Sam."
Now Bobby got up. "Hey, Big G, what's a typewriter? What do you mean, 'dial' a phone? What's a video rental place?"
"That's Rob," Sam stated, as Emma looked at Kevin. "What IS a video rental place?" the bespectacled Angel asked him.
Bobby sat down again. He'd known that what he had done was just a little bit too easy to guess. He had just been flattered when Gail had asked him to be a part of their little show. When she had approached him with the idea, she'd said that she wanted to do something after the movie that would make them all laugh, in case the movie made them all cry too much. Bobby'd thought it was a brilliant idea. He really needed to see Jody laughing. It had been hard on him to watch her sinking, the way she'd been doing. He'd asked Gail where she'd gotten the idea she was proposing, and Gail had been a little vague about it. Truthfully, though, the seed had been planted back in Vegas, in the cactus garden, when Dean and Sam had imitated Cas. She'd thought it could be pretty funny if different members of their group tried the same thing with each other.
Barry stood up, and he immediately started pacing the floor. "So, get this: people have been going missing, all within a twenty-mile square radius of the abandoned hospital. I brought my laptop to the forest outside the place and connected it to that magic Wi-Fi I seem to be able to get anywhere I want, at all times, and the research indicates that there were some mysterious deaths there, back in the 1800s. The lore suggests it's probably a vengeful ghost, but I'm sure it's actually a poltergeist, because I'm really, really smart." He tossed his head back. "And now if you'll excuse me, since I've solved the case, I have to go and condition my hair."
Cas stood up and walked over to Barry was standing, his legs bowed. "I can't decide on whether to get the chicken, the ribs, or pizza," the Angel said. "What the hell? I'll just get all three. And, make sure you get beer. Lots and lots of beer. What kinds of pie do they have?"
Liz giggled loudly, and then she smiled at herself. "OK, that time, I totally heard it," she admitted.
"Chicken, ribs, AND pizza?" Dean mused aloud, smiling. "Whoever that guy is, he's a genius."
"Let's go look at some naked women, and watch pornography," Cas went on, and now Dean frowned. "Hey, Cas, settle down, now. You're making me look bad, Buddy."
"Thanks to 'Sam' and 'Dean' for taking time out from their busy schedule to make an appearance here, today," Gail said quickly, before Cas went too overboard. He'd been really funny, and so had Barry, but despite her joke about offending people, she didn't want anybody to feel too picked on.
"Now, we had a dilemma for this next performance," Gail continued. "There were a lot of people who could have nailed it very well, but everybody was too afraid to do it."
"But, I wasn't," Linda piped up eagerly. She stood up and walked over to Eric. "Sit up straight, Boy. Were ya raised in a barn?" Then she looked at Gabriel. "No, I will NOT close Heaven for a week, so we can all go to Tijuana. What's the matter with you?" Then she looked at Laurel. "What's that, dear? You want me to do all your filing? Sure, if you think it would help, I'd be glad to."
"Would that really work?" Laurel joked, looking at Bobby. "Who knew that all I had to do was ask?"
"We should have gotten you a fake beard, and a hat," Dean said to Linda, and Gail shook her head ruefully. "Dammit! That WOULD have been good!" she exclaimed. "OK, duly noted. The next time we do this, that's what we'll do. Unless Bobby smites us all out of existence for what Linda just did, of course."
Bobby's beard twitched. "It would be hard to get mad at such an accurate portrayal," he remarked. "But, yeah, the beard definitely would have been funnier."
As Linda sat down, Gail stood up. She thought for a moment, then said, "Hang on." She grabbed Dean's beer bottle, waving it around in her hand. It was the only thing she could think of on such short notice. But she definitely wanted another crack at this, when she could plan ahead a bit better. "Hey, Winchester," she said, waving the beer bottle towards him. "Did'ja hear the one about the two Shriners who bumped into each other on the street? One guy says to the other guy, 'I can't remember your name, but your fez is familiar'". She walked over to where Angela was sitting, hugging Poochie to herself. Her little niece was wide-eyed and entranced. It was getting a little late in the evening for her, but she was still wide awake. It probably didn't hurt that Rob and Eric had snuck her some candy in the theatre. But she was enjoying all the performances now, too. It reminded her of Story Time, but with her family members playing each other, instead of characters. Maybe she would ask them to do Story Time for her again, once in a while. Poochie was her best friend, but he wasn't too good at making up stories.
"Hey, kiddo," Gail said to her niece now, still in character, "why do you never see elephants hiding in trees?"
Angela thought for a minute. Then she looked at Poochie, but he offered no answer. "I don't know," the little girl said.
"Because they're so good at it," Gail said with a grin. "Huh? Huh? Get it?" But she wasn't done yet. She walked over to Sam. "And, while I'm on the subject of elephants: What do you call an elephant that doesn't matter? An irrelephant."
"Wow. And they called OUR jokes bad," Sam said, rolling his eyes.
"You're being Daddy!" Angela cried out happily, clapping delightedly.
"Thank you. Thank you, fans," Gail said, bowing. She sat down.
And then, inevitably, Dean rose from his chair. He started to walk around the living room, pointing at the men. "You guys, go to the store, and get all that stuff I need." He pointed again. "And you guys can move the furniture." He looked at Barry. "How's that dinner coming along?"
Then Dean stretched languorously, smiling. "Holy moly. Supervising is sooo tiring. I miss my perfect husband. What's taking him so long? We haven't smooched in five whole minutes."
Gabriel got up from his chair now. "I'm coming, my dearest darling. I had to stop to make you ten bouquets of flowers, first."
"Hark! Here he comes now! I'd better get ready!" Dean chirped. He mimed putting lip balm on his lips, exaggerating the movements. Then he smacked his lips loudly. "There."
Everybody was roaring with laughter now. Gail was rolling her eyes, but she was laughing, too. She guessed she'd asked for this, hadn't she? Maybe she'd felt like she had owed Dean for that whole stripper snake guy thing. And he was sure getting his revenge now, wasn't he? But, still: "'Hark'? Really?" she couldn't help but exclaim.
"Settle down, Madam, there's a performance taking place, here," Gabriel admonished her. Then he cleared this throat and approached Dean, puffing out his chest. "I have returned from the battlefield called Supermarket, with the lamb chops you requested, my darling."
Dean pouted.
"What is the matter, my love?" Gabriel said, a look of deep concern on his face.
"It's all right, sweetie. I actually asked for pork chops," Dean said sadly. "But if you think that lamb chops are better, then they must be, because you're so handsome."
"Oh, no!" Gabriel lamented. "Alas! I have failed in my mission! I will go back to Supermarket, and I will run my blade through everyone who will not surrender the pork chops that my beautiful wife requires. And then, when I have vanquished all our enemies, I will return, and we will smooch like bunnies for the remainder of the evening."
Oh, my God, Gail thought. She hated to encourage them, but she was laughing so hard now that she nearly fell off her chair. Tears were streaming down her face, but they were the good kind, for a change. She looked around at everyone. Frank and Jody were laughing, leaning on each other for support. Sam had thrown his head back, Rob and Eric were hitting each other on the arm, and Angela was laughing mainly because everybody else was laughing. Barry and Tommy were doubled over, and Cas was smiling widely, shaking his head back and forth slowly.
Gail stood, clutching at Cas for support because she was still laughing so hard. He stood up with her. When she'd composed herself, she said, "Now, THAT'S how you close a show. Even though I'm reluctant to admit it, that was funny as hell."
"Clearly, we will have to step up our game next time, as I believe the expression goes. Full credit goes to my beautiful wife for such a wonderful idea. I will be sure to smooch her later, in appreciation," Cas said with humour.
"My perfect husband and I would like to thank everybody for being such good sports," Gail added.
"I may have to get my revenge on you for your dubious portrayal of me at a later time, but right now, I'm too busy enjoying what I just saw," Frank said to her, wiping his eyes.
"I have something I want to say," Jody said, rising slowly to her feet. She looked around at everyone. "This has been one of the best nights I can remember." She smiled wryly. "I realize that, these days, that's not saying much. But I promise you, I'll remember this night. Chuck, thank you for writing such a funny, moving, honest script. You deserve all the accolades in the world. I don't usually 'do' big speeches, or shows of emotion. You all know that's not my style. But I just wanted to tell all of you how much you mean to me. I love you; each and every one of you. This had been one of the most perfect nights of my life. Even more perfect than Gail's husband." She smiled, as everyone laughed. "And now, I'm going to have the King of Bad Dad Jokes take me home, so we can smooch."
Everyone laughed again. Then they all started to get up from their seats, exchanging hugs and kisses with Jody and her family. Angela kissed every person who either bent down to her or picked her up, and then she had Poochie kiss them, too. "We're smooching like bunnies," the little girl told Poochie.
Frank looked at Gabriel. "Thanks. Thanks a lot."
Gabe grinned proudly. "You're more than welcome, Frankster. Enjoy."
Gail and Cas walked Frank, Jody, Rob, Eric, Angela and Poochie out to the curb, where the limousine was pulling up. Cas had tipped the driver handsomely to wait in the neighbourhood until Jody was ready to go home. He wanted her to have one last luxurious ride, and, as with her previous bout with cancer, teleportation made her feel dizzy and nauseous, anyway.
More hugs were exchanged, and Jody smiled at Gail. "Even though most of the fun was at your expense, I have to say, I had a great laugh tonight," Jody told her sister-in-law. "It's been way too long since I've had one of those. Thanks for that."
"Any time," Gail said. She and Cas joined hands as the family got into the limo, and they watched as the car cruised down the block and turned the corner, out of sight.
And that was the last time they were all together.
The day of Paul and Linda's wedding dawned slightly overcast, but by the afternoon, the clouds had parted, and the sun came out.
After all the research that Linda had done, when Paul had sufficiently recovered from the sojourn to Saqqara, he had told her not to bother incorporating any Southern Baptist elements into their wedding. He had no particular affection for or affiliation with that religion. She should just go ahead and plan it however she wanted.
So Linda had ended up planning a simple affair, leaning heavily on Korean traditions. One of the traditions was that the guests would gift the couple with money in a sealed envelope. They were going to hold to that tradition, but whatever money their human friends brought was going to be donated to charity. Also, if they had been a younger Korean couple, many times, the bride's parents would be the ones who took over the event. But, after a little deliberation, Linda had decided not to involve any of her human family. They'd been estranged after her divorce from Kevin's father, and truthfully, she felt it was better left alone. She was not the same timid young girl she'd been back then. Not even close. And there was the whole racial thing, too. As much as Linda tried to soft-pedal it, she knew deep down that her Earthly family would not approve of her marrying a black man, let alone one who was only a few years younger than Kevin had been when her son had died. Not that that kind of thing was significant to Angels, but somehow, Linda didn't think that her family would be willing or able to make that distinction.
Traditionally, Korean weddings were very short; at least, the ones that Linda had been to were. There were no bridesmaids, and no ushers. Following the official ceremony, which was brief and almost businesslike, there was a speech made by a family member, then usually a musical performance of some sort, and then the newly married couple's first kiss. And that was pretty much it. Then there was a meal, and then everyone went home. No reception. The meal was called a "pyebaek", and it was traditionally for family members only. But that would have excluded many of their friends and extended family members, and Linda couldn't abide that idea. Plus, she wanted to have a drink and a dance at her own wedding. So they were going to have the abbreviated ceremony, and then send their friends to the hall where they'd had Chuck and Laurel's reception to begin dinner. Linda and Paul were going to have their "pyebaek" in Heaven, with their designated Angel family: Kevin, Henri, Bobby, Cas and Gail, and Liz and Gabriel. But, because they didn't eat, she was going to ask Bobby to perform a Korean blessing, instead. Then they were going to go to Earth, to join the others.
The ceremony had taken place in a small Korean church on the outskirts of the downtown business district, and then afterwards, everyone who had been able to attend had gathered outside for a few minutes, to take some pictures and exchange hugs and congratulate the couple.
"I'm sorry Jody's not here," Frank said to the newly married couple. "She tried, but the headache she had was just too much for her."
"We understand," Linda said in a subdued tone. "If it was too hard for her, of course we understand. Is that why the boys aren't here?"
"Yeah," Frank replied, frowning. "She had to load up on morphine, and I didn't like the idea of leaving her and Angela alone. But she insisted that I come, to represent the family. And I wanted to come, anyway. Who's gonna tell all the bad dad jokes, if I'm not here? Hey, maybe we can get you drunk and have you imitate Bobby, again. That was hilarious."
"Are you trying to get me in trouble with the boss?" Linda asked him sharply, but they were both smiling. Then her expression turned serious. "Give Jody our love, Frank. When Paul and I get back from our honeymoon, I'll give you a call. Maybe we can stop by for a visit, if she's up to it."
"She'd like that," Frank responded, and he moved away to join Sam and Dean, who were going over to the parking lot to drive to the reception hall.
Alan was watching the activity outside the church with professional detachment. Some of the Angels were going back into the church now, and some of the others were walking away with the humans. The trouble was, the ones that he had been hired to watch were all going back into the building.
He was tuned in to Angel Radio, and the young one, Emma, was telling Kevin Tran that she was going to ride in a car over to the reception hall. Chuck's human sister Hester was going to drive her brother and new sister-in-law Chuck and Laurel, and she had room for Emma, if she wanted to tag along. Emma hadn't been in a car in years, so she'd wanted to do that.
Kevin had told Emma that his group would see them at the reception hall on Earth, once the payback was over. Payback? No, that couldn't be right, Alan thought. That word must have been garbled over the frequency.
But what he had heard, very clearly, was that Bobby, Castiel, Gabriel, Gail and Paul were in that group, and they were currently headed to Heaven. Those were the very names that he had been given. So he called Raguel to report in.
Raguel was frustrated. He didn't want a lesser Angel. He wanted one of higher standing. But the private investigator who had once been of such great help to Patricia was telling him that they were going up to Heaven for...something, and then they would be heading to the reception hall. But he didn't know where this reception hall was. So he instructed Alan to follow the car that Chuck, Laurel and Emma were in to its destination, and then report back with the location.
Alan did as instructed, and when he called Raguel, the Archangel popped into the car beside him a moment later.
"Thank you for your service," Raguel commended the Angel. "When I am in possession of the Book, you will receive your reward."
Alan dipped his head in acknowledgement, and both Angels popped out of the car to go their separate ways.
Raguel had been pacing outside the hall for a while, looking to detect the presence of the Angels he sought. That many higher-ranking Angels appearing somewhere all at once would cause a celestial wave, sort of like a ripple in a pond. Shielded, or not.
He was deliberating now: which of them should he take? Ideally, his first choice would be Bobby. Although the man lacked all of God's powers, there were still a great many that he would have, simply by virtue of inhabiting the High Office. Gabriel was an Archangel, who would be on a par with Raguel, if not a little stronger. And Castiel had a wealth of powers, as well, and the Elite ranking, something that was very important to an Angel like Raguel. Then again, Gail might be a fitting choice, under the circumstances. Father had deigned to designate her as an Original, the only female that had ever achieved that distinction. Raguel had tacked Paul on to the list because he was the son of an Archangel, and because he might be easier to take.
But now, Raguel was reconsidering his plan. Well, not the plan itself, which was solid, but rather, the execution of it. The five Angels he had in mind were each powerful in their own ways, but combined, they would be very strong. There were also a number of lesser Angels here. Raguel was an Archangel, but he was only a single entity. If they were all to act in concert, they might well be able to defeat him. He doubted they could kill him, even if they were to band together, but they could severely wound him. Maybe he should just take the first Angel he saw, and not risk a confrontation.
Then, he felt it. The five of them had arrived. They were inside the building, right now. He checked the pocket of his clothing for his blade.
"These ribs are really good," Frank said to his sister. Gail had just arrived from Heaven with the bride and groom and the rest of the Angels who Linda had designated as family for the occasion. She had been extremely flattered to have been included, although she suspected it was due more to her being Cas's wife than anything else. But she was OK with that.
"How's Jody?" Gail asked Frank now.
He dropped the bone on his plate. "You know, just once, I'd like to go somewhere and have nobody ask me that," her brother said irritably. He pushed the plate away, grabbing some napkins to wipe his hands. Then he looked at Gail. "Sorry, kiddo. She's fine. 'Resting', was what Rob said. That means she's unconscious, stoned out of her gourd on morphine."
Gail frowned. "How much of that stuff does she take?"
Frank sighed. "Too much. But, don't give me that look. She's not back from 'Nam, or anything. She's not hooked on the stuff. She needs it. The doctor said she should take it whenever she has to. Which is pretty much all the time, now. And, you know what that means. It means there's nothing else they can do for her."
Gail stomach rolled. She knew what Frank was saying, but she still wanted to be in denial about it. She didn't want to hear about how bad things were, because if she didn't, then she could tell herself that things weren't that bad.
"I'm gonna step outside for a breath of fresh air," Frank said, rising from his chair. He leaned down, kissing her on top of her head. Then he walked toward the exit.
Raguel's head tilted to the side as he saw the door open, and a man come out. The Archangel had melted into the shadows while he'd been debating how to proceed. For a split second, he'd thought...but, no. The man was a human. Of no use to him whatsoever.
He let out a frustrated breath. This had been such a good plan. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. The current higher-ranking Angels all had close ties to Earth. It just made sense. He had ruled out going to Heaven as being too treacherous. Not only because of the sheer numbers of Angels there, but also because of the ready access to the weapons annex. There were a few items there that, if properly used, could be very effective against the likes of Raguel. But, not the jawbone. They couldn't have the jawbone, Raguel reasoned, or Castiel would have killed him with it in Egypt.
Of course, none of that would matter if he could get his hands on the Book of Life, which had been the plan all along. But he'd had no idea how to even begin to obtain it. Now he did, but he needed to use an Angel first, to give him what he sought.
The human man was still standing outside the doorway that led into the hall, taking deep breaths and looking up at the skies. This was ridiculous. Angels would not come out here; not when they could teleport everywhere.
But then, a miracle happened; two of them did.
Linda was talking to Cas and Gail now, telling them that she wanted to do something for Frank. Dinner was over now, but there was still quite a bit of food left over.
"I'm going to have the caterers pack it up, and I want to give it to Frank," Linda was saying. "You told me how much he liked the ribs. He's got two growing boys at home who are always hungry, little Angela, and Jody too, if she's up to eating. We'll pop the food over to his place, then have cake. He can take some of that home too, if he wants."
"That's so kind of you," Cas told her. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that."
"Appreciate what?" Gabriel said, overhearing the last part of their conversation.
Linda gave him a quick summary of what they'd been discussing, and the Archangel said, "Pack up? Why don't I just go in there and wave my little finger? Boom. Done."
"Because the caterers are humans," Cas said, shaking his head. "That was why we were very discreet when we came here from Heaven. We'll just let them do their jobs, and then after they leave, we can take over." He looked around. "Where IS Frank?"
"I guess he's still outside," Gail commented. "I'll go get him, and tell him what's going on." She looked up at Cas. "Maybe you'd better call Rob or Eric, and find out what's going on there, first. I don't want a bunch of us popping over there scaring Jody, if she's awake."
"That's a good idea," Cas said, taking out his phone.
Gail started to walk to the exit, and Gabriel suddenly said, "Wait. I'll come with you." He glanced at Cas. "Don't worry, I'll walk," the Archangel added sassily. Cas sighed, turning his phone on.
Raguel perked up. A male and a female Angel came out of the building and stood in the shadows, talking to the human man, who went back inside. There was a low buzz in Raguel's head now. Archangel? He moved excitedly towards the couple, but he made sure to be quiet, so that he didn't call attention to himself. He had his blade in his hand.
Gail and Gabriel had started moving towards the exit, but then, the Archangel stopped.
"What?" Gail inquired.
"I have a weird thing going on inside my head," Gabriel told her.
"I've heard that about you," she quipped.
He gave her a perfunctory smile, but then he grimaced. Seeing that, Gail became concerned. "What's the matter?" she asked him.
"I don't know," Gabriel said, dazed. He put a hand to his head, and then he staggered a bit.
"Hey, Gabe! What the hell, man? You can't be drunk, yet. There's still some alcohol left," Paul teased him good-naturedly. He and Linda approached their friends, after Linda had told her new husband what was going on.
"There's something wrong with Gabriel," Gail told them. She looked around for Cas, but he was gone from sight. He'd probably gone somewhere quieter to make his phone call.
"I'm fine," Gabriel protested, but he was frowning, and his hand was still on his forehead.
"Oh, the hell with that," Linda said angrily. She took a quick look around, but the caterers were apparently all in the kitchen. She grabbed Gabriel by the sleeve. "I'm taking you to Bobby, so he can have a look at you."
They promptly disappeared, and Gail and Paul looked at each other, bemused. "Should I be worried that my brand new bride just left me standing here and took off with Heaven's most famous Mac Daddy?" he joked.
Gail laughed. "Never mind. "Why don't you come outside with me to get a breath of fresh air? I'm going to get Frank, so we can take all the food to his house. I presume that's OK with you? I mean, it's your wedding feast too, right?"
Paul grinned. "What the hell are any of US gonna do with it? Of course Frank and his family should have it. I like your brother, Gail, and those are some good kids he's got there. And Jody's all right, too. For a cop, that is."
The two Angels smiled at each other sadly, and then they walked outside.
They'd talked to Frank for a moment, and he went back inside to thank Linda, and to see if he could help with anything.
"I've gotta get back there in a second," Paul told Gail, as they stood there enjoying the evening air. He looked up at the sky. "You can see some stars here. That's rare, in the city."
"Not like the desert in Saqqara, though. Remember?" Gail remarked, giving him a gentle nudge.
Suddenly, she was lifted off her feet with invisible hands, and pinned up against the building. "What the ever-lovin' - " Paul started to say, and then the same thing happened to him. The two Angels were suspended three feet off the ground, held immobile against the building.
A tall, thin man emerged out of the shadows, smiling grimly. "Well, neither of you was my first choice, but you were both on the list," he said, gesturing with his blade. "The question is, which one of you should I choose? Both of you would probably be fatal, unfortunately."
Raguel looked at Gail. Her eyes were wide with terror. She was struggling, trying to pry herself free, but it was no use. Paul was doing the same, but neither of them was any match for an Archangel. Paul had the pedigree, but not the power. And Gail didn't have her blade. Who brought their blade to a wedding? She was wearing a dress. Where would she even put it?
Cas; that was who. Cas would bring his blade to a wedding. He probably had his blade in his jacket, right now. It was like a second skin to him. But when she tried to communicate with him mentally, there was a searing pain in her head.
"Oh, no, my dear," Raguel said coolly. "As much as I would prefer to have your husband, we need to do this quietly and quickly."
"Do what?" she asked him warily.
"Why, take your Grace, of course," he told her, raising the knife. "There is someone who deserves it far more than you do."
"If you need somebody's Grace, take mine," Paul said through gritted teeth. He was still trying as hard as he could to break free. "I don't know who you are, but I'm the son of an Archangel. My Grace is more valuable."
Raguel made a motion with the index finger of his free hand, and Gail and Paul slid down, standing on the ground once more. But they still couldn't budge. The Archangel drew near, peering closely at Paul's face. "I am Raguel, the Archangel," he said haughtily. "I knew your father."
"Oh, so YOU'RE Raguel," Paul said. He was trying to sound cool, but he was worried, now. This was the guy they'd gotten the jawbone to kill, because apparently, nothing else would accomplish that. But they didn't have the jawbone any more, and Paul couldn't move. He'd also tried calling Bobby, Gabriel and Cas for help, but his frequency was jammed, too. Still, maybe if he stalled for long enough, one of them would come out looking for him and Gail. He and Linda were supposed to cut the cake in a few minutes. Oh, God, don't let Linda come out here, he thought fervently.
Paul looked at Raguel, forming his face into a sneer. "My dad told me about you," he scoffed. "He said you weren't actually an Archangel. He said the Father just told you that you could call yourself one, so you would go away and leave Him alone."
Raguel leaned even closer to Paul, and his nostrils flared. "Your so-called Grace isn't even your own," Raguel said scornfully. "It's diluted. You were a Demon not so long ago, weren't you? There's very little of Raphael left in you. That's unfortunate. He was a fierce, proud warrior. You are nothing like him."
He turned to look at Gail. "I believe I will take you, after all."
"Yeah? I don't think so," Chuck said from behind him. He had volunteered to come out and get the two of them, when Linda had remarked that she and Paul were supposed to cut the cake. They were going to take a couple of pictures, and then they were going to package some of that up for Gail's brother, too. Cas was currently talking to Frank, and Linda and Bobby were still looking at Gabriel, with a concerned Liz by his side. The Archangel assured them he was fine. Whatever it had been had lessened now. But because everyone within earshot had been occupied, Chuck had volunteered to go outside and get them.
Raguel turned around to look at the newcomer. He recognized Chuck as a Prophet of the Lord. Interesting. He considered that, for a moment. But the trouble was, Chuck's Grace was tainted, too. He had actually been sent to Hell by the Father Himself, due to his misdeeds. Was there no one here who was pure? What kind of a Heaven was Bobby Singer running, anyway? Well, that was going to change, and very soon. That was why Raguel was here.
Raguel turned his back on Chuck, raising his knife to cut Gail's throat. He would have to be satisfied with her. Chuck panicked. He did the only thing he could think of: he thrust his arms out, and tried to blast Raguel away from Gail. But all that happened was a slight breeze. A puff of air, really. Raguel half-turned to look in Chuck's direction. "You have the temerity to raise your hand against me? ME?" he said incredulously. "When I get the Book of Life, all who have stood against me will fall." Then he started to turn towards Gail again.
Chuck did the only thing that he could do, then. He ran full-speed at Raguel, and tackled him to the ground. The Archangel was so surprised by the action that he lost focus for a moment, enabling Paul and Gail to get free.
"GO!" Paul yelled at Gail, and she ran through the doors of the building to get help, because their frequencies were still blocked.
Paul ran over to where Chuck and Raguel were wrestling to see if he could help. He tried to pull Raguel away from their friend, but the Archangel swatted at Paul as if he was shooing away a fly, and the Angel clutched at his own throat, unable to breathe.
"You don't deserve to be Angels," Raguel snarled. "You were Demon vermin, and so you shall be again." He raised the blade.
"Bobby!" Gail shouted at the top of her lungs, running into the hall. "Cas! Raguel is outside! Come quick!"
Gabriel swore viciously. So, THAT had been it. He should have known. But Raguel must have some kind of cloaking spell on him, because the beacon should have been a lot stronger. That was why he didn't recognize it for what it was.
"Cas, Gabe, come with me," Bobby instructed. "Everybody else, stay here." The three men popped out immediately. Caterers be damned.
Paul was on his knees, clutching at his throat, unable to speak or even to breathe. Chuck was on his back, underneath Raguel. He'd been struggling with him this whole time, but his powers were no match for the Archangel's. Chuck was a scriptwriter, not a warrior.
"Enjoy married life, Paul," Chuck called out to the young black Angel. "Take care of Laurel for me, please. You and Linda. Tell her I'm sorry. This was the Prophecy." Chuck looked up at Raguel, who was holding the blade poised above his throat. "It turns out I am a good guy, after all. Who knew?" Chuck said to Raguel, laughing shortly. After everything he had done in the past, all of the bad stuff, if this was what the Father required of Chuck, so be it. At least he would die protecting his friends.
Raguel cut Chuck's throat and drained his Grace into the vial, capped it, and then hesitated for a moment. He had what he had come here for. Any second now, the others were going to be here, and they would be on the attack. There was no need to risk a confrontation right now. None.
As Cas, Bobby, Gabriel and Gail popped outside, Raguel plunged his blade into Chuck's chest, killing him. Bobby flung out his arms, sending a salvo of blinding white light at the Archangel, and Cas had his blade in his hand, advancing swiftly. But Raguel was already gone.
Paul fell face first on the ground, nearly unconscious now from the lack of oxygen. Now that Raguel was gone, so was the hold he'd had on Paul, but it was going to take the young Angel a few minutes to come all the way back.
Bobby, Cas and Gail all rushed forward to check on Chuck, while Gabriel went to Paul. They all knew what they'd seen, but it was impossible for them to accept.
Bobby knelt down beside Chuck as Cas and Gail hovered anxiously. But Chuck was dead. He'd died a human, since the Grace had been completely drained from his body, so there had been no release of any essence to try desperately to capture.
Gail was in shock. It had all happened so suddenly. She couldn't process it. It was the same with Cas. He stood there looking down at Chuck's body, and at Bobby, who was shaking his head sadly. Chuck couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. He and Laurel had just gotten married two weeks ago. They had just gotten back from a short honeymoon in Niagara Falls, of all places. Cliche as it was, Laurel had always wanted to go there. So they'd gone for a few days, but then they'd come back, fairly quickly. Everyone had assumed it was because the new movie had not yet come out for general release, and Chuck may have been needed for some last-minute changes to the script.
Laurel! Gail looked at Cas, wide-eyed. Bobby rose slowly. "I'll go get Laurel," he said heavily, as if Gail had spoken aloud. As Bobby walked back into the building, Gabriel and Paul approached. Paul looked down at Chuck's body, open-mouthed. "He sacrificed himself, for me," Paul said in a raspy voice. "For ME. It should have been the other way around."
Gail burst into tears. "He saved me, too. You both did. Raguel was going to..." Cas put his arms around her and held her, as her voice broke. If Chuck and Paul hadn't done what they had done, that could be her laying there, dead.
"What was he doing here?" Gabriel asked, dazed. "What did he want?"
"Our Grace," Paul said, clearing his throat.
"What the hell FOR?" Gabriel said incredulously. "He's a freaking Archangel!"
"He said it was for someone else. Someone who was more deserving of it than us. Whatever THAT means," Gail said angrily. She was trembling now, both from fear and outrage. "How could he say that? Chuck was a good man!"
"That's what he said to Raguel, just before..." Paul started to say. Now it was his voice that broke, and he tried again. "He said it was a Prophecy."
"Chuck said that?" Cas asked sharply.
"Yeah, Cas," Paul said softly. "He said to tell Laurel he was sorry. That this was the Prophecy."
Laurel came running out of the building. She pushed past Paul and Gabriel and sank to her knees beside Chuck. "No," she said quietly. She took his hand. "No! This can't be true! We just got married!" She started to cry, pressing Chuck's hand to her lips.
Bobby's jaw was set angrily. "Cas. Gabriel. Get over here," he said, gesturing. Cas let go of Gail. His wife moved over to Paul, embracing him. They both needed the comfort right now.
"I told Linda what was going on, and she said she would tell the others," Bobby told the men. "I told them all to stay inside, for now. I didn't want a flood of people coming out here. Laurel deserves a quiet few moments with him." He let out a shaky breath. "Linda's gonna come out here in a minute, and she'll bring Hester with her, so she can see her brother one last time. I'll need Paul and Gail in my office, to tell me just exactly what the frig just happened here. Cas, you and Linda can come with them, of course, but we've gotta find out exactly what Raguel said, while their memories are still fresh. Gabriel, you'll take Chuck's body to his and Laurel's place if she wants, and then you'll organize the other Angels that are in that hall. Make sure the humans get home safe, and for God's sake, make sure you don't leave poor Laurel alone. Or Hester, either."
"Liz will stay with Laurel," Gabriel said soberly. "Don't worry about that. I'll figure out what to do about Hester, too. Don't worry about anything. I'll come to your office after it's all taken care of. Whatever you need me to do to get that son of a bitch, I'll do. Gladly. If I was our so-called Brother, I would be very worried, right now."
Bobby was frowning. He wasn't so sure about that. If they'd been able to find Raguel before this, they could have at least known where he was. But, they wouldn't have been able to eliminate him as a threat, because they had lost the jawbone. So now, he had been allowed to crawl out of the woodwork, kill Chuck for no good reason, and disappear again, leaving behind a grieving widow and sister, and a bunch of shocked and angry Angels, with no clue as to where the bastard might be.
All they could do was what they could do. "I'll be in my office," Bobby said tersely. "I'll see the four of you in a minute." He vanished.
The first Prophecy had been fulfilled. Chuck had already known what his fate would be when he'd had those visions in the library. So he'd written about it in the teaser trailer for the upcoming movie, along with the other visions he'd had. He had written most of them down and enclosed them in a sealed envelope along with a letter of goodbye to Laurel, asking her to deliver the envelope with the Prophecies to Cas. Not Bobby. Cas.
The Angels were about to receive several shocks from Chuck's missive, but the trouble was that aside from the Prophecy about his own demise, Chuck really hadn't received that many specifics. The End was coming. Without the key, the world would lay in ruins. Chuck's death was just the beginning. There were monsters already in their midst, and there would be more to come. Death. Heartbreak. And in one case, a death that should be allowed to occur, because it would be the more sensible option. The Mark of the Beast. First Cas, and then Gail, having to make decisions that would influence the fate of all humankind.
But first, the clearest of the visions.
"Here you are, dear lady," Raguel said, presenting Patricia with the vial.
"Whose is it?" she asked him curiously.
"I apologize that it is not of higher quality," Raguel replied. "It belonged to the Prophet, Chuck. I had no choice. I had to make my escape. I was vastly outnumbered."
Patricia eyed him, but she said nothing. Outnumbered? He was an Archangel, wasn't he? He should be able to incinerate dozens of Angels, with just a wave of his hand. But Bobby had been there, along with Gabriel, Castiel and Gail, so she supposed that his exit had been prudent. She accepted the vial.
"So, we're agreed: you will go to Heaven and get the red file," Raguel said.
Patricia nodded. There was no need to go through it all again. Raguel was reluctant to go to Heaven, for fear of being captured. What a coward. But it would be pointless for him to go, anyway. Only someone who had once held the High Office would be able to gain access to the red files. Raguel had never been God, of course, but Patricia had. And she was afraid of nothing, and no one. She was happy to help obtain the information about the Book of Life. The present status quo could easily be erased with that Book. Many things could be altered. Patricia was out of the mental institution now, but that Book could truly set her free.
She inhaled Chuck's Grace.
