A/N: Sorry it has been so long between updates. It has been a very crazy couple of weeks. We are almost at the end of this installment. But there may be more ahead :)
Disclaimer: We do not own Supernatural, NCIS, any of the characters or any other recognizable persons/places. We just borrow them for the sake of entertainment.
Dean looked at Gabriel for a moment before speaking. "Well actually, isn't it just pagan gods in general that seem to enjoy human sacrifice?"
"But when did you ever deal with Norse gods who wanted human sacrifices?" Gabriel pressed.
"Why is that important?" Annie asked, her brow furrowing, trying to recall something Gabriel had once told her, but she couldn't quite grasp at the moment.
"Because there has always been something about the murders that have been familiar to me, and I didn't hide out as just any pagan god, but a Norse god," Gabriel responded. "And there was something about the whole thing with the tree…"
"Burkittsville!" Dean jumped in. "The town was leaving couples tied to a sacred tree as sacrifices for the Vanir, they were Norse gods."
"Yeah," Sam added. "You were almost a sacrifice yourself if I hadn't come along and set you free and helped you burn the tree."
"Vanir?" Gabriel snorted. "You chuckleheads defeated the Vanir?"
While the guys were talking, Annie excused herself to check on Abigail and Nicky, carrying Isaac with her.
"I wouldn't say defeated," Dean reluctantly admitted. "More like escaped by the skin of our teeth, after making sure that no one could sacrifice to them anymore."
"And I am sure pissing them off in the process," Gabriel sighed. "Do you guys even realize who the Vanir are?"
"I can't say I ever gave it much thought beyond the fugly scarecrow," Dean smirked.
"Isn't the Vanir made up of Njörðr, Freyr, and Freyja?" Sam answered, shaking his head at Dean. "As a group, they are supposed to be the gods who are linked with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future, right?"
"Well, gee, why I am surprised that Geek boy knows his pagan gods?" Gabriel chortled. "Freyr and Freyja are Njörðr's kids. They make my kids look, well, positively angelic." Gabriel paused and considered all of his kids for a moment, even the ones he hadn't seen in years, the ones born centuries ago when he had spent time with the whole Norse gang. That statement included them, too. He was glad he had told Annie about that a long time ago. He sure hoped her Swiss cheese memory still recalled that right about now. "Freyja and I tangled more than once back in the day. She is a malicious witch, that one. And she is always complaining how her husband Óðr, goes off and leaves her alone…Crap! Why didn't I think of that before?"
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Annie found Abigail and Nicky trying to talk the members of the band, who were on a break, into letting them play with them during the next set. Annie could tell by the look in her daughter's eye that she was planning on using her powers to give herself and Nicky the ability to actually play instruments so they would be really join them and not just singing along.
"Young lady," Annie chided. "You and Nicky need to leave these young men alone. Why don't you go join your father and your Uncle Sam and Uncle Dean at the table? I'll be back there in a minute, and I expect to see the two of you there, not causing any trouble."
Abigail looked up at her mother and sighed. "Fine," she huffed. She grabbed Nicky's hand and the two of them ran toward the opposite end of the reception hall. As Annie turned around to walk out into the front hall to go change Isaac, she bumped straight into arms of Chad Dunham.
"Well, it looks like you've got your hands full," he commented. "But if this is the only way I can manage to dance with you, I'll take it."
Annie grinned sheepishly. "Look, I appreciate the offer. But I really do have my hands full, since this little guy needs to be changed. Besides, my…husband is getting a little frustrated at your continued efforts to ask me to dance."
"You mean the guy with goofy grin that has the matching set to this little guy?" When Annie nodded, Chad continued. "Well he hasn't been dancing with you tonight. And I am only asking for once dance, I'm not asking you to leave the guy."
"Trust me," Annie said, adjusting Isaac in her arms. "Gabriel is not someone whose bad side you want to be on."
Chad turned to look at the table that was full of people talking as Annie walked away. When he turned to look back toward Annie, he saw her being dragged out of the hall by a strange blonde woman.
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"What, another one of your ex-girlfriends coming back to bite you in the ass?" Dean teased the Archangel.
"Freyja was never one of my girlfriends, though not for her lack of trying," Gabriel shot back. "She just wasn't my type. But we did fight all of the time."
"There's a surprise," Sam offered sarcastically, as he handed Kenzie to Nicole. "Who didn't you fight with?"
Gabriel ignored his comment and continued. "Freyja was also left alone by her husband, like the women who were killed. She has a common link with the victims of the sacrifice. She would appreciate their pain more."
As Sam and Dean pondered this information, Chad Dunham approached the table. "Excuse me," he interrupted.
"We are kind of in the middle of something important here," Gabriel snapped, not wanting to deal with the man who had been chasing down Annie all night.
"But your wife…" Dunham continued.
"Can't you see Annie's not here," Gabriel growled.
"Look, you idiot," Dunham yelled, "That is why I came over here. I just saw her and your other son being dragged out of the building by some weird blonde chick and I thought you would want to know."
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"Who the hell are you?" Annie sputtered as she stumbled outside into the cold.
"Exactly," the woman smiled with a small laugh, and then she put her thumb and ring finger in her mouth and whistled. "We don't have much time. I need to get you out of here before she comes here looking for you."
"I am not going anywhere until you tell me who you are and what's going on!" Annie demanded.
"You go it right the first time. My name is Hel. And I believe your people would refer to me as your step-daughter."
Just then, one of the strangest creatures with eight legs Annie ever saw came galloping up to the two women. "Horsey!" Isaac exclaimed, clapping his hands.
This elicited another small chuckle from Hel. "Yes, little one. This is one of your brothers. His name is Sleipnir, and he will take you and your mother to my home, where you will be safe from Freyja, while Dad and I deal with her once and for all."
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"Someone kidnapped Annie and Isaac?" Dean exclaimed.
"That would be me, but I wouldn't call it kidnapping," the woman said as she approached the stunned group. "After all, they are my family too, even if I haven't had the pleasure of meeting them before today."
"Oh, Hel," Gabriel muttered. "What are you doing here and what have you done with Annie?"
"Nice to see you, too Dad," Hel responded. "It's been a few years, hasn't it? You popped in to see us all a few years ago, to tell us about Annie and Abigail, but really, it has been what? Two, three hundred years since we spent any quality time together? And I had to hear through the grapevine about the twins. I sent Annie and Isaac to my home on the back of Sleipnir. I had heard rumors in the underworld that Freyja is coming after her. Annie should be safe there, while we deal with Freyja."
Sam's eyes went wide with shock, looking back and forth between Hel and Gabriel, trying to take it all in. "Hel? And Sleipnir is real, too? And he's your kid? And what about Fenrir? Can I meet them both...Does Annie, I mean did Annie know about this before now?"
"Yes, Gigantor, I told Annie a long time ago about all the kids I had from when I was Loki," Gabriel sighed, as he adjusted Levi on his shoulder. "But that's not the issues right now. Freyja is after Annie. What about the other kids? They need to be somewhere safe, too."
"Sleipnir should have her at my place soon, Dad," Hel reassured Gabriel. "Once she is there, he and Fen will watch over her and the kid. If you want, you can send the other little ones there, too. But you should do so quickly, because if we don't go after Freyja soon, she will come here. And I don't think you want that to happen."
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Annie had seen plenty of unusual things in the time that she had known Gabriel, but this had to rank right up there with being at the Jordan River, nearly crossing into Heaven. The gates to the towering mansion seemed impregnable, if they hadn't opened for the majestic eight-legged horse she had been riding. While the horse itself didn't speak directly to her, she could sense its thoughts. Apparently the gates opened to them only because they were recognized as family. All of them. The woman back at the reception hall had said as much, and Annie had some vague recollection in the back of her mind of something Gabriel had once told her. But she couldn't put all together yet. A horse who was family?
The horse, who was called Sleipnir, indicated through his thoughts that Annie and Isaac should go into the mansion. As she walked into the home, she saw it was just as huge on the inside. The main entrance opened up into a great room which seemed to be almost three stories in height and half the length of a football field. Despite having two large fire places on either end of the room with blazing fires going, the room had a chill to it because of the size. Annie was greeted by a wolf, who was almost a large as the horse. The wolf however, could speak.
"Welcome to my sister's home," the wolf growled. "I am Fenrir, but you can call me Fen."
Annie was stunned into momentary silence by shock and fear, but Isaac squirmed in her arms, then disappeared out of her arms and onto Fen's back, squealing "Doggie!"
Fen growled more loudly, firmly saying, "I am a wolf, not a dog!"
Annie, stirred from her stupor, grabbed Isaac and angrily responded, "And he is a little boy who is too young to understand the difference and happens to be your brother!"
She still hadn't put all of her memories in sync yet, but all she could do at the moment was go with the flow. She didn't think Fen would harm her, but she still needed to keep her wits about her.
Fen let out a throaty chuckle. "Dad always did like the feisty ones. Glad to see some things haven't changed. Looks like we are about to have some other visitors as well."
Annie looked up as he said this, and Sam and Nicole, each with a child in their arms, along with Abigail and Nicky suddenly appeared in the room. Kenzie and Levi looked at Fenrir and both shrieked "Doggie" at the same time. Fen began to growl again, but Sam spoke up and said "That isn't a dog, that is a wolf. Fenrir, right?"
Fen acknowledged Sam with a nod of his head and Sam introduced himself and the others that had appeared along side of him. Over the course of the introductions, Nicole had struggled more and more against her daughter who was desperately trying to reach Fen. Kenzie seemed completely enraptured by him and was starting to resort to all sorts of means to get to him, including biting her mother's hand.
"OW! Kenzie!" Nicole's exclamation startled everyone. The two year old finally got what she wanted as she succeeded in squirming away from her mother and rushing to stand directly in front of Fen, almost nose to nose as she stared at the large wolf.
"What is the child doing?" Fen asked.
"Big." Kenzie proclaimed. Before anyone could stop her, she had lifted her hand to stroke the fur on Fen's neck. What surprised everyone more than Kenzie's boldness was the fact that Fen had closed his eyes and tilted his head, appearing as if he enjoyed the sudden attention and the two year old had hit a pleasurable spot.
"Oh God." Nicole didn't know if she should panic or not.
"Fluffy!" Kenzie cooed, tilting her fingers slightly to scratch. Everyone was surprised when Fen's back leg kicked slightly.
"Whether you're a god or a wolf or just a plain old man...a girl hits the right spot on you and you're putty in her hands." Nicole muttered to those around her, watching Kenzie shower affection on Fen.
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Not wanting to burden Annie with all of the kids, Gabriel had sent Sam and Nicole along with Levi, Abigail, Kenzie and Nicky to Hel's home, which was situated at the gates of the Norse underworld. Sam was an easy choice since he was so eager to meet his other kids. And it was one less Winchester for Gabriel to deal with.
"Dude, you realize Tony and Lila are going to kill you when they find out you sent Nicky to Hel, don't you?" Dean gloated. Gabriel rolled his eyes. Of course, there was no way he was planning on telling DiNozzo where Nicky went tonight. And right about now Gabriel was wishing he had sent both Winchesters to his eldest daughter's house.
Turning to her, he asked, "Do you know how to find Freyja?"
"She is not far from here. She has been using an abandoned farmhouse as her home. Of course, she has upgraded it to meet her standard of living."
"Hmm, so she's taken out a subscription to Better Homes & Sacrifices," Dean quipped. "Well, let's get going. We need to take the bitch out. Any ideas on how we do that?"
"Yes, actually, I do," Gabriel said. "But I think there is safety in numbers and I would like to take Cas along with us."
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Freyja was preparing to leave her temporary home for one of the last times. She would leave this pitiful place for good as soon she destroyed Loki's wife and crushed the sorry excuse for a god for a final time. He would never insult or humiliate her again. She had been collecting her own sacrifices since her brother and father had left years ago after that fiasco in Indiana, but somehow her human had been found out and she was sure Loki factored into that. Things had gone down hill ever since his cow had escaped her grasp a few months ago. But not this time. Freyja was going to snatch the wench right under Loki's nose and there would be nothing he could do about it except watch her suffer and die.
As she picked up her knife she thought she heard a noise, like a fluttering of wings behind her. She turned around and realized she was no longer alone.
"Freyja." Gabriel announced their arrival with a bitter tone. Behind him stood Castiel, Hel, Dean and Ziva. The two humans were still dressed for the wedding but Ziva had insisted on coming. Seeing as how she had been talking with Castiel when Gabriel and Dean went to find him, there was no way around it. Of course no one had bothered to spend the time to argue with the NCIS agent. They had just told her if she died, it was her own fault, and left.
"What's this, a little party?" Freyja asked. "Well I'm just touched. Oh, you brought Angel backing too, how sweet. All this effort for little old me."
"This is going to end tonight Freyja." Gabriel cut in, his eyes narrowing. "You are going to stop sacrificing humans and you will leave my family alone."
"You're right about one thing, Loki." Freyja agreed, twisting her knife in her hand. "This will end tonight. I was going to start by making you watch your cow die, but I guess I will have to start with you instead." She flung up her free hand, sending everyone but Gabriel flying backwards. Castiel went crashing through a window, Hel collided with a stack of crates that fell down on her, Dean narrowly avoided hitting a rusty old table and Ziva slammed into a wall.
Gabriel pulled his Angel blade from inside his coat and jumped at Freyja with a low growl, who met him half way. They collided, knife and blade slashing in the air at each other.
"Same old tricks, eh Loki?" Freyja taunted. Gabriel's free hand shot up to grab at her knife bearing hand. His fingers closed around her wrist and he twisted her arm, pulling her forward. His elbow shot up to hit her in the head before he released her arm and kicked her back.
"That's something new." Gabriel taunted back. Freyja growled in anger and leapt at him again, slashing vigorously. She spun around, her foot lifting off the floor and connected with his hand that held the Angel blade. His fingers released and the blade flew across the room, sliding to a stop near Dean. Freyja smiled in triumphant and lifted her knife to plunge it downward only to get stopped as Gabriel grabbed her wrist with both hands.
"Oh give it up." Freyja lifted her free hand to try and aid her trapped one. They struggled back and forward. Frustration overcame Freyja and she brought her knee up to connect solidly with Gabriel's stomach. He released her arm and doubled over. Her foot came up again to catch him under the chin and send him flying to the ground, crashing down on his back.
Freya's footsteps taunted him as she stepped slowly towards the fallen Archangel. They were the only sound in the whole farmhouse. Gabriel looked around but couldn't find his blade anywhere.
He also couldn't find Dean.
"Did you honestly think you'd win?" Freyja goaded, standing over Gabriel as he lay on the ground. "You...with your human backing and a daughter you haven't seen in hundreds of years." Freyja spun a knife in her hand, a smile crossing over her face. "Loki, we had our fun, we had our laughs, but you...my dear old friend...are just utterly useless." She lifted the knife, ready to swing it down towards the Archangel at her feet.
A gun shot rang out and Freyja paused, looking down at the bullet sized hole in her shirt then turning her head to look at Ziva who was sitting against the wall she had been thrown against, her gun in her hand.
"Honestly? You thought that would work?" Freyja asked. "You humans and your guns."
"I wasn't trying to kill you." Ziva pointed out, smiling. "Just distract you from him." She nodded her head and Freyja turned in time to see Dean right behind her. There was no time to react as Dean rammed Gabriel's previously tossed Angelic sword up through Freya's throat. Her mouth fell open in surprise and a line of blood trickled from the corner.
"That's for tying me to a tree and torturing my friend, you bitch." Dean ground out between clenched teeth as he twisted the blade, getting a strangled sound out of Freyja as her head tilted back. Her eyes clouded over as they gazed up at the roof of the farmhouse and her body went limp, the knife falling from her hand as the Angel blade slid from her throat to let her fall lifelessly to the ground.
