Book 16 - Epic Movie

by GailDunn2

WARNING: SOME ADULT CONTENT AND SITUATIONS. The quest to obtain the Tablets of the Realms begins in Egypt. The team is tested immediately as Castiel must decide how far he is willing to go in order to stop Lucifer.

3. Midnight At The Oasis

Chapter 3 - Midnight At The Oasis

Gail went down to the lobby of their hotel and sat on one of the couches there, waiting for Frank and Jody. They had told her they'd meet her in fifteen minutes, but the fifteen minutes had become more than half an hour now, and they still weren't here.

She sighed, trying to be patient. She was pretty sure she knew what was going on here. They had "honeymooned" in Disneyland with a young child, and for all of their big "non-romantic" talk, she could just bet she knew what they were doing in their child-free hotel room right now, while she sat in the heat of the midday sun, waiting so she could get an escort to the dig site.

It was hot as hell here, and even though her clothing was loose, it covered every inch of her skin, and she also had the lower half of her face covered, as she had been instructed. But the ceiling fans in the lobby were extremely weak, her clothes were already soaked with sweat, and she felt as if she was suffocating with the heat. If they weren't down here in five more minutes, she was going to march up to their room and pound on the door. And if she was interrupting what she thought she might be interrupting, that was just too bad.

And to top it all off, the man at the front desk had been regarding her curiously ever since she had come downstairs to wait for them. She was dressed properly, and she wasn't doing anything, only sitting here. Surely she was allowed to just sit here quietly, wasn't she?

Finally, Frank and Jody emerged from the elevator. "Let's go," Frank said, gesturing to her. Gail glared at him. But they had been advised when they got here that that was the way older male relatives mainly talked to their single female siblings here, and Frank said he was only playing a part, too. The fact that he was enjoying it a little too much had not been totally unexpected, but it would have to be filed, and dealt with at a later date. They were stuck here right now, and she could see that Tommy hadn't been kidding. Women were definitely second-class citizens here, and as everyone knew, it was a man's, man's, man's world. They'd only been here for half a day, and that fact was already readily apparent to her.

Gail glanced at the man who'd been staring at her. He seemed mollified, now that Frank had come. Was she just being paranoid? It was hard to tell. But she noticed that Tommy had booked her, and Frank and Jody into the hotel that was furthest from the dig site. It was nowhere near Sam and Dean's hotel, which was also where Bobby and the Musketeers were staying. And, Lord only knew where Cas's palace was. They had deliberately not told her, and he wouldn't even be arriving until this evening. Maybe she could see the coverage on TV, or something. But Frank had agreed to take her to the Valley of Kings this afternoon just so they could get the lay of the land, and to give them something to do in the meantime. Hopefully, she'd see the guys there, and have a chance to talk to them for a minute. They had just gotten here, but already she felt isolated, out of the loop. She knew that nothing could actually be accomplished until they were able to get into the newly discovered chambers, and they wouldn't be able to do that until Cas arrived. Ostensibly, when he got to the dig site, the officials would open the chambers in his presence, under the assumption that his ancestors' remains were interred there. Then he would ask Sam, Dean and Gail to accompany him into the chambers, purportedly to report on what was found there for the North American media. At least, that was the plan, anyway. But Gail had been getting restless already, and she thought they should check out the site in advance, just to see what it looked like.

They walked outside, and Frank hailed a cab. Jody and Gail got in the back, and Frank sat in the front beside the driver. "Do you have A/C?" Frank asked the man.

The cabbie looked at him and smiled. "A/C. Air conditioning, yes?" he said, and when Frank nodded, the driver turned it on. Gail sat back, breathing a sigh of relief. Good one, Frank.

Then they were at the dig site, and it was just as amazing as the pictures that Tommy had shown them. Gail forgot the heat for a moment as she looked all around, awestruck.

"Wow," she said softly.

"I agree," Sam said from behind her.

Gail wheeled around to see him and Dean standing there. She almost ran to them to give them big hugs, then thought better of it, restraining herself.

"It's weird seeing you with your face covered up like that," Dean said to her.

"It's weird seeing you without any flannel on," she retorted.

"Touche," Sam said, grinning.

"Have you seen the tomb?" Gail asked them.

"We were just about to go there now," Sam told her. "Why don't you come with?"

Gail, Frank and Jody accompanied Sam and Dean into the main tomb area, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to get out of the heat of the sun for a minute. They all milled around with the other tourists, and then they approached two guards with what looked like submachine guns, who were standing in front of a blank wall at the end of the main chamber. This must be the way to one of the new chambers.

The guards tensed as their group approached. "Yes?" one of the men said. "What do you want?"

"We're reporters from the Vancouver Herald," Gail said, showing them her press credentials. Sam and Dean and Frank followed suit. "We're here to do a story on the newly discovered chambers of the tomb."

The guards eyed her coolly. "Which of these men is your husband?" the second guard asked her.

Gail used all the self-control she possessed not to roll her eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?" she said irritably. "I'm a reporter."

"She's a reporter," the second guard repeated sarcastically to the other guard.

"Yeah, she is, and I'm her brother," Frank said angrily. "She's a single woman, but you guys seem to think that means she's a non-person, here. So I came to escort her around, so everybody would be happy. But she's here to do a job, not to be condescended to." Now he was really mad. It was one thing for him to tease his sister about it, or to have a little fun at her expense. But these guys were just being douchebags.

"Perhaps it is you who is the woman," one of the guards quipped.

"Do you wanna put that gun down and go outside with me? Then we'll see which one of us is the woman," Frank shot back.

Gail couldn't believe it. They's only been here a couple of minutes, and Frank was pissing off guys with automatic weapons. But she didn't want to berate him in front of them, because that would probably make things even worse. "I need some air," Gail told Jody quietly, and they walked outside.

"I know, I know," Jody said when they stepped out of the tomb. "I'll talk to him."

"Please do," Gail said to her. "I appreciate him trying to stick up for me, but Cas isn't even here yet, and Frank's already pissing off the guys he's supposed to sweet-talk into letting us reporters in with him, when the chambers are opened."

Frank, Sam and Dean came out of the tomb. "Sorry, Gail," Frank said quietly. "I just lost it. My big brother instincts kicked in, I guess. I was really hoping that Tommy was exaggerating about the way things were here."

"Yeah, it's a good thing Cas wasn't here to hear them talk to you like that," Dean piped up. "They'd both be piles of dust right now."

Gail smiled faintly. "I'm not so sure about that, Dean. Remember, he's coming here as one of them. The next time I see him, he might be talking to me like that, too."

They were all silent for a moment. "Let's just go back to the hotel, Frank," Jody said. "There's nothing we can do until tomorrow, anyway."

Cas's plane landed that evening, and he was very glad to be back on the ground. Plane travel would never be his favourite thing, and it had been a long, lonely flight. He had spent the time brushing up on his Arabic, researching the customs of the region, and settling into his character. By the time his plane descended, he had become the Sheikh.

He sat in his seat, waiting for the flight attendant to open the door. "Sheikh," the man said, bowing respectfully.

Cas got up from his seat then, leaving his Western clothes behind, on the floor. Servants would pick them up later. He now had the proper Egyptian garb on.

He emerged from the plane and stood on the top step. There was a man standing just below the stairs, looking up at him.

"Sheikh?" the man said, bowing as Cas descended the steps.

"You may rise," Cas said.

The man rose and said, "I am your manservant, Ibrahim. Welcome home, Sir."

Cas considered thanking him, but he thought it might be inappropriate for his character to do so, so he merely nodded. "It has been a long flight," he told the man. "We will go to the palace now and visit the dig site in the morning."

"Very good, Sir," Ibrahim said. "Your car is waiting for you."

Cas followed him down the tarmac, and along the way, Tommy's reporter friends approached the men. The TV cameras were on him.

"How does it feel to be home?" one man asked Cas.

"Do you think one of the newly discovered chambers might contain Queen Nefertiti's remains?" the other reporter asked.

Cas had thought about this moment. He knew that Tommy had arranged for these men to be here to help legitimize his fake identity in the court of public opinion, but they had never actually discussed how he should answer the questions. He decided to answer off-the-cuff, as he thought his character might.

"I have been away for too long," Cas told them. "But now that there is a very real chance that my ancestors might be in those chambers, I had to come here, to find out."

"You are the last surviving member of the royal family, though, aren't you?" one of the reporters asked him.

Cas smiled arrogantly. "I have been provided with fourteen wives," he told the man. "That status will soon change."

Ibrahim opened the back door of the limousine, and Cas got in. Ibrahim started to enter the car after him, and Cas looked imperiously at him. "What are you doing?"

Ibrahim hesitated, then backed out. "I beg your pardon, Sheikh," he said, bowing again. Then he closed the door and got in the front of the car, sitting beside the chauffeur.

Cas displayed no change in his facial expression, but he relaxed a bit inwardly once the car pulled out of the airport. So far, so good. But there had been TV cameras on him as the reporters had been asking their questions, and he really hoped that Gail had not been watching.

But she had been, of course. She'd been excited to see him get off the plane, and Gail smiled when she saw him in the traditional robes. It had only been a day, but he had grown almost a full beard, already. Plus, he looked darker-skinned. How the heck had he done that?

She had pretty much expected him to act the way he had acted. They'd gone over it at home; if he hoped to pass himself off as a member of the royal family, he had to speak in an arrogant, entitled tone. That was just the way that things were done. And she reminded herself of that fact again, when she'd heard him say what he had said about his supposed plans to impregnate his wives with royal heirs.

She clicked off the TV and threw the remote on the bed. This was exactly what she'd been prepared for, but it still hadn't been pleasant to watch. Still, at least he was here now, and now the mission could begin. Soonest begun, soonest done.

They arrived at the palace, and Ibrahim opened the back door of the limousine for Cas to emerge.

"I hope this is suitable, Sheikh," he said, bowing and gesturing towards the palace.

Cas looked around. It was magnificent. A huge, open-air structure with many rooms, by the looks of it.

"It will do," Cas said evenly. "Now, take me to my room. I wish to rest."

"Certainly, Sir," Ibrahim said. "Follow me."

Once they got there, Ibrahim said, "Go ahead, Sheikh. I will return in a moment, to assist you. Are you in need of any refreshments?"

Cas thought about that. It would probably seem strange if he didn't ask for something. He was supposed to be a human.

"Tea," he said. "And maybe some biscuits."

"Right away, Sheikh," Ibrahim said. He retreated into the hallway, closing the door behind him. Once he was far enough away from the room, he took the cell phone out of his pocket. "He's in place," he said into the phone.

"Good. Proceed," said the man at the other end.

Ibrahim went into the seraglio. He opened the door, hoping to get a glimpse of some skin, but of course, the women were all fully dressed. "The Sheikh is here," he told them. "He requires tea and biscuits, and he is tired after his long journey. He has suggested that he will be wanting an heir as soon as possible. So it would probably be a good idea for all of you to get your sweet little asses over there and take care of him. The first one to have his son, wins."

The women exchanged glances. It was a little strange for the manservant to be speaking this way. He had talked to them before, preparing them for their husband's arrival, and even though his manner had been condescending, he had never been so overtly rude before. But perhaps he was under some pressure too, and if the Sheikh had been rude to him, maybe he was just taking it out on them. They rose and followed Ibrahim to the kitchen.

He pointed to four of the women. "Prepare the tea and snacks," he instructed them. "The rest of you, come with me."

Ibrahim led them to Cas's bedroom. "Go in there, and make him comfortable," he told the women. "I'll be back in a moment."

Cas was sitting in a chair with his feet up on an ottoman, and his eyes were closed. He had been enjoying a moment of serenity, and quiet reflection. When he heard the door open, he said, "Put the refreshments on the table."

The women exchanged glances. The Sheikh was much younger, and a lot more handsome, than they had expected him to be. This might not be so bad, after all.

One woman moved forward and untied his shoes, easing them off his feet. He smiled in relief. That did feel better. He'd meant to do that himself; he'd just wanted a moment. "I have a headache," he blurted out. One of the women moved behind him immediately, and she began to massage his temples.

Cas smiled again. These manservants really knew what they were doing. He wasn't exactly comfortable with being waited on in this manner, but he had to admit, Ibrahim was helping him to relax.

Then he felt his cloth belt being undone. Cas had been advised that the manservants here were trained to undress their bosses in preparation for bed, and they would only stop when advised to do so. And he would tell Ibrahim to stop, in just a moment. But his headache was receding now, and Cas decided to give it another minute.

Suddenly, Cas's eyes snapped open. How could Ibrahim be massaging his temples and undoing his robes at the same time?

Oh, God. There were women all around him. As soon as his eyes had opened, they bowed down to him, and then they began to minister to him. Soft fingers were touching his skin, and loosening his clothes, and the one who had been massaging his temples said, "I am an expert masseuse, Sheikh. If you would care to lay down, I can relieve any tensions you may have."

Oh, no, she couldn't. Cas leaped up from the chair and strode over to the door of his room. He flung it open, only to discover more women, bearing trays of tea and snacks. He retreated, and they entered the room. Ibrahim trailed behind them.

"What's going on?" Cas asked him sharply.

"What do you mean, Sheikh?" Ibrahim asked him, puzzled. "Your wives are here to see to your needs."

"I did not ask you to send them here!" Cas barked.

"I know, Sir, but it is my job to anticipate your needs, and it is their job to fulfill them," Ibrahim said blithely. The Demon inside him was fighting to keep a straight face now. "If any one of these women are unsuitable to you for any reason, we can just have her replaced. This one seems a little chunky," he said, squeezing one girl's thigh. "And this one might be a bit ugly," he said, pointing to another. "Though with that veil on, it's not like you'd really notice."

Cas looked at him incredulously. "Are you always this insolent?" he asked the manservant. "Perhaps it is you who needs to be replaced. I could ring for security right now, and have you taken away and beheaded for speaking to me like that."

Ibrahim snapped his fingers, and the women in the room all froze in place. "My goodness, Castiel, when you commit to a part, you really commit," he said. He strode to the door and opened it. Cas saw him open his mouth and belch out the red smoke, and an instant later, Crowley walked back in.

"If you could have seen the look on your face," Crowley smirked. "Running to escape all these lovely young women, only to find even more lovely young women at your door. What a terrifying situation you find yourself in."

"Why are you here, Crowley?" Cas said angrily.

"I have so few opportunities to have a truly good time these days," Crowley said, shrugging. "I had one of my minions inhabit your manservant, and then when he informed me you were here, like this, I just couldn't resist." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and showed Cas the picture he'd taken. "Look at that. Not here 10 minutes, and you're already halfway to having Gail take that ring off and fling it right back in your face."

Cas paled, but he was also shaking with anger. He reached under his robes and withdrew the ceremonial sword he had hidden there from its scabbard. "That beheading I spoke about earlier could happen right now," he told Crowley.

"Relax, Sheikh, I was only having a laugh," Crowley said airily. He touched the screen on his cell phone. "See? All gone. I'll tell you what, Castiel. I'll do you a favour, even. I'll take your place with these ladies. I'm willing to make this sacrifice for you because you're my brother. Just tell them that I'm your long-lost cousin, in town from merry old England, and you want them to show me some good old-fashioned family hospitality. Then you can wink away and see your fiancee for a few minutes, and everybody's happy."

Cas regarded him coolly. "All right," he said, surprising Crowley. "All right?" the King echoed. Cas nodded. "Yes. All right."

Crowley snapped his fingers again, and the women were reanimated. Castiel instructed them to show his cousin some hospitality, and the women of the harem nodded agreeably. Crowley couldn't believe his good fortune.

Cas moved to the door, and then he stopped suddenly and turned back around. "Oh, but there is one thing," he said to the women. "You are my wives, and as such, I will require each and every one of you to stay faithful to me. So if he tries to remove any of your clothing, or asks any of you to remove any of his, you will immediately ring this bell." He indicated a golden bell that was sitting in a niche by the door. Presumably, it was there for him to summon servants to his room. "Then, both my cousin and whichever of you sinned with him will be put to death immediately." He smiled at Crowley. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Enjoy your tea, and companionship. And that is ALL you will be enjoying in my home."

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "Fair enough, Sheikh," he acknowledged. He hadn't really expected Castiel to be his pimp, and he had never actually intended to show the photograph to Gail. Still, now Castiel could steal away to see her for a while, and Crowley could enjoy the attentions of fourteen sweet young women for that same period of time. He'd chalk that up as a win.

Gail was sitting outside on the terrace of her hotel room, enjoying the night air. She had to admit that they had been right; once the sun had set, the temperature got cooler. It was very pleasant out here. In fact, she might go inside in a moment and see if she could find a wrap to put on.

Suddenly, Cas appeared on the terrace. She gasped, and he put a finger to his lips. Gail understood. All the rooms in the hotel were open-air, and she'd better not be heard talking to a man in her room at night.

She went to him, and he kissed her on the mouth. He waved his hand and conjured a single rose, which he handed to her.

"I love you," he mouthed, and she did the same. Then he kissed her again, and then he was gone.

She sat there clutching her rose for a while, and then, when the mosquitoes came, Gail retreated inside, and turned off all the lights. She zipped the netting closed around the bed and laid down with her rose, smiling.

Cas returned to the palace and walked around the grounds for a few minutes, then he returned to his room.

"All right, that's enough," Cas said sharply, but to his surprise, the scene he found was quite civilized. Crowley was merely drinking tea and conversing politely with the women, all of whom were keeping a respectful distance from him.

"Your wives are delightful, Sheikh," Crowley said, smiling. He bowed to the women. "Thank you for your fine hospitality, ladies."

"Leave us," Cas instructed them, and they all filed quietly out of the room.

"I was a perfect gentleman, Castiel," Crowley assured him. "They really are very sweet, cultured young ladies. Of course, we'd better not tell Gail that. She'll just come running in here, wanting to emancipate them all. How is she, by the way? Why was your visit so short?"

Cas sighed. "We can't even speak to each other. If anyone even hears a man's voice in her room at night, she could be in great peril."

Crowley smirked. Yes, Castiel would need to TALK to her, wouldn't he? Then, it was probably just as well. If he was sincere about his desire to keep celibate before the wedding, it was probably best not to seek out temptation.

"I'll restore your manservant, and I'll modify his memory," Crowley told his Brother. "Good luck at the dig site tomorrow." Then he snapped himself out of the room.

Cas showered and dressed in the morning, and he was coming down the stairs just as Ibrahim was coming up.

"Sheikh?" Ibrahim asked him nervously. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, it's fine," Cas replied. "Why?"

"When I did not hear the bell, I thought you might require more rest," the manservant said. "But the hour is getting later, and I was sure you would be anxious to get to the dig site."

"I am," Cas said. "That's why I'm dressed and ready to go."

"You dressed yourself?" Ibrahim said, surprised.

Cas cursed himself. Was he not supposed to have done that? But, this was getting ridiculous. "Yes," he said sharply. "We may not agree with much of Western culture and philosophy, but one thing I learned in the United States was self-sufficiency. I am not a baby, I am a man. I can bathe myself, and I can dress myself. Now, bring the car around."

Ibrahim bowed, and retreated down the stairs. Truthfully, he was impressed by what the Sheikh had said. He knew his role as a servant to a Royal, but Ibrahim had always found it a little bit absurd that grown men seemed to feel the need to be bathed and dressed by their valets, as if they were helpless little children. He himself had always thought that it was undignified to behave in that manner, but he would never dare to say so, of course. But this Sheikh seemed like he had a pretty good handle on these things. Ibrahim hoped that he would stay in Egypt for a while, at least long enough to father some sons. It would be a shame if the royal bloodline were to end with this man. Hopefully, they would discover some royal remains in the chambers that were waiting to be opened. Ibrahim was sure that would be enough to keep the Sheikh from going back to America.

Cas was sitting in the back of the limousine looking out at the desert scenery rushing by when he got the call from Bobby on Angel Radio.

"Saw you on the news last night," Bobby told him.

"Really? How did I come across?" Cas asked him, curious.

"Like a dick," Bobby said bluntly. "Like an entitled rich guy."

Cas frowned. "Well, then, I guess I did a good job."

"You did," Bobby confirmed. "I thought I'd catch you, before you get busy creating all those little royal heirs. Can you come to the Museum of Egyptology? I've made the acquaintance of the head librarian here, and they have information on those bricks you were talking about, the ones with the phrases from the Book of the Dead. I thought maybe you'd wanna see that stuff before you go to the dig site."

Cas was impressed. That was quite astute of Bobby. He leaned over and picked up the car phone. It rang through to the driver. Cas told him to go to the Museum, instead.

"I'll be here for a few more minutes, but I don't think there's anything further that I can do," Bobby told Cas. "I'll see you around."

Cas thanked him, and he sat back as he felt the car turn around. He had been wanting to examine the language on the bricks; maybe his persona as the Sheikh would allow him to gain access to the bricks themselves.

Bobby was pleased with himself. He'd been wondering what his own role could be in this whole operation. Maybe he shouldn't have just pushed his way in on this caper, but he'd been starting to feel a little irrelevant. He had had a fit of pique and resigned as God, but no one knew it except for Cas and Gail. Therefore, everyone else still looked to him for leadership and to make the decisions, so Bobby had figured it was about time for him to step up and do something for a change.

He closed the book he'd been perusing and looked around for the librarian. She had been very helpful to him, and he wanted to say goodbye to her before he left the place.

Jasmina saw Bobby closing the book, and she rushed out to talk to him. It looked like he was getting ready to leave, but she didn't want him to go yet. She'd pretty much given up on her original plan now, but still, she wanted to give it one more try.

When Bobby had walked into the museum this morning, and he'd been alone, she couldn't believe her good fortune. She and Lucifer had just arrived last night, and Rowena hadn't even gotten her bearings yet. Yet here was her Bobby, coming to her.

Bobby had made a huge mistake. If he had not insisted on bringing the Musketeers with him, Lucifer would never have known where they were. But their arrival in Luxor had been one loud, strident alarm to him, and now he was really suspicious. This could only be about the Tablets. One of them had to be in the Valley of Kings, then. But just as this particular Tablet was obviously shielded to the Angels, and that was why they'd had to bring the humans along, it would be uber-shielded from Lucifer. As a backup plan, it was pretty brilliant. He'd known of the Tablets, but he'd had no idea where any of them were. And even if he did, he could not even approach the places in which they were secreted. So he had popped Rowena over to the museum, and he had helped her to possess Jasmina, but then he'd had to grab Jasmina's meat suit and get the hell out of there.

Now Rowena was in the young, supple body of Jasmina, head librarian and curator of the Museum of Egyptology, and the Governor of Luxor's daughter. She had been wondering how she could lure the men there to see her. She'd poked around the place, and it had a lot of artifacts, and musty old books she was sure would be of great interest to them. Once morning came, she had been sitting at the front desk, contemplating using another spell, when Bobby had walked right in.

Rowena had risen to her feet and smiled as he approached her. He introduced himself, and she extended her hand for him to take, doing the same. Bobby took her hand, and she felt the spark. He was the one she wanted; he always had been. She not only wanted him now because he was God, but because he was still her Bobby. This wouldn't be a job at all, it would be a pleasure.

He asked her about the bricks, and the Book of the Dead, and she told him to have a seat. She brought him a few books to look at, making sure to lean close as she put the books on the table. A stray lock of hair had fallen out of the bun she wore, and it tickled his cheek. He glanced at her and noticed with alarm that he could see right down her blouse.

Rowena could see him looking, and she smiled. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Bobby?" she said softly. She took his hand and put it on her breast. "Anything at all?"

Bobby looked at her, astonished. "No. Nothing," he said, jerking his hand away as if her skin was red-hot. What the hell was wrong with this woman? She was young enough to be his daughter. And he was a realist; he may have a beard, something that they seemed to like over here, but he sure as hell wasn't anyone's idea of handsome. Bobby knew from the research he had done last night that Jasmina was the Governor's daughter, and though her face wasn't covered and she was dressed in a modern style, maybe her dad had her under his thumb. Maybe she saw Bobby as a possible way for her to rebel against her father. Or maybe she was just horny, and Bobby was the first man who had walked in here today. Maybe he was overthinking everything, and maybe he was just a chauvinist jerk.

But in any event, he and Patricia seemed to have an understanding now, and Jasmina was way too young for him, anyway. So he had been polite yet firm, and it seemed like the librarian had gotten the message.

Bobby had smiled to himself as she retreated, though. A small part of him couldn't help but feel flattered, whatever her motivation had been. But when Rowena went into the back area to regroup, she was angry. She should have aged the vessel she was in, as soon as she'd seen him. Well, it was too late now. Fine, then. She had a whole host of men to pick from.

So, when she came back out and Bobby rose to leave, Jasmina merely thanked him for stopping by. "You said you were here with some other Americans, did you not?" she asked him softly.

"Yes," Bobby confirmed, nodding. "But I think what I've seen here will be of particular interest to the man I just called. Have you heard that there is a member of the royal family here in town to find out if there are any of his ancestors buried in the newly discovered chambers of the tomb?"

"Yes, of course," Rowena said automatically. She actually didn't know anything about it, but she didn't think it was a good idea for a woman with her job title and supposed heritage to admit that. "But I have to say, I have no idea what he looks like. Are you saying that that is the man you called?"

Bobby nodded. "He said he would be very interested in seeing the bricks for himself, so he's coming by, shortly."

Oh. Rowena wondered if she was supposed to care. But this guy was a member of the royal family, and she had always been attracted to wealth and status. She may or may not be here to help Lucifer, but Rowena's wants and needs would always come first.

"Hey, they had a quick news item about him on TV last night," Bobby said. "Maybe it's on YouTube."

They walked to the front desk together, and she turned her computer around for Bobby to do the search. When he found the clip, he turned the screen back to her.

Castiel?! Rowena couldn't believe it. It took all of her self-control not to break into a wide smile. This could be a very interesting way to combine business with pleasure. She had been on the fence about him for centuries, both attracted to and repelled by him at the same time. Maybe someone was trying to tell her something. He was damn sexy in the news clip, all masculine and masterful. If she were looking to seduce him, there would never be a better opportunity. He had clearly left the Angel Castiel behind in America, and the Angel Gail had finally been pried away from his side.

"I will provide him with anything he might need," Jasmina told Bobby quietly.

He looked at her speculatively. Considering what she had pulled with Bobby earlier, should he really be sending Cas to her? Then Bobby decided he was being ridiculous. Cas would have his manservant with him, and he would also be impervious to Jasmina's charms. If she tried anything like that with Cas, he could probably threaten to have her beheaded, or something.

So Bobby left, and when Cas arrived about half an hour later, Rowena had taken her hair out of the bun, put a little perfume on, and undone another button on her blouse.

"Bobby told me you were coming, Sheikh," Rowena said demurely. "Please have a seat, and I will bring you a couple of books on the subject that come highly recommended." He had been hoping to see the bricks themselves, but before he could tell her that, she disappeared into the back. So Cas sat at the library table and waited.

When she returned, she tried the same thing with Cas as she had with Bobby, minus the fondling. She saw him give her cleavage the quickest of glances, and then he sat back in his chair, leaning away from her.

"You seem to have missed a button or two on your blouse," he told her, adding, "I'm surprised your father would allow you to dress like that in public. Surely, you are not married?"

"No, I am not married, if that is any of your business," Rowena said softly. "And what my father does not know will not hurt him."

"Mind your tongue, woman," Ibrahim said sharply. He had been standing behind Cas this whole time, as if guarding him from her. "You are speaking to a member of the royal family."

Rowena sighed inwardly. She was never going to get anywhere with this guy hanging around them.

"I wish to see the bricks themselves," Cas said. "Are they on display here?"

"No," Rowena told him. "They are much too valuable to be exposed to the public."

"But they are on the premises, are they not?" he persisted.

"Yes," she confirmed. Then she leaned down again, and this time he did not move away. "If you will come back later, after the museum closes, I'll see what I can arrange." She glanced up at his manservant. "You'll have to come alone, though," she said into his ear.

"Agreed," Cas said quietly. Then he got to his feet. "I may come back another day, then, when you have learned better manners," he said loudly, for the benefit of his manservant. Then he swept out of the building, Ibrahim at his heels.

Bobby'd called Sam and Dean when he got back to their hotel, and they arranged to meet in the restaurant so the boys could have coffee and breakfast. He told them where he'd been, and about the fact that he'd set it up so Cas could get the information he'd wanted before he got to the dig site today. "You guys take your time. I'm gonna go get Chuck, Ethan and Kevin, and we'll go to the dig site. I'll call Frank too, and have him bring Jody and Gail. But you can all take your time about getting there. Cas'll have to have a bit of research time at the museum."

Dean shrugged, taking a gulp of coffee. He wasn't too wild about too much of the food here, but the coffee was really strong, and he did like that.

Sam had been pleased to see that they had a large selection of fruit here. It helped to hydrate you. It was going to be another really hot day today. "After breakfast, I'll get some more water bottles to take out there," he told Bobby.

"Good idea," Bobby said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Maybe I'll get the Musketeers to bring some, too. It's gonna be a scorcher."

It certainly was, Gail thought miserably. Frank and Jody had just finished having breakfast, and Gail had been sitting there watching them, with her face covered the entire time, and she was sweating already. At least Jody got to remove the veil to eat and drink. Since Gail did neither, she had no such excuse.

"Maybe we'll try not to piss off the guys with the semi-automatic weapons today, just for something new and different," Jody said to Frank dryly.

Frank said nothing, because Jody was right. He needed to try to keep his temper in check. But it was just so damn hot. Gail must be just hating this. He looked at his sister with sympathy. "Hey, at least you'll get to see Cas today," he said, trying to cheer her.

"Yeah, and we all have to pretend like we don't even know him," Gail groused. "I'm probably not even allowed to look directly at him."

Frank sighed. "Come on, let's go," he said, throwing his napkin down on the table. "Bobby said to take our time getting there. What do you say we go to the marketplace first? Jody and I need to get some kind of souvenir for Robbie."

"We should probably get Barry and Tommy something too, to thank them for looking after him for us," Jody added.

Gail rose listlessly. Now she was supposed to go traipsing around an open-air market in this heat. Great.

Frank looked at her again. "You ladies wait for me at the front desk. I need the washroom for a minute."

Once they were gone, Frank took out his cell phone and called Bobby, telling him where they were going.

Bobby called Cas on Angel Radio. "Frank tells me that Gail is feeling really down," he told his friend. "How'd it go at the Museum?"

Cas didn't tell him about how forward Jasmina had been, but he did tell Bobby that he would not be able to see the bricks until after the museum closed. Therefore, he was on his way to the dig site now.

Bobby said, "Maybe make a quick pit stop at the marketplace, if you can. It'll probably cheer Gail up just to be able to see you for a minute."

Cas smiled. It would cheer him up, too, even though they wouldn't be able to speak to or even acknowledge each other. But now, he had an idea about that.

He thanked Bobby and picked up the phone, telling the driver that he wanted to stop by the marketplace first, on the way to the dig site. The chauffeur and Ibrahim exchanged curious glances.

"May I ask why, Sheikh?" Ibrahim asked him over the speaker.

"Is that really any of your business?" Cas asked him bluntly.

"Don't misunderstand me, Sir, I was merely wondering if I could be of any assistance to you," Ibrahim said mildly. His boss was certainly touchy, sometimes. Frankly, Ibrahim had wondered if this man was a legitimate heir, and if he was going to be an embarrassment to the proud legacy of the royal family. He had been studying in the United States for a number of years, and Ibrahim had not known what to expect, as a result. But when the Sheikh had emerged from the airplane dressed in their traditional garb, and speaking so imperiously, Ibrahim had known that he was the genuine article. Still, there were obviously a few customs of which the Sheikh was unaware.

Cas felt the need to fill the silence. Perhaps he had gone a bit too far. "I wish to look at some of the wares," he told Ibrahim. "I thought I might like a traditional, quality rug, for my room."

"Oh," Ibrahim said. "Of course, Sir."

Cas hung up the phone and sat back, closing his eyes. Then he opened them again and rooted around in the back of the limousine. It was actually like a little apartment back here. A TV, a bar, snacks, a cupboard with a cell phone, and a hand-held tablet computer. Then he found what he had been looking for. A pad of paper and a pen. He scribbled down a note, which he folded and put in the inside pocket of his robes.

A short while later, the car stopped. Were they there already? He had no idea.

The back door opened, and three of his wives entered. They sat in the seat opposite him, looking at him demurely. Then Ibrahim closed the door, and a moment later, the car started to move again.

"What are you doing here?" Cas asked the women.

"Begging your pardon, Sheikh," one of them said. "Ibrahim let us know that you were interested in purchasing some items for the palace. He thought that perhaps we could help you to shop for them. And then, you would give us whatever you decide to buy and we will transport it back home for you, so you can move on to the dig site unencumbered."

"He mentioned you may want a rug for your room," one of the other girls said. "I received a degree in interior design from Luxor University, and if you'll let me, I'll help you pick out one that is both tasteful and goes with the decor."

"Comfort is key," the third woman said. The lower half of her face was covered, of course, but he could swear he heard a smile in her voice. "Many of our rugs are beautiful, but the materials can sometimes be very prickly." She was currently imagining the Sheikh beckoning to her and laying her down on the rug. He was handsome and sexy, and she'd love to be the first one to bear his son.

This was not going to be good, Cas thought. But he was stuck now. Hopefully, Gail would understand.

Gail was wandering aimlessly from table to table in the marketplace. She had zero interest in shopping, and it felt like it was about a thousand degrees out now.

Out of the corner of her eye, Gail saw some movement. She looked up to see the crowds of people moving like a wave. A limousine was driving into the far end of the marketplace, and the people were moving to either side of it to get out of the way.

The car drove forward a bit more and then stopped, and a white-robed man got out of the front of the car and opened the back door. Three women got out, and then Cas stepped out after them.

Gail's heart stopped for a moment. He looked so different. He had even more of a beard today than he'd had last night, and he was looking around as if he owned the marketplace, and everything in it. He said something to the women, and they fanned out in different directions. Then he lifted his eyes, and they made eye contact with each other.

Cas's knees felt weak. Her face hadn't been covered last night, of course, but it was now, and he could recognize those eyes from all the way across the marketplace. They were the only eyes he was interested in looking into.

It was a movie cliche come to life. The other people in the marketplace all seemed to disappear as they looked at each other. Cas slowly started to move in her direction, with Ibrahim trailing behind. Incredibly enough, she was standing at a table where rugs were displayed. He kept staring at her eyes. They became more and more beautiful to him the closer he got. And she was staring at him, too. Gail realized she probably shouldn't be gazing at him so blatantly, but she just couldn't seem to help herself.

Cas had reached the table where she was standing now, and Gail made herself look the other way. She'd been feeling the material of the rugs absently, several layers down, and suddenly, she felt Cas's hand touch hers there. She could feel the heat from his body as it was standing next to hers, but she figured she'd better not look at him. Then, one of Cas's fingers stroked her knuckle lightly, and it was so sexy that Gail felt like she was going to pass out. That was the sexiest thing she had ever felt, that little caress. Then he pressed the piece of paper into her hand, then he gave her knuckle one more little stroke, and then he was gone.

But Gail heard Ibrahim talking to Cas as he retreated. "Why are you looking at that woman?" the manservant was saying harshly. "She is an American whore. It is obvious. They are only good for one thing. You can lay with one or more of your wives tonight. They have been trained in our ways, and they can fulfill all of your needs, whatever those may be."

"You are right," Cas said, hating himself. "I forgot myself, for a moment." Then the men walked away.

Gail had never felt so excited, yet so humiliated, at the same time. She clenched her fist, crushing the piece of paper into a ball. God, she hated it here, for a multitude of reasons.

"I need to go to the washroom," she said to Jody and Frank.

Jody raised her eyebrows, but she said, "I think I saw a Port-A-Pottie a few stalls over that way."

Gail rolled her eyes. Of course it would be a portable washroom. Thank God she didn't actually have the need to go. But she needed to get somewhere private to read his note, before the sweat on her palm made the writing unintelligible. Then she could decide if she should just throw it down the commode. She probably should, anyway, just to get rid of the evidence.

Frank walked over there with Gail and Jody. He felt bad now. He thought he'd been doing something nice for his sister, but who knew that the idiot was going to show up with some of those "wives" in tow, acting like such a dickface?

Gail entered the Port-A-Pottie and unfolded the note. Cas wanted her to meet him at the Museum tonight. She sighed. Well, at least he was still trying to find ways to see her. She wondered why the Museum, though. After a moment's deliberation, she tore the note into tiny little pieces and threw it down the commode. Just on general principles.

Cas walked back to the limousine and, when they were apart from the crowd, he turned to Ibrahim. "If you ever speak to me that way in public again, I will have you flayed, then dismembered," he said quietly. "'American whore' or not, I am entitled to gaze upon whomever I choose. If I wanted her, you would bring her to me, and you would keep your fat mouth shut about it."

"My deepest apologies, Sheikh," Ibrahim said, bowing low in front of Cas. "I should never have presumed to speak to you that way. I was merely concerned that Western culture might prove a little too seductive for you. I have given in to temptation, myself. But you are of royal heritage, Sir. I am concerned that your seed be used to propagate the royal Egyptian bloodline, that is all."

Cas was bemused now. This guy didn't give up, did he? He guessed he could see how important it was from Ibrahim's point of view that the royal family lineage continue. But Cas couldn't help him there, for a number of reasons.

"Let me worry about my seed," he snapped at Ibrahim. "You do as you're told. Let's get to the dig site."

Cas stood in front of the guards, astounded. "What do you mean, you will not open the chamber?" he said to them. "Don't you know who I am?"

One of the guards swallowed, hard. If this guy was who he said he was, they were going to be in big trouble. But they had their orders.

"We know who you SAY you are," the guard said evenly. "But I don't see any proof."

"I do not have to prove myself to the likes of you," Cas said, raising his voice. He was starting to feel a little nervous now. This had been unexpected.

The guards took their weapons off their shoulders. "Be that as it may, we have our orders," one of the guards said.

Cas regarded them curiously. Had they actually been instructed to shoot him if he tried to enter? This was unbelievable. How on earth was he going to prove he was who he said he was, especially since he wasn't actually who he said he was?

"You will regret this," he said in a clipped voice. He turned his back on them and swept across the tomb. Gail and the men were just descending the steps as Cas and Ibrahim got there, and Cas moved to the side to let them pass.

Ibrahim was very angry now, on his master's behalf. Those men had treated the Sheikh with such disrespect. It had made the manservant's blood boil. And now here were these Americans, standing in the Sheikh's way.

"Move aside," he barked, and he pushed Gail. She was surprised, and she tripped over her skirt and fell to the tomb floor.

"Ow," she said mildly, and she looked at Cas automatically. He stood there for a moment, paralyzed with indecision. What should he do in this situation? Everyone's eyes were on him now. How could he just let this stand? But, if he came to her aid, would he be undermining everything they'd worked so hard to create? Those guards apparently already had their doubts as to his identity.

"You Americans have no respect," Ibrahim said in a harsh voice. "You think that yours is the right way, and it is the only way. This is a member of the royal family. YOU will stand aside for HIM."

Cas's friends were starting to glare at him now. Role-playing was one thing, but this was too much. Wasn't he going to stand up to this guy?

Cas moved swiftly over to Gail and knelt before her, extending his hand. "I apologize on behalf of my servant," he said to her. "I will remind him that Americans do not know of our ways. Just because I am of royal blood does not mean that I am a bully, or an animal."

Gail put her hand in his, and he helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?" Cas asked her softly.

"Yes, Sheikh," she said, bowing her head. "Thank you for your assistance." She let go of his hand, keeping her head low.

"You see, Ibrahim?" Cas said to his manservant. "Proper respect is given, if proper respect is deserved." He looked at his friends. "I apologize to you all. He will be whipped tonight for his actions against the woman."

Then Cas swept up the stairs, with Ibrahim following closely behind.

Wow, Gail thought. Just...wow. Dean started to say something, but she shook her head vigorously. They'd better not talk about it right now. There were too many people around, and the guards were still looking their way.

She looked at Frank. "Please, just take me home."

Rowena had changed into a sexy gown in preparation for Castiel's return to the museum. She locked the doors fifteen minutes early, turned down the lighting on all the lamps, and threw one of her special scarves over one of the lamps on the library table. She had the bricks he'd wanted to see in the back room behind the bookshelves there. Rowena didn't honestly think she was going to be able to seduce Castiel any more than she'd been able to seduce Bobby earlier today, but that didn't mean that she wasn't willing to give it a go, anyway, just to see what happened.

She'd thought some more about Bobby's rejection of her, and Rowena had decided that Bobby had merely been an Angel for too long now, and he had his position as God to think about, of course. She should have figured that her half-assed attempt at seduction would have failed. She had not even given it a really good try.

She might try a little harder with Castiel. Neither he nor Bobby were very likely candidates to turn to Lucifer's side, of course, but there was no rule that said that Rowena couldn't get a little satisfaction along the way to corrupting one of them, was there?

There was a light tap at the front doors, and Rowena opened them to admit Castiel. "Sheikh," she said, bowing her head. Then she re-locked the door behind him. He had come alone.

"Is there anyone else here?" Cas asked Jasmina. He had been hoping that Gail might be here already. But Jasmina shook her head, and Cas's heart sank. He hoped that incident with Ibrahim hadn't made her so angry that she'd decided to stay away. His showing up at the marketplace with those women in tow could not have pleased her, either. He had warned Gail that he'd be playing a role, but Cas had had no idea how zealous Ibrahim was going to be, either. When they had gotten back to the palace, Cas had called his head of security on the house phone and had Ibrahim taken away to be whipped, as he had promised. He had deliberated about this all the way back to the palace but had ultimately decided that he had little choice. Ibrahim had pushed and bullied Gail, and he had called her a whore. And he had been subtly undermining Cas's authority ever since Cas had gotten here. Cas had said that he was going to have the man whipped. He had to follow through, or his word would have no meaning, nor would his authority as the supposed Sheikh. Ibrahim had called Gail a whore. It had taken everything that Cas had not to take out his sword and kill the man, right then and there. Cas may be an Angel again now, but he had also been an Angel when Xavier had said that to Gail and look where Xavier was now. Ibrahim was skating on some very thin ice. But for the time being, Cas thought that he might still need this man, so he hoped the corporal punishment would be enough to humble him.

There was another light tap at the front doors of the museum, and Jasmina looked at Castiel. "Answer it," he ordered her, and she frowned, but moved to the door. Her eyes widened. Gail?! He had to be kidding with this.

Cas had moved up to the door behind Rowena, and he smiled when he saw that it was Gail knocking. "Let her in," he instructed the librarian. "I asked her to come. She is a scholar in the ancient language."

Oh, so THAT was why she was here, Rowena thought sarcastically. For her linguistic skills. Yes, Rowena was sure that Gail was very good with the tongue.

She sighed, unlocking the doors. Gail entered, looking curiously at Jasmina. Here was Cas, and here was yet another gorgeous young woman.

Rowena now knew that she was the one who would not be getting any satisfaction tonight, but that didn't mean that she couldn't help to sow the seeds of discord. She could see the way that Gail was looking at Castiel now, and Rowena could sense a little trouble in paradise.

"I am Jasmina, head librarian and the daughter of the Governor," she said to Gail. "And you are...?"

"I'm a reporter," Gail replied. "I'm here to cover the story of the newly discovered chambers."

"Thank you for coming," Cas said to Gail, approaching the women. "I have informed Jasmina that you are an accomplished scholar in the ancient language, and that you are here to help me translate the phrases on the bricks. If you will help me, I will allow you and your colleagues to be on the news team that receives the exclusive story once the chambers are opened to me."

"It's a deal," Gail said shortly, and she pulled out a chair and sat down at the library table. Cas's hands had itched to do that for her, just as he ached to take her hand when he sat down across from her. But they had to continue their subterfuge. Jasmina was the Governor of Luxor's daughter, and they could not afford her mentioning to her father about any sort of funny business going on between the Sheikh and the American reporter. Perhaps Cas shouldn't even have done this much. But he'd just had to see her. Maybe they could steal a moment or two of real conversation.

"The bricks are quite heavy," Jasmina told them. "I will require your assistance, Sheikh. Unless all those years in America have softened you."

"I am quite strong, I assure you," he told her.

"Pardon us," Jasmina said sweetly to Gail. "We'll be right back."

She showed Cas to the back room. He grabbed one of the bricks with both arms and hefted it. It actually was quite heavy, but he could handle it. He brought it out to the table and set it down in front of Gail. "I'll get the others," he said to her.

Jasmina came out to the library, passing Castiel along the way. She gave Gail a fake smile. "Is there anything that you require?"

"Maybe a bit more light," Gail said to her. "It seems a little dim in here, for some reason."

Rowena snatched her special scarf off the lamp on the library table. "There. That should help," she snapped irritably. The scarf had been imbued with a spell that worked as an aphrodisiac, but there was no point in leaving it there now. From everything Rowena had observed, the last thing those two needed was an aphrodisiac.

Cas had returned to the back room to get the last brick, and Rowena now followed him. As soon as he had all four bricks out there, Jasmina would be redundant, and she really didn't feel like being their third wheel.

She threw the scarf around Cas's neck and tickled his nose with it. "Are you certain you need that American woman to be here?" she asked him coyly. "I am an accomplished scholar in many areas, and I am an expert in tongues."

Cas couldn't seem to move, all of a sudden. The smell of the scarf was sweet, but cloying, and he tried to take it off his shoulders.

Jasmina put her arms around his neck, preventing him from removing it. "Do you like my scent?" she asked him softly. She leaned forward, grazing his cheek with her lips. "You can enjoy more of it, if you send the reporter away."

"Really?" Gail said from behind them. "And what would your scent be? Eau de Skank?" she said sarcastically. She tore the veil away from her face. If Jasmina's face wasn't covered, why should hers be? Gail was angry now. She looked down at the woman's hands, which appeared to be in the folds of Cas's robes. "And just what do you think you're looking for in there?" She rushed forward and pushed Jasmina away from Cas. Gail reached into Cas's robes and pulled out his Angel blade, slamming it down on the table. "Looking for this, maybe? Who are you, really?" Then she used the phrase she'd heard him say when they'd been training with Crowley, and his blade changed into the snake.

Rowena's eyes widened. What kind of magic was this, now? Gail could do magic? The serpent coiled and prepared to strike. Rowena turned around and fled.

Gail looked at Cas. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't have that snake attack you right now," she said angrily.

Now that Rowena was gone, Cas could move, and he whipped the scarf off his neck and threw it on the floor. "I can't," he said.

Gail looked at him a moment longer. "That's right. You can't," she said grumpily. But she sighed, said the Enochian phrase in reverse, and the snake changed back into Cas's blade. He grabbed it and put it back in his robes hastily.

"Gail - " he started to say, but she was shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Cas, but enough is enough. I know you're only playing a role here, but something's gotta give. I see you walking around like an arrogant male chauvinist pig, and I say, 'he's only playing a role'. But then I see you show up at the marketplace with those women, and then your servant calls me a whore, and you say nothing."

"I had him whipped," Cas blurted out. Gail looked at him incredulously. "You had him whipped? Are you even hearing yourself right now?" she said, raising her voice.

Cas was miserable. He'd known that this was going to be a problem. But he had to prepare her for the possibility that it might get even worse.

"They refused to open the chambers for me this afternoon," he told her. "That's why I came here, to see if I could glean any information from the bricks that would help convince them that I am who I say I am."

That gave Gail pause. She had never even considered the possibility that they might not believe him. "So, even after all that very convincing acting on your part, they still didn't believe you?" she said tartly. "Well, I guess you'll have to really commit to the part, then. Maybe you should actually impregnate one of your wives. Or maybe you should let sweet little Jasmina get into your robes. She was already pretty much in there when I walked in the room. Her Daddy's the Governor, isn't he? I'm sure she could use her influence with him to get the job done."

"I'll be doing neither of those things, but I may well have to invoke an ancient and terrible curse on the people of Luxor if they continue to refuse to open the chambers to me," Cas told her soberly.

"But you're not going to tell me what that is, are you?" Gail asked him dully.

"I would rather not," Cas said uncomfortably. "But know that if and when the time comes, I will protect you."

"Are you sure you'll be able to keep us all straight?" she said testily. "I mean, you have so many women in your life right now."

"That's not fair, Gail," he said to her.

"No? Well, let me ask you something, then. Were there any women in your room last night, Cas?" she asked him bluntly.

"Yes," he said, frowning. He had to answer her honestly.

"Did any of them touch you?" she persisted.

"Yes, but they were the aggressors," he replied, realizing how lame that sounded. "And nothing happened, of course."

"OK, Cas. Whatever. Assuming I believe you, then why weren't you pulling away from Jasmina when I came in the room just now?" Gail pushed.

"I don't know," Cas said quietly.

"Were you really a virgin when we first got together, Cas? Or did you just tell me that you were?"

"No, I told you that because it was the truth," Cas said. There was a bit of an edge to his voice now, too. He didn't like what she seemed to be implying.

"What really went on between you and Aurielle in Hell, Cas?" Gail asked him coolly.

"OK, that's it," Cas said. "I've had it. I have never given you any cause to be jealous. Never."

"Neither have I, but that didn't stop you from accusing me every time I turned around, when you were the Demon," she said tartly.

They stood there looking at each other for a moment, and then Cas said, "Fine. Fair enough. You're right, I made enough accusations at the time. If I have to prove my fidelity to you now, I will gladly do so. But we have to set a wedding date."

Gail gave her head a quick shake. "I don't feel like doing that right now, Cas. In fact, I've never felt less romantic in my entire life."

"That will soon change," Cas assured her. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of this before. With what he would show her, she couldn't help but feel loving towards him again. "The reverse ritual," he said to her.

Oh, right. That was the thing that Crowley had mentioned. She'd never actually gotten the opportunity to ask Cas what it was all about. "What is that, Cas?" she asked him now.

"You'll see," he said eagerly. "Or at least, I assume you will. To my recollection, it's never been conducted the other way around, but I see no reason why it should not work both ways. But you have to set a wedding date in order for us to begin the ritual."

"Is this just a way of distracting me from all of this other stuff?" Gail asked him suspiciously.

"No, it's entirely on point," he said quickly. "You'll see. Pick a date, please."

Gail sighed. OK, she'd play along. "October 15th," she said airily.

Cas's pulse quickened. That was just over a month from now. He and Gail were going to be married in a little over a month.

"There," Gail said to him. "Now what?"

"Now, tell it to the ring," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You heard me. Tell it to the ring. Then, the next time that date is quoted to the ring, the reverse ritual will have begun." He took her ring hand and brought it up to her mouth. "Go ahead. Humour me."

Gail rolled her eyes, but she did as he requested.

Cas smiled. "Okay. Good." Then he turned his back on her and strode across the room. "Now, do me a favour. Take off the ring and toss it to me."

Gail looked at him for a moment, then she shrugged and did as he asked. Cas caught the ring and put it in the crook of his little finger. "I really hope this works, because it's unprecedented," he said to her. He put the ring to his lips and said, "October 15th."

Cas immediately began to glide across the room, until he was standing right in front of Gail. He smiled down at her. "It worked! Perfect," he said.

She was extremely puzzled now. "WHAT worked? You were over there, and now you're over here. So what? What the hell, Cas?"

"Just give it a minute," Cas said. He continued to smile down at her. They stood there, as the seconds ticked by, then a couple of minutes. "Oh, look. Nothing's happening," Cas said, his smile growing wider. He brought the ring up to his lips and told it the date again, and it glowed, then went back to its normal appearance.

"The reverse ritual," he told Gail, taking the ring off his finger and putting it back on hers. "It was designed as a failsafe for the groom to be able to back out of the wedding, if he so chose. Once the date is set and the ring is told, it will bring the wearer back to everyone who they have ever been intimate with, in reverse order, last being first. This was intended only for the women to do, of course. It was a way for the groom to find out if she had been promiscuous. If, at the end of the ritual, she was deemed to have been familiar with too many men, the prospective groom could opt to break the contract, and the ring would dissolve into dust from her finger."

"Oh. But that was only for the women, of course," Gail said sardonically.

"Yes, of course," Cas answered honestly. "The man was entitled to be as intimate with as many women as he wanted to be."

"Naturally," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't you get it, Gail? I just performed the reverse ritual, and the only person the ring led me to was you. There's your proof. It's only ever been you, and it will only ever be you."

Gail stared up at him. Was this for real, or was he making it up?

"You're having trouble believing this, aren't you?" Cas asked her quietly.

"Well, Cas, it's just...I don't know, it's just so weird. Besides, there are different degrees of 'being intimate', aren't there? Didn't you say that there were women in your room touching you last night?" she asked him.

Cas sighed. "But not in that way, Gail. Being intimate is defined as having been touched in your intimate area. Nothing else counts. You may still hug others, kiss them chastely, and touch them in an innocent and comforting way. There is nothing wrong with any of that. Those women were only attempting to make me feel comfortable after my long journey, and their touch was merely meant to be comforting. But, as you have seen, no other woman has ever touched me in an intimate manner, and no other woman ever will."

God, he was good. He had her convinced now that those other women were only doing their jobs, and it was perfectly reasonable for them to be in his room at night, helping him out. But if this whole thing was true, she did have her proof that he had never let another woman touch him in an intimate way, not for his entire existence. She winced internally. She only wished she could say the same.

"I'm sorry, Cas," she said, putting her arms around his neck. "It's just so hard to believe. I mean, look at you. You're so handsome. Women throw themselves at you all the time," she said.

He put his arms around her waist, smiling. "That doesn't mean I'll ever catch any of them," he said charmingly. "I only want you, Gail. I have only ever wanted you, and I could never want anyone else." He kissed her on the mouth, and she kissed him back. "OK, Cas. OK. I believe you," she said. "It just gets so difficult sometimes, especially right now. I never get to see you, and when I do, you're this...character." She gestured at his robes.

"I know," he said, caressing her through her clothing. He loved the feel of silk on her. "But it is merely a character that I play, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to get even worse in order for them to believe that I am who I say I am. But you have seen that my being unfaithful to you would be out of the question, and it will never happen."

Gail nodded. "All right, Cas." She looked around. "I wonder where Jasmina took off to. I should probably try to make nice with her, if we're trying to get in the government's good books. But I have no idea how I'm going to explain what I said, and what I did."

"She does not concern me," Cas said to Gail. "It is her father who I will be dealing with, soon. But you can't leave yet. We're not finished here."

She smiled at him. "I have absolutely no problem with making out for a while, but don't you think we should get down to business?"

He smiled thinly. "I meant that YOU have not performed the reverse ritual yet."

Oh, So, he was going to make her do it, too. But there wasn't too much she could say about it, not really. He had done it for her, and apparently, he had been the first male in history ever to have done so. So what kind of a hypocrite would she be if she refused to do it? A double standard the non-usual way was still a double standard. And there wasn't anything in her past that Cas didn't already know about, anyway.

Still, she was nervous now. "Are you sure the ring isn't just going to incinerate me on the spot?" she asked Cas. "You and I both know who it's going to take me to see, right?"

Cas frowned. "Yes, I know. And you are blameless in that regard. That was my fault entirely, and the ritual will give us closure on it in preparation for our wedding."

Gail gave a half-shrug. "OK, then." She brought her hand up to her mouth, but Cas said, "Wait." He walked back across the room, then he smiled at her. "I want you to come to me, as I came to you," he said. "At least, it had better be me you come to first, seeing as it is the most recent first," he said, but he grinned to show her that he was joking.

Gail smiled. No worries on that score. She lifted her ring hand to her lips. "October 15th," she said, and now she wondered if she was really committed to that date. She supposed so. She'd just picked the date out of her butt to humour Cas, more or less. But now that they had both said it out loud, it seemed more real. Holy moly.

Gail felt herself gliding across the room, and then she was standing directly in front of Cas. They smiled at each other. He'd known that she would be coming to him first, of course. But even as he embraced her now, he was just a little bit worried as to where they would be going next, and who they might see. When they had been separated all that time following the implementation of the cure, Cas knew that Sam had still been in love with Gail. She'd even told him that Sam had kissed her. Had he done more than that, and she had just been reluctant to tell Cas about it, for fear of making him angry? And if they were to be taken to see Sam, would Cas be able to handle that?

Gail knew they wouldn't be going to see Sam. He had only ever kissed her, that was all. And she would have told Cas the truth, even if it had made him furious. You couldn't lie to each other that way and expect to have a healthy relationship. So, thankfully, there would be no Sam.

There was, however, that one brief incident that she had put out of her mind, and Cas may have forgotten about. Suddenly, the ring took them to an outdoor cafe in Cairo. So this was where Crowley was at the moment, Castiel thought. Not a bad idea, really, staying geographically close, in case the call came. And Castiel was becoming increasingly sure now that the call would have to be placed.

But this man was too tall, and his demeanour was entirely too cheerful.

"Well, hello there, you two," Lucifer said.

They all stood there and stared at each other for a moment, all of them in shock.

Dammit! Crap! Gail had forgotten all about that. When she had been Sarah, Lucifer had tried to force himself on her. He had exposed himself to her, and he had indeed momentarily touched her in her most intimate of areas. Unfortunately.

Still, she thought, this could be a blessing in disguise. In fact, it could be the biggest bonus of all time. Gail reached into her skirt for her blade, but it wasn't there. She turned around to look at Cas. Surely, he would have his blade out already. But he just stood there, glaring at Lucifer.

"I should have known," Castiel said to Lucifer. "She told me that you tried to do to her body what you had already done to her mind."

"So, you two kids have set the date, have you?" Lucifer said cheerfully. "That's fantastic. And, yes, I tried to get 'up in there', as I believe the young people say these days. Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying, can you, Castiel? I mean, look what she's done for you. If she could take the stick out of your butt, I can only imagine what she could do for me."

"You are disgusting, and I will enjoy slamming the cage door shut on you myself," Castiel said to him.

"I wish you good luck with that. I really do," Lucifer said, raising his glass of wine to them. "You realize, of course, it's not going to be that easy."

"Well, why don't we just eliminate the need for all that, then?" Gail said angrily. "I don't know how you managed to take my blade, but I know Castiel's got to have at least a couple of weapons hidden under his robes, minimum. Why don't we just throw down now, and save everybody a lot of trouble?"

"God, she's cute," Lucifer said to Castiel. "I guess I can see what you see in her, at times. All of that spirit must translate into some real heat in the bedroom. But she would drive me nuts in just a couple of minutes with that lip of hers."

"Well then, you won't be too hurt when she rejects you," Castiel said sardonically.

Gail was looking at the two of them, open-mouthed. What the hell was going on here? Cas had Lucifer right in front of him, and he wasn't raising a hand to him? And why was her blade suddenly gone?

"Reject him?" she said to Cas. "Why don't we just kill him?"

"The ritual won't allow for that," Cas told her. "Most unfortunately. The inherent nature of the ritual being that these are men with whom the woman has been somehow intimate," he said with distaste, "would dictate that the husband-to-be may wish to kill those men. For several reasons, all of them excellent," he continued as Lucifer grinned. "Therefore, the ritual will not allow any of the involved parties to harm each other while engaged in the ritual itself. The woman must formally reject her former suitor in order for there to be true closure, and then the ritual can continue, or conclude, as the case may be."

Oh my God, Gail thought. Lucifer shoves his hand down my pants for two seconds, and suddenly he's a "former suitor". It was a good thing she didn't know who her real parents were. Imagine how proud they wouldn't be. And she'd thought that Crowley was going to be her worst humiliation.

"He molested me, but he never - " she started to say to Cas, but he was already nodding.

"I know that, Gail. You are blameless. Now, you can reject him."

She looked at Lucifer, who was smirking at her. "Are you sure you want to do that, Gail?" he said cheerfully. "I am the Alpha, after all. Last chance to trade up."

She wound up and smacked him across the face, hard. Cas had said he couldn't harm her, right? "I reject you," Gail said to him. "I reject the hell out of you."

Lucifer's head had rocked back from the blow, but he was still grinning. "Geez, why don't you tell me how you really feel," he said, touching his face where she'd hit him. "Well, I guess the only consolation I can take is that our Brother the King will be in for the same treatment in a minute. Sure I can't come along, take a quick video?"

And just like that, Cas and Gail were winked away. Lucifer's grin was the last thing that Gail saw in her mind's eye, sort of like the Cheshire Cat. She reached for Cas's hand as they teleported to their next destination.

"I'm sorry, Cas," she said. "I had forgotten. I wish we could have just done him in, right then and there. But I have to admit, that rejection was pretty satisfying."

"It was fun to watch, too," he said, smiling. But now he started to worry again. Where were they headed now, and who were they going to see?

They appeared at the crossroads, and he let out a sigh of relief. How ridiculous was it that Castiel was actually happy that the next man they were going to see was his Brother, the King of Hell? But, that meant that there would definitely be no Sam. The shameful day that they had allowed Crowley to touch her in that manner had occurred when Castiel had been a Demon. Therefore, since they were going in reverse chronological order, Cas had nothing further to be concerned about.

Crap, Gail thought. It's not like she hadn't known this would be coming, but she had just been humiliated in front of Lucifer, and now, here Crowley would be, needling her too.

"You know, I really wish that I'd been promiscuous with a better class of people," she quipped nervously to Castiel. He pulled her to him for a hug of support. Now he was extremely sorry that he had asked her to do this. And just why had he asked her to do it, anyway? Because a small part of him was still so insecure that he'd really wanted to know if she had been with anyone she hadn't told him about. Did it really matter, though? She had committed herself to him fully now by accepting the ring, and he was putting her through this humiliation. He ought to be ashamed of himself.

"Hello, sweetheart," Crowley said. "How's Egypt? A little warmer than you'd like, I imagine. Welcome to my world, all the time. Why do you think I spend so much time topside?"

Gail sighed. "We all know why we're here; let's just get it over with. I think I've suffered enough humiliation for one day."

Crowley looked at Cas. "What's she talking about?"

Cas frowned. "She's talking about me. She's talking about you. And she's talking about Lucifer."

"Lucifer?" Crowley echoed in surprise.

"Yes," Gail wailed. "I just love your ancient rituals. Apparently, I'm in great demand. My suitors are an Angel of the Lord, the King of Hell, and Satan himself. Let's see, decisions, decisions. I'm one classy lady, aren't I?" she said bitterly.

"He tried to force himself on her while he had her in Los Angeles," Castiel told Crowley.

"Well then, she is blameless," Crowley said calmly.

"Absolutely," Castiel agreed. "And as far as what we are here for, she is blameless in that regard, as well."

Crowley rolled his eyes. Here it came. But then his Brother surprised him.

"I am solely to blame," Castiel said somberly. "The fact that you touched her intimately was my fault, and my responsibility, alone. If I had not inflicted those injuries on her in the first place, the situation would never have arisen."

Crowley dipped his head to Castiel in acknowledgement. That was very mature and responsible of his Brother to admit. Perhaps he would be ready for the ultimate commitment, after all. Crowley looked at Gail and smiled. "Your fiance has done some growing up, I see," he said softly to her, without a trace of sarcasm.

But Gail just wanted this whole thing to be over now. She hadn't even reacted when the two men had been talking around her, and not to her. Whatever. Their ancient rituals stunk, and she just wanted to get the hell out of here, get away from Egypt, and get away from all of these men and their outdated thinking, for a while.

Crowley closed his eyes and thrust his head forward. He screwed up his face. "Sock away, sweetheart," he said to her. "Lord knows you're entitled, and we all know that I deserve it."

But now she didn't have the heart to do it. He wasn't being sarcastic or snarky for a change, and he had defended her when it had come to Lucifer. Why couldn't he have just been his usual, obnoxious self? It would have been so easy to just haul off and smack him one, then.

She grabbed his face with both hands and gave him a tiny kiss on the forehead. "I hereby reject you," she said softly.

Crowley's eyes snapped open in surprise, but Castiel and Gail were on the move again.

They stood hand in hand in front of the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. "This is the last trip we'll be making," Gail told him. "But then, you already knew that, or you should have. I have no secrets from you, Cas, and I have never lied to you."

She could feel her ring hand shaking now, and she brought it up to eye level. Her engagement ring was shaking violently now, and she began to cry silent tears. Was it going to turn into dust and fall off her hand? She knew that two swallows did not make a summer, but maybe things worked differently when it came to their stupid ancient rules. The King of Hell was probably worth a few hundred guys at least. And, Lucifer? Who was she kidding? Regardless of the way the incidents had occurred, they had happened, and she would be lucky if it was only the ring that would be reduced to ashes by the ritual. Had she really thought that she was good enough to be able to walk down the aisle of a church in a white dress, and marry God's favourite Son?

Cas took her ring hand in both of his. "Enough," he told the ring. "She is blameless. I hold her blameless. None of it was her fault, or her responsibility. I love her, and if she will have me, I will commit myself to her on October 15th."

He kissed the ring, and it stopped shaking. "So, we have a date, if you're still willing to go through with it after I subjected you to that," Cas said, looking into her eyes. "I know you picked that date more or less arbitrarily, but I hope you're all right with it, because I don't think that I can bear to wait any longer."

They kissed just once, a long, slow kiss that went on for about five minutes. People passing by on the sidewalk looked at them and smiled. These must be two performers from the Arabian Nights show that was due to open here next month. The couple kissed and kissed, oblivious to the stares from the crowds of people.

Then, after a while, the man and woman clasped hands and walked down the Strip, milling in with the crowd and then disappearing.