"Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality. "
- Emily Dickinson
"Yes, I'd like to know why the angel came all the way here." Gail said, stepping back to lean against the wall. Her arms crossed over her chest as she evaluated the men standing in the room. "I mean, angels never come unless they want something." She stopped and paused, tapping her lip. "No that's not right, demand is a better word. They never stop by unless they demand something that is of the utmost importance to the safety and security of the universe." She glanced at Sam and gave another shrug. "Angels, always needing a healthy dose of that age old question: 'Why so serious?'" She tilted her head and used both her index fingers to pull her mouth into something like a widened smile, though to Sam it looked more like a grimace. She waited for a moment and then, when she didn't get a laugh, added. "This is why I prefer the demons, you know, at least they have a sense of humor." She shrugged. "Makes the Fallen a bit more dangerous though, possessing that pesky ability called self awareness. All the powers of the Angels and even more crafty." She shook her head. "No demons are fun the way a painful, burning death is fun, the way a nuclear explosion is fun, the way watching a hundred hours of the Twilight movie over and over and over again is," Gail shuddered from the thought, her last comment making Sam smile for a moment. "Fun."
"Yeah, we already know that demons aren't a lot of fun." He said. "Got a lot of personal experience."
"Right." She said. Sam was surprised, she sounded skeptical. "I'm sure you have." She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, resting her head against the wall, her ponytail crushed against her skull. "Though that begs the question of why you two aren't a messy, bloody, chunky stain on a wall somewhere. I mean, after seeing the two of you in action that would be the logical conclusion one would come to." She shrugged. " I don't know, maybe you're just lucky."
"And maybe you're just arrogant." Dean snapped from the other side of the room.
"Got me there." She said. "But at least I know what I'm doing, most of the time, and I'm not in the habit of making enemies who are bigger, stronger, older, and tougher than I am. I mean, I'm arrogant," she shrugged. "But I'm smarter than you."
"Okay, I've had enough of you!" Dean snarled. "You want enemies, you've got 'em."
"Oooh," Gail smiled. "You're so big and tough and manly and you're threatening little old me with your tough manliness. Whatever am I to do? How will I ever defend myself from you? Who will save me? I mean you're so…so…stupid." She straightened, her smile widening into a self-satisfied smirk. "I beat you already, remember? The parking lot? You're short term memory can't be that bad, can it?" She lifted her right hand and showed it to him, her waxy fingernails glistening in the light. They were curved at the edges but still looked sharp, and they were long. The tips were a healthy, creamy white. "I mean, that fight lasted about five minutes. And see? Didn't even break one of these."
"Enough!" Castiel growled. "And you, Interface, I came on a mission, you can spend time irritating Dean Winchester later."
"You're not the boss of me, Castiel."
"How in Heaven's name does he put up with you?" Castiel grimaced. He found the girl trying at best, irritating at worst, under normal circumstances he would just let the insults roll off of him as he had Dean's. But these were no longer normal circumstances. It was difficult knowing that damaged as Mace was, and he or she was incredibly damaged; the Eternal was at the moment still more powerful than he. And Mace knew it. A frightening thought.
"Hasn't got a choice?" She said with yet another shrug. She seemed to like to shrug. "Likes my charming witticisms and silly humor? Doesn't like you? All of the above? With her the possibilities are endless, really."
"What did you come for Cas?" Dean asked. He was bitterly trying to ignore her, he didn't know what the girl's problem was and Dean wasn't sure he wanted to find out. I just want her and her crazy ass split personality out of my life. Next time he wouldn't let her get the jump on him. And that's a promise. "If it wasn't to heal Bobby, then why are you here?"
"I don't have much time," Castiel said. "I have wasted much of it already and we need to talk."
"Oh, this should be good." Gail chirped.
"Okay?" Dean asked with a quick shake of his head. He was trying to pretend that Gail didn't exist. She is invisible. She is not a part of this conversation. He wondered if he should have told Sam that.
"Your plan, to kill Lucifer…" Castiel trailed off.
"You're planning to kill Lucifer?" Gail asked. She straightened, her eyes widening slightly with interest as she looked at him, but the newfound respect that Sam expected to find just wasn't there. "I already know you're an idiot and I should have guessed it, but… Are you fucking suicidal? You? Kill Lucifer?" A bark of laughter burst through her lips, throwing Sam off guard and Dean strained to keep his eyes on Castiel. "That's the best joke I've heard in a while." The laughter kept coming as her shoulders began to shake. "You killing Lucifer. Ha!"
"Ignoring little miss wacko over there," Dean said. "Yean. You wanna help?"
"No!" Castiel snapped, his voice creeping above its monotone, indicating his stress. "She's right, it's foolish. It can't be done."
"Oh, thanks for the support."
"Even if you did, he'd just respawn anyway." Gail added. Leaning over, she snatched one of the health magazines off the table across from Bobby's bed and began leafing through it. Her eyes were on the pictures of sunsets and ads for erectile dysfunction as she added. "Makes that option pretty damn pointless."
"Excuse me?" Dean asked, turning on her. "What did you just say?"
"Fifteen thousand years as the leader of Hell? You think the demons and everything else that's down there just fell into line? You don't think anyone's tried to assassinate him? Seriously? With all the people gunning for him, at some point, someone had to succeed." She shrugged. "Didn't matter much though, he just came back." Gail tilted her head. "He's sorta like a fungus that way. A really big, annoying, powerful, pain in the ass, grows between your toes and you can't get rid of, arrogant son of a bitch in a business suit kind of fungus, but still a fungus." She tapped her cheek. "A fungus in charge of a lot of demons, monsters, and other things that go bump in the night. Lovely, I'm gonna have the nightmares again." She shrugged with a quick shake of her head. "But in the long run, he's about as annoying as a back zit. Oh well, life goes on."
"Yeah?" Dean asked. He lifted his chin defiantly. "Then I guess they just didn't do the job right."
"Oh," she laughed. "And you could do better? You? Really?" Her laughter grew louder as she shook her head and returned to the magazine articles, her eyes no longer on him but her shoulders shaking even as her laughter died down to a whisper. "Stop it, really, I'm totally gonna die from laughter. Seriously Dean, if you keep this up I'll ROFLMAO. That means rolling on the floor laughing my ass off, by the way, if you don't speak internet." She smiled "And I know no one wants to see that."
"But, I believe I have the solution." Castiel said breaking into their conversation. He cast another warning glance at Gail, telling her to keep her mouth shut. The girl just smiled, tracing her finger across her lips she made a locking motion and tossed an invisible key over her shoulder. He was not entirely sure what that meant, but he hoped she would let the conversation stay on track. "There is someone besides Michael strong enough to stop the Apocalypse." From where she leaned against the wall, Gail rolled her eyes and continued flipping through her magazine.
"Who's that?" Sam asked. He glanced from Castiel to Gail, expecting the young woman to chime in with a quick, witty answer. All he got in response from her though, was a smile.
"The one who resurrected me and put you on that airplane." Castile said. His voice was filled with conviction and certainty. "The one who began everything." Castiel's eyes swung back to Dean, his gaze filled with a fervent, feverish, and almost fanatical belief. "God."
Leaning against the wall, Gail just snorted. Her opinion of the matter was clear on her face as she continued flicking through the magazine, trying to ignore the idiocy of their conversation.
"I'm going to find God."
There was a secondary pause as Dean turned around and slammed the door to Bobby's hospital room shut. "God?" He asked as the taupe door clicked into place, disbelief clear and present in both his tone and on his face.
"Yes." Castiel replied.
"God?" Dean asked again, this time just to be sure the subject was as crazy as it sounded. And just when I thought we were all full up on crazy. He thought, resisting the urge to cast a sarcastic sideways glance at Gail. Does the legendary Eternal buy into this bullcrap or is she just like me? He supposed he would have his answer soon. The girl couldn't seem to resist commenting on anything she found idiotic, dull, or stupid. And so far, for her, everything's been that way.
"He isn't in Heaven, he has to be somewhere."
"Maybe he's in hell." Gail offered in a low voice. Dean ignored her.
"Try New Mexico." He said with a toss of his head, the smile playing on his lips as he laughed at his own joke. "I hear he's on a tortilla."
Castiel looked down for a moment, the sarcasm clearly not registering. He glanced up again, his forehead creased with confusion. "No, he's not on any flat bread."
Dean shut his eyes. Dealing with angels was always trying. They all seemed to lack the basic sense of humor that humanity came equipped with, it made being witty difficult. He nearly glanced at Gail again. Okay, her ability to make jokes and pop culture references is clearly a sign that she's not an angel. But whatever the hell an Eternal is, the fact that she tries to be funny doesn't make it any better. And he hated always being the butt of her jokes.
"Okay, chuckles." He said. "Even if there is a god, he is either dead, and that's the generous theory!"
"He is out there, Dean."
"Or," Dean continued, ignoring Castiel for the moment. "He's up and kicking and he doesn't give a rat's ass about any of us." Dean leaned forward leering into Castiel's eyes with smug satisfaction as he watched the angel's shoulders tighten. He knew he'd gotten under Castiel's skin with the last comment. Heh, he thought. Who knew Cas was suffering from abandonment issues? The angel's jaw twitched as he drew himself upward.
"There's a third theory." Gail called from where she leaned against the wall. She looked up from the magazine, her head titled, her fingers playing with the glossy corners. "He never existed at all."
"You're an atheist?" Sam asked in surprise as he glanced at her. "You? You work for Heaven!"
"So?" Gail replied with a shrug. "I believe there are gods, Sammy boy." She added after a moment of reflection. "I mean, Christ, I'm living with one." She patted her stomach in a strange manner as she spoke, and her expression as she looked down at it was almost fond. Sam found it all mildly creepy. But he had to be honest about his gut reactions, there was little about her that wasn't off putting and more than a little strange. "I just don't believe in the God, the one God and all powerful Maker of this and a billion other universes. That's all."
"I mean look around you, man!" Dean exclaimed as he walked past Castile and towards Bobby. He had this tingling suspicion in his shoulders that Sammy was already getting chummy with the crazy girl. Yeah, well, not like Ruby was a much better choice. That brought back bitter memories. "The world is in the toilet! We are literally at the end of days here and He's off somewhere drinking booze out of a coconut."
"Just like Merlin at the end of 'the Sword and the Stone'." Gail said. "Watch out he'll come racing back on his jet ski if you call for him loud enough, all sparkles, fireworks and thunderclouds." She paused and tapped her cheek. "I don't think she ever liked Merlin. Don't know if she knew him though, not personally anyway." Then she sighed, perhaps a little sadly. "Yet another figure of legend the world gets so horribly wrong. They always glorify the bad ones and forget the good ones. Life's not fair, is it?" She lifted her hand, pretending to hold a mouse by its tail, her voice sinking into a horrible Jeremy Irons impression. "I mean I, well I shall never be king, huh. And you shall never see the light of another day, hmm? And you."
"Would it kill you to try and be serious here?" Castile demanded as he rounded on her.
Gail rolled her eyes and stared at him. "Yes!" She put down her magazine and crossed her eyes. "Besides, didn't your father ever tell you not to play with your food?"
"I hardly see how that is relevant." Castiel replied. Expression hidden behind a large hand, Sam hid a smile.
"Damn Cas, I hate to say it but I'm with her!" Dean snapped. "Disney quotes and all!"
"Really?" Gail asked. "I find it hard to believe you've seen the light, dumb dumb. If you've really converted next time bring me gum gum."
This time Dean rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore her. "It's hard to take such a stupid idea seriously! Alright?"
"Enough!" Castiel snarled. "This is not a religious issue! It's strategic! With God's help, we can win."
"Yeah?" Gail asked. "Like every single army, the good Catholic Church, and every football team in the history of sports haven't said the exact same thing." She shrugged. "And look where most of them ended up. Asking for God's help never ends well, I mean how many prayers have people sent up to you angels? How many of them do you answer? I mean, someone in the Hierarchy's gotta be collecting on those, saving up on all that power. But I don't really remember too many angels lifting a finger to help either." She looked away. "But that's the way prayer works, they give, you receive, and you don't have to make a return on the investment."
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked. He glanced at her in surprise, he'd never heard prayer described that way.
"Prayer is simply a very ancient form of magic." Gail said. "The only one that the Catholic Church and those pesky, pesky Christians deemed ok when they started purging out the pagan stuff." She shrugged again. "For all its supposed holiness, that's just what it is, magical energy being sent up to those they worship. It's not any different from what the Pagans did, or what the other religions do now. You worship nature, your energy goes to nature, you worship the One God, your energy goes to his representative. It's just a commodity, Sam and those actual gods that do still exist rely on it. But for others, like her, it's just a helpful extra boost in the magical energies." She glanced at him, wearing another wry expression. "You never made that connection?"
"Stop it!" Castiel snarled. "I will not listen to your heresy."
"It's not heresy," Gail sighed. "It's Magical Theory 101, the ways magic can be tapped and implemented. You should have already gotten this lesson." Her mouth quirked into a sarcastic grin as her gaze swung to him. "Cas."
The angel was mildly impressed by how she managed to turn Dean's quirky, if sometimes insulting, nickname for him into a full-blown insult. But this is Mace's interface we are talking about. She was a strangely unusual one and he could tell that without his advanced senses. But beyond that Castiel couldn't tell. Unlike most humans, Mace had lived for a very long time and the defenses he had raised around himself were still superb. And he is using her to defer suspicion. But the girl too looked strange to Castiel's eyes, it was almost as if her soul was a piece of glass that had been smashed with a hammer and fractured into a thousand tiny bits. There was no fluidity to her, no sense of completeness, it left a bad taste in Castiel's mouth. She was carrying heavy scars from a previous life and Castiel was sure that the surface was only the beginning. Still, he was not strong enough prod without serious consequences and Castiel knew that he would need all his remaining strength for the days to come. He could not afford to waste any of it on this mystery. No matter how intriguing it was.
"Either way," Dean snapped. "And ignoring Eternal One's ridiculousness. It's a pipe dream, Cas."
"I killed two angels this week." Castiel growled taking a step forward. The pain of the deed was still present in his eyes and his intense stare. "My brothers, I'm hunted, I've rebelled, and I did it, all of it for you."
"Wow," Gail said with a clap of her hands. "Will the real gay lovers please stand up?" She pretended to shiver. "And I can just feel the tension soaring. Why don't you two just kiss already and get it over with?" Gail added with a smile. "Get a room, light some incense, take a bath, you know, the works."
"You don't seriously believe that?" Sam asked. He glanced at her. In that moment she'd reminded him a bit too much of his own personal fan. "About Cas and Dean…" He trailed off, not really wanting to think about it. Angels didn't have the proper gear anyway, so it wouldn't work out. At least, he hoped not.
"I swear!" Gail rolled her eyes for the final time, falling back against the wall in disgust. "You two are the biggest pair of ninnies I've ever met! And that's counting a succubus, all my exes and the roommate who tried to eat my soul!" She lifted her hands, tucking them behind her head, closing her eyes with a sigh. "And by the way, none of those stories ended happily for me."
"Didn't think they would have." Was all Sam could think of to respond.
Succubus? Roommate that tried to eat her soul? What the hell was she talking about? Sam knew this would require further investigation, but he also understood that this was not the time. But I sure am gonna question her a later date. If she had any supernatural experiences she wasn't sharing, Sam wanted to know. It'll be good to have a full understanding of her capabilities. In case they ever needed to stand against her. Maybe even find out what she is and how to kill her. He hated thinking like that, but the end of the world had begun and Sam couldn't afford to take chances.
"And you failed." Castiel said, ignoring Gail and Sam. "You and your brother destroyed the world!"
"Cut 'em some slack." Gail sighed as she watched Sam's face fall. "It's not like this is the first time, Cas. And it certainly won't be the last." She glanced at the three hunters and after another short pause added. "Though these three will probably be dead by the time the next one rolls around." She shrugged. "Or maybe they'll be unlucky and get conscripted, or get reborn as fleas for their failure."
"Does she ever shut up?" Dean muttered. He knew that Cas was trying to be serious, to impress upon them the seriousness of the situation, but Gail's blasé attitude unnerved him. She made it feel like it wasn't all that bad, wasn't all that important. Yeah, but she wanted one. His mind snapped back. And she probably doesn't care that half the planet is about to be torched, or that millions, maybe billions of innocents are going to die. Dean was certain that the young woman just didn't care and deep down that horrified him. He stared into Castiel's eyes.
"And I lost everything!" The angel hissed, his voice lowering to a near whisper, the ache of his loss plain, the weight of it hanging heavy around his shoulders. "For nothing!" He glared at Dean for another few moments and watched the young human swallow, his eyes searching Castiel's face. He knew Dean had never seen him this angry before, but the truth was that Castiel had never felt this mad, this sense of betrayal and loss. Not since the angels who rebelled with Lucifer were judged and cast down into Perdition. "So," he continued. "Keep your opinions to yourself!"
"And her?" Dean jabbed his thumb back at Gail. "You gonna give her the same speech?"
Castiel sucked in a deep, heady breath, trying to calm himself. "She, at least, is attached to someone who knows." He said. "Who knows what an Apocalypse is and what it means. She knows, Dean, she knows what is to come. While I am disgusted by the way she revels in it, I cannot begrudge her comments or those of the girl he, or perhaps now he truly has become a she, is riding. That girl suffers more than you realize, any fool could see that, and if she has not gone insane yet, she soon will. That is her fate, as it is the fate of all Interfaces. They were born into this world together Dean and they will die together. The girl is aware of that and what she suffers, you cannot understand. But her suffering is why I can accept what she says."
"What?" Dean asked. He didn't get it. I thought Castiel hated her? At the very least, the angel seemed to deeply dislike her. Like I do. He didn't want Gail to come along, but he couldn't see any good way to ditch her. Castiel's quick turn around was unnerving. He glanced over at Gail again. She didn't seem to be taking any of this that hard.
Finally, Bobby spoke from his chair. He sounded tired, his voice carrying a wince of pain as he shifted in his blue bathrobe, hands resting in his lap. "You didn't just drop in to tear us a new hole."
"Fun as it was to watch." Gail cut in.
The smile on her lips was amused and she tilted her head, watching as Bobby Singer shook his grizzled, old head in disgust. She did feel a little bad about the time it would take for him to feel, but not so bad that she was willing to attempt it again. The first round had been hard enough. She'd nearly made mistakes that might have cost him his life. Or turned him into the living dead. Made him reborn through death, though the dying first part wouldn't have been pleasant.
You were a fool to try. Mace's voice echoed from deep inside her.
Thought you were napping. She replied. I told you, I can handle this.
Oh, I have absolute faith in you kid. Never fear. The deep voice rumbled in an amused chuckle at the back of her mind and Gail felt her alter ego swell closer to the surface.
She knew though, that Mace would not take over her fully. The Eternal was still to weak for that. The few times that he, she, Gail could never really keep his gender straight. Their interface connection was patched and broken, anything but standard. Gail knew that if it were working properly she would not be thinking of herself as two separate people. They were supposed to be one with no discernable differences. But between the injuries he'd suffered at the hands of his fellows and the hack job they'd narrowly escaped from, she supposed that this was as good as it was going to get. Not that she would ever tell her traveling companions any of this. She doubted she would ever tell them the whole story, or the whole truth.
I simply don't trust the Fallen angel cake. Bland as he is, an angel is still a great threat. Mace's voice was deep, like fallen rocks shifting and grating together in the deepest depths of a forgotten cave. His voice was shadowed and masculine. She knew that deep he still perceived himself as male even though circumstances had trapped him into being a woman. While she was comfortable enough in this shape, she knew that he was not. Sometimes, he was simply too different for her to think of as herself. You should be careful.
Aren't I always? She asked, her mental tone cheeky. Inside her mind she felt Mace's tail swing up out of the darkness, the way it always did when he was either irritated or in an oddly good mood, and she prepared to take the hit. But it stopped a few inches from her and she heard him laugh, his voice changing to speak in hissing whispers that she did not understand. But she knew he was cursing, Mace was always doing that, the question was just the language and how vile the obscenities. She was glad that he never chose to curse heavily in her own tongue. It was a kindness of a sort.
Very funny, kidlet. Came the response. I am watching you. Then he faded and disappeared down into the darkness.
She wondered if he was sleeping again or if he was initiating self-repairs. In their first few years together he'd spent most of his time focused on her injuries and dismantling the traps and control mechanisms that Fade, another Eternal, had installed a little less than six hundred years ago. She knew that Mace had mostly done it for himself, when he'd woken he'd been nearly mad from trauma, betrayal and loss. The same things she'd been feeling. But Mace gave me my life back.
Even if his waking had forced her to slowly abandon the one she'd had. I'm grateful for that. Yes, Gail was truly grateful and she was sure that meant she'd played right into his claws. After all, in the end she was he and he was she. They were one and separate. And if they were going to survive they needed each other. But Gail knew one thing, Mace never told her the whole truth. Often she could tell what was and what was not, but she'd dug through his memories, she knew he was a charmer, a silver tongued liar. Gail was sure some of them slipped past her, when she could even get him to talk. But she knew what he'd promised her and knew what she wanted more than anything: revenge.
With Mace though, besides his obvious injuries, he never felt truly angry about what happened. No, it wasn't revenge, the cold fire the burned in Gail's breast, if he was to take one it would not get in the way of his duty. Mace had his own strange, alien, code of honor, one that he followed without question and willingly bent to fit his needs. In his fathomless depths she understood that duty came first, always. The job was his distraction. It was all he had to keep him going. He lived in constant pain and as he did, so did she. Though he did his best to shield her from it. That was his honor and perhaps a bit of kindness. But where he was kind to her, himself, she also understood the realities. His devotion to honor was the only thing keeping the Winchesters safe and even that was a thin and delicate thread. Poor boys, she thought. They're doomed.
The only answer she received was hard and heavy laughter.
"What do you want?" Bobby finished.
He glanced at the girl, but Gail was spacing out again. He wondered if she did that a lot. Kid's pretty much a flake, it was creepy enough hearin' her argue with herself in the third person, referrin' to Mace. Kiddo's pretty batty, but I can't deny she's seven kinds of powerful. Never met a witch like her, if a witch is what she is. The boys had said the angels sent her, but from what Bobby could see she didn't seem to like them all that much. Discord amongst co-workers, eh? Then there was that cock and bull line of bullshit about shards and alternate universes. It ain't a question o' whether she believed it. Question is, is it true? Bobby doubted that.
"I did come for something." Castiel said. He was ignoring Gail, his intent gaze focused on Dean. Finally, he let it drop and glanced at Bobby. "An amulet."
"An amulet?" Bobby repeated, his voice questioning. He wasn't sure what it meant or why Castiel had come to them in search of it. He didn't think any of them possessed an amulet and if Gail was the one who did, Bobby doubted that the strange girl would give it up. "What kind?"
"Very rare," Castiel said with a shift of his shoulders. "Very powerful. It burns hot in God's presence, it'll help me find him."
Gail looked up, her expression hooded and thoughtful. But despite wanting to, said nothing and simply leaned back against the wall. Speaking with Mace was much easier than spending time with these men who called themselves "Hunters". To her it was a term loosely given, especially considering than none of them seemed to know much about the magic arts, a useful skill when hunting monsters.
Silently, she shut her eyes and leaned back, hoping for a moment that a dreamless sleep might come. She was so very tired. Can't lose sight of the charge. If he got away from her she'd probably never hear the end of it. She could keep going. But this whole exchange is pretty ridiculous. She could tell that Castiel was one of those angels who'd been genuinely taken in by the Hierarchy's line of bullshit and she felt a little sorry for him. But not much, most of the time she hurt too much to feel anything. This has got to be the lamest assignment ever! She heard a chuckle from deep inside her, apparently, her wise all knowing other self disagreed. You don't think so? Does this mean it's story time?
No.
"A God EMF?" Sam asked. He glanced at Gail, wondering where she'd lost her snappy come back. The girl's eyes were glazed ever so slightly and there was an odd smile on her face, it was like she was listening to a voice only she could hear. No, that's not creepy. At least Ruby had never done that. Slowly, Sam watched the angel nod.
"Well, I don't know what you're talking about." Bobby said. "I got nothing like that."
"No," Castiel said. "You don't." He turned towards Dean, his gaze dropping to the small bronze trinket that the eldest Winchester always wore around his neck. The good luck charm his brother Sammy had given him one lonely Christmas Eve. It had been a gift meant for their father, one that Dean still treasured deeply. It was a sign of his connection to Sam and the trust that had been lost between them. "May I borrow it?"
"No!" Dean's voice came out in a seething growl.
"Dean," Castiel said. "Give it to me."
"Wow," Gail murmured. "Deus ex Machina in action." She chuckled. "And to think I said that there was no god."
Dean glared at her, then glanced back at Castiel. Her ridiculing him wasn't making it any easier to part with such a treasured possession. He stared at Castiel for several long moments, dropping his gaze, and then looking up at him again. He opened his mouth to ask why and then remembered Castiel's earlier speech. The angel had placed so much faith in him, how could he not do the same? "Fine." He grumbled, taking off the necklace and handing it to the angel. Castiel reached for it, but Dean tugged it back, lifting it to dangle in the air between them. It was a solemn promise. "Don't," Dean said. "Don't lose it." He watched Castiel nod in agreement and then placed it in the angel's hand. With reverence, Castiel took it, gazing down in awe, and, for the first time, with hope. "Great," Dean grumbled, pulling his lapel up around his neck. "Now I feel naked."
"Funny." Gail said from across the room. "I can arrange that reality for you, if you want."
"You want to see me naked?" Dean asked. He was a little surprised. He hadn't thought that she was that into him.
"Not like that!" She laughed. "Strip you and leave you prancing around the hospital thinking you were wearing new clothes? Yes, that I would do. It'd be hilarious."
Dean shivered. He got the feeling that she was completely serious. And she'd enjoy it. What else did he need to prove she was evil? Her absolute lack of a conscience gives it away. "Now I really feel naked." He muttered, turning back to Castiel.
"I'll be in touch." Castiel said. Dean turned away, rolling his eyes, he knew the drill, a flap of wings and a vanishing trick, a little gust of wind, then he, Bobby, and Sam would be all alone with his new bodyguard. It surprised him though, when Castiel turned and added one more farewell. "Do not break them while I'm gone."
"Oh come on," Gail smiled. "A little death will be good for them and it's not like your superiors won't bring them back. After all, they are vital to your little war effort, aren't they?"
"It is not my war effort." Castiel replied. "And the warning stands, they are not your playthings."
"And if you don't listen to my warning great evil shall befall you." Gail replied with a yawn. "Blah, blah, blah, play a new tune on that horn, okay? I already know about the box, Cas. I can hardly think of a punishment worse than that." Castiel did not reply, there was simply a flap of wings and then he was gone. Gail sighed loudly. "Angels, always ones for the fancy entrances and exits. Waste of time if you ask me, he could have just walked out." She lifted her fingers. "But no, that wouldn't be mysterious. Ooooh."
Dean sighed loudly. "Okay, how much to have to pay to get you to shut up?"
"You think you can bribe me?" Gail asked, her eyes wide in feigned shock. "Dean! Is that really what you think of me? That I can be so easily bought by a few dollar bills? Is that all my help is worth to you?"
"So, that's a no." Dean groaned, rubbing his temples. She was already giving him a headache.
"Darn tootin'." Gail nodded. "You're my charge, I can't leave you unattended. Oh, it's going to be so much fun." She clapped her hands together in mock glee, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "We'll sleep together, go to the restroom together, hell if you're lucky maybe we'll even bathe together! We're gonna be closer than bosom buddies! The best of friends! I will always be beside you, ready to give me complete and honest opinion."
"In other words she's turning you into her butt monkey, Dean." Sam said with an easy smile. It was sort of nice to see his brother so easily unsettled by a woman. One he was in no way attracted to.
"It will be a fun and interesting ride." She smiled.
"And I'm going to hate every last minute of it." Dean growled. What would he have to do to get this woman to leave him alone?
It was in that moment that Bobby received a call. "Hello?"
"Bobby?" It was the voice of old man Rufus on the other line. The Hunter that Dean had spoken too before his deal came due and he was dragged down to hell. Rufus was one of the only men that Dean knew of who had shaken loose from a demon deal. But the old black hunter had paid a terrible price for that freedom, one he had not divulged. In any event, Dean had not broken free of his deal like the cagey older hunter and went to hell. But this time the tables were turned; it was Rufus who was in trouble now. "Bobby can you hear me?"
Over the static there was sounds of heavy breathing and gunshots.
"I can't hear you." Bobby said into his cell.
"I…need… little help…" Came through. "Seems I'm up to my ass in demons. The whole town is infested." Rufus's voice came out quick and breathless, he was clearly tired, and he sounded strained. "Hang on…just hang on…"
"Where are you?" Bobby all but shouted into the phone.
"…Colorado…" Came through the phone.
"Colorado?" Bobby asked. "Where in Colorado?" The static was almost too thick for him to make out the words, but Bobby finally made out the name of the town. "River Pass? River Pass, Colorado?"
"River Pass!' Rufus shouted.
"Rufus?" Bobby asked. "Are you there?" He could barely hear any voice over all the static. "Rufus?"
"Bobby there's—"
The last thing Bobby heard through the phone was the sound of a shotgun being fired at close range. Moments later everything was gone and the phone only buzzed with static. Then the line went dead. Bobby stared at the phone for a few seconds, the concerned gazes of both Winchesters on him and Gail Olivia Sparks watching them with ambivalence, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Guess that means we're going to River Pass." Dean said after several moments of silence. "See what's goin' down and figure out how to yank Rufus's ass out of the fire."
"Oh yay," Gail sighed. "A road trip. I call shotgun!" Sam and Dean stared at her in disbelief, their mouths partially gaping as they gazed at her small round face. "What?" She asked. "Don't you employ the ancient and decisive method of the shotgun call?"
Dean shook his head vigorously. He hated the idea of bringing her with them. But she might actually be handy in a fight. "Fine, fine," he grumbled. "Town full of demons should give you a good chance to prove yourself."
"Prove myself," she snorted. "You want me to prove myself?' She began laughing, gripping her stomach as she barreled over, her eyes growing wet with tears. "Me? Ha!"
Dean wondered why she found that comment so funny. She was the stranger in the group, she was the one who had to prove whether or not she had the chops for the job. Her earlier beat down of them could have been a fluke, though Dean wasn't entirely sure where she'd gotten the sword or where it had gone. He knew he'd have to ask her about that. "Whatever," he sighed. "And you're riding in the back."
"Well that's a bit callous, don't you think?" She said. "And you would dishonor the shotgun tradition in the same breath? What kind of foul monster are you?"
"I could ask the same." Dean grumbled.
"Sam?" Gail turned to his brother, widening her eyes and linking her hands woefully behind her back. She tilted her head to the side and stared up at him. Her eyes shifted for a moment and met his, brown on brown, and something passed between them. "Would you deny me shotgun?"
"Uh, no, I mean, sure." Sam stuttered. His heart was suddenly racing and he was sweating. All of a sudden he found her very charming and attractive. Who was he to deny what she wanted? Sam swallowed and shook his head. He stared at her in shock. What had she done to him? "You can sit in front."
"Yay!" She smiled, smacking him on the arm. "You're a real pal. See you boys outside!"
"Wait!" Dean yelled as he followed her. "I'm the driver and I say you're sitting in the back." Bewildered, Sam hurried after them after saying a quick goodbye to Bobby. He was sorry that the old man wouldn't be going with them, but knew it was better this way.
Bobby watched, irritated and depressed as the three left. Finally, after they'd disappeared down the hall, he wheeled himself around to stare out the window. "Those boys are doomed." He sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't the demons awaiting them that he feared, but their traveling companion. "Completely doomed."
A/N: A long chapter, very long, these characters just seemed to run away with me this time. I don't know what to say, but I hoped you enjoyed it.
Thank you for reading.
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Feed the muse!