Chapter Fifteen : I'll Give it Back
Grace sat up cross legged on Crowley's and her tiny bed. She watched Crowley stare into the cracked mirror in front of him as he adjusted his tie.
Actually their bed wasn't really a bed at all. It was just a lumpy mattress that they'd managed to position on top of two large wooden palettes. They only had their comforter and two paper-thin pillows. No sheets, Grace just hoped that the mattress was as clean as Crowley tried to insist it was.
They were stuck in an old large house that's front door was littered with foreclosure, condemnation, and no trespassing notices.
Thankfully there were no neighbors so at least no one would notice Crowley and she slipping in and out of the house.
The big house looked as though it had been quite magnificent at one point but time hadn't been kind to the home. The house's rooms weren't all usable The wooden floors creaked suspiciously and the wallpaper had seen better days. There was graffiti on the walls and over the occasional window. They didn't dare to go upstairs out of fear of the decaying wood floors collapsing below them.
The old house had very little useable furniture so they were trying to make use with what they had. Just a cooler to store the very little food and drink they still had. Two cheap lawn chairs, a wooden chest which they were using as a dining room table and well their only table. Their only light source were a couple of battery powered lanterns. The bathtub was filthy and stained and the water was freezing and slightly dirty ,but at least the toilet seemed to be in working condition so far though every time they flushed they had to refill the bowl with a little bit of bottled water.
It was sort of like camping Grace kept trying to tell herself. The only problem was that she hated camping.
She ran her hands along her exposed legs trying to make the goosebumps disappear.
Their current hideout was freezing though Crowley kept trying to tell her that it would feel far worse if they were human beings. Still though she couldn't stand being so cold. The heater didn't work and the electricity was shifty so they couldn't get the little space heater they'd bought a month ago to work.
Crowley finally spoke when he noticed that Grace had a frown on her face. "Are you going to give me dirty looks all day long ?"
"Only when you agree that I'm right." Grace blurted out hoping that she could somehow reason with him. Talk him out of this whole stupid plan of his.
Crowley shook his head as he turned to face her. "I know what I'm doing Gracie."
She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Stealing Bobby Singer's soul is going to get us both killed."
"Actually it's going to do just the opposite. The Winchesters wont touch us as long as we have Bobby's soul in our back pocket. It's not stealing...we're just going to borrow it for a while. I'm going to give it back to him once the Winchesters get rid of Lucifer. Once I know we're safe Bobby can have his soul back." Crowley insisted.
Grace glared at him knowing that she really should try to talk him out of such a crazy plan. He did have a point though even though she hated to admit it.
They did need some form of insurance, some type of leverage to hold over the Winchesters. Without it nothing would stop the Winchesters from offing the both of them once they were finished with them.
The Winchesters were the enemy. They were hunters and hunters killed Crowley and Grace's kind. They were a threat and it was best to have leverage against an enemy.
And this was their only option. They needed all four of those rings. They needed to force Lucifer back into his cage.
They had no other option to guarantee their safety. Bobby Singer's soul was their only playing card.
Crowley watched her as she narrowed her eyes obviously running over his plan in her head. Weighing out the pros and cons.
He rolled his eyes as he realized that Grace was still dressed in the clothing she'd slept in the night before, one of his black button down shirts, and a pair of barely there cotton shorts. A sight that he usually enjoyed immensely.
It was almost as though she was trying to stall him by refusing to get dressed. He waved his hand at her changing her clothing for her from her sleeping clothes into one of the dresses he had bought her, black of course. She huffed and glared at him unhappy with his little trick.
He smirked shaking his head slightly as he spoke ignoring her pouting. "As much as I love the sight of you in my shirt, I don't quite think that outfit would have been a good choice for our negotiations with Singer. Or well maybe it would have if that's the type of sells angle you were going for."
He sighed seeing that she was still glaring at him. She was far too stubborn for her own good. Then again wasn't that part of the reason he loved her so.
Crowley sat down beside her before he leaned in pressing a kiss to her forehead moving his lips downwards until he reached her lips. He kissed her deeply for only a moment before he pulled away speaking to her. "You know I would never do anything if I thought it would put us in more danger. You're the only one I care about. It's my goal to keep us safe. How many times am I going to have to tell you to trust me ?"
Grace sighed as she responded to him. "I'm sorry...I know you're doing this for us. It just...seems like such a bad idea. I mean how do you know this Bobby Singer guy isn't going to shoot first ask questions later ?"
She felt her stomach drop as he responded to her smirking slightly. "Oh I expect he will darling."
Well this should go over just swell.
Grace cringed as Bobby Singer spun around in his wheelchair a pistol in hand. Bobby eyed the two mysterious people standing in his kitchen. A middle aged man in a nice suit and a young woman who looked to be barely in her twenties in a knee length black sweater dress.
Grace cringed even more as Crowley spoke sarcasm in his voice. "Charming."
She glared at him trying to get the point across that you didn't want to be a smart ass to a man with a pistol.
But he ignored her as he spoke again. "The names Crowley."
Bobby frowned as a look of realization came over his face. "You're Crowley ?"
"Yes in the flesh...of a moderately successful literary agent out of New York." Crowley responded confidence clear in his voice.
"And whose meatsuit is she wearing ?" Bobby asked motioning to Grace.
She let out a quiet sigh of relief as Crowley answered for her lying through his teeth. "Some college freshmen from where was it love ?"
Grace quickly spoke up going along with the lie. "Louisiana."
Crowley nodded his head a little proud that she was able to lie so quickly and so well. "Anyway on with business."
"And what business is that ?" Bobby asked still not lowering his pistol.
Grace gasped as Bobby fired the pistol it hitting Crowley in the left arm. She reached for Crowley as he examined the wound a small smile on his face as the bullet pushed it's way out of his skin.
Grace widened her eyes amazed at what was taking place in front of her. Crowley spoke up looking back to Bobby. "That doesn't work on us and I liked this suit. Anyway as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted the boys are on to ring number three. We still need number four. And I'm here to help."
Bobby placed the pistol in his lap as he rolled his wheelchair closer to the two demons. "You know where death is ?"
Crowley began to dab his suit with his silk handkerchief trying to at least get at least a little bit of the blood out while it was still fresh. He finally spoke answering Bobby. "No haven't got the foggiest."
Bobby reached over to the table beside him pulling out a rifle and pointing it at Crowley. "Then get the hell of my property before I blast you both so full of rock salt that you crap margaritas."
Crowley shook his head ignoring Grace's panicked face. "Now that's unfriendly seeing as I could be getting you death's exact location in the time it takes you to reload."
"And how would you do that ? Are you two are just going to chat some demons up and hope they don't recognize you ?" Bobby asked sarcasm clear in his voice.
Crowley sighed as he responded. "Of course not that could get us killed. But there is this little spell that I know. The results are a hundred percent guaranteed"
"Then why is it you're snake oiling me ?" Bobby asked suspicious of Crowley and Grace's true intentions.
"Well you see I need this...well it's embarrassing but we need a little something from you to get the magic started." Crowley responded stepping forward.
Bobby raised his rifle as he spoke. "Uh huh and that is ?"
"You just make a wish. I can give you anything you want mate up to and including death's location. And all I need is.."
"My soul." Bobby stated finishing the sentence for him.
Crowley smirked slightly as he spoke. "Yes I've done far more with much less...let's just say when some people are winning their Grammys they shouldn't really be thanking god. It's worth it Bobby just think."
"Well here's my counter." Bobby said as he fired the rifle causing Crowley to fall back as a bullet hit his gut.
Crowley yelped a little taken back by the rock salt stinging his wound. He hadn't had to deal with the pain of salt in such a long while. He was thankful for his abilities to heal. Being King of the Crossroads had its perks.
Grace kneeled down beside him cringing at the pained look on Crowley's face. She grasped his hand trying to at least comfort him a little as the rock salt caused the wound to steam and sting.
Crowley stood up after a moment once he recovered. He shook his head spoke. "You know this was my favorite suit..."
He let go of Grace's hand as he disappeared only to reappear behind Bobby. The man spun his wheelchair around as Crowley spoke."I will give it right back."
"Do I look like a natural-born idjit to you ?" Bobby asked glaring as he lowered his rifle.
Crowley raised an eyebrow tempted to say yes, but he held back his snark as he responded. "No quite the opposite actually. You are right to be suspicious but Grace and I here are your allies enemy of my enemy and all that. We need the devil back in his cage. In fact my ass depends on it."
Bobby narrowed his eyes as he considered his options. Crowley spoke seeing that Bobby was close to giving in. "I promise. It's a temporary loan. We will give it right back."
Bobby sighed considering his options. He knew that he really didn't have another choice. Crowley could get death's location. This was the last chance to stop the apocalypse. "Fine."
Crowley smiled glad that the deal was finally closed. "Wonderful. Now a deal does require a kiss."
He didn't give Bobby a chance to respond as he leaned down locking lips with the other man. Grace frowned feeling quite awkward about this whole situation.
And she wasn't the only one Bobby was cringing struggling to pull away. Crowley finally released Bobby from the kiss but not before he took a picture with his iPhone. Perfect to taunt Bobby and the Winchesters with later.
Crowley went back over to Grace pressing a kiss to her cheek before he spoke far too cheerful. "Lovely doing business with you."
And with that Crowley and Grace disappeared before Bobby had a chance to fire another shot.
Grace sat straddling Crowley's lap as she rocked against him. He sat up holding her tight against him their lips locked in a deep kiss. The only sound in the room was their heavy breathing and the occasional squeaky moan from Grace as she pulled away from his kisses.
She spoke up so close to release. "I love you."
He grunted as he managed to speak. "Love you too. Love you so much."
He slid his hands down her body settling them at her hips as he got her to rock a little faster. She let out a shaking moan her body tensing as she hit her climax.
It only took the sound of her moans and the sight of her head thrown back her eyes squeezed tightly shut for Crowley to hit his release as well. His hips shot up as he growled and cursed under his breath.
He fell back settling against the lumpy mattress. Grace collapsed on top of him her body still shaking as she tried to recover. He ran his hand up and down her sweat damped back as he spoke. "I love you."
She smiled sleepily not helping but to love the sound of that sentence. "I love you too baby."
He chuckled as she moved off of him settling down in bed beside him. "Again with the baby thing ?"
She smirked as they pulled the comforter up covering their nude bodies. "Would you prefer Sugar or cupcake or oh I know honeybun ?"
He rolled his eyes huffing slightly. "Let's just stick with baby."
Grace sighed the deal that had taken place earlier once again crossing her mind. "Are you sure we did the right thing earlier ?"
"Darling our definition of right is a little skewed." Crowley responded pulling her closer against him.
She frowned at him as he gave her a serious answer. "Yes of course Gracie. It's going to all be okay I promise you. Just think about the future."
She sighed not helping but to think that the future was a little scary. Crowley apparently knew just what she was thinking as he spoke up. "I'm going to give you the most amazing life you could ever dream of I promise. Any home that you want will be ours. You can decorate it however you want. We'll have the finest of everything. Me being King will give us so many opportunities."
Grace gave him a small smile knowing that he was just trying to soothe her, keep her mind occupied. "What about hell ?"
"We'll figure that out love. I'll go down there before you ever do. I'll change so many things downstairs. I'm thinking of replacing good old fashioned torture with a line that never ends. I may expand punishment to other things eventually. Maybe a root canal that never seems to end." He stated a proud smile on his face as he announced his plans.
He sighed seeing that she obviously wasn't exactly enjoying discussing his future plans for hells inmates as much as he was. "I'll give us a nice living space in hell. It'll be all ready for you by the time you come downstairs. I'll teach you everything you need to know about helping me run hell. You'll be a pro before you know it."
She nodded trying to trust him. He seemed quite sure of himself. So sure about these plans.
Grace just hoped that one day they wouldn't have the threat of the apocalypse hanging over their heads. She just wanted the two of them to have a normal life...well as much of a normal life as they could manage...or a normal afterlife technically.
She closed her eyes ready to go to sleep. The whole life or afterlife debate was giving her a headache.
Crowley ran his hand up and down her back as she drifted off to sleep. He felt his own eyes begin to grow heavy as he made a silent promise to himself. He would make her happy. She would see. He would give her everything.