Come Together, Right Now

Jesse's eyes opened slowly. The world around him blurred and the edges of his vision were dark. He watched swirls of dust rising from the silver bricks that he was laying on. They gradually came into focus and he took in a halting, painful lungful of air. He winced and his hand moved automatically to his side as he felt a stab of pain there. A rib was broken, most probably.

His thoughts began to clear with his vision. The last he recalled, he had let loose with everything at the Angel and the Demon, but the power he had released had somehow gone haywire; way too much, and way too out of control. It was much more than he had ever believed himself capable of wielding. It had burst from him and engulfed the Angel and the Demon. He frowned, remembering. The blast had carried through and past them, hitting Gabriel and Suriel as well. Jesse drew in another painful breath through his teeth, fear coursing through him. He stumbled forward to the spot where they had been standing, catching himself with his hand a couple of times as his legs couldn't hold him upright.

The swirling and settling dust came to rest over a wrecked body. Jesse squinted at the form, and the blackened wings stretching out to either side and knelt down beside it, gently turning it's head towards him.

Gabriel.

The Archangel's glassy eyes stared back at him, lifeless. Jesse closed his eyes for a second and whispered a silent apology. He shot his head back up and looked around, trying to find Suriel, the Angel, the Demon, anyone. He saw some shadows moving from the direction he had come from and unsteadily got to his feet, his hand out to his side. He summoned his power again, this time wary of only summoning a little, frightened that he would release another cataclysm if he wasn't careful.

He walked towards the movement, also turning his head slowly left and right, making sure he wasn't ambushed from the sides. His visibility was severely limited in the mist.

As he got closer, his vigil began to relax as he could make out the forms in more detail. It was the Heralds. He saw no sign of the Angel or the Demon anywhere. Most of the teens were helping each other off of the ground, as they appeared badly shaken, but not seriously injured. Jesse counted his blessings that they were out of the way of the blast at least, standing behind him.

"Is everyone allright?", he called out when he was just a few feet away. A few heads turned to him through the smoke.

"Jesse?", came Leon's voice tentatively from the group, a lean, shorter figure walked towards him and stopped just short of him. Leon met Jesse's eyes and shook his head, looking around after a few seconds.

"Man, I'm glad you're OK and all, but what the hell was that back there? You do that?"

Jesse nodded and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

"Yeah...yeah, I guess I did," he replied hoarsely.

Leon let out a low whistle. "Damn, Damien...man, remind me not to get on your bad side. No joke." Leon kept looking around him and finally settled his gaze back on Jesse. He shrugged.

"Looks like you totaled the place," Leon said softly. "Any sign of...?"

Jesse shook his head. "No. They're gone. I did find...Gabriel, though," Jesse answered, looking down at the ground.

"Dead?", Leon asked matter-of-factly.

Jesse nodded and looked up. "I just...I hope to hell I took those two with him." He looked down at his hands. "I don't understand."

"Don't understand what?", Leon asked, cocking his head to the side.

"That...that level of power. It was...I dunno, amplified somehow. I've never wielded that kind of power before." He frowned and looked around him. "Maybe it's this place. I dunno."

Leon nodded slowly. "Jesse? I don't want to remind you like this, man, but this is kinda exactly what that power was supposed to be used for, wasn't it?"

Jesse felt sick. Leon was right. The power of the cambrion was supposed to lay waste to the Hosts of Heaven. And that, apparently, was exactly what he had just done.

"You sure you're OK, man?". Leon asked after Jesse stayed silent for awhile.

Jesse shook his head to clear it. "Yeah...yeah, I guess I have to be, huh?" He looked around at the other six teens, who were all back to their feet. "We need to get out of here," he said looking around. His eyes came to rest on Sarah, the bookish girl that Leon had told him about back at Joshua's mansion. Her hair was messed up and a large crack ran through the left lens of her glasses. She stared back at him.

"Yeah?", she finally said, her voice full of defiance.

Jesse flinched involuntarily. But he wasn't surprised. They were all on the darker side of hostile anyway in their little band. Probably why they were recruited in the first place.

"You can open portals, right?", Jesse asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sarah nodded.

"Think you can open one back to Earth?"

"Crowley?", Castiel asked, standing in the open doorway to Crowley's office. Crowley looked up from his desk. He had a few books open in front of him, and a satchel lay packed on the floor next to him, ready to go.

Crowley's eyes raised up from the book and regarded Castiel. "Yes, Castiel?"

"When you said that you were going to 'take their toys away from them', what were you talking about?"

Crowley closed the book slowly and leaned forward on the desk, studying the Angel. "Why are you asking, Castiel?", he asked, head slightly turning.

Castiel looked down, then back. "I...you weren't talking about the Heralds, were you?"

Crowley grimaced. "Why should that matter?", he asked Castiel, his expression still curious.

"They're just kids, Crowley. Confused, they don't know what they're mixed up in."

Crowley stood up and moved from behind the desk. He came to stand in front of Castiel and cocked his head to the side. "Those confused kids are extremely dangerous, Castiel. They're going to be the new Archangels. You are aware of that, right?"

Castiel met his gaze steadily. "They're kids, Crowley," he answered, his voice full of warning.

"You think I'm not aware of that?", "Crowley answered. "Let me ask you this, then Castiel – don't you think that our Angel and Demon friends are aware of that as well?" Castiel frowned down at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Crowley sighed heavily. "It means that I don't think that you have considered that's exactly why our friends used teenagers as their new recruits, Castiel. It means I think they knew that this is exactly how you would react to confronting them. You would hesitate, and in doing so, make no mistake, those kids would kill you, Castiel."

Castiel blinked and opened his mouth to respond, but could think of no argument. Instead he stared furiously to the side.

"Look, Castiel," Crowley said finally, sighing again. "Don't blame yourself, it's an absolutely perfect strategy. Not only did they know that you'd be unwilling to attack them, but teenagers are a perfect target for offers of power. They're not experienced enough to think of the consequences and turn it down. Trust me, I know. They're the main source of currency in the Crossroads Demon business."

Castiel looked back at him, eyes narrowed. "You never went after teenagers."

Crowley shrugged, moving back to sit down behind the desk. "No challenge. I have pride in my work, Castiel, unlike some other Demons." He frowned, steepling his fingers and putting his feet up on the desk. "Don't worry, though, Castiel, they weren't what I was talking about."

Castiel nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "What was it, then?"

"The portals to Purgatory. We need to find a way to close them again, breaking the connection."

"Is there actually a way to do that?", Castiel asked, moving to the desk and looking down at the books.

"That's what I need to find out," Crowley grumbled. "From this side, unfortunately not. It's like that little wanker Joshua said, they are linked three times, and permanently open."

"This side?"

Crowley nodded. "This side. But the other...", he swung the book around so Castiel could see the text that he was reading. It was a collection of information about the hierarchies of the Old Ones. Castiel raised an eyebrow.

"You're...going to try to close the door from the Realm of the Old Ones?", Castiel asked, incredulous. "Crowley, even if there was a way to do that, you could never get in. They'd rip you apart."

Crowley nodded again. "Oh yes, you are quite correct. But I wouldn't be the one going there."

Castiel frowned. "You...you want me to go?"

Crowley smiled from behind his fingers. "You think you'd do better than me?" Castiel watched him and Crowley shook his head. "No, no, Castiel, not you either. Let's just say that I have a way in there...and at least a...semi-willing accomplice to pull of this particular act of sabotage."

"Crowley, what are you talking about? Who?"

Crowley huffed out heavily. "Promise not to get mad?"

"Crowley..."

Crowley held out his palms up in surrender. "OK, ok, but try to keep this in perspective. That's all I ask for." He studied Castiel's face carefully and cautiously before continuing. He raised his eyebrows and looked down at the desk.

"Do you remember the Old One that we...er...killed back in New Orleans? The first one, I mean, back in the swamp."

"Yes...", Castiel answered slowly, watching Crowley warily.

"Well, what if I told you that it wasn't completely dead...?"

Castiel's mouth opened a bit and hung there. "Crowley...did you...?"

Crowley shrugged. "What? So? I thought it would be important to study it, Castiel." He looked back up, his features stern. "And don't go telling me it wasn't a good idea, either," he continued, pointing a finger at him. "Now we can use it to go over to the other side and close those damned Portals."

Castiel's mouth closed and his brow furrowed in question. "What...how? How can...are you telling me that you can control that thing...?"

"Well...'control' might be pushing it a bit..." Crowley answered hesitantly. "But, you know how you can tap into an Angel's thoughts with the right, um, shall we say, acupuncture treatments?"

"Yes, please don't remind me," grumbled Castiel.

"Sorry," Crowley replied. "Well, same principle. But I can give it basic suggestions. Targets, if you will."

Castiel nodded and walked a few paces away, looking at the ceiling. He turned back to Crowley finally and crossed his arms. "And you were going to tell me this, when?"

Crowley's eyes twinkled. "When it was an opportune time, Castiel."

Castiel's eyes narrowed. "You mean whenever you couldn't figure out a way to use it for your own purpose."

Crowley gave him an unapologetic smile.

Castiel sighed. "I thought that we had decided that when we were working together, we weren't keeping vital information from each other."

Crowley turned his head, frowning. "When did we decide that?" Castiel gave him a look of disbelief, then shook his head.

"It's fine. I should have known..."

"Known what?", Crowley asked.

"Working with others. It isn't that different than when I was working with Sam and Dean...they...we...kept things from each other as well."

Crowley flinched.

"What?", Castiel asked.

"Hm?", Crowley asked innocently, making a show of looking back through the book.

"What was that?", Castiel asked, moving to the desk and staring closely at Crowley. "That's the second time that you've reacted strangely when I've mentioned Sam and Dean." He leaned closer. "Crowley, what's going on?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Crowley muttered.

"That," Castiel growled, sweeping his arm across the table, the contents clattering to the ground. Crowley looked up in shock, his face pale. "Was not a question. It was an order."

Crowley leaned as far back as he could in his chair and swallowed hard. "Um, Castiel, could you, maybe...sit down for this, then?" His eye flicked over to one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Why?", Castiel snarled.

"Well, quite frankly, you already have that 'gee, maybe it'd be a really good idea to smite Crowley' look in your eyes again, and I think it would make us both a lot more comfortable if you were a bit calmer, if you get my drift..."

Castiel looked back at the chair, and finally, with a grunt, sat down on the edge of it, leaning forward dangerously towards the Demon.

Crowley opened up a drawer on the desk and pulled out two glasses and a vial of the atrocious, but still alcoholic, Atlantian wine. He poured himself a few fingers and looked up at Castiel.

"Drink?", he asked simply. Castiel shook his head. Crowley sighed and took a sip of his own. "Don't say I didn't warn you...", he muttered.

"Crowley..." Castiel rumbled from the back of his throat.

Crowley swallowed his wine and held up a hand. "Fine, fine," he answered. He leaned back and studied Castiel. "Do you remember that video surveillance that I had set up on Suriel?"

"Yes...", Castiel answered slowly.

Crowley nodded. "Well, long story short, I kind of had one set up in the Bunker as well."

Castiel groaned and leaned back, rubbing the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "Why am I not surprised," he muttered. He opened his eyes and looked back at Crowley. "Where are you going with this?", he asked, an edge of worry creeping into his voice.

Crowley let out a deep breath."They were captured, Castiel," he said gently.

"What?! When?!", Castiel exclaimed, leaping up from the chair. Crowley leaned back further defensively.

"Just after Gabriel was killed," Crowley answered quickly. "After the Prophet sent them packing. The Angel and the Demon were waiting for them back there, and..."

"And what, Crowley?!"

"They took them. Said that they weren't going to allow them to exit the playing field."

Blind, hot anger flared in Castiel's eyes, went out and he finally slumped back into the chair.

"Why, Crowley? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Do you realize how bloody unfocused you get whenever the Winchesters are involved, Castiel? Besides, Chuck hadjust told us not to let them get mixed up in any of this. The last thing we needed to do was let ourselves get drawn back into that. And, like I said, they kidnapped them. It could have been worse, Castiel. A whole lot worse. When we find the Angel and the Demon, then we find Dean and Sam."

Castiel glared at him, but the fight had gone completely out of his eyes. "That wasn't your call to make, Crowley," he answered wearily.

Crowley tilted his head, teeth clenched. "It was the right call, Castiel," he hissed.

Castiel got up slowly and headed for the door. He glanced back over his shoulder at the entrance, not meeting Crowley's eyes.

"I...I wouldn't expect you to understand this. But they are my friends, Crowley. My friends. It was never your right to keep that from me. I don't care how much you thought that you were protecting me." His shoulders slumped. "Get your things. We're leaving. And when we get back, send your monster to the Portals. If it fails, then I do things my way." He stepped into the hall and turned back around, looking at Crowley. "Without you," he said, before moving away.

Crowley stared at the doorway for a long time before picking the glass up again and draining it. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and set the glass down heavily on the empty desk. He then swung at it with the back of his hand, sending it crashing into the wall. He leaned back in his chair and stared into space.

"It was the right call...", he whispered to himself, his jaw working in frustration.

The candle in the holder in the wall flickered out, leaving Crowley sitting there in total darkness.