So, dear readers, you're probably about to kill me and the only reason I haven't written another chapter yet was because I haven't gotten around to watching the episode. In any case, I'm making this up as I go along and the next chapter is going to be based on the next episode. Read on, babes!
Disclaimer: If I had made Supernatural, there's no way in…uh, Hell, that Bobby would have died.
Chapter Fifteen: Sing Me a Lullaby
Just three days had passed since Gabriel started to speak again even though, God willing, they would much rather have the joys of silence. Unfortunately for them, God was currently laughing his ass off in a bar just outside of Kentucky and wasn't feeling much like causing miracles right at that moment. So, they would have to make due. The one good thing was that they'd found another case. Although, it wasn't really so much of a good thing since it was so damn far away. From Nebraska, they were going to have to go all the way to California. About twenty-two hours, give or take. Now, since Gabriel was quite fond of the general laziness of sleeping he wasn't all that pleased and decided to fly them there instead.
Not.
Gabriel tried. He cried, nearly screamed and was so close to getting down on his hands and knees to beg it wasn't funny. Needless to say, Dean's unhealthy attachment to his car outweighed an archangel's begging and so into the car they went. Heck, the case they were supposedly working wasn't even rock solid. It was 'supposedly' because he-llo, California! Girls in bikinis, rubbing suntan lotion on their perfectly curved bodies and just waiting for someone to-come to think of it, why AM I objecting? Half-naked women, possible completely naked women later on? Smiling hugely at the thought, Gabriel searched through the newspaper articles Sam had slapped against his chest on his miserable journey to the Impala. After all, what was the point of flying to Cali if there was nobody to play wingman for you? Or at least that's what he kept telling himself throughout the night as the knuckleheads drove on.
The case they were working right now was actually called in by one of Bobby's many shady friends in the grapevine, one who lived and breathed the beach bunnies at Huntington Beach. He said there had been unusual reports of drowning in a cove not too far off from shore. These were people who knew how to swim and where to go to avoid an undertow, so it wasn't likely they had simply gotten a cramp and sunk. The attacks were completely random and ranged from a nineteen-year-old and a seventy year-old with the only thing in common being water. Dumb and dumber up front had actually asked him what he thought was killing them.
Well, gee. Let me think for a second…
Sighing, Gabriel smacked his head against the front seat and grated out, "Sammy, it could be anything from an anaconda to a water nymph. Do you really expect me to know right away? I'm psychic, not omnipresent! I can't be everywhere at once! Although if you let me fly us there, I could already be in California sipping from a coconut and having sex with a-"
"O-kay," Dean interrupted with a slightly disturbed face. It was awesome as hell when he talked about his sex life but hearing someone else's? Different concept. "How about you don't finish that sentence and narrow down our list of baddies before we go in there half…armed. Half armed." He had been about to say cocked. Not exactly the best idea right now.
Raising a knowing eyebrow, the archangel just gave a sly wink and turned back to the news article. Suddenly squinting, he squealed happily, "Look, knuckleheads! There's a pod of dolphins in the cove!"
Dean just tightened his hands on the wheel and counted to twenty while Sam leaned back and brought up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Gabriel was like a child in the worst ways. Short attention span, easily excitable and threw tantrums often. He was starting to regret not calling Castiel's feathered ass back from wherever he went when not with them on hunts, since he seemed to be the only one 'entertaining' enough for the big baby. It shamed him to admit that he couldn't handle one fully-grown angel but it was true. Only the other archangels could even begin to comprehend the birdbrain and sometimes, if he was very perceptive Castiel could anticipate what he was going to do next. Unfortunately, they had neither the archangels or Castiel so life went on.
By the time they were out of the car, which was almost noon the next day, it was pretty safe to say the boys were regretting refusing Gabriel's offer of flight. Beyond the likelihood he would have dropped them and misplaced their bodies somewhere over Salt Lake City, it definitely would have been more pleasant. As it was, Sam looked as if he were about to blow chunks and Dean had this…peculiar look on his face. One that stated unspeakable mental horrors that were repeatedly being relived in his head in a loop that would never end. Gabriel? Well, Gabriel was smiling like a maniac and getting a girl's number.
Her name was Sasha, if you must know.
After finding a cheap, crummy hotel-rather, motel room for the price of a pack of Skittles, they settled in with the cockroaches and mice for a good old fashioned cookout. If micro waved beans from a can count as a cookout. Poking glumly at his suspiciously colored slop, he deadpanned, "Alright, I'm admitting defeat. Either one of these beans just moved or a cockroach has just decided to be my dinner date for the evening. It doesn't matter since I'm not eating it," and he put the bowl on the floor.
Sadly, in two minutes it was crawling with bugs, mice and this strange creature that looked peculiarly like a two-foot walrus without tusks. It might have been less scary that way, but never-the-less, the knuckleheads took one look at the veritable orgy currently partying in the bowl and decided after much gagging to dump the bowls in a toxic waste facility. It would fit in much better there, with it's own kind. The diner they found was very nice and even let them borrow their incinerator. Turns out, that strange creature? Not a walrus. Especially after it took a chunk out of Gabriel's leg. It's all well and good until the archangel brings out a machine gun. Thankfully, the only thing harmed was the not-walrus and the motel room. At least they were staying in a super-8 now.
By eleven o'clock, Sam was burning his retinas staring at his laptop screen while Dean leafed casually through a book on mythology. Gabriel was chatting mentally with his garrison and waiting for Castiel to check in on them after no doubt hearing Dean's fervent prayers to get to Earth. All in all, it was an extremely boring time for the archangel. So bad that Michael himself took a vessel just to bring his brother to an amusement park for fear of what might happen if he didn't intervene. Therefore, the boys studied while Heaven's greatest commander played peacekeeper/babysitter/warden/sanitarium worker in order to keep the Universe in shape. And not the shape of a kitten, either.
Giggling happily and dragging Michael to yet another ride his weak-stomached vessel would hate, Gabriel took the opportunity to look out at the cove. Weirdly enough, he could have sworn he saw something move on the rocks but simply shrugged it off. At least until the singing started. A haunting, calling cry pierced the air. It was a woman crying for a fallen soldier, a husband who was never coming home. The sobs of a lost child when they turn to their mother and no one is there. The soft cooing of a dove before it's shot down by some drunk bastard with a pistol. It was sad and sweet and mourning all in the voice of an angel.
Except it wasn't.
To Gabriel and, as he saw the wince, Michael, it was the most hideous thing they had ever had the torture of hearing. More like nails on a chalk board with a hint of cats in the moonlight yowling their off-key tune. "Jeesh", yipped Gabriel. "It's worse than Uriel and his first attempt at Amazing Grace! Mikey, you just had to pick the one place we're most likely to run into some of the worst vocalists in the world. Congrats! I applaud you."
Gritting his teeth, Michael hissed, "This is not my fault. If you can remember that far back, I picked up the newspaper and handed it to you and then you, not me, pointed out that there was an amusement park out here. So don't go blaming all of this on me, because Father knows it was mainly Atropos and her revenge for what you did to her planner."
"That was years ago!" Gabriel roared. Then stopped and tilted his head curiously to the side. The singing continued to grate around them but he wasn't paying attention to that. What he was focused on was the couple currently getting closer and closer to the edge of the cove until they were nearly falling into the water ten feet below. Then they did. Gabriel watched them fall and the horrid music ended with a shrill screech that was so familiar to him. It was driving him absolutely crazy that he couldn't figure it out. At least he had narrowed it down, though.
Without bothering to say goodbye to Michael, since God only knows how long he's going to take to get over this one, Gabriel flew back to the Super-8 and landed at the door to the boys' room just as they were opening it. Dean jumped when he saw him and a hand automatically went to his chest. "Jesus fucking Christ! Stop doing that. It's always you, Cas or Balthazar scaring the holy shit out of me so before I loose anymore years of my life, get a damn car!"
Blinking in confusion, Gabriel unconsciously tilted his head to the side and studied the human. "Kid, you really need to get out more. Speaking of out, I narrowed down our monster of the day. It's either a Bunyip, Lorelay, Siren, Naiad or a Melusine. Take your pick."
Sam stared at him before muttering under his breath and bringing his precious laptop back out. Typing faster than a speeding bullet and looking worse than a drug addict on crack, he pulled up five windows and typed in the names. Ah, the many wonders and horrors of Google. Especially since the first thing that popped up was an exotic dancer named Louisa Leucosia AKA Siren. That was the wonder of it. The horror was when they saw the girl, although gender was highly doubtful, that came up on the next page. After a quick shudder fest, Sam switched back to Louisa and tried to ignore the face Dean was making. Gabriel just stared at her, wondering why she looked so fucking familiar. At once, though, he relaxed. She was probably one of his former 'associates'.
Predictably enough, Dean called the telephone number at the bottom of the page and was informed of her ETA. He might have looked like a little kid in a candy store and that was definitely the wrong analogy, thought Gabriel with a grimace. Point is, he and Sam decided that it was better not to see, hear or Father forbid, participate in any of the fantasies the woman had spoken of on the phone. He preferred to go with a duo, not a trio if you get the picture. Anything with more than two people was just asking for trouble with Lust. He hated it when he wasn't involved in these things and Gabriel had to say, for not being there, he had gotten pretty good vengeance.
After watching Louisa and her three friends limber up in a bit of a practice run-through, which included the gender questionable troll, just outside the car. A swift knock on his brain via Michael forced him to turn away, although he was pouting all the night while his brother lectured. When it was finally over, he looked over at Sam in the front seat and muttered, "Well don't you look cozy."
And he did. Sam was curled into a tiny ball with his head on his knees. The only thing ruining it was the soft whimpers and exclamations of, "No! P-please stop! C-can't take it!"
Nightmares, Gabriel mused. You can run and hide from all of your problems unless the problem lies within you. I wonder what hunters dream about? After all, the things they see and hear on a daily basis could be nothing less than scarring for the mind, soul and body. Some people say what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger and it's true…up until a point. Until everything that's ever harmed you, put a dent in your shield of innocence comes rushing back in a tidal wave of memories that will only drive you to insanity. That's all Gabriel could possibly see in store for the two Winchesters.
To each his own, though. The boys had been living like this for a long time and it was amazing they hadn't broken by now, Hell notwithstanding. In a rare show of empathy, he reached over and simply shook Sam from his tormented dreams and dodged the punch that came next with ease. Gabriel saw the shimmer of tears in the kids eyes and for his own benefit, pretended not to see. It wasn't that he couldn't deal with a weepy human, it was just…bringing back memories. Of silver tears and hands grasping at his feathers with a desperation born of grief. The memories being relived repeatedly while he could do nothing but hold his brother in his arms and wings silently condemning himself.
No. This was better off not being repeated.
Instead, he gave him a bright smile and chirped, "Morning, sleepy Sammy!"
Sam looked at him blearily and just nodded before slowly dragging himself out of the Impala with his arms around his chest. He was quietly falling part. It was obvious to anyone who looked. One of the beach bunnies even had the courage to come up, rub his arm and ask him what was wrong. Gabriel allowed his lips to twitch even before he saw the grace flow from the vessel of Ariella. She was a softy at heart, though mostly for children. This wouldn't have been the first time she soothed the boy's pain though. She had grown quite fond of him when looking after his wounds and emotional scarring as a kid. That was the way she was. Ariella was a lioness-beautiful and protective of who she loved.
Sam relaxed after a few seconds of having his ruffled feathers straightened. After just standing and staring at him for a very long time, she turned and murmured sweetly, "It was nice seeing you again, Gabe. Take care of you and yours."
Smiling hugely, he nodded and waited for the rustle of feathers before turning to see Sam's face. It was absolutely priceless. Eyes wide and mouth drooping open just enough to look like a stupid person instead of having a stroke, it was like this that Dean found him. Annoyingly cheerful, bright Dean who hadn't had to make the choice between mental scarring and sleeping in a car all night. Who hadn't just had to relive one of the worst points of his life in a long line of screw ups. Who had just gotten laid by four hot women and an ugly duckling. Life really wasn't fair.
Dean actually came up to him and asked, "So, what did you find?"
Bastard. He was a right bastard.
"Well, Dean, since we slept in the car all night I figured now would be a good time to tell you about the wild and rampant sex I had with Sasha in the backseat. Sammy over there decided he was better off under that tree over there and I'm pretty sure he got hit by a falling coconut. Meanwhile, a girl flung herself off the top of the cove and into the water to the sound of a thousand children screaming in time to a steel drum band. All of this happened while you were having a mini Roman party in our hotel room which will have to be thoroughly sterilized when we get back. Dean? Hello?…Well, shit. At least now I know for sure what we're dealing with."
"You mean he wasn't just terrified of your wild and rampant activities in the backseat of the Impala?" Sam asked worriedly as he circled his brother like a vulture.
"Nope. He just got laid by a Siren. You know, you Winchesters have the worst luck when it comes to anything remotely resembling a relationship. He just got his soul taken, kid. The hookers last name was Leucosia, which is-"
"One of the Siren's names in lore. I'm going to take a shot in the dark here and say that the girls with her were her…brood?"
Gabriel smiled proudly. "Well, color me surprised! He's actually learning something. Anyhow, Sirens aren't like the myth entails. They don't sing and let their captures starve to death. They eat them raw with tartar sauce. Either that or if a Siren really likes a man, or woman since they aren't exactly picky, they steal that person's soul and stash it away in their tidal pool. Oh, and did I forget to mention this is what happens when humans and angels procreate? Surprise!"
Sam just grumbled and asked in typical Dean fashion, "So how do we kill them?"
"Ignore their song and they'll commit suicide via drowning. Easier said than done, though. I have a plan."
Gabriel's plan…
Needless to say, Sam wasn't exactly thrilled about what his part in the grand plan was. Mainly since it involved all of the dangerous parts and depended on Gabriel's part of the plan to be even remotely successful. Sighing and still grumbling, Sam started climbing the walls of the cove and froze when a sweet song muddled his head. Fingers slipping on the wet rocks, he started to fall until an even sweeter voice started from just above him. Startled, the spell broke and he looked up to see Gabriel with his feet dangling and head thrown back in song. "I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord…"
The sirens were furious, to say the least. Screeching madly, the beautiful women unfolded birds wings and took flight towards their rival while Sam crept closer to their rock. The song went on but Gabriel's was stronger and he remembered how Orpheus had played his lyre so amazingly that none of Jason's crew were affected. He had to admit that now while the plan was in action, it didn't suck as badly as he thought it would. When Gabriel had said he was just going to sing, he hadn't thought the archangel would be this good. A second voice joined in and was almost as lovely than the first. Risking a glance, he saw Michael standing and staring at his brother with a slight smile. Gabriel was just beaming.
Remembering why he was there to begin with, Sam searched frantically for a glowing pool of water in the rocks. Only problem was: lots of water, lots of rocks and none of them were glowing. Suddenly, a voice cried, "Winchester! Over here!"
The angel from before was standing at the very top of a pillar of earth around five feet high pointing to something in the centre. She hopped down easily to let him up and when he turned around, she wasn't there. Stunned, Sam looked into a hole going straight down to the core of the structure and saw the shining water. Soft whispers flooded his ears before he swallowed and did exactly what he had been told to do by a trickster angel who may or may not have been trying to kill them all to begin with.
Taking the lid off of a masonry jar and pouring the contents in, he started to chant in Greek. The effects were instantaneous. The pool burst into blue and green flames, a wispy cloud covered the cove and the Sirens finally saw him. It was too late to run now but to fly…? As he watched, Gabriel disappeared from the edge and was standing in front of him with an impetuous look on his face. "C'mon, hurry up! I have no desire to make nice with the bitches who tore out at least half of my feathers."
Michael was gone as well, he noticed, before hastily grabbing hold of Gabriel's arm. They were gone in an instant.
Hours later, Sam was filling Dean in on what happened. "Dude, seriously. You screwed a siren, as in a thousand year old sea monster who lures men to their deaths with songs. I think this beats the time with the vampire and snake lady. Think with your head, not your dick."
Snorting, Dean muttered, "It was one time, Sammy. How the hell was I supposed to know there were scales under that dress? Seriously, though. How'd you get past the sirens?"
Castiel popped in just then and murmured, "Sam, I'm not sure you understand just what has happened. Yes Dean, you did lust for a siren and yes, she stole our soul. I'm going to hazard a guess and say you have no idea what it means to Heaven to hear Gabriel sing again?" At their confused 'no's, he continued. "Sam, my brother hasn't sung a note since the Fall. It was always said to be the sweetest sound ever heard other than our Father's voice. Now that you have heard him, you have the mark of Gabriel ingrained into your skin. His grace is glowing on you now."
Sam didn't know if it was incredibly nice or incredibly creepy to have anyone's grace on him. He decided not to voice it, though. Before leaving Huntington Beach to make the long trek back to Bobby's, Sam looked out at the cove one last time to see a figure staring at him. It was the angel, red hair waving gently in the breeze. She lifted her hand to wave and when the Impala turned the curb closest to her, she mouthed, "I am Ariella."
That was all he could hear for the rest of the ride.
Oooooh, Sammy has a crush on an angel! Not just any angel, either. Google her and you'll see why she'd make a good match for Sam. Unfortunately, this isn't a romance story so there is no relationship other than guardian and protected between Sam and Ariella.