"Bobby's right you know", Dean sighed as he squinted at the label on a dog food can. "Our lifestyle doesn't really lend itself to having dogs"
"We'll figure it out. Besides, it's not like they're huge Labradors", Sam said, further down the aisle and Dean looked up to see him scrutinising a couple of those expensive. pampered-pup meals.
"What about when we're on the road? Out on a hunt?" Dean chucked a few cans in their basket. Sam looked down at them and frowned.
Dean glanced at the label on the tin Sam was holding "Precious Pup? Seriously? What's in this thing?"
"Hey!", Sam protested as Dean swiped the tin.
"Organic Brown Rice Flour? Are you kidding me?" Dean snorted and dodged Sam's attempts to snatch it back.
"They have special needs, Dean" Sam huffed as he finally managed to wrench the tin from Dean's grip.
"Bull. If I'm keeping Zeppelin, he's getting Chum" Dean tapped the can in the basket.
"Zeppelin huh?" Sam grinned at him. Dean rolled his eyes, plucked the tin out of Sam's hands and chucked it into the basket.
"So? El Diablo was a crap name."
"Just saying." Sam shrugged, not bothering to hide his grin.
"Well what'd you come up with genius?" Dean said and moved down towards the rows of dry dog food. "Something nerdy like 'Spock'?"
Dean chuckled as he pulled a packet of biscuits from the shelf.
"Ah no, and Star Trek is totally your thing." Sam raised an eyebrow at him while he put the packet Dean had picked up back on the shelf. Dean opened his mouth to protest then shut it and frowned. Fair call.
"Fine, can we just get this stuff and leave already?" Dean groaned and trudged off down the aisle not waiting for Sam.
"New puppies?"
Dean looked over to the guy behind the counter. Sam cleared his throat and flicked a glance between Dean and the guy.
"Yeah, uh, Chihuahuas. We rescued them from the pound." Sam smiled good naturedly.
"That's brilliant."
Dean squinted at the guys name tag.
"Well, we couldn't let them get put down, big dog lovers us", Dean told Larry while he gestured between Sam and himself.
Sam turned slightly and gave him a bitch face. Dean watched Larry's face as he looked between the two of them.
"Oh." Larry nodded and smiled, "That's nice. Do you live around here?"
"Just out of town.", Dean said, smiling.
"Well then, make sure you keep them inside and always walk them on leash"
"Why?" Dean leaned forward "Something eating stray dogs?"
Larry looked extremely uncomfortable suddenly and finished packing their supplies hurriedly.
"There have been some rather odd..." - Larry paused obviously searching for the right words - "...disappearances recently, but I've not heard most of the details"
"Sounds horrible", Sam said, pulling out his best sympathy face. Dean schooled his face into a serious expression and nodded.
"So how many 'disappearances' have there been?" Dean pulled their shopping closer as Sam finished paying.
Larry shook his head while shoving the money in the till. "I'm not sure. Sandra would though."
"Sandra?"
"Yeah, she works at the Precious Puppy Dog Spa." Larry smiled closing the till. "Everyone who has a dog goes there"
"Every man and his dog go there, huh?" Dean grinned and dodged Sam's elbow.
"Yeah, that's what I said..." Larry said his face was scrunched up in confusion. Dean cleared his throat and put on his serious face again.
"Yes." Dean nodded and grabbed their bag. "Thanks, Larry"
::::::
"Alright, what do we need, Gabriel?" Crowley paced in the living area. "Bones? Blood? Souls?"
"Huh?" Gabriel lifted his head from where he was relaxing on the couch. "For what?"
"To get us out of this disgusting mess", Crowley growled.
"Get off the couch", Bobby huffed from his position behind his desk. Gabriel turned to look at him and raised an ear.
"Watch this.", Gabriel said and lay his head back down.
"I said off the couch, mutt!" Bobby raised his voice slightly. "Just cause Sam is all soft on ya don't mean I have to be."
"I don't understand what you're asking me", Gabriel sing-songed as he snuggled into the couch. "I'm just a harmless puppy!"
"Gabriel!", Crowley barked, "Focus please!"
"Come on, Crowley! This is fun!"
"Don't make me come over there!", Bobby growled and shifted out of his seat. Crowley gritted his teeth and tried to count to ten.
"Gabriel, I'm not playing", Crowley said and moved out of the way as Bobby approached the couch to stand over Gabriel.
"All work and no play make Crowley a dull boy." Gabriel rolled over and wagged his paws in the air. Bobby laughed and put his hands on his hips. Crowley sighed and sat down. Once Gabriel set his mind on something, he wasn't easily swayed.
Bobby shook his head and bent down "Don't matter how cute you make yourself look - off the couch!"
"Make me.", Gabriel grinned, sticking his tongue out. Bobby sighed and looked over his shoulder to Crowley.
"Can you talk to your buddy, Zeppelin?", Bobby muttered and looked back to Gabriel.
"You're joking, right?" Crowley huffed "Bastard won't listen to me."
"Awww, Crowley, don't be that way!" Gabriel whined and turned back to be on his belly. "I've just gotta figure this thing out, then I'll be able to snap us back, I swear!"
"And what does that entail, Angel?", Crowley tilted his head, "Because this is getting old fast."
"Does Sam have a name for you yet?", Bobby muttered to himself and picked Gabriel up.
"Hey!" Gabriel wiggled. "Hands off, Handsy!"
"He did tell you to get off the couch, Gabriel."
"Like you would've!"
"No. But I go about these things in a different and more sophisticated manner."
Outside, Crowley heard the sound of the Impala as it approached.
"Good news, Gabriel, your precious Sam is back for more rib popping snuggles", Crowley chuckled and watched Gabriel freeze for a moment before wriggling out of Bobby's arms.
"Hell on a pogo stick, dog", Bobby growled and managed to guide Gabriel to the ground without letting him fall.
Crowley snorted, "I would've let him drop."
"Hide! Quick! I can't take any more of that!" Gabriel skittered into the next room and Crowley rolled his eyes.
"Moron", Crowley huffed and trotted towards the door as he heard the unmistakable sound of the Impala's doors being slammed shut. The Winchesters stomped their way to the door and swung it open, barely missing Crowley as he came to an abrupt halt.
"What the hell is this?" Dean held up the pound papers and Sam snatched them away quickly.
"Nothing." Sam folded the paper up and glared when Dean started to chuckle.
"Sooo", Dean grinned. "Snookums is nothing?"
"It's not like I named him that.", Sam huffed and looked down at Crowley as they entered the house.
"Seriously though", Dean grinned, "Snookums?"
"Stop saying that!", Sam said though gritted teeth. Crowley smirked in amusement. He would take pleasure in this for years.
"Oh, Gabriel!", Crowley crowed as he moved off to find the terrified Chihuahua "Come out, come out"
"Keep it down", Gabriel hissed as he stuck his head out from behind a pile of books.
"Whatever you say, Snookums."
"Since when do you call me Snookums, Sweetlips?"
"Since it was officially your name" Crowley grinned and took great pleasure in saying again. "Snookums!"
"What?"
"On paper the pound called you 'Snookums'" Crowley huffed when Gabriel didn't seem to be getting as worked up as he wanted him to be.
"Huh", Gabriel smiled, "Well I'll be whatever you wanna call me, cherry pie."
"Urgh", Crowley glared at the Angel and sat down. "You are no fun"
"Aww, did I ruin your chance to gloat?"
"Zeppelin?", Dean called and Crowley's eye twitched.
"Oops! Master's calling", Gabriel chuckled and dodged out of the way when Crowley tried to nip him. "Play nice!"
Crowley growled and followed Gabriel as he went into the kitchen.
"Hey there, buddy" Dean smiled. Crowley narrowed his eyes and watched as Sam tipped some sort of gelatinous mass into a bowl.
"Oh dear God, what is that?" Crowley backed up horrified. Gabriel looked equally as disgusted but he tried to keep his tone cheerful.
"Maybe we shouldn't judge by looks?"
Bobby moved about the kitchen in the background as Sam put down two bowls. Gabriel moved forward cautiously to one of the bowls and hesitantly stuck his nose in.
"It's not that bad", Gabriel said and Crowley didn't believe him for a second.
"I will never be that hungry." Crowley looked on disgusted as Gabriel rather delicately picked at the bowl of dog food Sam had put down.
"He's not eating", Dean whispered to Sam who shrugged. Dean stooped down, picked up the other food bowl, and moved over to where Crowley sat.
"Here, Zeppelin." Dean put the bowl down in front of him.
"Urgh" Crowley backed up "It's even worse up close"
"Looks like you got a 'Princess'", Bobby huffed amused.
"Yeah, well I don't blame the guy. This stuff looks disgusting" Dean sighed then stared down at Crowley.
"One missed meal won't kill him." Bobby plonked their plates on the table. "Grub's up."
Crowley didn't appreciate Bobby's flippancy on the matter. In protest, he decided he would chew up Bobby's favourite cap. He amended the plan of chewing it when he decided that hiding it outside under a pile of dirt would be less disgusting. Lucifer knows where that cap has been. Dean looked down at him in sympathy before he headed to the table and sat down.
Well, there was no way he was going to eat whatever mashed up mystery meat Moose had put into those bowls no matter how hungry he was. Crowley could hear Gabriel gagging from across the room.
"Oh God, I lied", Gabriel retched, "It's horrible! Disgusting!"
Crowley watched as the hunters all began to eat their food. Bugger that. Crowley jumped up into Dean's lap and stuck his head over onto his plate.
"Hey! Zeppelin!" Dean squawked surprised, and Sam almost choked as he laughed. Crowley managed to steal a few mouthfuls of food before Dean picked him up.
"No dogs at the table, Dean." Bobby said while he kept eating. Sam shook his head while he smiled. Dean got up and carried Crowley with him.
"I didn't invite the guy.", Dean grumbled and set Crowley down next to Gabriel.
"Smoooooth!", Gabriel laughed then made a face, "Urgh I can still taste it"
"Be good" Dean said and patted Crowley on the head.
"Really, Gabriel, that is disgusting" Crowley groaned as Gabriel licked himself.
"I'm trying to get rid of the taste of the food", Gabriel mumbled his tongue still sticking out.
"Charming", Crowley sighed.
It didn't take long for Crowley to grow bored of watching the humans eat and he wandered away to the couch.