Crowley sighed as he tried to ignore the sound of Gabriel running around in circles chasing his tail. Dean chucked and scratched Crowley behind the ears.
"Well I'm off idjits", Bobby huffed and lumbered off upstairs.
Sam scooped up Gabriel before he even had the chance to scramble away.
"Please don't squeeze me again", Gabriel cried and wriggled about. Crowley couldn't help laughing until he too was picked up by Dean.
"Time for bed", Dean yawned and made his way to the stairs.
"Should I be worried?" Crowley fussed for a moment before shrugging and decided to see what happened. Crowley was oddly lulled by Dean's swaying gait. He tried to remember that he was supposed to be busy finding a way to get out of this mess, to get back to Hell and secure his place as the new King.
Dean put down Crowley on a mat in the bedroom and shuffled off to get ready for bed. Crowley shook himself and jumped up onto the bed. He most certainly was not sleeping on the floor. Crowley padded around in a circle then paused. He'd always had a passing curiosity as to wondering why his hounds circled before they curled up on the floor. Crowley shrugged and curled up on the bed, wriggling to get comfortable.
"Aww Zepp" Dean sighed in exasperation. Crowley didn't move but he could hear the eldest Winchester shift around a bit before he must have just given up and he climbed into bed.
"Don't think this is going to be a regular thing", Dean grumbled and Crowley huffed as he rearranged himself.
There was no way any of this was lessening his dislike for the Winchester brothers.
Crowley kept telling himself that he tolerated these morons because he wanted to be comfortable and warm.
::::::
Crowley pressed his nose against the glass of the window.
"What is it?" Gabriel put his nose against the window and snorted. The window misted up and Crowley pulled back.
"It's the Sheriff." He jumped down from the table and trotted over to the door.
"The Sheriff?"
Crowley could hear Gabriel wiping his nose against the glass.
"Why is he coming here?"
"She", Crowley corrected as he watched Gabriel squeak his nose around the glass "Sheriff Jodie Mills. She knew
Bobby primarily as the town drunk, but a few recent incidences have given her a crash course in the supernatural."
"Really?" Gabriel pulled his face away from the glass and looked down to Crowley "How do you know all this?"
"Professional curiosity", Crowley shrugged and turned back to the door "It pays to keep an eye on these things."
"Right" Gabriel snorted and Crowley didn't bother to glance back at him.
"I'm sure it's just professional." Gabriel stressed out the last word.
Crowley did turn to look at Gabriel then.
"What are you on about?"
Gabriel shrugged and jumped down to be face to face with Crowley.
"Nothin', just seems like you have an interest in one Bobby Singer."
"Of course I do", Crowley said, exasperated.
"Of course you do", Gabriel mimicked and Crowley shook his head, confused.
"What is your problem, Gabriel?"
"I've got no problem" Gabriel huffed and trotted off into the next room.
"Infuriating!" Crowley growled and almost jumped when there was a knock on the door.
"Bobby you home?" Sheriff Mills called through the door.
"Comin'" Bobby answered and stomped towards the door. Crowley growled and skittered backwards as Bobby nearly stepped on him.
"Zeppelin, git out the way" Bobby grumbled and swung the door open.
"Well would you look at that!" Sheriff Mills laughed. Crowley assumed it was at the sight of a grumpy, flannel-clad Bobby in the doorway with two very small dogs. Gabriel's big ears were twitching with the excitement of a visitor.
"I know you were thinking of getting another Rottweiler after Rumsfeld disappeared, but are you sure these dogs aren't too dangerous for you, Bobby?"
Bobby snorted as he turned and led the way into the kitchen. Crowley gave the Sheriff a glance before he followed after Bobby with Gabriel at his side. He could hear the Sheriff as she tried not to laugh out loud behind them.
"I knew you and the boys would be doing some unusual things while looking into the attacks on the dogs in town, but I didn't expect you to get dogs yourself." She bent down and added in a sing-song voice: "Such small and very cute little doggies"
Her remark brought a smile to Bobby's bearded face.
"Yeah. It's kinda funny how most people seem to regress to baby talk when they see them." He slid his eyes sideways towards Sheriff Mills. She abruptly straightened up, wiping the daft smile off her face. Crowley snickered.
"Coffee?" Bobby asked, his tone mildly apologetic.
"He must feel bad for taking his Chihuahua-induced bad temper out on her", Gabriel whispered as he sat. Crowley didn't much care.
"Thanks", she replied as she took a seat at the kitchen table. "I came to tell you that the auditions for Cesar Milan's Dog Whisperer show will be held at the town hall for the next couple of days. Should be a good venue for getting some decent information."
"What? The Dog Whisperer in Sioux Falls? I didn't know he was coming here." Bobby huffed with a look of surprise.
"How do you not know about it?" She responded "There are posters all over town and people have been talking of nothing else. Well, except for the attacks on the townspeople and their dogs" She stopped and thought for a moment, while Bobby placed a cup in front of her.
"I haven't been into town for a couple of weeks" Bobby answered. He continued when she started to ask another question, "And I'm too busy to listen to nattering and gossip." At her disbelieving look he added, "I've had a few 'other' things keeping me occupied and my mind elsewhere."
"I suppose it's no coincidence that the two most important events in this town are centered on dogs?" She frowned into her coffee.
She wasn't a dumb woman, Crowley thought as he listened to them continue to talk. She knew a little, but didn't understand all that Bobby was involved in. Despite her limited experience, it seemed she had a very healthy respect for what he and the Winchester boys dealt with. Realising that some things were beyond her had been an unpleasant and humbling experience. Still, she was smart enough to utilise those people who did, and could take care of those things that went bump in the night.
"It is right interesting that we have something attacking dogs and their owners in a town that is going to be on the Dog Whisperer show" Bobby went on to consider the matter. "It is either a mighty big coincidence, or there is something more to it"
Crowley turned to Gabriel and asked, "What is this Dog Whisperer show? And why is Robert so awestruck?"
"Don't you have cable in Hell?" Gabriel grinned, then continued in a Mexican accent: "He rehabilitates dogs and trains people."
Crowley looked at Gabriel in incomprehension for a moment before Gabriel jumped up and waggled his tail.
"I'm gonna make the Sheriff my new best friend", Gabriel exclaimed and made a running leap to land on the Sheriff's lap. Some of her coffee splashed out of her mug as she jolted with a cry of shock. She spilt most of it in her lap and partly on Gabriel.
"Snookums!" Bobby exclaimed and stood abruptly. Crowley fell over laughing and noticed that, even though she was brushing the coffee off herself, the Sheriff was laughing also.
"Oh, Bobby" She giggled and accepted the cloth a red-faced Bobby handed her "Snookums?"
"Ain't my dog", Bobby muttered picking up the coffee cups and putting them in the sink. Crowley had recovered from his laughing fit to watch in exasperation as Gabriel jumped around the Sheriff, yipping and barking.
"That's just sad, Angel." Crowley sighed and shook his head.
"She might-", Gabriel panted between leaps, "-know what's – Going on!"
"Obviously, she's come here to find out what Robert has figured out", Crowley snorted. "She knows nothing more than we do."
"You sure?"
Crowley ignored the crazy Archangel and concentrated again on the humans. The Sheriff was handing the cloth back to Bobby as she watched Gabriel bounce around with bemused interest.
"He seems to be a bit taken with you." Bobby huffed, throwing the cloth in the sink.
"I still can't believe the boys have Chihuahuas" She shook her head and pointed to Crowley. "I'm guessing the more sedate, glowering one is Dean's?"
"Yep, calls it Zeppelin," Bobby stared at Crowley for a few moments, "Still can hardly believe it myself."
"Well, give me a call if you need me, Robert." Sheriff Mills nodded to Bobby and sidestepped around Gabriel, heading for the door.
"Zeppelin." She nodded to Crowley then looked over to Gabriel, unable to keep a straight face and said in a cooing voice, "Snookums."
Crowley could hear her laughing all the way to her car as Bobby sighed and looked down at them.
"Those boys better figure out how they're gonna take care of you walking slipper dogs." Bobby wandered over to his couch and muttered "Ridiculous" under his breath.
Crowley heard the flicker of the television being turned on and with a quick glance at Gabriel, who was back to chasing his tail or whatever caught his eye, Crowley decided to join Robert.
Bobby flicked between the channels. Crowley had secured a couch cushion to himself and was contented in idly watching the picture flicker. Bobby flicked past a few movies and various ads before he came to rest on Tori & Dean: Inn Love. Crowley huffed amused and turned to look at the hunter. Bobby sensed his movement and looked down.
"What?", Bobby said gruffly, obviously noticing the amused look Crowley was trying to convey. "It's a good show."
"Whatever you say, Robert" Crowley snorted and curled himself up again.
"Sometimes, I swear I understand what you're saying" Bobby mumbled.