Yes, here it is! I know a few of you have been waiting on the trial to start. It'll take at least a few chapters to hear all the testimony. (Oh, man, have I been looking forward to this!!)
Chapter 46: Call to Court
"Are you sure this will work?" Sam demanded.
"Hell, boy, nothin' in life's guaranteed," Bobby snapped back. "But I really hope so. Don't see where we got much of an alternative."
Bobby had all the ingredients ready and was about to start the spell when the air in front of his desk shimmered again. "Now what?" he growled.
Raphael appeared before them. "It is time," he announced. "The trial begins now."
Bobby exchanged a look of amazement with Sam. "But Dean's missing. Can't we get an extension or something?"
"I won't go without Dean," Sam added anxiously.
"I will bring Dean," Raphael said. "You must appear in court. Now." He waved his hand and the house faded away, replaced with white marble walls. When he looked closer, Bobby could see the walls were covered in carvings depicting all kinds of major events, both from religious and history texts.
"Do you like it?" a pleasant voice asked from behind them.
"It's beautiful," Sam said in an awed voice.
"Allow me to show you my new favorite," the voice said. Bobby turned around to face the person addressing them. He could not tell if this individual was male or female. The hair was mid-length and his or her facial features could fit either gender. Even the voice was mid-range. He, or she, was dressed in a long flowing white robe.
"Who are you?" Sam asked.
The person smiled broadly at them, showing impossibly white teeth. "I am the one responsible for this wall. You may call me Pat."
One of Sam's eyebrows quirked up and a smile played across the face which had a nearly permanent happy expression lately. Bobby fell back to walk beside Sam as their guide explained various panels to them.
"What?" Bobby hissed under his breath.
"It's Pat," Sam whispered back, eyes sparking with delight.
"And?" Bobby prompted.
Sam grinned and shook his head. That was it? The kid was grinning like a maniac because this character's name was Pat? Where was Dean when you needed him?
"And this is Dean facing down Michael," Pat was saying.
Bobby's attention snapped back to the wall. "What? Why the he-" Sam's big damn foot interrupted Bobby's profanity, for which he was both grateful and extremely annoyed. He hopped on one foot while Pat watched curiously. Bobby slammed his foot back down on the hard marble floor, instantly regretting the action as a fresh stab came from the point of Sam's impact up through his lower leg. He cleared his throat to cover the wince on his face. "Why is Dean up there?" he asked in a calm voice.
The instant Pat's back was turned, with a hand raised to point at the new engraving, Bobby shot Sam a nasty look. Sam just grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
"This is the first time in recorded history that a human, a full-blooded human, has survived and won a face-off with any angel. The fact it happened with an archangel makes it more momentous. A number of us are watching the results intently, recording them for the sake of history and science," Pat intoned.
"Science?" Sam interrupted. "For the sake of science?"
Pat turned, a pleased expression on the individual's face. "Why certainly. This way, if a similar event happens in the future we will know what to expect." Pat's head tilted slightly to one side, eyes with a curious and penetrating glow fixed on Sam. "You do realize we helped to institute the foundations of modern science, don't you? We started with the monks, who at the time were most receptive, influencing them to study their world."
"You're a muse?" Sam asked in a shocked voice. "Is that for real? A muse of science?"
Pat smiled at them. "It has been many years since anyone has referred to my kind as a muse. Thank you."
Sam straightened up quickly, his whole body tensing. "I think Dean's here," he said slowly.
Bobby let out a breath of relief as he turned around to look.
Dean would have liked to cross his arms over his chest, but with his wrists bound with the stupid tie-wrap he couldn't. So he sat with Hillary's head in his lap, awkwardly stroking her fur, while the bitch and the weird guy stared. If he wasn't afraid of what might happen to Hillary, Dean would have put Bela two feet under last night. And again this morning. He might be fast, but Dean wasn't about to risk not being faster than a bullet. Not with Hillary. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt the same protective urge for Hillary as he did for Sam. Maybe even more so.
The air shimmered between him and the two bozos staring at him. Raphael appeared out of the air in front of him.
"About time," Dean grumbled as he stood, the tie-wrap around his wrists snapping away like an old rubber band. He rubbed the tender skin as he glanced around, half surprised the idiots weren't reacting. But the two idiots hadn't moved. They looked frozen. "What's going on, Ralph?"
"It's time," he announced, rather formally.
"Time? For?" Dean prodded, waving a hand in front of the guy's face. No reaction, they were definitely on pause.
"The trial," Raphael declared.
Dean made a sour face. "I take it you're going to bring me right back. Do not pass Go, do not collect a hundred dollars?"
Ralph nodded. "It's the rules, Dean. You should have an idea of how encompassing they are by now."
"Yeah," Dean sighed. "I take it Sam will be there?"
"Yes, of course," Ralph replied. "But you will not be allowed to speak with him."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! What if I promise not to tell him what's going on?" He watched for some kind of reaction, but Ralph's face could have been carved in stone. "He's my little brother, Ralph. I could get killed here! This might be my last chance to talk to him."
Now there was a flicker of emotion across Ralph's face. "Perhaps," he conceded. "If you were to promise. And promise not to even give them a hint," he added hastily.
"I promise," Dean said, relieved. He glared down at the dog by his side. "That goes for you too, you know."
Hillary grumbled unhappily, but she agreed too. Dean searched Ralph's face again. "Okay. Is it settled?"
Ralph didn't look happy about it, but he nodded. "Very well. Let us go."
The room disappeared in a streak of light, replaced by a long hall with marble walls. Dean barely noticed there were some carvings in the walls as he rushed along behind Ralph, anxious to see Sam again. Hillary trotted steadily by his side, her nails clicking on the hard white floors.
They had rounded a corner into a larger room which continued the whole marble theme, when Dean heard his name being shouted.
"Sam," he breathed out in relief. He tried not to rush over, to appear calm and cool. At least it didn't look like Bela had left any nasty surprises for his brother and Bobby. Dean didn't notice Bobby coming up to him until the older man threw an arm around him and slapped him on the back.
"Hey, Bobby," Dean returned the half-hug as his free hand reached for Sam's shoulder. "Good to see you," he told his brother.
Dean could feel the depth of Sam's relief. "You too," Sam sounded a little choked up. "Where've you been?"
Dean shook his head. "Don't ask, Sam. I can't tell you."
He watched Sam's jaw clench and his eyes harden. "One of the rules, huh?" he asked in a tight voice.
"Sorry, Sam," Dean replied. "Believe me, I really wish I could."
Sam sighed heavily and Dean could feel the weight of Sam's worry and guilt, as though he could have stopped whatever was keeping Dean away. Then Hillary, clearly feeling left-out, jumped up on Sam, forcing him to stagger back a few steps.
"And you!" Sam buried both hands in her fur. "You couldn't get him out of what-ever-happened?"
Hillary 'said' that she was doing a good job. Dean was still alive, wasn't he? She was a good guard dog!
"Hill," Dean said in a low warning voice. She was coming awfully close to breaking his promise. Hillary landed back on all four paws with a grunt. She circled back around to sit next to Dean's left foot and stare up at him. Dean rested a hand on her head in thanks, scratching slowly with his fingertips.
Sam's face tightened, but he didn't ask. Thank God for small favors. Bobby whispered in Sam's ear and was answered with another tight nod. Dean figured he didn't need to ask about that, he and Hillary would undoubtedly find out soon enough. He hoped.
"It's time," Gabby rushed up to them. She smoothed out the flowing white gown she wore. Dean wondered why it seemed familiar.
"She looks a little like the statue of Justice, doesn't she?" Sam asked. "You don't think that's going to help, do you?"
Dean chuckled at his little brother. "Couldn't hurt, could it?"
Sam sighed. "Hope not."
"C'mon, Sammy." Dean nudged his brother in the side. "What happened to that euphoria?"
"After staying up all night searching for my missing brother," Sam glared at him, "it kind of wore off."
"Oh." Dean swallowed kind of hard. Yeah, he should have expected this. If it had been Sam missing, Dean would have spent the night tearing the town apart.
"Dean?" Gabby motioned for him to come forward. "Was Raphael able to talk to you about the dog?"
Dean glanced down at his left. "You mean Hillary?" he asked.
Gabby sighed heavily. "He didn't talk to you, did he?" she demanded.
"Nope." Dean shrugged at her. "We've been kind of tied up lately. What about Hillary?"
"I need the dog to be a witness, but she has to be a willing witness," Gabby explained as they approached a room with a wooden ring around the center. Outward from the ring were long curved bench seats four rows deep. One section, separated from the others by a low wood wall, was full. Dean could barely look directly at the beings filling those seats. They shifted in and out between being fully transparent and appearing solid, between looking quite normal and human to spectral. It hurt his eyes to stare too long.
"What's that?" Dean whispered to Gabby.
"The council," she whispered back.
"Are they like a jury?" Dean asked quietly as Gabby motioned for him to take a seat in one of the first rows.
"More like judge and jury," Gabby replied. "I need the dog as a character witness. But you and Sam will have to answer a couple of questions first, so I can make my point."
"And this will help Sam?" Dean asked.
Gabby gave him an incredulous look. "I wouldn't try it if I didn't think it would help." She pointed at Hillary. "But she can't bite me when she takes the stand. It would ruin her credibility." A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Maybe you can both take the witness stand together. That would go a long way to showing them the point I need to make."
Dean shot Hillary a questioning look. Hillary shifted over to sit directly on his left foot. She snorted in Gabby's direction. Apparently she had no intention of Dean going anyplace without her, not until they were both safe at Bobby's and maybe not even then.
"I think we'll have to do it together," Dean admitted slowly, a little stunned by Hillary's possessiveness. After all, she'd only been their dog for a couple of days now.
"Good." Gabby leaned a little closer to Hillary. "Is petting out of the question?"
Hillary snapped at her. Dean grabbed the big dog by the collar, yanking her even closer to his leg. "Fine," he said hurriedly, "it's fine. I got her."
Gabby moved to stand at a table inside the inner wooden ring. Mike walked up to a table on the other side of the ring, wearing a slightly more masculine version of Gabby's get-up. Dean sniggered at him behind one hand. Mike caught him and rolled his eyes, a pink hue spreading across his cheeks. Yeah, this one was going to be good for a while.
Ralph entered the inner circle last. He stood between the two tables.
"For as long as I am able to maintain perspective in this hearing, I shall fulfill the role of mediator," he announced. Dean noticed Mike and Gabby exchange a look of surprise; apparently Ralph's speech was not the norm. "As is our custom, the prosecution shall state their case. Then the defense may present evidence. Once the defense's evidence has been presented, the prosecution shall present their evidence. Then the defense shall have the opportunity to refute the prosecution's evidence. Each party will be allowed closing arguments and then the case will be closed. At any time the council may intervene to request evidence or ask questions."
Ralph turned to Mike. "The prosecution may state its case."
Mike cleared his throat as he stood in the center of the circle facing the council. "In the case of the Heavenly Hosts versus Samuel Winchester..."
Dean glanced to his right. Little brother looked pale and a trickle of sweat ran from Sam's temple down his cheek. He wanted to throw an arm over his brother's shoulders and assure him it would be all right, but this time Dean really didn't know. How could he possibly protect his brother from angels? Their best bet was to win this frigging trial.
Mike droned on for a while about demonic infections and how the host was always influenced. He said something about Sam and Dad never getting along once the infection really took root, forcing Sam to lash out at authority figures. Actually, Dean realized, it did explain a lot. The fact Dad and Sam were so much alike explained more, though.
It felt like Mike talked damn near forever. Dean checked his watch, but the time had stopped. Oh, great. That had to mean once this was over they were going to be returned to the exact moment and place they were taken from. Crap. Now that sucked right out loud. He and Hill were going to be right back dealing with Bela and the creepy weirdo dude?
He sighed as his hand slid down to rub Hillary's neck. For some strange reason, just petting Hillary made him feel better. Sam let out a matching sigh as he leaned back in the hard bench. He rolled his eyes at Dean as Mike droned on. The thought that maybe Mike was being boring on purpose, trying to lose his case, must have hit both of them at the same time. Sam covered his mouth with one hand as Dean looked away, desperately attempting to suppress a terrible case of the chuckles. Guys didn't giggle.
"First witness for the defense," Ralph announced.
Showtime.