Hello! So here is chapter 3, the Winchester reveal and also where exactly we're at in the Supernatural timeline. I also edited the second chapter a bit here and there, for those of you who have already read it but you don't have to re-read it. Thanks to Ronnisaur for the first review, I'm proud to have confused you. Like I said earlier I reveal which Winchester so you can set your mind at ease. Let me know what you think!
"Abby?"
Casting a glance at the other demons, he found them silent. Waiting. The brunette had flinched and shuddered when the smoke injected itself into her mouth but then she had fallen still, and so now they were waiting, to see who would win.
"Abby?" His firmer tone seemed to work as the female hunter twitched, her head lolling back. Sharp despair jolted his spine when seeing the arrogant smirk curving her lips, glistening black voids looking back at him.
"Sorry, Abby's not here right now but I can take a message."
Within the same breath he already had various exorcisms flashing through his head. He would need a short but powerful one, one that would free Abby without bringing her harm. He couldn't mess this up.
He watched as the Bobby look-alike came forward and cut the ropes, allowing Abby, no Rachel, to extract herself from the chair and waltz around the kitchen. Like testing out a new pair of shoes. He kept the angry growl from escaping his mouth.
"I have to say, this model isn't as tall or pretty like the last one," Rachel spoke, lifting a blonde lock of hair belonging to the unconscious woman that was slumped in the wooden chair, before dropping it and heading over to the planted demon knife, tugging it out of the wall with hardly a grunt, "but she sure does come with some perks."
He took in a sharp breath to begin his rescue attempt when Rachel suddenly froze, swaying and shuddering in place. He was instantly taken back to that moment years ago in Stull Cemetery. Hope fluttered in his chest. "Abby?"
The brunette shook her head a few times, eyes pinched shut, before letting out a chuckle. "She's a fighter for sure."
He reigned in his anger, letting out a loaded breath, "Exorcizmu-"
Rachel whipped out an arm and he was immediately without a voice, unable to make full words, just small sounds. His entire body locked up, the feeling of numbness taking root underneath his skin. Gold eyes glared at him. "I don't think so, Stud. I actually like this one and don't plan on being evicted anytime soon."
With his body immobile, he braced himself internally when Rachel turned to her entourage, nodding in his direction. As one, the four demons walked forward, surrounding him in a loose half circle. They didn't make a move to grab him, so he was able to flick his gaze from them to Rachel as she walked toward the stash of weapons, Ruby's knife twirling between her fingers.
"You know, you hunters do surprise me from time to time," started Rachel as she pawed through his guns before switching to Abby's shoulder holster, pulling out a silver pistol, turning it this way and that. "Take her guns for example. The bullets are soaked every night in holy water and than dunked in a thick salt-concentrated glaze. She does this on rotation that way she always has blessed magazines ready to go while the others are marinating. Quite creative. But one of my favorites was when I heard you carved a devil's trap on the tip of a bullet, blasting that sucker into Abaddon herself. Good stuff."
Rachel strapped the gun back in its holster before she turned to peer at him from between two arms, the demon killing knife spinning in twirls around her fingers.
"Anyway, let's cut to the chase, shall we? Right now we have the girl and we have you, an enemy of Abaddon, basically Christmas early. Although there is just one small problem. Exposure. The last thing I need is a Chatty Cathy."
If you asked him what had happened he wouldn't be able to tell you, she was just that quick. One second Rachel was flipping the long bladed knife in the air playfully then, in a flash, she was jamming Ruby's knife into the spine of the tall avian demon, lightning flaring up within the male body.
"What the hell?" Apparently he had his vocal cords back. With adrenaline pumping in his veins, his entire body flexed in preparation for a fight. Seemed like speaking ability wasn't the only thing given back. But now that Rachel had attacked, the others would begin fighting, and he was still strapped down, vulnerable. Except…they weren't fighting.
Looking around, the living demons were glaring at Rachel as she yanked the knife from the downed body, but still they refused to budge. Or they couldn't budge.
"Abby?"
She looked up at him from where she was crouched next to the fallen demon, and her now familiar, teasing smile was revealed. "Always."
Before he could even laugh in relief Abby hurried over and sliced a wrist free. In quick sequence the rest of his restraints were chopped apart and he leapt out of his seat. "Wow."
"What?"
"You're really short."
"Smart ass," Abby paired the remark with a punch in the arm, which surprisingly ached. "Just get to packing. There's about five or six more demons around the property, we need to do this quickly but quietly, seeing as we have a third member." Abby peeked over his shoulder to the slumped blonde. "If you can carry her, we'll be good to go."
The three demons, which apparently were now mute due to Abby's influence, continued to watch their progress as the two hunters finished arming themselves. Lifting the old Rachel meat suit over his shoulder in a fireman's hold, he nodded at Abby, both of them moving toward the back door, halting just at the archway.
"Keep your eye on the birdie," Abby quirked an eyebrow at him before clamping a hand across her mouth. He watched in awe as she slowly pulled her hand away, showing the swirling demonic smoke as it was pulled from her body. Abby gave a sharp tug as the last of the dark essence was yanked out her mouth and forced into a ghastly ball, trapped in the palm of her hand.
"You can shank her now."
Taking Ruby's knife out, he plunged it into the demon sphere, the inhuman shriek signaling its death. With the vapors disappearing into the air, Abby signaled to him and he opened his mouth to recite the memorized exorcism.
Five minutes later had them running south of the house, keeping to the shadows of the trees. Night was well underway, the moon giving limited light in its half state, allowing them to maneuver just enough.
"You sure about this?"
Abby stopped behind a cluster of trees, peering into the dark path ahead of them, scoping out for the remaining demons. He looked back the way they came but their trail was lost in the darkness, not sure himself which direction they had come from.
"I told you, the tracking device is nearly indestructible and in case of such occasions as this, my family plants devil's traps in the surrounding area of wherever one of us is being held. South was the only direction with the least amount of demons but that won't last as they widen their search. We just need to get past the devil's trap, there'll be a circle of salt encrusted iron used to keep any escapees safe until reinforcements arrive. Believe me, we've used it before and it's fool proof."
He had his doubts but really he could do nothing, just follow the small woman in front of him.
"Let's go." Abby sped forward, and he followed right after her.
They traveled a few more minutes before a crashing of branches at their backs caused them to freeze. Looking behind him, he made out two black snakes of smoke as they passed through the trees, blocking out the moonlight.
Abby spotted it the same time he did. "Shit! Go! Go! Go!"
The crashing and snapping of branches grew louder as he ran with all his strength, trying to keep the unnamed woman from falling off his shoulders. Two loud bangs from a gun echoed in his ear, and he snuck a peek behind him. Abby had both her handguns out, switching from left to right, firing at the chasing demons, running backwards as she struggled to keep up with him. Her aim was true and the blessed bullets were pushing the demons further back as they tried to dodge.
"Abby!"
She glanced over before turning her attention to their pursuers, firing off a few more rounds. "Just go, make it past the traps, I'll be right behind you."
He hesitated, not wanting to leave her behind but a telekinetic shove told him otherwise. "Go!"
Against every fiber of his being, he turned away from her and rushed forward, the sounds of gunfire lowering in volume the farther he ran. Not three minutes later did he notice the orange spray paint on the grass as he stepped over it. A smile worked its way on his face as he traced the orange paint, getting a glimpse at the massive trap that stretched for at least twenty five feet.
He ran forward, making his way across the trap when a glowing amongst the tree tops off to his right caught his attention. The surprise was so strong it locked him in place for a few blinks. Seeing the shimmering silver-tinted ribbon floating above his head, he didn't know whether to curse or cheer.
"Why'd you stop?" came from behind him, Abby's footfalls stopping a few feet behind him. Her arrival seemed like a trigger as the soft silver-blue essence barreled at high speed in their direction, heading straight for Abby.
"Abby!" He tried, he really did but it seemed like he could never save her as she was possessed once more. Too soon the assault was over, Abby slumping to her knees, the bright light giving way to darkness once more. He inched toward his new friend, almost afraid of who'd he find looking back at him.
"Crap, my head hurts…" Abby grumbled, trying to make her way upright but failing miserably as she flailed back to the ground. "Man, feels like the morning after my twenty-second birthday."
"Abby we gotta mov-" He trailed off as one after another people peeled away from the shadows of trees, forming a loose circle around the devil's trap. Black eyes stared back at them, the head count reaching up to at least ten and not the original six like Abby had estimated. Must have gone shopping in town. With the female demon hunter currently reliving Saint Patrick's weekend, he was the only one capable of a decent defense.
Keeping an eye on the demonic wolf pack, he eased the blond civilian next to Abby, handing her Ruby's knife once his arms were free. He had noticed an area just beyond the trap, an area that the demons avoided and he was sure that was where the iron safe guard was located at. "Grab her and make for your far right, that's where the iron circle is, they're avoiding it like the plague."
"You gonna fight'em off?" She mumbled, standing upright, swaying for a second before she planted her feet a bit apart, trying to find her balance, looking at the horde around them, "Oh, my bad, make that ten or twelve demons around the joint. But that's all details, right? Wow, looks like they went on a shopping spree. Ten for ten. We still gonna fight them?"
"Don't want to but we might not have a choice." He wasn't sure if he could recite an exorcism in time, chances are they'd throw him around or clamp his throat shut before he'd finish. He held his breath, his saw-off at the ready as about seven of them rushed into the large symbol, not doubt the outsiders were there to break the trap lines. "Unless you got another plan?"
"I do actually."
His spine stiffened when catching her tone of voice, because it wasn't her voice. Glancing at the brunette, Abby's face was blank, eyes cold and calculating as they watched the wave of possessed people rushing closer. She turned to look at him and for a second her eyes glowed a brilliant white. His heart stopped.
"Shut your eyes."
Those three short words had an instant reaction from him as he dived for the unconscious woman, covering her face with his chest, his own face buried in the ground, eyes aching from the tight pressure he was using to seal them.
Echoing around him, pain-filled screaming caused his body to shiver, ears ringing as the shrieks hit their highest notes before trailing off. He waited a few minutes after the last yell died off, holding still and listening for any movement. Slowly, he lifted his head, eyes sweeping across the fallen crowd. A few were facing him, showing the bloodied sockets that occurred when witnessing an angel's true form.
Looking down at the blonde woman, she was still breathing deep and he was starting to panic, worried if she was in some type of coma.
"Yes, the demon Rachel almost killed her." His head snapped up, seeing Abby's body standing above him, gold eyes staring at him. "Her body responded to such an attack by falling in a coma."
Checking to make sure the unnamed woman was okay, he stood up, facing the angel that was using his friend. "Who the hell are you? How did you get inside Abby?"
A hand was held up and he leaned away from her sharply but she just gave a soft smile. "I'll answer what I can but first we should take care of the injured. Ezal?"
A fluttering sound he had always associated with Cas caused him to flinch and he whipped around to see a black-haired man crouching next to the downed woman, fingers pressed to her pulse.
Instinct urged him to grab a weapon but he was halted by a firm hand around his wrist. "Ezal will not harm her. He is our team's medic and has no intention of causing her harm. It is against his very core."
At the female angel's reassurance which if he was being honest didn't do anything for him, he waited as Ezal finished his assessment, pressing two fingers to the woman's forehead. Her color, which had began to pale in the last ten minutes, returned to a healthy glow and her breathing changed slightly, almost mimicking sleep.
"She does slumber."
The man's voice had him looking up, slanted brown eyes staring back. Ezal's vessel was of Asian heritage, height almost matching his own frame but this being held himself like Castiel had in the early days of their acquaintance.
"Ezal, would you please return Miss Hannah back to her home and see that she is comfortable."
At the request, the angelic healer lifted the blonde woman, identified as Hannah, in his arms before nodding at both him and Abby. The sound of wings signaled his departure. There was something bothering him about that sound.
Turning to the silent woman next to him, he found her watching him quietly, eyes wide and waiting. "What questions do you have for me? I know you have many."
"Okay, first off, what happened to Abby? How did you managed to take her without consent?" That was bothering him, making him uneasy. Having an angel that could take a vessel at will, without needing permission.
"Those are good questions. I appreciate your concern for Abigail. She is fine, I have done no harm to her."
"I don't mean to sound rude but in my experience, you all are just a bunch of dicks with wings. So unfortunately I don't believe a word you just said." Mouthing off to an angel was dangerous, he knew that, but he just couldn't help himself. Most had just been a pain in his ass.
"Abby" nodded at him, looking a bit shameful. "I do apologize about that. What you say is true and agreeable." The beginnings of a playful smile leaked through. "I was actually thinking of sending you a winning lotto ticket for dispatching Zachariah."
Her comment made him pause. An angel that agreed with him and was congratulating him for killing that son of a bitch. He might be starting to like this one.
"But please believe me when I say that Abigail is okay. I mean her absolutely no harm. As for your second question, I'm sure you've noticed a few things that are…different about Abigail, correct?"
It was true, seeing as she was able to move objects and even perhaps order demons around. "There've been a few things. Doesn't explain you being able to snatch her."
She nodded at his logic. "This is true. The fact of the matter is, Abigail is a very special individual. As am I. There is no other angel like me in existence, at least now there isn't. There were others like myself but they are no longer among us."
There was sadness when she spoke, and he couldn't help but wonder what happened. Damn his sympathy. "So what do they call you?"
Abby's smile was a little out of place as it didn't quite belong to her but there was no malice that he could detect. "My name is Ruth."
He nodded at her, still a little unsure. He'd have to ask Cas if this Ruth was on the up and up.
"If I may, please do not speak of me to Castiel. Or really any angel for that matter. Things would get a bit difficult."
He tensed, his eyes narrowing. "Are you reading my mind?"
Ruth gave a shrug, "I can't help what I am."
Another flapping interrupted and Ezal was back along with another male, standing next to Ruth, just a bit behind her shoulder. The new male was around Abby's age, brown eyes paired with short, dark brown hair. Him too, like Ezal, gave off that 'soldier of heaven' vibe Cas had years ago. They both nodded at her, waiting for her to speak. It suddenly occurred to him that Ruth might be someone important. Someone powerful. Someone he had mouthed off to. Damn.
She glanced over at them for a second, her mouth forming a frown. She nodded back and they left, leaving the two of them alone again.
He knew when to show respect. "Sorry about the winged dicks comment."
Ruth was quiet as she looked at him but to his relief, she just gave a soft chuckle. "It is true however. 'A great big bag of dicks' someone once said."
He allowed himself a laugh because, frankly, it was a good comeback. Yeah, he was liking this angel all the more. Thinking about her companions, it finally clicked about what was bothering him.
"That's something else I don't get. The other angels, they all got their wings nearly fried off, so how can your crew still use Angel Air?"
"Another good question. Simply, they fell, correct? Injuring themselves in the descent. You can't fall if you're already on the ground. My 'crew' and myself have been stationed on Earth for quite awhile."
Again, he couldn't help himself. "What do you mean you've been here this whole time? During the freaking Apocalypse? Leviathans? And you didn't do anything!" Now he was pacing, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He knew it was too good to be true.
"I understand your frustration and betrayal but at the time there were heavy restrictions on us. Even if we wanted to help, which we did, we were physically incapable of giving aid."
"And now?"
Ruth took a deep breath, "Just in the past year I've managed to destroy those limitations but even then it only applies for a handful of my team."
Another flutter interrupted, announcing the brown haired man's return, Ezal absent. "Ruth." He sounded a bit impatient.
"Jesse." Her tone was a bit sharp, throwing the new arrival with an almost scolding look. The angel, Jesse, seemed to understand the reprimand as his eyes dropped to the ground before nodding and leaving again. Ruth sighed, turning sorry eyes to him. "I have to apologize but it seems our time is up. You don't need to worry about Abigail. She is well and in no danger."
"Wait, can you tell me what Abby is? How she can do what she can."
She looked at him, her head tilting in a move that reminded him of Cas. "That is a question I can not answer. So please, do not mention me or Abigail to anyone, especially not any other angels or demons."
She turned away from him and he knew she was gonna take off but she surprised him by stopping and turning to him.
"I'm sorry about your brother. I heard your prayer and wanted to come, I really did. But there had been an event that occurred and needed my attention. My family needed me. I hope you can forgive me for not coming to your aid Dean."
Hazel eyes looked into golden brown ones and Dean knew that Ruth was telling the truth. He was nodding before he even considered accepting the apology. "It's okay. He's okay. An angel named Ezekiel came through for us. He's healing up Sammy. He just got released from the hospital a few days ago."
Ruth nodded back at him, relieved smile on her face. "Then I am glad. Ezal was nearly hysterical with worry over your distress call. Ezekiel is a fine angel, very trustworthy. As such I'm sure you would like to return to your brother as quickly as possible. I can help get you back to the Impala."
"That would be nice." He nodded his agreement, remembering the large gathering of bodies that surrounded them. Except there were no bodies or lines of orange paint.
"We're good at what we do." Ruth's smile was a bit impish. "Goodbye Dean. Let me know if you need anything."
"Thank you."
The scent of leather hit him and Dean found himself in the driver's seat of the Impala, still parked in the lot of the Arnold bar he had been grabbed from. Reaching into his pocket, Dean withdrew the keys and started her up, intent on heading back to the Lebanon. Back to his family.
Now, this isn't over. They'll crop back up in a time skip next chapter. And if you are yelling at me saying 'Dean wouldn't leave Sam alone after the trials.' Well he would if he was clucking over everything Sam did to the point where he was annoying and Sam shooed him out of the bunker for the day. That's why Dean was only in Nebraska, hours away and not states away. Leave me a line if yeah like! -Mez