Chapter 19
Then:
"Sorry," I mumble again and he rolls his eyes as he grasps my shoulders, pulling me back so that I would look at him.
"Stop saying that."
"Oh, sorry." My cheeks turn pink when I realize I've done exactly what he told me not to. "Last one, I promise." He grins, his smile is bright in the darkness of the room as he tugs me into another embrace. I melt into it readily. Gabriel's warm and smells oddly like a mix between burnt sugar and ozone. It's soothing, and my eyes slip closed again, too heavy to stay open anymore.
"You want me to stay?" I barely register the question, already half-asleep again, but finally manage to nod. He shifts me around until I'm horizontal again and I cling to him even as I sink back into oblivion once more.
I don't dream again.
Now:
Gabriel doesn't ask me about the dream the next morning, which is a relief, because there's no way I can explain it if he did ask me to. Instead, I find a laptop - finally! -and use it to scour the news, and I'm surprised at what I find.
Random floods and earthquakes all over the country. Demonic omens - cattle mutilations, crop failure, power outages, etc. - and missing people everywhere. It's starting to spread to other countries, too; the Apocalypse is going global. And I'm just sitting here doing nothing to stop it.
But maybe I can. My mind flashes back to the archangel's blade lying on my nightstand and automatically begins forming a plan. The only problem now is sneaking past my archangel prison warden.
It's easier than I expect it to be. Gabriel's upstairs and doesn't even notice when I make my way to the front door that night. Cola whines at me disapprovingly from where he's curled up on the couch and I hush him with a gentle scratch behind his ears.
"I'm sorry, boy, but I've gotta do something to stop this," I whisper, "Please don't tell Gabriel." He whines again, but falls silent as I tap the doorknob and turn the handle to reveal an empty street in Des Moines, Iowa. The demonic omens are strongest here, from what I've read, and hopefully, I can put an end to it. As I quietly step outside and shut the door behind me carefully, I can feel the metal of the archangel's blade brushing against the inside of my forearm, where I've hidden it so that with a flick of my wrist, the blade will slide out into my hand.
Glancing around nervously to make sure no unexpected siren goes off the instant I leave Gabriel's wards, I make a break for it, heading down the street. I should've known it was too easy, because two minutes after I make my escape, my phone goes off.
Wincing, I pull it out of my pocket and see the caller ID: Gabriel. Reluctantly, I flip it open. Maybe I can convince him that he's got the wrong number if I change my voice or-
"You have five minutes to get your ass back here," Gabriel says, his voice low with suppressed anger. Welp, there goes that plan.
"I can't. I've got work to do."
"What work? The omens? Ariel, you're not ready to-"
"Well, if I don't do something, who will? It's not exactly as if you're anti-Apocalypse, are you?" Gabriel's silent now. "I'm sorry." I pull the phone away, ready to hang up.
"I will find you and drag you back home," he threatens.
Impulsively, anger getting the best of me, I retort, "I don't have a home." I snap the phone shut, shoving it into my pocket before ducking into a nearby 24-hour Internet café. Maybe I can find the source of the demonic omens within the city here.
Within minutes, I'm leaving again with the firm conclusion that I am not the research guru that is Sam Winchester. Grudgingly, I dial his number.
"Hello?"
"Sam, it's me."
"Ariel?" Sam's voice perks up. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I just need a little help on something. Have you been hearing about demonic omens in Des Moines, Iowa?"
"Des Moines?" Sam echoes and I can hear typing on his end of the line. "Yep, got a couple of matches here. Why, what are you-?" He breaks off. "Air, no."
"I have to," I protest.
"Not on your own, it's too dangerous."
"Fuck dangerous, Sam, it's the right thing to do!" I argue, "And if Dean wasn't there and you came across this case, you'd go after it, too!"
"I was raised into hunting," he points out, "You weren't."
"I don't care. I'm not dropping this."
Sam sighs heavily, recognizing a hopeless cause when he hears it. "You'll want to get some holy water. Did Bobby teach you how to make some?"
"Yeah, I remember." How can I not, after all the hours Bobby spent drilling the incantation into my head?
"Good. The demons will be after you as soon as you leave Gabriel's wards, which I'm assuming you did already. They know you're associated with me and Dean, Lucifer's warned them about you. Be safe, and be careful. Exorcise them as soon as you blind them with the holy water." I decide not to mention the archangel's blade. "Just be safe."
"I will. Thanks, Sam." I end the call and tuck the phone back into my pocket before heading into a nearby dollar store. I come out with a wooden rosary - seriously? They'll sell anything at these stores - and a water bottle from the display near the cash register, and duck into an alley to avoid any prying eyes. I drop the rosary into the water and begin the blessing quickly.
"Exorcizo te, creatura aquæ, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in nomine Jesu Christi, Filii ejus Domini nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti: ut fias aqua exorcizata ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici, et ipsum inimicum eradicare et explantare valeas cum angelis suis apostaticis, per virtutem ejusdem Domini nostri Jesu Christ: qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos et sæculum per ignem. Deus, qui ad salutem humani generis maxima quæque sacramenta in aquarum substantia condidisti: adesto propitius invocationibus nostris, et elemento huic, multimodis purificationibus præparato, virtutem tuæ benedictionis infunde; ut creatura tua, mysteriis tuis serviens, ad abigendos dæmones morbosque pellendos divinæ gratiæ sumat effectum; ut quidquid in domibus vel in locis fidelium hæc unda resperserit careat omni immunditia, liberetur a noxa. Non illic resideat spiritus pestilens, non aura corrumpens: discedant omnes insidiæ latentis inimici; et si quid est quod aut incolumitati habitantium invidet aut quieti, aspersione hujus aquæ effugiat: ut salubritas, per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita, ab omnibus sit impugnationibus defensa. Per Dominum, amen."
The incantation is long and I thank Bobby mentally for making me memorize it for several hours straight as I speed through the Latin, stumbling in a few places. The water doesn't look all that different and I pray that the blessing worked. Unfortunately, in the time it takes me to create the holy water, the demons arrive.
"Well, if it isn't the little archangel that couldn't." I barely have time to get to my feet before a strong grip pins me to the wall by my neck. Thankfully, I keep a hold of the water bottle and hide it behind my back. "So did the Winchesters finally let you off your leash?" the demon sneers, his eyes flashing black, "Well, that's good. Our master's been looking for you." I can't talk, but my grip on the water bottle tightens. The crinkling plastic distracts the demon. "What's that you've got there?" He reaches for the bottle and I splash some of the water in his face.
He yells in pain and falls back, his face smoking, and I'm relieved that the holy water works as I flick my other wrist, my archangel's blade sliding out into my hand. I grasp the handle tightly as I stab the blade directly into the demon's chest. An orange light flickers weakly within his chest before dimming as he goes limp. I yank the archangel's blade out, wiping it clean on the demon's shirt as I swallow back the bile in my throat.
I just killed someone.
Not just someone, a demon, another part of my mind whispers, You did the right thing. So why do I feel so lousy, anyway?
I don't have time to delve into pity, though; three more black-eyed people - two men and one woman - run into the alley, alerted by the dying screams of their companion. I tighten my grasp on the archangel's blade as I throw my remaining holy water in their faces. They stumble back with sharp hisses of pain, and I manage to pin down one of them and stab him, too. In the time it takes for me to kill him, though, the other two recover, and my archangel's blade is knocked out of my grasp when the woman backhands me, sending me sprawling to the ground.
"You're more trouble than you're worth," she snarls, taking my blade and pressing it against my throat. I struggle against her and feel the tip of the blade nick my throat. A thin trickle of blood runs down my neck, but the demon is suddenly yanked off me, my archangel's blade clattering to the ground beside me as she's thrown off me.
"Well, two out of four ain't half-bad for a beginner," Gabriel drawls lazily as I scramble to my feet, rubbing at my neck as he pins the other demon to the wall with a snap of his fingers. "Might wanna shut your eyes, kiddo." Knowing better than to disagree with him, I shut my eyes tightly. It doesn't stop my eyes from aching horribly as a blinding white light fills the alley briefly. When it fades, I tentatively open my eyes to see both demons lying dead on the floor beside their partners and Gabriel studying his own hand contemplatively.
"Are you okay?" I ask warily as I pick up my archangel's blade, returning it to my pocket.
He looks up, startled, as if he's forgotten I'm still there. "I'm fine. It's just been a while since I pulled the wings-and-halo set out."
"How'd you find me, anyway?"
He rolls his eyes. "It's not that big a city. All I had to do was find the demons and there you were, smack dab in the middle of them. Took the liberty of clearing out the rest of them for you, by the way."
"Oh." All my earlier determination and anger dissolves into crushing guilt. "'M sorry," I mumble.
"Yeah, well." He glances down at the demons at our feet, not looking at me. "Figured this would happen sooner or later." Finally, he looks back up and I feel even worse when I catch the utter lack of anger in his expression. He just looks tired and disappointed, and the lump in my throat steadily grows more painful. "C'mon, let's just go..." He hesitates. "Well, not home, but...y'know, it's-"
"-home," I interrupt shakily, forcing myself to meet his eyes, "It's home." He studies my face for a moment before nodding and reaching out to grasp my shoulder. Within seconds, we're back in the living room, and Cola barks in greeting, jumping up and down and licking my hands. I ignore the dog in favor of pressing my face against Gabriel's chest. He stiffens and makes no move to hug me back. "I'm sorry," I say again weakly as tears sting my eyes.
He sighs heavily and I feel his arms wrap around me at last. "I know you are." Cola whines, sensing the tense mood, and backs off. "I guess I should be sorry, too."
I sniffle and pull back. "Why?"
"Well, you were right. I mean, I'm all for the Apocalypse for the wrong reasons." I don't understand, and I guess it shows on my face, because Gabriel looks even more frustrated. "You wouldn't remember, Ariel, but the fighting in Heaven was awful. And after Lucifer was cast down, I couldn't bear it. But now it's happening all over again, and I just want it to be over, one way or another."
"And you want billions of people to die in the process, just so Michael and Lucifer could quit bitch-slapping each other?" I take a step further back, my guilt shifting quickly back to anger. "You archangels are all the same."
"Us?" Gabriel's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "You keep forgetting that you're one of us."
"Not anymore, and I'm glad I'm not!" Nothing tears at my heart more than the wounded look that flashes across Gabriel's face, but I keep going. It's too late to take it back now. "At least I give a damn about the people on this planet! And I don't care if I ever get my Grace back or not, or if I die trying to stop the Apocalypse, 'cause at least I'm trying!" Not waiting for his response - besides, I doubt he's planning to give one anytime soon, if his shocked expression is anything to go by - I storm upstairs and slam my door loudly enough that I'm relatively sure Gabriel hears it. I know for sure that Cola hears it, because he starts barking like crazy from downstairs.
I press my face into the pillows and cry until exhaustion takes over.
I wake up when a warm, wet nose presses against my cheek. Cola licks my cheek, fully startling me into awareness. When had he gotten into my room? The door had been closed.
"Morning." Oh, well, that explains it. Gabriel's perched on the edge of the bed, holding out a mug awkwardly. I accept it and take a sip, only to find that it's hot chocolate. I swear, he's intent on giving me diabetes.
"Thanks," I mumble hoarsely into the mug, not meeting Gabriel's eyes.
"I'm sorry," he says abruptly and I look up, startled. "Look, what I said last night, I didn't get to finish. I was gonna say that I wanted it to be over, but it doesn't have to end with Michael and Lucifer fighting. I don't want it to end with that again."
"So...what? You're on our side now?" I ask slowly.
"Well, if the shoe fits." He quirks a weary smile and I don't hesitate to set the mug aside before hugging him tightly. He freezes, startled, before hugging me back just as fiercely.
"Love you," I say before I can stop myself and Gabriel tenses even more even as he squeezes my shoulders gently.
"Yeah, you, too." His voice sounds oddly choked and I'm about to question him about it when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I let go of Gabriel to tug it out. It's Sam, so I flip my phone open.
"Sam, what-?"
"Give the phone to Gabriel," Sam interrupts, sounding agitated, and I blink even as I hold the phone out to Gabriel.
"It's for you." Gabriel accepts the phone, looking just as surprised as I feel, and puts it to his ear.
"Yo, Sasquatch." His tone is much lighter than it was seconds ago, but his eyebrows furrow as he listens to Sam talk. "Well, why would you need me to-? Oh, right, because Cassie's powers are circling the drain. Well, I can't. I'm not leaving Ariel on her own." His jaw clenches at Sam's reply. "No, I can't just bring her along, the point of her being here is to get away from you two."
I tug at his sleeve, demanding silently what's going on. He shakes his head at me and I glare back. If Sam and Dean need our help, I'm ready to go with or without Gabriel.
I guess Gabriel realizes that because he huffs impatiently and retorts, "Fine, fine, don't get your panties in a twist, Gigantor. We'll be there in five." He tosses the phone back at me and I check to see if Sam's still on the line, but he's hung up already.
"What is it?" I ask as I pocket my phone once more.
"The Winchesters are beckoning." Gabriel gets up, heading for the door, and I drain my mug of hot chocolate - which has gone cold by now - in one gulp before following him. Cola barks as he runs after us, racing down the stairs and settling in on the couch. "Said something about time traveling back to the seventies and Castiel not being strong enough to manage it on his own, so they're calling me to give him a hand."
"So why do I have to come, too?" I ask even as I cross over to the kitchen to put the mug in the sink and fill it with water.
"You don't. But I'm not leaving you here alone."
"I'm an adult, I can be left to my own devices for a while."
"You know, up until last night, I would've bought that." I flinch at the subtle reprimand and Gabriel sighs wearily. "Look, I don't like this any more than you do, but we're not getting much of a choice here."
"I know." He takes that as consent, because he touches my shoulder and we're suddenly in a motel room. Castiel looks up first from where he's placing a ceramic jar into a duffel bag.
"Hello, Gabriel. Ariel."
"Hey, Cas," I greet him first, but I'm startled by the abrupt (and tight to the point of painful) bear hug I receive from behind. "If you're trying to kill me, this is a nice way to go about it," I tell Sam dryly over my shoulder. He rolls his eyes as he sets me down again.
"Good to see you, too, Air." He looks back up at Gabriel. "Thanks for coming."
"Wasn't really an option not to come," Gabriel replies stiffly and Sam removes his hand from my shoulder, sensing the source of Gabriel's irritation. Just like that, the archangel relaxes enough to ask cheerfully, "So where's Winchester Senior?"
Well, that explains the lack of hostility when I showed up.
"He's out getting supplies," Sam answers.
That reminds me. "What's going on, anyway? Something about time travel?"
"You remember Anna? From, uh...well, I guess it'd be Season Four for you?" I'd actually forgotten all about the television show, but I nod, remembering the red-haired fallen angel. "She went back in time to go after our parents."
"Why?" I frown, confused.
"Because I refused to let her kill Sam," Castiel says gruffly, zipping up the duffel bag after adding two angel blades to the contents and handing it to Sam carefully. "She went for the next available option."
"Is this all because of the whole vessel-thing?" I ask, bewildered.
"No vessel, no Apocalypse," Gabriel points out, as if he hadn't thought of that before and is now considering it seriously.
"Don't even think about it," I scold, pointing a finger at him warningly, and he throws up his hands in surrender.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Sam snorts. "Got you wrapped around her finger already, doesn't she?" When Gabriel shoots him a grudging glare, his grin widens as he ruffles my hair affectionately. "Yeah, she does that." Damn, I've missed him. Can you blame me for leaning into the touch just a little?
It's then that Dean walks in, carrying a few bottles of water with rosaries floating in them. He first sees me and his jaw clenches, so I instinctively step behind Gabriel.
"Wouldn't recommend laying a hand on her, Dean-o," Gabriel says pleasantly, but I can see the dangerous glint in his eyes. "I can and will scatter your molecules across the galaxy."
"Drop it, Gabe," I mutter, embarrassed as I clutch the back of his jacket.
Dean scowls at the archangel's threat, but glances at me again, his expression a little softer. "Look, Air, about last time-"
"It's okay. It was my fault, anyway," I say quickly. We've got bigger issues to worry about.
Dean seems to be struggling with words, but he just nods jerkily before glancing at Sam. "We ready to go?"
"We should be." Sam shoulders the duffel bag in his hand before glancing at Castiel. "Cas?"
The angel nods even as he extends a hand to Gabriel, who grasps it firmly while taking my hand with the other. Sam takes my free hand while Dean clutches his brother's and Castiel's shoulders. We look like a weird prayer circle.
"Bend your knees," Castiel suggests to the Winchesters, who brace themselves, and I shut my eyes as with a sharp jerk around my abdomen, I'm tugged across time and space.
Castiel, Gabriel, and I land on the sidewalk. Sam and Dean end up in the middle of the street, and cars swerve to avoid them, honking wildly. They quickly scramble back to the sidewalk, wide-eyed and glancing around themselves like lost puppies.
"Did we make it?" Sam asks and Dean eyes a tiny lime green car whizzing by with distaste.
"Unless they're bringing Pintos back into production, I'd say 'yes.'" His eyes flicker to Castiel. "Cas!" It's then that I notice Castiel's state and I kick myself for not catching it immediately. Castiel looks awful as he leans against a nearby car, blood streaking from his nose and running down towards his upper lip even as he coughs violently, covering his mouth with his sleeve. Blood spatters the tan material of his trenchcoat.
"Oh my God, are you okay?" I drop to my knees beside him and he grimaces.
"I'm fine. I'm much better than I expected."
"This is fine?" I hear Dean mutter wryly.
"Damn it," Gabriel scolds even as he kneels down on Castiel's side, "You should've taken more power from me, I could've afforded it." Castiel looks ashamed even as he lists sideways, his eyes slipping shut. I catch him and try to ignore the damp feeling of the blood from his nose soaking into the collar of my shirt.
Sam places a hand in front of Castiel's nose and mouth. "He's breathing. Sort of." He looks up at us helplessly. "What do we do?"
"First things first, we get him somewhere safe," Gabriel says even as he shifts Castiel until most of the younger angel's weight is no longer on me.
"There's a motel over there." Dean points at the Prairie Count Motel sign just down the road.
"Safe as we can get." Gabriel shrugs as Dean pulls Castiel up, the angel's head lolling lifelessly against the hunter's shoulder, and carries him carefully down to the motel. We follow him while Sam veers off to find a phonebook, mumbling something about finding John and Mary Winchester's address.
Once we've got Castiel settled in a room and Dean goes to find Sam, I sit down on Castiel's other side as Gabriel leans over him, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"What's wrong with him?" I demand.
"He didn't use as much of my power as he should've. Stupid kid." He knocks lightly on Castiel's forehead reprimandingly, but the unconscious angel doesn't react. "He just needs a little time to get his energy back, and I'm gonna have to heal him for a while so that'll happen sometime this century."
"You mean within the next twenty-two years?" I deadpan, seeing as we're in 1978.
Gabriel gives me an identically-unimpressed look. "You're hysterical."
"Learned from the best," I reply sweetly and he allows a grudging smile as he returns his attention to Castiel. Unsure what else I can do, I take Castiel's limp hand in mine and squeeze it.
I'm starting to feel less and less optimistic by the second.
Yeah, so am I, Ariel, so am I. Every single time I upload a new chapter, I swear I'm terrified that I'm gonna lose readers. Of course that'll never happen because you're not allowed to leave me because I will hold you hostage via awful writing. -cackles evilly-
So here's the beginning of The Song Remains the Same, which quite frankly also gives me feels. Damn it, Season Five, and your feels-giving.
Leave reviews and Cadbury Easter Eggs! (Those things are addictive, damn it.)