Author's/Underhill's Note: Dear god. So. Chapter 32. ...this chapter is late. So much later than I wanted to put it out. Part of that is that I wrote out like, a quarter of next chapter before I finished this one, and the other reason is an old friend who stopped talking to me years ago decided out of nowhere to start harassing me, so I was kind of out of the headspace. I tried editing, and I hope I got out most of the errors, and then I read through and was like oh god, there are parts of this I should really rewrite, but I feel kind of evil for not having updated in so long so I'm just gonna put it out. Oh wow, that was a run on sentence. So, as always: disclaimers disclaimers I don't own anything Supernatural disclaimers disclaimers. Thank you readers! I really appreciate that anyone is reading this at all, like, seriously. ...I was gonna say something else... Argh. Anyway! I hope you enjoy (or at least don't hate) chapter 32! And stuff! AND STUFF!
April 18, 4 AM, Mississippi
Cas eventually gets Balthazar to take him to a pancake house in Mississippi. No particular reason for the location, other than he'd once sat across from Dean in its parking lot, and the man had commented that he liked the pancakes. All the explanation he gives Balthazar though is: "I need to try something."
So, there they are, Cas scarfing down a short-stack of pancakes while Balthazar sits across looking far too serious.
"I have bad news, brother," Balthazar says, voice mournful. Cas isn't really listening though, because for the first time in… ever… he can TASTE. He's eaten before, but it's only now that he tastes the sweetness of the syrup (blueberry), and the flour in the pancakes, and the light intensity of the salt in the eggs. It's brilliant, and he ends up closing his eyes and moaning at the taste of it. "Brother?" Balthazar repeats.
Cas opens his eyes. "Can I get pie?" he asks suddenly. He starts waving down a waitress.
"Brother!"
"Huh?" The waitress shows up. "Oh, pie. Do you have apple?" She smiles, nods and walks off. "What was that again?"
"I have bad news," Balthazar starts again, though this time looking decidedly more annoyed. "John Winchester has said yes to our brother Michael."
That gets Cas to pause in his breakfast. "When? How?"
"I came as soon as I heard. Zachariah, he promised him his wife back. I do not believe he intends to deliver. Not that he would survive being an occupied vessel again." And he wouldn't. Michael rode shotgun in John Winchester for five minutes those many years ago, and it was simply to communicate to Dean. To house an archangel for a battle against Lucifer… the repercussions are unimaginable.
"So all they need is Sam now," Castiel muses. If they find Sam, and find leverage against him (and it's been established time and time again that Winchesters are self-sacrificing idiots when they want to be), all Heaven needs to do is drop Sam into enemy hands. "This isn't good."
"I have to ask: the boy, is he safe? You are hiding him." Castiel doesn't respond, shifting his eyes off to the side, and Balthazar becomes suspicious. "You ARE, aren't you?"
"Well," Castiel starts, just as the waitress slides a slice of pie in front of him. He takes a bite before continuing. "Not so much hiding him as… uh."
Balthazar loves his brother, truly, but right now wishes nothing more but to smack him. Instead he pinches his brow between his fingers and prays for patience.
"Balthazar, you try getting Sam Winchester to do anything he doesn't want to do," Cas sighs. Sam is stubborn, pig-headed, and sometimes very like his brother was in that he leaps before he looks. Sam is supposed to be the sensible one, but Sam is far from it these days.
"This is the fate of the world we're talking about, Castiel."
"Being on earth makes you cranky, did you know that?" Another bite of pie. "And Sam has a plan." Or at least, that's what Cas suspects. Ever since the Hunter had said the words 'pop Satan's box', he's been thinking.
"A plan to derail the Apocalypse, to defeat Lucifer?" Balthazar has to hear this, what one mere mortal thinks he can do to beat the devil himself. "Tell me."
When Castiel was young - - before the earth even WAS - - the younger angels went to what Dean might have called Angel Sunday School. Older angels taught the younger angels lessons, about their father and His works, about why they were here (short answer: no one really knows). Mostly it was throwaway lessons, nature of the universe kind of thing, which was great to think about but had no practical application. It's from this that Castiel remembers a shred of a tale, about a cage, a cage that could hold anything...
Castiel chews thoughtfully. "You're not going to like it."
Of course I'm not going to like it. "Tell me anyway."
Castiel sighs. "Well… Remember those stories Anna used to tell us?"
April 18, 5:30 AM, Crowley's place
When Sam wakes up, he's immobile. He joggles his legs, and they move. He tries to stand up, but he can't. His arms won't move, and…
"Am I tied to a chair?" Sam asks groggily. He opens his eyes and, "Goddamnit, you fuckers tied me to a chair."
"Join the club, Sammy boy."
"Shut up, Brady!"
"Shut up, both of you," Rufus says from across the room. His arms are crossed as he leans against the wall.
"Where's Crowley?" Sam asks. Before Rufus can answer though, "Wait, did YOU knock me out?"
"You were being loud."
"Oh son of a - - "
"And Crowley disappeared about an hour ago. Didn't say where he was going. I imagine he'll be back soon though."
Sam laughs harshly. "Oh, you imagine. What makes you imagine that?"
Rufus recrosses his arms, calm, relaxed as anything. "He knows what I'll do to him if he doesn't."
Rufus, Sam thinks, is either the most arrogant or scariest motherfucker he's ever met. At the unconcerned and certain look on the older Hunter's face, Both, he decides. Definitely both.
"Tying me up was still totally unnecessary," he mutters, jostling the chair half-heartedly. He knows he's acting like a sullen child; he does it anyway. Rufus opens his mouth to retort when Crowley pops back into existence. Everyone jumps; Crowley smiles.
"God, the day I've had." He turns that smile on Brady and the blond haired demon's eyes widen. "Good news!" Brady starts shaking his head. "You're going to live forever."
"What did you do?!"
"Went over to a demons' nest, had a little massacre. Must be losing my touch, though, let one of the little toads live." He gives a benign smile. "Oops. Also might have given said toad the impression that you left your post last night because you and I are - - wait for it - - lovers in league against Satan."
Rufus starts laughing and Sam mutters, "Is this a goddamn soap opera? This is worse than Dr. Sexy."
"Oh, no no no no," Brady says, shaking his head. "No."
"Something else we have in common - - apart from our torrid passion, of course."
"Of course," nods Rufus.
" - - craven self-preservation. So, now, why don't you tell me where Pestilence is at?"
Brady grits his teeth, looks toward the door…
"And if you were relying on rescue, forget it - - I found your lackey's coin in my pocket. Probably wouldn't have if not for Moose over there." He jerks a thumb towards Sam, still sullenly pouting tied to his chair, and Rufus snorts. "So you better start talking, love."
April 19, 12:30 PM, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Bobby's frowning at Gabriel as the angel flips through the only fiction books that Bobby owns: the unfortunate works of Chuck Shirley, the Winchester chronicles. The angel is alternating between laughter and… more laughter. The Hunter wonders if giving him the books was such a good idea (scratch that, he knows it's entirely a BAD idea), but it's worth it to make Gabriel stop talking. After season six of Dr. Sexy scripts, Bobby was about to snap.
"Jesus, these two, I swear. Have you read these?"
Bobby growls.
"That's a no, isn't it? You should though, you're in here. I mean, a lot less nudity on your part, but I'm counting that as a good thing." Gabriel flips another page. "O-HO! Another full frontal. Dean doesn't keep his clothes on for very long at all, does he?"
Bobby knew he should have burned those books. Hell, he knows he should have deep-fried the ANGEL. Frankly, he's still pissed that he's on babysitting duty while Sam and Rufus are out fighting the good fight. Because…
"You know, you've got a sex scene in here, did you know that?"
…he really hates this angel. His hands itch at his sides, resisting the urge to strangle. Castiel's been no help either. Since he showed back up that afternoon he's been sacked out on the couch. Balthazar says that even though he healed him, Cas will want to sleep for awhile. Falling… it's apparently exhausting; Castiel is catching up on sleep he never used to need. While Bobby had been ecstatic to see them (and a bit happy when Balthazar left, because angels still give him the heebie jeebies), he really wishes they could do something about the archangel in his living room. At least their reunion had provided an interesting distraction.
One moment the room is empty, the next two angels (well, one angel and one former angel) are falling from a seated position to the ground. "Should have gotten up first," Balthazar mutters. Cas says nothing.
Bobby is so relieved he forgets all about Gabriel. He rolls right up to Cas and starts checking his pulse, feeling his forehead for temperature, fussing like a mother hen. Castiel frowns and tries to bat his hand away but is too tired. "Gonna sleep now," he murmurs, and is out like a light.
"You can lay him out on the couch," Bobby says. Balthazar nods, lifting his brother in his arms and walking for the living room...
"Oh, shit," Bobby says, remembering who's in there, and that he should probably give some warning. "Balthazar - - "
"Gabriel?" There's a thump as the angel presumably drops Cas.
"...Balthazar?" Long pause. "Heeey, little bro! What brings you to my current abode?"
"YOUR abode?" Bobby growls.
"Well, all my mail is forwarded here."
"Angels don't get mail!"
"Isn't that a subscription of Better Homes and Gardens on that stack over there with Castiel's name on it?"
"...That's different."
"I fail to see - - "
"Where have you BEEN?" Balthazar's question is loud and sudden and out of nowhere. If he was frozen before, he's awake now, and he looks PISSED. "You've been gone MILLENIA!" Balthazar's tone is both amazed and accusing. "Since Lucifer left! Where have you BEEN?!"
Gabriel manages to look a little contrite. "Here. Earth."
"But we looked everywhere! We scoured every corner of the globe, we… What did you do to yourself." Balthazar's accusing tone goes deeper. Cas managed to fly under the radar for so long because of the waning power of his Grace and then the wards of Bobby's house. Balthazar's location is unknown most of the time because no one is looking. If an angel of Gabriel's power has been on earth all this time, then…
"I, uh." Gabriel spreads his hands. "Changed a few things. Rewired my Grace, if you will."'
"Rewired your Grace?" Balthazar hisses. "Are you INSANE? Do you understand how dangerous, how catastrophic that could have been!? You might have been destroyed! You could have bloody destroyed us ALL!"
"What now?" Bobby asks. Gabriel looks prepared to ignore him but Balthazar is angry enough that he's all for spilling secrets today.
"If an angel's Grace is altered? If any molecule is… If any… A nuclear blast would seem petty in comparison."
"But it DIDN'T go catastrophically and I DIDN'T go nuclear. I'm an archangel brother, and older than you, don't you forget it."
Bobby thinks that's the end of it, but then he looks over at Balthazar, who is clenching and unclenching his jaw, balling his hands into fists and then - - nothing. All that rage, all that resentment, it disappears, and Balthazar is left looking oddly Dean-like. Like when Sam would say the thoughtless things he did, whenever John let him down and Dean would take it, take it without saying a word to the contrary. It was that face: disappointed.
"You left us." That's all he says before he picks up Cas and leaves the room. Bobby can see the angel gently place Cas on the couch and stroke a hand over the sleeping man's forehead. Then, without looking back, he disappears, with that damned sound of flapping wings. Bobby almost doesn't look back at Gabriel. Frankly, he thinks Balthazar has a point, and he doesn't want to see Gabriel brush it off. He does look though. And Gabriel…
Gabriel looks devastated.
When the phone rings, he curses out of pure relief. He rolls himself across the room to pick up the receiver.
Gabriel calls after him: "Don't you want to hear it?"
No he goddamn doesn't.
"Yeah?" he growls into the speaker.
"Yeah, Bobby. It's me." Rufus. And of course, he wants something. He and Sam have Pestilence's location (they think), and they want Bobby to do some follow up research (of course). The call goes on longer than usual because Bobby is loath to hang up and face the archangel in the other room. Eventually though, "Yeah, I followed up on that. Nasty omens, but none of it's death with a capital D. Well, just give me a ring if it turns into anything. And Rufus… you two watch your asses out there." There's a grunt of assent and the line goes dead. Bobby sighs. Nothing for it; he turns and - -
"Chin up, cavalry's arrived."
Son of a bitch.
Bobby grabs his gun and cocks it.
"Charming. That won't work on me. The name's Crowley. Maybe you've - - "
"…Crowley?"
Bobby looks over at the angel, who is wide-eyed and staring from the other room. The demon peers around Bobby and freezes. He looks just as shocked to see Gabriel though. What the…
"….Loki?"
"Oh good god, you two know each other." He sighs. "Of COURSE you know each other." A trickster and a crossroads demon. Shoulda seen this one coming, Bobby thinks.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Crowley asks, stepping further into the room. "And why are you in… Oh you're kidding me. An angel. The great Loki is an angel."
"Hey, don't say it like it's such a bad thing!"
"All those times we worked together - - "
"They still meant something, Crowley!"
" - - and you were a, what did you call it?" he asks Bobby.
"A dick with wings?"
"A dick with wings!" Crowley yells.
"Well, only slightly now…"
"Oh sure."
"Okay, probably still three quarters archangel, but that's all!"
"Oh, an ARCHANGEL now, is it? Which one are you then? Michael, Raphael, Ga - - " Gabriel coughs. " - - briel. Gabriel. Wonderful. Did you know about this?" he asks Bobby, though for the life of him, he doesn't know why. It's not like he and Crowley are suddenly friends. Hell, Bobby's not sure why he hasn't shot him yet.
Suddenly, he's just had enough. He raises his shotgun, points it at Crowley. "Here's how this situation is going to go down, and know that I say this not just because you're bickering like an old married couple, but also because I hate you both on your own merits. You're both gonna shut up for a minute, and let me think. Then, and if and only when I say so, the demon here will explain just what the hell he's doing in MY house." Both angel and demon, surprisingly, do shut up, and Bobby is somewhat pleased to see them both looking slightly like chastised children, though they do keep glaring at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Bobby takes a deep breath. "Alright, Crowley. What do you want?"
Crowley casts one more scowl at Gabriel before saying, "The boys are on to ring number three, but we still need number four. I'm here to help."
"You know where Death is?" Bobby sounds skeptical.
"Psh, no," Gabriel says at the same time Crowley says, "No, haven't the foggiest."
"So neither of you are helpful. At all."
"Hey, I've been incredibly helpful!" Gabriel protests.
"How?"
"…"
"That's what I thought."
"I, on the other hand, could be getting you Death's location in about the time it'd take you to reload."
"You're just gonna chat some demons up and hope they don't recognize you?" Bobby scoffs.
"God, no. That could get me killed. But there is this little spell that I know."
"That so?"
"Results are 100% guaranteed."
"Oh, whoa whoa whoa, wait a second," Gabriel says. "This isn't that spell I taught you, back in 1889, is it?"
"…"
"It IS. Oh, come on, you don't even know if that'll work. Besides, it requires a human - - REALLY, man?"
"What?" Bobby asks, looking between the two of them.
Crowley glares over at Gabriel then turns the snake oil back on Bobby. "I need a little something to get the magic going."
"And what's that?"
"A human SOUL, dumbass. YOURS."
"Well, you just had to spoil the surprise, didn't you?" Crowley says, sounding annoyed. "I wanted to see if the chap could figure it out himself."
"I should shoot you." On second thought… "I should shoot both of you."
"Look," Crowley says, "you make a wish. I can give you anything you want, mate, up to and including Death's coordinates. I just need a little kick start."
"And it's gotta be a soul, does it?" He looks over at Gabriel.
"Hey, I didn't make the spell, I just taught it to him."
"I've done more with less," Crowley continues. "Let's just say when they're getting their Grammys, they shouldn't be thanking God. It's worth it Bobby. Think."
"You're so full of crap," Gabriel says.
"Said the Trickster - - oh sorry, I mean ANGEL."
"Why should I trust you?" Bobby asks, completely ignoring their childish antics (antics, he thinks, that have probably been exchanged between the two for centuries).
"Look, you're right to be suspicious, but I'm your ally. Enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. I need the Devil back in his stock. In fact, my delicate ass depends on it. I promise you: temporary loan. I'll give it. Right. Back."
Bobby weighs his options. Can he really pretend to quibble about a soul when the whole world's about to burn? Can he afford to not take this chance - -
"You're not seriously considering this, are you?" Gabriel asks. When Bobby doesn't respond right away, Gabriel shoots to his feet. "Are you a MORON?"
Bobby shoots him a poison look while secretly agreeing with him, because damn if this isn't the stupidest thing he's contemplated. "Is he trustworthy?" he asks, turning his chair towards Gabriel.
Gabriel is very still. He gazes at Bobby, as if contemplating something. "As far as keeping to his word, yes," he says slowly. "Crossroads demons always keep up their end of a deal."
"Al - - "
"But you're still an idiot if you make a deal in the first place. And he'll find a way to screw you somehow in the end."
Crowley gives a wide, genuine grin. "I'm touched you think so little of me."
"Yeah, well it takes a backstabbing douchebag to know another backstabbing douchebag, what can I say."
"We truly did make fine partners, didn't we?"
"There's a reason that partnership ended, asshole."
"Yes, 'I don't trade in souls,' blah blah blah. Bloody hypocritical if you ask me."
"I didn't."
"Well - - "
"Alright," Bobby says. "Deal."
A slow, crocodile smile takes residence on Crowley's mug. "Excellent. Then let's seal it, shall we?"
"Oh shit," the archangel says, looking delighted. "Anyone got a camera?"
Well, this don't bode good.
Castiel rolls over in his sleep.
April 26, 10 PM, highway
Brady's gone, and not by Sam's hand. In the end, it's Rufus that kills him, and it's all before Sam's even untied from the chair.
"Go on, get," Rufus says, gesturing towards the door. Brady looks between them all, then hastily heads towards the door. He opens it, takes one step - -
BANG. The shot is loud in the room as Brady falls to the floor. Rufus has his arm extended, his gun's barrel now smoking. He looks at Sam, a serious look on his face, and says, "Trust me, boy. Doing it yourself, revenge style?" He shakes his head. "It wouldn't help."
Sam's not sure whether to thank Rufus or stab him. He ends up doing neither, just sits quietly in the car while Rufus drives, clenching and unclenching his fists, digging his nails into the palms of his hands.
Fortunately he won't have to focus on his thoughts for much longer, because they're closing in on the location Brady provided. He hopes the info is good, because Sam really wants to kill something right now.
April 26, 11 PM, Serenity Valley Convalescent Home
Not ten minutes ago, two familiar Hunters entered the Serenity Valley Convalescent Home, and Adda is the particularly unlucky demon wearing a nurse's body that happens to spot them first. She reports directly as instructed to, but it's with dubious hesitation that she pushes the door open and says, "Sir… the Huunters are here. We should go." Pestilence - - or Dr. Green as his name tag reads - - looks at the black-eyed nurse like she were a bug. She gulps.
"Are you kidding me?" He wipes his face with his handkerchief, wiping bits of his favorite patient off himself.
She hesitates. "They have a record with Horsemen." Her host's body's heartbeat begins to speed up.
"You mean my brothers. What they did to my brothers." The face on the man… "No. The only reasonable thing to do her is to take it out on their 'healthy young asses.'" …And now he looks almost calm, and that's worse.
The demon is really pretty sure by now that her heart's going much too fast. "We're under strict orders not to kill the vessels." She's never agreeing to draw straws again.
"Oh, if Satan wants them so bad," he says, face turning from calm disgust to rage. "He can glue them back together!" he yells. Then, like he thinks of something suddenly, his face slacks, and beckons for her to move forward. She hesitates, and his face gentles. Terrified but not wanting to make it worse, she moves slowly into his embrace. "Now then."
April 26 11 PM, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Gabriel is tapping an erratic rhythm on the ground with his fingers, and it's driving Bobby crazy. He's not sure if the angel knows he's doing it or if he simply has a knack for annoying Bobby.
"You know they won't survive this, right?"
Bobby frowns. "What're you talkin' 'bout?"
"Going against Pestilence. I've met him, you know. Not a nice dude." He adds with a mutter, "Really gross, too."
"Rufus and Sam know how to take care of themselves…"
Gabriel huffs in frustration. "I'm sure they do, but this is not your standard ghost hunt. This is biblical. No one is equipped to handle this."
What if the angel's right? Bobby wonders. A Horseman. Granted, Sam and Dean have taken down Horsemen before, but that was more luck than anything. This, a head on assault with the enemy expecting them? This could end badly.
"It's suicide," Gabriel says. "They're going to die. You can stop that though."
"How's that then?" Bobby asks suspiciously. Rightly suspicious, it turns out.
"Break the circle."
"Not a chance."
Gabriel makes a frustrated noise. "What is it with you chumps? Are you TRYING to get killed?" Those words are so reminiscent of Bobby's own not long ago, that it gives him pause. "I can HELP. I'm TRYING to HELP."
"Why?" Bobby realizes: he never asked.
"I owe the Winchesters a favor."
"Yeah, what'd Sam do for you?"
"Not Sam," Gabriel says, shaking his head. "Dean."
Bobby gets still, quiet; this he wants to hear. "Dean?"
"Before…" He doesn't finish the thought, because they both know he means 'Before Carthage.' "He gave me some good advice."
"That was?" Bobby asks, genuinely curious.
"That sometimes you need to stand up to your family. That sometimes you need to do the right thing - - maybe even take a chance."
Bobby knows the angel is trying to manipulate him; he's doin' a hell of a job too. He could be lying, probably IS lying if even a demon won't trust him. But, the part about owing a favor? That rings true. Because Dean, Dean has that effect on people; boy may act like an idiot but he makes people think twice.
"You better not make me regret this more than I already am," Bobby says, rolling closer to the flames.
Gabriel nods. "I probably will, but I'll make an effort not to."
Bobby sighs, knowing that's the best he can hope for, and spills his cup of coffee on a piece of the line. A section of fire goes out, and Gabriel smiles. Then, without another word, he disappears, just that creepy rustle of wind and feathers he's so accustomed to Cas making - - though that boy never will again. "Well," Bobby says out loud. "Guess things are about to get interesting." One way or another.
April 26, 11:05 PM, Serenity Valley Convalescent Home
He starts noticing it right away. The smell in his nose, the crawling nausea in his stomach. It's impossible to ignore. And by the time they get to the doctor's and woman's bodies, they're ready to collapse.
Rufus drops first, a fact Sam makes note to remind him of later. He himself doesn't manage to get much farther, just to the door which he doesn't even open himself. It's opened just as he makes a grab for it by a beautiful and smiling nurse, who has terror in her eyes. "The doctor will see you now."
And beyond her a man, looking not sick in the slightest, sitting casually on the patient bed of a corpse.
"Sam! Rufus!" Sam halfheartedly raises the knife before he falls. The last thing he hears is, "Come right in."
11:07 PM
He doesn't think he's been out long when he wakes up, dropped in front of Pestilence with Rufus (presumably, because damned if he's any shape to look right now). A few minutes maybe? Less? That's got to be a good sign, right?
"Hmm. You boys don't look well," Pestilence says. A fresh wave of pain washes through Sam and he reevaluates his prior thoughts. Both he and Rufus clutch their sides. "It might be the, uh, Scarlet fever." The Horseman's shoes are loud against the floor as he approaches them. "Or, uh, the meningitis." So goddamn loud, Sam thinks. "Oh! Or the syphilis. That's not fun. However you feel right now?" Sam's head is dragged up by the hair before being dropped again. "It's gonna get so very, very much worse. Questions?" Can't breathe, can't think…
"Disease gets a bad rap, don't you think? For being filthy. Chaotic. Uh, but, really, that just describes people who get sick. Disease itself…" …Can barely see… "Very… pure. Single-minded. Bacteria have one purpose: divide and conquer." The Horseman steps hard on Sam's hand when he reaches for the knife and he gasps in pain. "That's why, in the end, it always wins. So, you've got wonder why God pours all his love into something so MESSY. And WEAK. It's ridiculous. All I can do is show him he's wrong, one epidemic at a time. Now, on a scale of one to ten, how's your pain?"
Fucking fourteen, you bastard.
Through the fog is a light, though, and...
11:07 PM
Gabriel's almost too late. Seriously, the morons are on the ground, dying of several diseases - - one of which is syphilis he's pretty sure - - while Pestilence (looking horrible as ever) taunts them. The Horseman in question whirls around at the archangel's entrance. And his face...
"How'd you get here?" Pestilence asks.
Gabriel rolls his eyes. "How do you think?" And the Horseman? He actually looks…
Gabriel zaps the knife into his grasp, holds down Pestilence's hand - -
…scared.
The knife cuts through skin, flesh, bone, Pestilence cries out as the ring falls along with two fingers - - ring and pinky.
Gabriel smiles smugly, turning to lay hands on Rufus' and Sam's foreheads, restoring them to full health. But Pestilence isn't done. He's chuckling, low and long. The three look back at him, puzzled, as Pestilence clutches at his hand and smiles. "It doesn't matter," he says. "It's too late." And he disappears. The demon woman, who has stood shocked through all of this (she has never seen a goddamn ARCHANGEL before, damn), turns and flees. Gabriel doesn't bother to go after her.
The Hunters and angel are all still, quiet for a long moment. Then: "Well, that was a downer," Gabriel says. Rufus snorts. No kidding.
April 27, 12:02 AM, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
"You let him OUT?"
They're back at Bobby's - - all of them. Balthazar and Castiel, Bobby and Gabriel, Sam and Rufus (thanks to angel mojo flight). Bobby's den is a crowded place now, and he worries about the damage the men are doing to his wife's carpet. Didn't even wipe their feet at the door, what would Karen think?
Sam's waving his arms, being loud, while Balthazar leans in and whispers to Castiel, "I see what you mean." Gabriel is leaning up against a china hutch, arms crossed, watching on in silent (for once) amusement. Rufus is leaned up next to him, arms crossed also, watching Sam with a frown on his face, like a disapproving father.
Bobby refuses to be cowed by Sam's ranting. "Not much of a choice, was there? It was either let him out or let you two knuckleheads die."
"Hey, I saved your guys' asses!" Gabriel finally speaks up. "Maybe a little THANK YOU is in order?"
Rufus' mouth ticks up. "Why thank you, guardian angel. Your help was much appreciated." Gabriel immediately knows that Rufus is only saying this to piss off Sam, and responds in kind.
"You're quite welcome, noble hunter. I accept payment - - "
Sam makes a strangled sound.
" - - in the forms of animal sacrifices, gold tributes - - "
" - - GODDAMNIT - - "
" - - and virgins. Oh, Visa is okay too."
Rufus nods thoughtfully. "I'll think on it."
"You know, on second thought, no credit cards."
"Not ALL of them are fake."
"Right. I totally believe that. You might want to tell the delicate lad over there to calm down. It looks like he's about to have a stroke."
Another strangled noise before Sam stomps out of the room. Ten seconds later though, he stomps back in. He knows he can't afford to stay angry. "Last thing Pestilence said: 'It's too late,'" he grits out.
"He get specific?" Bobby asks, kindly ignoring the fact that Sam threw a tantrum.
"Nope," Rufus says.
Sam's eyes widen. "Shit, though, what if he left a bomb somewhere?"
Rufus rolls his eyes. "Sam, he's a Horseman. I doubt his idea of it being 'too late' translates to he 'left a bomb somewhere.'"
"Well, what the hell do you think then?"
"Something much worse, I'd imagine."
"I so hate you."
"Shut up, both of you. I got some good news," Bobby interrupts. "Chicago's about to be wiped off the map. Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die."
Gabriel starts laughing and Castiel frowns. "I don't understand your definition of good news." Balthazar leans over and whispers again in his ear. "Oh," Castiel says, understanding illuminating his face. "I see."
Sam scowls. "Outline it for the rest of us, would you Bobby?"
"Well," Bobby says, slow-like, "Death - - the Horseman - - "
"I'm not a child!"
Gabriel laughs again.
" - - he's gonna be there. And if we can stop him before he kick-starts this storm, get his ring back - - "
"Yeah, you make it sound so easy!" Sam says sarcastically, forgetting that at least half this plan was his idea in the first place.
"Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it."
"Doing a fabulous job there," Gabriel says with a grin.
"Well… Bobby, how'd you put all this together anyways?"
The man looks awkward. "I had, you know… help."
The sound of glass clinking against glass sounds from behind; Sam swears when he sees it's Crowley, pouring a drink from Bobby's good bottle of Jim Beam.
"Don't be so modest. I barely helped at all," Crowley says from the back of the room. "Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it." Weird thing is, it sounds like Crowley means it.
"Bobby?" Sam looks suspicious. "Tell us what?"
"World's gonna end. Seems stupid to get all precious over one little soul."
"You sold your SOUL?" Sam sounds like he can hardly believe it. Bobby thinks the boy doesn't have a leg to stand on, personally.
"Oh, more like pawned it. I fully intend to give it back."
Sam sees red. "Then give it back!"
"I will," Crowley assured.
"NOW!"
"Did you kiss him?" Castiel asks suddenly. Everyone turns towards Bobby. Gabriel looks positively gleeful. Bobby waits for someone to jump in in his defense, but no one does. Dean would have, he thinks. Well, at least he would make a show of it, anyway. "No!" Bobby shouts.
There's a clearing of a throat from the back of the room, and again, everyone turns. Crowley's got his cell phone up, a high definition shot of Bobby and Crowley locking lips on display.
"Pretty good photo there. Who took it?" Rufus asks.
"I did," Gabriel crows, just as Bobby yells, "Why'd you take a picture?!"
Crowley raises an eyebrow. "Why'd you have to use tongue?"
Bobby wants to sink through the floor and bury himself in the ground.
"All right. You know what? I'm sick of this," Sam says, finally having enough. "Give him his soul back NOW."
"I'm sorry. I can't."
"Can't or won't?"
"I won't, alright? It's insurance."
"What are you talking about?" the younger Hunter asks.
"You kill demons," he points at Rufus. "Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it. But you won't kill ME… as long as I have that soul in the deposit box."
"You son of a bitch," Bobby says.
"You kinda asked for it, Bobby," Rufus says. "I warned you," Gabriel adds.
"Whose side are you two ON?"
"I'll return it. After all this is over and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other?"
No one looks exactly happy, but everyone nods.
"Alright, then. Now, about Death…"