A/N: Ok so like i said guys i was actually at the Vatican but my memory is fuzzy so I cant remember everything in solid detail and all the stories I was told so just try to bare with me here ok? I did my best and I hope you guys enjoy. One of the things I definately remember of the Vatican was that it was and still is a powerful place. It's hard to catch it on paper...or in this case on the computer? X)
Anyways I hope you enjoy!
Celest ^i^
PS the cutting wont make an appearance again until chapter 14 I believe. It's already written ;) who knows if you guys leave me cookies (reviews) I may post the next chapter faster...yeah i know i'm not above bribing XD
They slowly queued in line as people were being checked in through a bunch of security gates in front of them. Talking, laughing and picture taking ran amok all around them as the four of them stood closely together. Inching there way closer and closer to the men scanning and looking at their items Gabe huffed in impatience.
"Seriously Amy I don't see the point in standing in line for this," Gabe remarked slightly pissed off. "I mean it's just security."
Amy looked up from the brochure that she was busily scrutinizing and reading as the trickster complained. "Yes, but its security at the Vatican; completely different issue Gabe."
Rolling his eyes he looked at the other security check points situated in a long line covering the expanse of the room. "I really don't see why we have to keep standing here." Amy huffed in annoyance as she rolled her eyes at the trickster. "Look I'm just saying," Gabe said holding his hands up in front of him in defense. "We could easily zap in there and no one would be any the wiser about it. Oh come on! You stand in lines all the time, what really makes this place any different?"
Amy huffed in frustration at him, "Gabe it's the Vatican."
Gabe raised his eyebrows at her, "Yeah Amy I kinda know it is."
"Soooo," Amy began seemingly getting ready to talk to a five year old child. "It's like my biggest dream to enjoy every single little thing I can possibly about this visit, and if that includes waiting in line at security for a while then so be it." Gabe whined at this. "Look Gabe haven't you ever stood in line for anything before?"
"No."
Sighing she waved dismissively at him, "Fine just go and wait for us."
"Yes!" Gabe exclaims as he fist pumps the air and disappears.
"You know the more leeway you give him the more insufferable he becomes," Lance told her from behind.
Turning she looked at her friend and shrugged, "It keeps him out of our hair for a while so we can actually get some peace and quiet instead of listening to his constant nagging."
Lance snorted at this, "You do know that now he'll probably become someone else's problem right?"
Amy's eyes narrowed at him, "He better not Lance this means a lot to me to be here finally."
"Are we there yet?" Jazz asked to which both ignored.
Slowly the line shuffled forward and they became next in line. Scanning through the security they started to make their way up a large spiral staircase. The stairs weren't your usual stepping stones just easy panels as they climbed higher and higher. Gray in colour with lighting on the walls as they traveled around the railings had intricate designs to which Amy marveled at as they came higher and higher.
"Did you know that this double spiral staircase was designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932? Isn't it just fascinating that it's still here after all this time?"
"Umm sure Amy but to be honest with you it's just a fancy stairwell to me," Jazz said unenthusiastically. Lance jabbed her in her side. Jazz glared at him, "What? You would be pissed too if you were standing right next to a screaming, kicking, pooping child too for like an hour in line."
"Umm Jazz we weren't in line that long; more like 20-30 minutes tops," Lance told the steaming elf as he chuckled behind his hand.
She glared even more evilly at Lance, "Jeez thanks for that Lance."
"Hey if you keep that look up you're going to be mistaken for the girl in the 'Exorcist' and then you'll really be sorry," Lance whispered to her trying to be all secretive.
"I think she's more in danger if her head begins to turn full circle on her shoulders there buddy," Gabe said as he waited for them at the top.
They all met at the top and took one last look down. They could see more people climbing up and the skylight above them streaming sunshine all the way down to the statue that sat in the middle of the great winding stairway.
"Doesn't it remind you of a snake or something?" asked Gabe.
"Well if it does it's in the wrong place," Lance said. "Aren't snakes thought to be the devil in Christianity?"
Gabe points his finger at him and grins, "Exactly my friend! Isn't it misplaced then?"
"Depends who's staring at it," Lance rebuked.
"Touché," Gabe replied with a smirk.
Looking around them Amy gazed at the creamy or yellow walls and the barred windows. Small trinkets littered the walls on all sides attracting people to come and stare at the small works of art. Beyond the barred windows she could see green grass and a wide courtyard with people milling outside in the hot morning sunshine already.
"Let's go outside," she told her friends as she walked towards the open archway.
Stepping out into the courtyard she took in everything. It was walled in all sides by buildings that stretched continuously around the whole circumference. A large ball glowed in the sunlight as the rays beamed down onto it shining and casting a glow on the people around it. Wide stairs led up and lions sat at the base. They seemed to be guarding and gazing at everyone that passed them by. Many trails ran around the courtyard. Deciding to walk up the stairs they followed the general procession of people.
The halls were large and cavernous; cool white stone ensconced the walls giving the air a completely cool feel although there were tons of people. Rows upon rows of sculptures of men, jars, and other stone artifacts decorated both sides of the hall.
"Wow look at all this stuff," Amy said as she walked closer. "These statues all appear to be Roman."
"Yeah I never really understood that," Lance intoned to them from behind. "This is a place of Christian worship; wouldn't you have statues depicting Christ? Or more angels or something?"
"Well there's your angels," Jazz told him pointing up. Above them was a beautiful array of angels around the dome with the skylight above them; they gazed down at them scrutinizing their every move as they slowly traversed the room. In the center of the circular room was a huge round bowl.
It reminded Amy of a large cauldron with clawed feet if only it were more rounded at the top. There were many statues depicting people in various stages of undress some completely and utterly nude. One statue in particular caught her eye of a gigantic torso of a man; however, it was missing arms, legs and a head.
"I think maybe it's because this is Rome to start with Lance," Amy told him her thoughts about his earlier question. "But it is odd to me too, it seems in this section there's not much emphasis on Christianity and more on the Roman way of life. Maybe we just haven't hit the right section yet."
Lance shrugged, "Hey lets go down this way." Pointing he took a left handed turn and followed some people down a darker hallway dimly lit with hanging lights from the top.
The room was long and narrow, heavy draperies hung from floor to ceiling on either side of them taking up the whole wall all the way down. No windows lit the area only the lights from above. The scenes on the great rugs depicted scenes of battle, of war and sorrow, religion and worship, hope and love. Each one carrying a story and each one crying desperately to be understood it seemed to her. She could smell the dampness in the air as they slowly walked the length of the room.
Finally they came out into a brighter room, larger than the hallway they were just in. Portraits lined the room, the checkered floor shone beneath them. Columns arched up into the ceiling spilling out like a giant waterfall to meld seamlessly with the roof. Here were countless artist depictions of saints, angels, crosses, and so many patterns and colours that simply took her breath away. Here was the start of her religion she grew up with growing in front of her. Gold trims lined the countless paintings on the roof and columns and the hushed murmurings of people avidly gazing at the artwork.
Leaving the room behind them Amy turned to the three, "Whoa," she said in absolute awe.
"Starting to like it more kiddo?" asked Gabe.
"It's just so much to stare at I don't even know where to begin!" she exclaimed exuberantly.
Turning they walked down a flight of stairs and took notice of a crowd of people standing outside a door. Glancing at each other in confusion they walked closer to see what everyone was waiting for.
"Excuse me what is everyone waiting here to see sir?" Lance asked a middle aged man standing outside the door.
"This is the Sistine Chapel, it's packed so their slowly filtering people through to see it," he explained.
"Gracias," Lance said to him patting his shoulder.
"We have to wait and see this," Amy told him before he could say anything. "This is the place where Adam and God are almost touching hands. Talk about so close yet so far; besides, I've seen pictures of it my whole life and always wanted to lay eyes on it for real."
"We'll wait kid don't worry," Gabe said. "Although we could-"
"No."
Gabe shrugged his shoulders, "Fine have it your way."
Slowly they came to the door; an attendant on the outside told them to be quiet and try not to speak until they had left the room. He told them that too many voices and breaths would begin to actually deteriorate the priceless works of art all around the room; walking in she saw dark panels separating one half of the room from the other. They shuffled forward slowly and passed through the divider. Looking up Amy's eyes widened; the amount of artwork done just above her head and all around the room was astounding.
She saw depictions from the Old Testament to the new, from the creation of Eve and Adam, to the makings of planets, stars and the parting of water onto land; the people leaving Noah's ark, Moses and even the final judgement on the wall in front of her. Looking up one last time she finally locked eyes on the painting that she had waited to see her entire life.
There was Adam and God reaching out to one another; their faces had the masks of longing it seemed each reaching out to the other but no matter how close they come they are always just too far. Her breath taken away she was slowly jostled forward by the rest of the crowd. It was silent like the tomb with only the occasional whisper but these were sparse and not heard often.
Finally they emerged from the other side of the room and out into the airy hallway on the other side.
"So what did you think Amy?" asked Lance as they branched off from the pressing bodies around them.
"It was great guys but there's one last thing we have to see," she told them all with a light glimmering in her eyes. "We have yet to see the "Basilica Di San Pietro."
"Sure…whatever that is," Jazz said. "Is it a croissant?"
"Come on you'll recognize it most likely when you see it," she told her friend as she grabbed her hand and dragged them off. "And no Jazz it's a room, it's not edible."
They thronged through a large doorway; inside the room stretched what had to be 100 feet or more to the ceiling. Marble columns jutted up from the floor different carvings surrounding all four sides. Arches and hidden alcoves housed more statues of different saints and scenes. One large block of marble showed Mary the mother of Jesus cradling him in her arms after he was taken down from being crucified. Many people gathered there to stare out at it. At the far end was a large dome in the ceiling with a large, wide skylight beaming down sun rays until they hit a large wooden altar. It seemed to be cordoned off so people couldn't get too close but it appeared to have an indent or some kind of dark before it either stairs or something else. Amy was too far to see.
Suddenly, Jazz grabbed her sleeve and yanked on it.
"Ow what?" hissed Amy.
Pointing to a far corner her friend mumbled to her, "Do you see what I see?"
Squinting in the crowd Amy tried to pin point exactly where Jazz was pointing. A group of tourists shifted on the far side and a tall lone figure made its way around it. Long, curly blonde hair trailed down her back and she walked with the poise and haughtiness of someone too sure of themselves.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Amy mumbled in disbelief.
"I assure you I'm not," Jazz said to her grimly. "That's Missy and what the hell would she be doing here of all places. You can't tell me she came here to confess."
Amy nudged Jazz in the side and frowned; they avidly studied as Missy walked across the room and out a door on the other side.
"We have to go after her," Amy whispered to Jazz.
"Are you insane?" asked her friend hissing right back. "Like I really want to follow her? Let the prima donna do her thing, God can strike her with a lightning bolt if he doesn't like what she's doing."
"Jazz," Amy whispered harshly and desperately. "We can be assured that if Missy is here then she's not here to be a nun. She's here for something and I would rather be there for whatever it is she finds so we at least know what that something is."
Jazz stared at her silently; suddenly, her eyes seemed to brighten under her black bangs.
"You're saying that we watch her and take whatever it is she wants," Jazz said grinning happily.
"What? No! I meant what I said we just watch her," Amy persisted.
"Yeah ok whatever you Fairy Godmother lets go." Grabbing her friend she began to pull her through the crowd towards the door that they had just seen Missy go through. Amy dug in her heels.
"Wait! We can't just leave the boys!"
Jazz chanced one glance back at them, "They'll be fine until we get back; now come on! It's going to take way too long to explain this to them anyways, by the time we finish she'll have disappeared. And this is exactly the best place to play hide and seek and never be found."
Amy huffed but otherwise jogged alongside Jazz till they reached the other end of the room where they had seen Missy disappear.
"Shit," Jazz muttered as they saw the tightly packed corridor.
Biting her lip they glanced around them frantically trying to catch the same blonde head that they knew so well; tapping Jazz's arm frantically Amy pointed at the blonde head rounding the far corner at the other end of the corridor. "There she goes!"
Pushing their way through the crowd of people they ignored rude comments and loud complaints as they forced their way through the thick tides of people. Coming to the same corner they rounded it and saw Missy halfway down the hallway. This one wasn't so packed but it was still populated by people that they had to skirt around. A few times Missy glanced behind her to which the two of them turned around and pretended to point and stare at some artwork, or hide behind a column or sculpture until she turned around and continued on.
Following closely on her heels they watched as Missy casually went into a cordoned off section. People around her didn't even seem to notice the person that walked in a restricted zone, she did it so smoothly and confidently as if she had every right to be there that no one paid her any mind. They walked up slowly to the corner and turned just as they saw her make a sharp right down another corridor.
"Ok let's go," Jazz gritted her teeth determinedly as she moved to cross over the velvet rope. Amy grabbed her hand staying her friend.
"Wait Jazz I don't know about this," Amy pleaded with her friend. "We don't even know what she wants and now she's going someplace probably that if were found wandering around we could be in big trouble."
Jazz rolled her eyes, "Really Amy? You were the one that wanted to follow her. Live a little girl besides we'll be fine I promise you we won't be caught."
"Jazz I just don't want us to get arrested is this really worth that," she pleaded with her friend to see her side.
Huffing in agitation she looked at Amy, "Ok girl you know what if we do get caught, which I'm telling you we won't, then the Vatican and it's priests should take a little of their own medicine and forgive, ok? Are we good now?"
Rolling her eyes she steeled her shoulders and nodded, "Let's go."
"Finally!"
They both quickly crossed over the rope and made their way down the same hallway Missy had just disappeared down. Turning the corner they saw no hint of her. Looking at each other they began to cautiously edge down the hallway senses alert to anyone approaching them so that they could try to hide. Not like it would do much good though, there were only doors leading off to who knows where and if they were locked…well then they were screwed.
Suddenly, the door to their right burst open and a hand grabbed Amy pulling her roughly in the dark entrance way. Yelping in shock Jazz quickly turned and dived after her with her elf like reflexes. A large crash and scuffling ensued, fists flew and legs kicked as they all tried to right themselves on the floor. A large crash sounded and a loud "UMPH" was heard in the corner. Amy's hand grabbed a string and she yanked on it, bright light flooded the small space.
Squinting her eyes at the bright light she blinked her eyes and took in the disarray around them. Mops, brooms and cleaning products were strewn around the room. Missy sat in the middle of the mess rubbing her head frowning while Jazz….
"Umm Jazz are you ok?" asked Amy trying not to laugh.
"Do I look fine to you!" shouted Jazz's muffled voice from underneath the bucket on her head. "Someone get this off please!"
Taking the step closer to her she grabbed the bucket, "Ok on the count of three. One, two, three!" Giving a mighty yank her and Jazz pulled in opposite directions and the bucket slid off. Backpedaling to regain her balance she looked at her friend who was rubbing her head.
"I'm ok," Jazz told her upon the look on her face.
"I would have just kept it on if I were you, it was an improvement," Missy snarked. Since Amy was helping to free Jazz she had stood up and brushed herself off looking at the two of them all hotly like she usually did.
Rolling her eyes Jazz stood up, "I don't remember anyone quite asking you Missy."
"No one ever needs to do they," she replied back acid seemingly dropping from her voice.
"Ok look were not here to argue," Amy stated putting her hands up in a surrender motion. "We just want to talk and ask you what you're doing here."
Missy raised an eyebrow at her sardonically, "Really? 5 million people visit here every year roughly and you're asking me why I'm here. I'm just like any one of those tourists waltzing about. Didn't see you at the security checkpoint asking for ID."
"Oh sure, you just like to take short cuts and go behind the velvet rope to get the private tour because your just that interested aren't you?" Jazz scoffed at Missy's response.
Missy snarled at Jazz, "Hmm your too tense Jazz maybe you should take a chill pill or something; people don't like that kind of negative energy around them you know."
"Ok, ok enough," Amy stated exasperatedly. "Look missy we all know here that you aren't here for kicks, and you aren't here for the artistic history or because it's a religious site. You're looking for something so spill."
"Wow she bites now?" she said in general. "At least you taught her something; fine I'll bite. I am looking for something."
"Thank God because if you were going to say you were looking to make a confession I was going to tell you to save your breath. Not even the Pope can help you," Jazz stated snorting at her own joke. Amy glared at her friend to which she shut up then.
"So what are you looking for? And how do you even know that it's here?" asked Amy starting to become more and more curious as it seemed that Missy as becoming forth coming in her information.
"I'm looking for an ancient, mystical artifact called 'Gabriel's Horn' or even 'Gabriel's Horn of Truth'. Ring a bell?"
Frowning Amy asked her, "Why would you even be looking for something like that?"
"I have my reasons," she stated as she flipped her hair and took a look at her long painted nails. "As to why I think it's here let's just keep it at I have a hunch, you really don't need to know why. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."
"What makes you sa-"
"There's not such a thing," Jazz over rode her mid speech as she glared at Missy.
Amy was taken aback at the ferociousness in her friends eyes. She had never seen Jazz appear so worked up before. Sure they had had their disagreements but her friend looked like she could just kill the pretty blonde cheerleader in front of them. Amy could feel her palms sweat, the last thing they needed was Jazz losing her temper here.
"Oh really?" asked Missy cutting into her thoughts. "Then you shouldn't be worried about me finding something like that if it doesn't exist."
Amy glanced between the two of them as they stared each other down; coughing gently she inquired, "Am I missing something here?"
"Stay out of this Amy," Jazz told her harshly.
Frowning she pushed her friend so she looked at her, "Don't talk like that to me Jazz! Look I'm not the one you should be pissed at, I don't even know why you're pissed to begin with!" Her friend looked away from her seemingly in shame. Rounding on missy she got a sick sense of gratification when the pretty blonde stepped back, "And you," she pointed an accusing finger, "I'm not letting you sneak around this place without me, we either look for this supposed horn together or I turn you in."
"And get us all arrested? I highly doubt that," scoffed Missy in disbelief.
"Missy be smart for once, they may catch me but I have Gabe on my side and you and me both know he isn't gonna let you drag me down with you," Amy stated smugly.
Missy turned bright red at this and glared between the two of them. "Fine," she spat out. It seemed it took all her energy just to concede defeat.
"Ok now that that's settled, to start looking we should go to the Vatican library. They may house some rare artifacts down there so who knows what we may find."
"My thoughts exactly," intoned Missy.
The three of them were just getting ready to head out the door when they heard voices from the other end. Heavy footsteps treaded on the worn stone floor and they became louder and louder.
"Shit it's probably some guards," Missy whispered harshly.
"They probably heard our earlier scuffle in here," Amy said wincing at the implication this presented.
"Well good job tweedle dee and tweedle stupid now were all gonna get caught before we even had a chance to look," hissed Missy in frustration.
Rolling her eyes Jazz gazed at her as if she were stupid…which to Amy could have been very spot on.
"And who's the one that started it and dragged us into here in the first place? Hmm? Oh wait I know you," she said pointing at her accusingly with a bitch face look on her face. "Seriously it really is true; your kind really isn't all that smart."
Twirling her fingers at the door Amy watched engrossed as emerald green tendrils wrapped themselves around the door and secured themselves tightly around the doorknob. Jazz held her finger up to her lips and silently shushed them all as the footsteps drew closer and stopped outside our door.
"So far there hasn't been any signs of any intruders," a muffled voice said outside the dark, heavy wooden oak door. "This is the last room to check and if nothing it was probably just a false alarm, you know how some of these priests can be."
His partner laughed as the doorknob jiggled below them. Amy held her breath as she watched it turn and turn again. The emerald green light wrapped around the doorknob glowed and flared brilliantly but otherwise held its place. Missy, Jazz and Amy held their breaths not even daring to blink as they stared at the door willing it to stay closed.
"Nothing this door is locked, it was just a false alarm," said the guard's buddy.
"Figures," the man said as they seemed to turn and march away.
The three of them let out a collective sigh and took a minute to just calm down. Jazz's magic unwound and faded away leaving a faint trace of green light before disappearing completely; she rested her forehead on the door.
"Well that was close," Missy said quietly somewhat subdued.
Nodding her head Jazz slowly turned the door handle and cracked the door open a tiny bit to let outside light in. She peered through the crack, opening the door wider when it seemed the coast was clear she looked out hesitantly from side to side. Ducking back in she nodded to the two of them.
"Coast clear," she said and they all walked out slowly and quietly.
Closing the door behind them they slowly began walking the opposite way farther from the route the voices seemed to have taken which was luckily back the way they had originally come.
"This isn't going to work," Amy whispered to the two as she walked in the middle. "We need some kind of disguise or something otherwise someone's going to stop us."
"Hmm I think I may have just the thing," Jazz said smirking at the two of them. Walking over to a closed door she waved her hand over her eyes till they glowed a vibrant emerald green. Amy raised her eyebrows at this and her friend winked at her before turning and walking up to a closed door; it appeared to be the same kind of door that they had just exited out of. Jazz shook her head and walked to the next one. She did that throughout the course of the hallway.
"What are you looking for?" hissed Missy at her after the tenth door.
Jazz waved her hand dismissively in her general direction and looked at another door. Jumping up and down she grabbed the door handle and turned it. Opening the door she stepped inside and motioned them to follow her; Amy stepped in behind her friend with a confused frown while Missy followed behind her.
"Oh there is no fucking way," Missy stated harshly as the door closed behind her because of Jazz. "Your shitting me, I'm so not doing this."
A/N: And so ends chapter 12 with Missy making another appearance. She's not all she appears to be guyz and you may be surprised but that's all i'm saying XD
SPOILER for anyone who hasnt watched Supernatural season 8 or isnt that far into it dont read
Anyways like I just said on my other updated story, In the Arms of the Angel, tune in to Supernatural this Wednesday! I'm so excited you have no idea. And i'm just going to say I dont think Metatron is all he appears and I'm pissed that Cass didnt talk to the boys first! That angel never learns -.- gotta love him! So I'm really curious if they'll be able to succeed in closing Hells gates. Part of me wants it and part of me doesnt. I just enjoy the demons on the show a lot they bring spice to the angels sugar. Well I guess that's up for debate but whatever. And I'm rambling so i'll cut off XD
PS I think one of you mentioned if Sam and Dean will make an appearance in this story again and the answer is yes they will but not for another few chapters. I wasnt sure if i answered your question so sorry!
Still keeping my fingers crossed for Gabriel or Balthazar to be brought back! Even Samandriel :'(
Bye Guys! :)