Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original character.
Part 31:
Kae stood next to Dean as he packed up the Impala. Next to them, Sam and Cas were packing up Bobby's van. Kae watched them for a minute before she turned her attention back to Dean.
"You think any of that will be good enough to take Death out?" she asked.
He shrugged and tossed the sawed-off shot gun down into the assortment of weapons in the trunk. "Dunno. One of 'em's bound to."
"Fat chance." Crowley appeared next to Kae. "You're covered." he passed a small scythe into Dean's hands. "Death's own." he explained."Kills, golly, demons and angels and reapers and, rumor has it, the very thing itself."
"How'd - You know what? I don't even want to know." Kae watched as Dean stowed the scythe in the trunk and shut it.
"You sure you don't want to help them with the virus?" Dean asked.
"Nope. You're stuck with me."
He grinned.
"Good."
Sam and Cas spent most of the drive to Niveus Pharmaceuticals in silence. Finally, after an hour, Sam had decided to tell Cas what he and Kae wanted to do. Cas was silent, then he said,
"Kae told me the plan as well. It's interesting."
Up in the front seat, Bobby scoffed. "That's a word for it."
Sam glared at him before turning back to Cas. "So? Go ahead and tell me it's the worst plan you've ever heard."
Cas nodded.
"Of course. I am happy to say that if that's what you want to hear..." he sighed. "but it's not what I think."
"Really?"
Cas nodded.
"You and Dean have a habit of exceeding my expectations," he explained. "Dean resisted Michael. Maybe you could resist Lucifer, but there are things you need to know."
"Cas we know he took Adam as his vessel."
"Sam...if you and Kae say yes to Lucifer, and you fail...This fight will happen. She will become pregnant with the Antichrist. And the collateral...it'll be immense." Cas told him. "And there's also the demon blood."
"But...why?"
"It strengthens the vessel. Keeps it from exploding." Cas said wearily. "And once Kae is pregnant...she will have to consume it as well."
"Kae's half demon." Sam protested. "Shouldn't she be fine without it?"
"Half human, half demon. Still vulnerable. She's a cambion, Sam. She's more powerful than Lucifer - than any of the angels combined -" Cas stopped short, confused by the expression on Sam's face. "But she is part human. Her demonic side may be stronger than Lucifer and all other angels combined, but - What?" he groaned. "You know how powerful cambion are - you remember our experience with Jesse Turner. On demon blood and pregnant with Lucifer's spawn, there's no limit to her powers." he paused to take a breath. "The demon blood helps the fetus control its powers...and keeps Kae from dying while it develops."
Sam didn't speak for a moment.
"But if I -"
"You think you can control yourself if Lucifer lets you be the one to impregnate her?" Cas looked skeptical. "Sam I saw what you were like the last time you were on demon blood."
"I would never hurt her," Sam insisted.
Silence lapsed between the two, only to be broken when Cas commented,
"Never say never."
Once they'd reached Chicago, Kae was shocked to see that the city didn't look to be in danger of anything - except a nasty storm. She knew it wasn't a regular storm - it was sign Death was there.
"So...where exactly is he?" she asked, turning away from the car door window.
"No clue." Dean responded
"Say, I've got an idea," Crowley piped up from the back seat. "Let's stop for pizza."
"I'm not hungry." Kae answered. At the same time Dean twisted around in his seat and said, "Are you kidding?"
Crowley shrugged.
"Just heard it was good. That's all." As Dean turned his attention back to the road, he leaned forward to get a better look at their surroundings. "Up ahead. "Big, ugly building. Ground zero. Horseman's stable, if you will. He's in there."
"How do you know?" Dean asked skeptically.
Crowley stared at him as if he'd grown another head. "Have you met me?" he asked. "'Cause I know. Also, the block is squirming with reapers. I'll be right back." he vanished and reappeared again within seconds. "Boy is my face red. He's not in there."
"You wanna cut the cute and get to the part where you tell us where he is?" Dean demanded, clearly losing his patience.
Kae turned and looked out her window again as Dean drove slowly down a busy street. A strange, cold feeling started forming in the pit of her stomach. She let out a small gasp as her eyes locked on what looked to be a small pizzeria a few buildings ahead. It scared her to bits - this was not a power a cambion should have...not a normal cambion anyway.
Crowley shook his head. "Sorry, I don't know."
"He...he's in there." Kae said abruptl, her voice soft, eyes wide and terrified. Dean and Crowley rounded on her as she pointed at the building. "D, watch the road, alright? I...I can't explain it. I just - I can feel him."
"You can sense him?" Dean asked. "How the hell -?"
"I don't know, it just started!" she cried, frustrated.
Crowley however, gave her a knowing look. "Lucifer." he said coolly. "It makes sense. If he can't oversee Death himself when he's fighting Michael, logic states that would pass to his child, or in this case, the Mum-to-eventually-be." he pursed his lips and nodded. "It'll be soon then."
"Cas said the same thing." Kae responded. "because Pestilence and Death both have orders not to kill me."
Crowley swore loudly.
"Well then, this better get him locked up tight before junior gets conceived." he said through gritted teeth.
"That's not gonna happen," said Dean vehemently.
"You keep saying that, but you know it doesn't sound like you believe it." Crowley looked over at Kae. "and while we're on the subject, it's her choice. Now then...are you gonna go chat him up before you do the deed, or is she?"
Dean scowled and pulled out the small scythe Crowley had given him after parking the Impala outside the pizzaria.
"I'll do it."
"So I've got to ask you something."
"What you need to do is shut your damn mouth." Kae muttered, nervously clutching her gun close to her chest as she watched Dean talk to Death from the car. Why hadn't he gone in for the kill yet?
"Well aren't we feeling all fiery right now, hmm?" Crowley snorted. "Do you really think Lucifer's going to go for your little scheme?"
"Is it really any of your business?" Kae asked, turning to face the demon. "Shut the hell up and just sit there alright? Sooner Dean gets the ring, the better."
Twenty minutes later, Dean did return, but Kae could still sense Death's presence. He wasn't dead.
"What happened in there?" she asked as soon as he was back in the car. He didn't answer. "Dean?"
"I got the damn ring," he muttered, "Call Sam...tell him we're headed back to Bobby's, alright?" She stared at him, speechless for what felt like an eternity. When she didn't move, he pulled out his own phone and called his brother. "Sammy? We got it. We're headed back to Bobby's. See you there."
He tossed his phone to Kae and started the engine.
Nobody spoke as they left Chicago.
Dean and Kae didn't speak for the entire drive. Crowley chose to vanish as they crossed the Illinois/Iowa border, leaving them in an even more awkward silence than before. Then when they reached Mason City, Dean decided they'd crash at the first motel they saw and Kae called Sam to give him an update before she curled up in her bed.
Dean stayed at the small table near the window, an unopened bottle of beer resting on its surface as he stared blankly at the pages.
"Alright, I'll bite." Kae said tiredly after an hour of awkward silence passed. Dean looked up at her questioningly. "What's going on with you?"
His face became expressionless and he looked down at the book again.
"Nothing," he mumbled.
"Bullshit."
Kae pushed the comforter, blanket and sheets back and sat up. "You didn't say a damn word after you talked to Death. Hell, you didn't even kill him! Did you even get the ring, Dean? Or were you too busy sampling Chicago's pizza?"
"I couldn't kill him, Kae!" Dean said angrily, looking up at her again and tossing the book aside. "He knew why we were there! He made me a deal - "
"And what was that?" she demanded, scrambing up off of the bed.
"To let you get pregnant," he answered. "To let you consume demon blood for fuck's sake!"
"And you think I can't handle that," she stated, tone icy. "Dean, what do I look like to you? Do I look like some fucking damsel in distress?"
"No -"
"I mean - We've been on the road together how long?" she scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. "I can handle Lucifer. You know I can."
"Because you're part demon." the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and Kae punched him in the face.
"Because I'm part demon." Kae said, and let out a short laugh. "You know how much shit I've been through this year, Dean? Because I'm part demon...and you know what? I'm still kicking!" she yelled, shoving him backward. "and I'll be damned if I let you stop me from doing what I need to to get Lucifer back in his cage!" she shoved him aside so he wasn't blocking the door anymore, and reached for the door handle. "I - Maybe I should just head up to South Dakota by myself. Fighting with you - it's not worth it."
Her hand trembled as it closed around the cold metal of the door knob, but before she could open it, Dean's hand suddenly latched onto her wrist, holding it firmly, but not tight enough to hurt her.
"Don't," she heard him say softly, pleadingly. "Please...don't leave."
She sucked in a long breath, so tired of arguing with him, and turned to face Dean. "Look, Dean -"
But before she could get her completed thought out, his lips slid softly over hers in a short, but tender kiss. Barely seconds later, he pulled back, watching her closely.
"Sorry, I..." She stared at him incredulously. "If you want to leave...I...I just-"
Kae wasn't sure what came over her then. Maybe it was seeing him being this vulnerable with her...maybe it was stupidity. Maybe...
She pulled him back down to kiss her again roughly, hands fisting in the dark t-shirt he was wearing. When her knees buckled, he caught her and lifted her up, which allowed her to wrap her legs around his waist. A strangled gasp, combined with a surprised squeak left her mouth when Dean moved them until he had Kae pinned to the wall. He grinned and she stared at him incredulously for a moment before leaning forward (or trying to - he had her pinned pretty well) and pressing her forehead against his.
"Fucking hell," she gasped as he kissed her again, but that was all she could get out, because his lips had moved from her mouth, down to her neck. "Dean, I -"
"What do you want?" came the muffled reply, before Dean lifted his head, but not before lightly biting the skin where her neck met her shoulder.
"Bed," she managed to get out, "Right now."
Dean grinned and nodded.
"Well alright then."
Thoughts? Reviews are appreciated - no flames please! Constructive criticism is welcome.