Dean had placed Martina in the passenger seat so Sam crawled into the backseat with Gabriel. To be honest, this suited him. He wasn't sure he could have brought himself to let go of the archangel right now.
"Where are we headed?" he asked Dean.
"Martina needs checked out, so we're dropping her off at the ER," Dean told him. "What's going on with Gabriel?"
"The blade that Astrid stabbed him with," Sam said shortly. "It's poisoned his Grace."
"Fuck," Dean swore. "Is it permanent?"
"I don't know," Sam said helplessly. "Gabriel didn't seem to think so, but who knows." Dean shoved the Impala rather roughly into drive and screeched out of the lot.
"Did you pick it up," Gabriel rasped against the skin of Sam's neck.
"I've got it," Dean said from the driver's seat. "I assume 'it' is Astrid's knife?"
"Dangerous," Gabriel muttered. "Best not to leave it lying around."
The ER was busy and Dean was unsure about leaving Martina here alone.
"I'm fine," she assured him. "You guys have done more than enough. Go save your friend."
"I'm not sure I'd call him a friend…" Dean said uncertainly. Martina kissed his cheek and then made a shooing motion with her hands.
"Right. Go. Go on!"
When he climbed back into the Impala, Sam was stretched out along the backseat, Gabriel cradled in his lap. Dean suppressed the urge to snap a photo with his phone. As amusing as it would be to taunt Sam with it later, Gabriel's existence was only known to a very limited few and Dean figured it might be safer to leave it that way for now. Inconvenient photos had a bad habit of turning up on the internet when you least expect it once you shared them and if he couldn't share the photo, what was the point of taking it? He gunned the engine and pointed the car in the direction of Kansas. Lacking other options, they were going to take Gabriel home.
By the time Dean pulled the Impala into the Bunker's garage, Gabriel seemed much improved. He hadn't moved from his position on Sam's lap, but he was laughing and joking and making snarky comments at Dean's expense.
"Do you think you can climb out of the car on your own, or do you need help?" he threw over his shoulder as he turned off the engine.
"I might need a little assistance," the archangel admitted. Dean grunted and got out of the car, opened the back door and offered his hand to Gabriel. The archangel eyed it for a moment, then grasped it firmly and let Dean haul him out of the Impala. A large amount of blood covered his jeans, but it was mostly dry. Sam scooted forward and shoved the leg of Gabriel's jeans up to inspect the injury.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Gabriel yelped, although he didn't move away.
"I'm examining your stab wound," Sam said tightly. "Don't be so melodramatic."
"How does it look?"
"It's still open, which is bad. And it's kinda blackened at the edges. But the weird black vein things are gone." Gabriel tugged his pants out of Sam's hands and turned around.
"I'll live then," he announced. "A few hours rest and I should be back to normal."
"OK," Dean said. "Well, I gotta take a shower. Catch you crazy kids later." And with that he loped out of the garage as quickly as he could. Sam gave his retreating back a puzzled look before returning his attention to Gabriel.
"Uh, I guess you need somewhere to crash." Sam looked at his watch, it was just after 3pm. "You can use my room, if you want."
"Can I use your shower first?" Gabriel said, a little plaintively. Sam peered at him. The archangel's skin was pale and he was sweating.
"Sure. Are you sure you're OK?" Gabriel swayed slightly.
"Yeah. Just tired. Fighting back against the effects of that blade kinda took it out of me. So, no mojo for cleaning myself up or anything right now." Sam placed a hand on Gabriel's shoulder and guided him to the door.
Dean opened the fridge and inspected the contents of a pizza box. How long had this been here? He pulled a face and threw it in the trash. There wasn't much else to eat.
"Hungry?" Sam's voice said from the door.
Dean closed the fridge with a sigh. "Yeah. I'm gonna have to go out. Is Gabriel staying for dinner?" Sam gave a shrug that was clearly meant to be casual, but Dean knew his little brother too well to be fooled. "Where is he?"
"In my room. Asleep." Sam checked his watch. "I'll go check on him and see if he wants food." Dean nodded and watched Sam leave, his shoulders hunched. Damn Gabriel. Damn him to Hell.
Dean?
Dean yelped and banged his hip painfully against the counter.
Cas?
Yes. It's me. I don't have much time. Amara is torturing Lucifer and it's distracting him enough that he can't block me from talking to you. But I can't afford for her to find out we can communicate.
Where are you?
I don't know. Some kind of warehouse or abandoned workshop. I can see a few tools, old and rusted and what looks like train wheels.
Is what she's doing hurting you?
Not exactly, although it is… uncomfortable. Lucifer's shielding me from most of it.
What?
He is my brother, Dean. And if he didn't, what Amara's doing would kill me. Being without a vessel would be very dangerous for him. Amara could consume him, just as she does souls.
Can't she do that anyway, just pull him out of you?
I don't think so. I think she'd have done that already if she could. Damn it. Amara had lied to him.
We're gonna get you back, Cas. I swear. We've got-
NO! Don't tell me anything. I can't guarantee Amara won't take it from me.
All right. Hang tight. The cavalry is coming.
Cas didn't respond but Dean felt the warm touch of the angel's Grace against his mind before it withdrew. He blinked back the tears in his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. They had to save Cas. They just had to.
Sam tapped lightly on the door to his room and suppressed a grin at the theatrical snores he could hear. When Gabriel didn't respond, he knocked louder. There was still no response and so Sam opened the door, and his heart stopped.
Gabriel was lying stretched out on the bed, completely naked. The sheet had been artfully placed across his lap, but it left little to the imagination. Sam's mouth was dry. Fuck. Gabriel's eyes opened sleepily and Sam's gulped. His hair was mussed and the left side of his face was creased where it had pressed against the pillow. He looked adorable. No. NO. Just… no.
"Heya Sammy," Gabriel yawned. "Come to join me?" He gave a lazy smile and Sam stepped backwards almost unconsciously. Gabriel's face fell. "No? OK."
"Gabriel, I… You can't… I can't do this." Sam said, taking another backwards step.
"Relax," the archangel said easily. "I'm just messing with you."
"I know," Sam said. "That's the point."
Gabriel looked confused for a moment and then shrugged. "Whatever, Samchops." He clicked his fingers and was fully dressed again. Sam tried not to sigh with disappointment. Or relief.
"Did you want to stay for dinner?" Sam asked, unsure what he hoped the answer would be. Gabriel bounced off the bed.
"Nah. I'm outta here. Keep that cauldron and that knife in a safe place and I'll be in touch when I have a lead on the sword." Another click and he was gone. Sam swallowed his dismay and headed back to the kitchen. So much for Gabriel's promise that they would talk.
Dean was sat at the kitchen table with a bottle of bourbon and reddened eyes. Sam blinked in surprise.
"Dean? Are you OK?"
"I just spoke to Cas," Dean blurted out. "Fuck, Sam. This is not good. Amara's torturing Lucifer, and whereas I couldn't care less what happens to that son-of-a-bitch, right now he's the only thing between Cas and Amara."
"Did Cas have any idea where they were?"
"An empty warehouse or workshop of some kind. He said he could see some old tools and some train wheels." Dean told him. "It's not much to go on."
"Train wheels is a bit of a clue," Sam said thoughtfully. "I mean, how many old abandoned train workshops can there be."
"I don't know," Dean retorted. "A lot? I mean, they could be literally anywhere in the world. Europe's full of trains, isn't it?"
"True," Sam agreed. "But I'm willing to bet they're still in North America." Dean gave him a curious glance.
"Why?" Sam leaned back against the counter.
"I don't know. It's just… most of what she's done has been in the US, right? Except for that one thing in Canada, that I'm still not sure was her."
"Canada?" Dean asked. Sam frowned at him and then his face cleared.
"Didn't I tell you about that? I think I forgot because it was just before I went to Hell to talk to Lucifer." Dean rolled his eyes. "OK, well, there was a massacre in a small town not far from the US-Canadian border in Manitoba called Crystal City. Some guy got wasted and shot seventeen people before turning the gun on himself."
"So why did you decide it wasn't Amara?" Dean asked. Sam's mouth twisted.
"It didn't quite fit the pattern of what she'd done elsewhere. I think he was just a crazy person."
"So, your theory is that Amara is staying within the US. Doesn't that strike you as strange?" Dean said. Sam raised an eyebrow at him. "You think it's because of me?"
"Yeah, I do. I don't think she wants to be too far away from you. Why else would she stay here when she could go anywhere on earth. There are many holy sites all over the world where she could try and attract God's attention."
"Maybe," Dean said dubiously. "Or maybe she's got a bead on God and he's right here." Sam looked skeptical.
"If God was here, wouldn't he do something? I mean I know he hasn't intervened all that much in the last few years but this is different."
"Is it?" Dean growled. "How is it different from say, the Apocalypse? Nah, I told you already. We're on our own. God already left the building."
"We'll get Cas back," Sam promised. "We'll figure something out. We always do."
Dean was slouched over his laptop, dark circles under his eyes.
"Dude, you even move since last night?" Sam asked him, covering his concern with gruffness.
"Sleeping is the new smoking," Dean said tiredly.
"What? No, it's not," Sam retorted. "It's sitting. Sitting is the new smoking."
"That can't be right," Dean said after a moment's thought.
"Dean, we'll find Cas, okay? He's stronger that he looks," Sam told him. His brother looked even more despondent.
"You know, we gambled with Cas, and now Amara has him," Dean said, the pain in his voice making Sam's throat ache.
"For a reason, which means he's still alive," he managed. He had to keep Dean's spirits up. They weren't beaten yet!
Dean shook his head. "I've been with Amara. Her beef is with the big guys … with God, with Lucifer. The small fries, even an angel like Cas, doesn't even register." He held his head in his hands. "And if it meant hurting Lucifer, killing Cas would mean nothing to her."
"It's been a week," Sam replied. "We've still got no leads, other than the details Cas was able to give you about where he was being held. And they were just too general. The list of possible locations is just too long."
"You think I don't know that?" Dean barked, shoving his chair back and getting to his feet.
"So … so we get back out there. We get back to work. We keep moving. We keep working. We'll catch a break on Cas. We have to. It's … it's karma," Sam offered. Dean looked away, down at a book on the table.
"You know, karma's been kicking us in the teeth lately," he said softly.
"Yeah," Sam agreed. He picked up his laptop and opened it. "So … let's kick it back. Here, check this out. Dean closed the book and walked around the table closer to Sam.
"Libby Strauss. Uh, went missing near Gunnison, Colorado. Now Libby's friend claimed she was carried off by a mutant creature with green eyes."
"Demon?" Dean asked, dropping into a chair.
"That's what I thought, but it gets better," Sam said, pleased Dean's interest had been caught. "The friend chased after them and she found Libby, only it wasn't Libby anymore because now she, too, is a green-eyed mutant."
"Demon swap suits?" Dean said thoughtfully. Sam gave a one-shouldered shrug.
"Only one way to find out."
"Couldn't do it, huh?" Sam asked, eyeing his brother. Dean shook his head.
"No, didn't feel right," his brother said. There was a wistful tone to his voice that made Sam's eyes prick.
"Yeah. I know what you mean," he agreed. "Two hunters who make it to the finish line?"
"Yeah, you leave that alone," Dean declared. He cranked the Impala's engine and pulled away. After a few minutes of silence, he cast a look at Sam. He did this twice more before Sam's control snapped.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," Dean said, obviously lying.
"Don't nothing me," Sam said. "You keep looking at me."
"I'm not."
"Dude, seriously, what is it?" Sam pressed. Dean sighed and shifted the position of his hands on the wheel.
"Are we going to get out, Sam?" he asked. Sam gave him a curious look.
"You did get out," he pointed out. "And you hated it, dived right back in the first chance you could."
"Only 'cause you came back," Dean said defensively.
"Oh no," Sam replied vehemently. "Don't put that on me. You were itching to go hunt something. I was just an excuse, one Lisa couldn't fight back against." Dean gave a warning growl. "No, dammit Dean, I mean it. You were restless, chafing against the constraints of normal life. You're not built for it. Neither am I, I guess."
"You were, once. Until I screwed it all up for both of us." Dean said softly.
"I don't think so," Sam shot back. "Azazel was watching me, at Stanford, remember. Placed demons in my friends! And I was Lucifer's true vessel. So I was never getting out."
"Maybe if I hadn't dragged you back into the life, Lucifer would still be in the Cage." Dean suggested. But Sam was adamant.
"No. Remember what Azazel told me. He killed Jess to push me back into the life. Whether or not I'd gone with you to hunt for Dad, he still would have killed her and I still would have had no way to stop him. I've had a long time to think about this, and I just don't see how I was ever going to get free. So either I wail and moan and rend my hair over it, or I get the fuck over myself and do the job." He paused, watching Dean's reaction to his little speech. "We have to fix this thing with Amara. We broke it, we fix it. But if you really want out after that, then maybe we can figure something out. You and Cas could open a tea shop." Dean flicked a glance at him.
"Funny," he snarled.
Sam grinned at him. "Yeah, I am. You should appreciate it more."
"What about you?" Dean asked. Sam thought about it.
"What about me? You mean, do I want out? Yeah, maybe. I dunno. I… I need someone to share it with, I think. Normality. Or whatever passes for normality in our world." He stared out of the window, suddenly feeling rather sorry for himself.
"I'm not going back to Lisa," Dean said suddenly. Sam peered at him.
"Nobody said you were," he said cautiously.
"Well, you said you wanted someone to share normality with. Well, maybe I do too. But I can't go back to Lisa. That's done."
"I… assumed you and Cas would-" Dean glared at him and Sam retreated.
"Cas isn't going to hang around with me, with us, if we're no longer hunters. He'll go back to Heaven."
"Will he?" Sam wondered. "I'm not so sure." Dean reached out and turned the dial of the radio viciously, and Sam was blasted with Journey at full volume.
"Yeah!" Dean exclaimed and the conversation was over.