Running Away and Staying a While
By: giddyfan
Chapter 4
Roxanne stands in the shower just letting the warm water pour over her. Ever since holding the blade she has been extra emotional. It is not just anger but also sadness. She sometimes thinks that now she only has three modes angry, sad, and normal. Of course this has caused Sam and Dean to be even more protective of her. She sighs and gets out of the shower. The mirror has fogged up with steam while she was showering so Roxanne wipes it. She can see the dark circles forming under her eyes due to lack of sleep. Roxanne looks down at her right arm at the Mark. It hasn't hurt since she held the Blade. Roxanne springs into action knowing that if she doesn't finish up soon the boys will come looking for her, again. She quickly dresses in some dark jeans and a Doctor Who t-shirt. Roxanne puts on her new favorite pink leather jacket on that the boys got for her. Sam is talking on the phone and Dean is looking through some files when she walks into the library.
"Hey," Roxanne says when Sam finishes on the phone.
"Hey," the brothers greet back.
"Anything?" Roxanne asks.
"Yeah. A dozen demon-related cases, people without souls acting out, but...," Sam starts.
"No sign of Abaddon," Dean finishes.
"It's like she's vanished. We just got to keep digging," Roxanne comments.
"Right," Sam agrees.
"You okay?" Dean wonders. Roxanne hadn't noticed that she is rubbing the Mark. She pulls her hand away from her arm.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Let's get to work," Roxanne answers. Roxanne walks over and sits down. Picking up a file she starts looking through it.
*SPNSPNSPN*
Roxanne was getting frustrated when Dean's phone rings.
"It's Cas," Dean tells them. Roxanne comes over to the other side of the table. Castiel proceeds to tell them about what he has found out about Metatron and Gadreel's actions.
"Gadreel? Gadreel is working for Metatron? For how long?" Sam inquires. Roxanne is glad it is on speaker so they can all talk.
"I don't know," Cas replies.
"So, Metatron made Gadreel kill Kevin?" Dean wonders.
"It would explain a lot, and there have been no new prophets, which Metatron could have fixed to his advantage," Castiel remarks.
"And Gadreel said that angels are returning to heaven? How? I thought that the spell was irreversible," Roxanne questions.
"That's what Crowley said. Look, let's just find Gadreel and...beat some answers out of him," Sam says.
"Yeah, here's something to start with that. Uh...hold on, I'm, uh...sending you a photo of the symbol that drew all the angels in," Cas exclaims. Sam opens his computer and the photo pops up.
"Okay. Got it," Sam confirms.
"It's acting as some kind of angel siren. I think it's a spell. The ingredients used to create it were very odd... Griffin feathers, bones of a fairy. I've never seen it before," Castiel informs them.
"Yeah. Me, neither. All right. Let me see what I can find," Sam starts typing away on his laptop.
"What's honorable about a miniature bar in a motel room?" they hear Cas mutter.
"Nothing," Roxanne responds before Dean can.
"How are you, Roxanne?" Cas asks.
"I'm fine, Cas. How 'bout you?" Roxanne inquires surprised.
"I miss my wings. Life on the road...smells," Cas answers wistfully. Dean chuckles at the comment.
"Yeah. Listen, I got a match, and it's not from the lore," Sam brings our attention back. "It's from police records. Looks like that symbol you found was spotted at a handful of crime scenes the last couple days, all multiple homicides," Sam explains.
"And where were these crime scenes?" Castiel asks.
"Utah...Baker, Hill Valley," Sam tells him.
"And I'm in Bishop's Falls, Utah," Cas replies.
"Also looks like most of the crime scenes were in industrial areas," Roxanne observes.
"Looks like Gadreel is heading north," Castiel concludes.
"What's the next big town?" Dean asks.
"There are two. It could be Auburn or Ogden," Cas tells them.
"All right, you take Auburn, we'll take Ogden...meet in the middle," Dean proposes. Castiel agrees and hangs up. Roxanne ignores Dean and Sam's conversation as she gets ready for the trip.
*SPNSPNSPN*
By the time they get to this Ian's shop it is dark out. They all get out and turn on their flashlights. Entering the shop they start looking around. Dean goes around to the other side of the counter.
"Got an open box of feathers over here," he conveys. Roxanne sees Sam open a closet and what he finds inside disgusts her. There is a dead man, who she assumes is Ian, with his eyes burnt out. Usually this wouldn't gross her out as much but for some reason she feels like she is going to throw up. Roxanne puts her hands over her mouth.
"Dean," Sam calls. Dean comes over and sees the situation.
"We got to find Gadreel before he lights up the bat signal," Dean states.
As Sam passes by Roxanne he stops and asks, "Are you okay?" Roxanne shakes herself out of the trance.
"Yeah I'm fine," she responds. Turning around she heads back to the Impala. It doesn't take them long to find out where Gadreel is and come up with a plan. Dean and Roxanne set up the holy oil and then go up on some metal platform and wait for Sam to bait Gadreel into the right place. Sam pretends to call Cas and Gadreel takes the bait.
"Hey, douchebag," Dean announces and drops his lighter. It ignites the oil trapping Gadreel inside. Gadreel looks back at Sam.
"Remember me?" Sam says. Gadreel looks up at Dean and Roxanne again. Roxanne sarcastically waves down to him. They quickly knock him unconscious and take him to an abandoned factory. Sam and Dean put him in a chair while Roxanne puts the special handcuffs on him. Gadreel wakes up just as they are finishing. Sam stands in front of him while Dean paces on the side. Roxanne is further off. She keeps thinking what the angel did to Sam. It is getting her angrier and angrier.
"If this is like looking into a fun-house mirror for me, I cannot imagine what it is like for you," Gadreel taunts Sam.
"How long have you been working for Metatron?" Sam questions barley containing his rage.
"I will not talk, and you cannot make me," Gadreel declares.
"Yeah?" Sam inquires.
"I have been you, Sam Winchester. Your insides reek of shame and weakness," Gadreel mocks. Sam jumps forward and punches Gadreel in the face. He goes to do it again but Dean comes forward and pulls him aside.
"Sam, Sam, Sam! Sam. Come here," Dean says as he pulls him away. Roxanne steps forward to keep an eye on Gadreel.
"Let's have a little chat. Your tricks won't work on me because you don't know me," Roxanne exclaims.
"What can you do to me? You are just a little girl," Gadreel smugly replies. Roxanne punches Gadreel in the face. Once, twice, three times then she steps back. Dean comes back over. "So, he acts tough, and you show kindness. Is that how this works?" Gadreel states. Dean turns to Roxanne with a questioning look on his face.
She holds up her hand which is not bloody and says, "We had a little chat." Dean's face looks like a mixture of emotions. Concern, approval, and calculating are all visible. Roxanne walks up and whispers in Dean's ear, "Let's tag team this." Dean agrees and they get started.
*SPNSPNSPN*
Roxanne slices a deep cut across Gadreel's arm. He screams in agony. Dean nods and Roxanne steps away cleaning off the angel blade.
"Word around the campfire is, you let the snake into the garden, ruined it for all humanity," Dean discloses.
"I set them free. I loved humanity!" Gadreel gasps.
"Well, you sure got a funny way of showing it, asshat. Now, look, you tell us about this "getting back into heaven" crap and we'll end this quick. Otherwise, you can sit here and rot in those chains forever. Up to you," Dean proposes.
"All your talk, all your bluster...you think you are invincible. You and your brother against the world, right?" Gadreel inquires. Dean is circling around Gadreel.
"Damn straight," Dean says confidently. Roxanne is too focused on Gadreel to think about not being included. Besides she just met them a couple of months ago.
"You really think Sam would do anything for you?" Gadreel questions. Dean is behind Gadreel and stops. His face looks completely broken for a second but then his walls come up again.
"Oh, I know he would," Dean remarks staying behind Gadreel while Roxanne stays in front with the angel blade. She believes that the brothers would do anything for each other and whoever says otherwise is a fool.
"I have been in your brother's body, Dean. He would not trade his life for yours," Gadreel continues to torment Dean.
"Well, thanks for the rerun, pal. Sam's already told me all that crap. Hell, he's told me worse," Dean informs Gadreel.
"He told you that he has always felt that way. That he thinks you are just a scared little boy who's afraid to be on his own because daddy never loved him enough? And he is right, isn't he? Right to think you are a coward, a sad, clingy, needy...," Gadreel ridicules Dean. Roxanne can't take it anymore and her fist crashes into Gadreel's face and his mouth bleeds profusely.
"Shut up!" Roxanne shouts.
"Pathetic bottom-feeder who cannot even take care of himself, who would rather drag everyone through the mud than be alone, who would let everyone around him die!" Gadreel continues to insult. Roxanne's control snaps and she swings his angel blade to stab Gadreel in the chest. But just before she reaches him, Dean holds her back.
"Roxanne stop!" he yells at her. In her rage Roxanne elbows Dean in the face. Dean stumbles back and Roxanne realizes what she has done. She drops the angel blade and backs away.
"No. Do it. Do it! Kill me!" Gadreel pleads. Roxanne runs off ignoring Dean's calls. She can't believe she almost killed there source of information. However what really gets her is that she hurt Dean. The whole point in taking on the Mark was to prevent Dean from getting hurt or worse. She finds a dark, dirty corner far away from where Dean and Gadreel are and slides down to the ground. Roxanne wraps her arms around her legs and starts to cry. Later, she hears Dean and Sam calling for her. Roxanne puts her head in her lap.
"Roxanne there you are. Dean I found her," she hears Sam say. Roxanne feels arms go around her. She lifts her head and sees that she is in Sam's arms. She lays her head on his shoulder and starts to cry again. Roxanne feels his arms get tighter as she sees Dean come over.
"I'm sorry Dean," Roxanne gasps through her sobs.
"It's alright," Dean comforts. Sam lets go of her so she can hug Dean. Dean probably without thinking about it strokes her hair. Roxanne calms down and stops crying though her breathing is still heavy.
"So Metatron has Cas. He's offering up a trade," Sam informs them. Roxanne takes a deep breath and backs away from the hug.
"We can't trust Metatron," Dean states.
"I know that. Obviously. But look, this is the first time we're gonna know for sure where Metatron is. Let's take Gadreel to the meet-up, make the exchange, and then trap Metatron," Sam proposes.
"Sounds like a plan," Roxanne agrees.
*SPNSPNSPN*
The next day the three of them are still waiting outside Castiel's hotel. Metatron was supposed to be there by now. They are all leaning up against the Impala waiting.
"He's late," Sam says.
"Or he's not gonna show," Roxanne suggests.
"Of course I'm gonna show. I was just waiting for you three to finished setting up your little trap for me. Uh…am I hitting my mark? Well, come on. Let's go. I'm waiting," Metatron appears. Dean hesitantly throws down a lit lighter and it lights up the holy fire circle around Metatron. He fakes starting to crumble in pain and then laughs. "Any of you bring s'mores? Holy Fire always gives them a delightful minty aftertaste. Don't think I have forgotten about your new addition to your little team. However I have more important things to do right now. Make a wish," Metatron jokes. He blows out the holy flames with a breath. The three of them jump forward with their angel blades but Metatron sends them flying back into the Impala with a flick of his wrist. "No, thanks!" he says. Metatron walks to the Impala's trunk and opens it. He flicks away the angel warding saying, "Bye-bye." Gadreel gets out of the trunk as a car pulls up. Castiel gets out. He quickly walks over to the three. "Well, a deal is a deal," Metatron remarks.
"Why are you doing this?" Roxanne asks.
"Because I can. Because you and your little brother, your fine, feathered friend, and your little cheerleader, and all those secrets you've got locked away in your bunker can't stop me. But I am gonna enjoy watching you try. It's gonna be a hell of a show. I'll see you around, Castiel. Never forget I gave you a chance," Metatron replies and disappears.
"Somebody want to tell me what the hell's going on here?" Dean demands.
"Metatron is trying to play God," Castiel explains.
"Play God? Cas, he erased angel warding. He friggin' blew out Holy Fire. He is God. He's powering up with the angel tablet. How the hell are we supposed to stop this guy?" Sam questions.
"All right, so what if there is a stairway to heaven? We find it and get a drop on the guy," Dean plans.
"You want to sneak onto the Death Star, take out the emperor?" Sam is shocked.
"Okay, I'm not sure what a fictional battle station in space has to do with this, but if taking out the emperor means taking out Metatron, I'm on board," Castiel conveys.
"Wait, did you just understand a Death Star reference?" Roxanne asks exchanging looks with Sam and Dean.
"Yeah, I think so. But I don't understand what that has to do with heaven," Castiel answers.
"It's halfway, I guess," Sam responds.
"You sure you're all right?" Roxanne wonders.
"Yes. Are you? There's something different about you," Cas wonders.
"I'm alright," Roxanne replies patting Cas's shoulder with her right hand. Castiel grabs her arm and pushes up her sleeve revealing the Mark. Castiel's eyes darken as he stares at Roxanne.
"What have you done?" Castiel inquires.
"Better then one of them. It's a means to an end," Roxanne yanks her hand away.
"Damn it, Roxanne," Castiel protests.
"Look, you find heaven. Meantime, I got a knight to kill," Roxanne declares. She stomps over and gets into the backseat of the Impala. Roxanne can hear them talking from inside the car.
"Be safe out there," Dean tells Castiel.
"You, too. Hey, Sam, Dean. You keep an eye on her," Castiel warns. They nod, get into the car and drives away.
AN: I actually have a pink leather jacket. Please read and review. Some dialog comes from the episode Metafiction.