Chapter 14 – Praying for a Miracle

Naomi hurried her way through the grove, pushing a wheelbarrow. She came to an abrupt stop as a steel blade came to rest on her neck. She looked up to see Gabriel and Sam.

Gabriel gave her a dangerous smile. "Where is the man in the trench coat?" He asked cordially enough. He looked around. "You get there from this grove, yes?" The swordsman sighed as she continued to stare at him wide-eyed. "Sam, jog her memory."

Without thinking about it too much, the giant thumped her on the head. He grimaced though as her eyes rolled up into her head as she collapsed. "Oops." Sam scooped the nun up and moved her to the side. "Sorry, Gabriel. I didn't mean to hit her so hard."

However, Gabriel wasn't paying attention. He knelt on the ground, holding his father's sword before him. There was something sacred about his position, and there even looked like there was a beam of light falling on him. He bowed his head in prayer. "Dad, I have failed you for twenty years." He said. "Now this can finally end. Somewhere close is a man who can help us."

The swordsman closed his eyes. "I cannot find him alone. I need you. Please, guide my sword." He stood up. "Guide me." He stumbled around for a moment, as the blade wavered in the air. This continued until the sword's tip fell upon a certain knot on a certain tree.

Gabriel opened his eyes, excited, but his face fell as he took in the tree his blade had led him to. Sam shot him a sympathetic look. He didn't want the giant's pity though, as he leaned against the exact same spot his sword had fallen with a sigh.

The secret door opened to both men's astonishment. They exchanged grins and hurried down the stairs.

Gabriel came to a halt as he saw the scene before them.

Castiel, the man in the trench coat they had been looking for, was motionless upon the tabletop. He had been detached from the contraption next to him, but it didn't make him look much better. His trench coat, which he was still somehow wearing, seemed even baggier over his dark outfit than it had before. His skin was pale under his tan, and the swordsman's heart sunk at the implications of his position.

He hurried over and checked for a pulse. He stood there frozen with his fingers on the pirate's pulse point. Gabriel looked up at Sam, who had come over at a more sedate pace.

"He's dead."

"What?" Claire shouted. "What the hell?!"

"Claire…" Jimmy held up a hand to try calming her.

"They killed off Cas?" She couldn't believe it. "How could they?"

"Uh…"

"You know what." She stopped him. "Just get on with it." Claire settled down into her pillows. "I just can't wait for when Anna gets it. And her brother, too."

Jimmy looked uncomfortable and opened his mouth to tell her something. However, he shut his mouth to give it a thought. Shaking his head, he finally continued.

Sam could only look at his friend with sympathy. After all, he'd finally seemed to catch a break and then this happened.

"Well, as a Shurley, I'm not about to give up so easily." Gabriel's hands curled into fists. A look of determination stole over his features. He was so close to his goal that this wasn't the time to admit defeat. He gestured to Sam. "Let's go, Sam. Bring the body."

The giant picked up Castiel and threw him over his shoulder. "Why? What are going to do with it?" He wasn't sure he really wanted to know, but he couldn't help but ask.

The swordsman stopped where he was on the stairs, and he turned around a little. "Have you got any money?"

"Uh, a little." Sam raised an eyebrow at him. "Again, why?"

"I hope it's enough to buy a miracle." That was all Gabriel would say as he led the way through the trees to what appeared to be a pub on the edge of the forest near the local village. The sign stated its name as The Roadhouse. Despite the fact that most pubs would be full of customers at this time, especially as people were granted a day off in celebration of the wedding, this one appeared to be closed. The swordsman knocked twice, but upon receiving no answer, he simply walked in.

"Hello?" He called out, and Sam followed nervously behind him. "Anybody around?"

There were two sharp clicks. "Who wants to know?"

They whirled around to find a young woman there. She had long blonde hair that fell in waves past her shoulder. There was a tiny smile on her face as she held up two pistols aimed directly at the pair.

"We're looking for Brilliant Bobby." Gabriel told her, automatically raising his hands in surrender.

The lady's eyes narrowed, but a different voice interrupted her. "Put them down, Jo." Jo lowered her weapons and looked behind her, and the giant and swordsman followed her gaze.

From the back room stepped an older man. There was plenty of gray in his beard and hair, though most of his hair was covered by the hat set upon his head. His voice was gruff, but his eyes were kind as he looked over them.

"Are you Brilliant Bobby who worked for the king all those years?" Gabriel asked desperately.

Bobby's eyebrows rose. "The prince fired me though, so thanks so much for pouring salt into the wound." He went behind the bar and got out a glass and a bottle of whiskey. "But I don't do that anymore." He poured himself a measure of whiskey and took a sip, then gestured with his glass towards the door. "Now get, or I'll call the brute squad."

"I'm on the brute squad." Sam said, helpfully.

Bobby looked the giant up and down. "You ARE the brute squad." He drank the rest of the whiskey in one shot.

"Please, we need a miracle." Gabriel appealed to him, though he was mindful of Jo's still cocked guns. "It's important."

"Are you sure you really want a man that the prince of this land fired?" Bobby returned to their side of the bar. "I could kill whoever you want to miracle."

"He's already dead." The swordsman waved at Cas.

"Already dead, huh?" Bobby set down the whiskey and glass. "Alright, let's see him. Put him on a table."

"Mom's not going to like that." Jo said as Sam put the corpse down on one of the long tables. Bobby waved away her protests though and went over to examine his patient.

He picked up Castiel's arm and let it drop. He raised his eyebrows at the pair's questioning looks. "I've actually seen worse." He continued to wave his hands over the body.

"Uh, we're kind of in a hurry here." Gabriel said, a bit antsy to get moving.

"Don't rush me, kid." Bobby replied, continuing his examination. "If you rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles." He glanced up. "You got money."

"Seventy-five." Sam held out their combined money.

The miracle man pursed his lips, scratching at his beard a bit. "I've never worked for so little." Bobby admitted. "Well, there was that one time, but that was a very noble cause."

"This is a noble cause." Gabriel quickly said. "He rescues puppies and kittens for a living, and his wife is sick. If he dies, there's no one to take care of his kids!"

Bobby gave him a serious look, and even Jo was raising an eyebrow. "That's a terrible lie."

"Please." Gabriel leaned in and clutched the edge of the table, desperation coloring his voice. "I need him to help me avenge my father."

Bobby sighed. "The first story was better. Get the bellows, Jo. I'll ask him directly."

Sam and Gabriel exchanged a look. "Uh, he's dead." The giant pointed out. "He can't talk."

"Shows how much you know." Bobby retorted. He rolled his eyes at them. "Your friend is only mostly dead; there's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Thanks, Jo." The girl handed him the bellows. He nodded at Sam. "Open his mouth." The giant did so and he stuck in the bellows in.

He continued to explain as he pushed air into his patient. "Now, mostly dead is slightly alive. All dead… well, there's only two things to do."

"What?" Gabriel asked.

Bobby removed the bellows. "Go through his clothes to look for loose change, and then salt and burn the corpse." He leaned down next to Castiel's ear. "Hello. Hey." He tapped the pirate's face a bit as if trying to wake him. "What's so important? What's worth so much to you that it's worth sticking around for?" Certain that the message had gotten across, he pushed down on the pirate's abdomen.

A single, drawn out word passed from Castiel's lips. "Dean." He groaned.

Bobby straightened even as Gabriel got excited. "Don't you see? Dean! That's the name of his true love! What's more noble than that?"

Bobby frowned. "True love is indeed the greatest thing in the world. But Dean… isn't that – "

"Just help him out, honey." A woman walked out from the back. She was obviously Jo's mother. "Besides, this is Dean's true love. He'd throw a fit if he knew you were hesitating."

"You know Dean?" Sam looked between the two.

"Kid's like a son to me." Bobby said. "I remember when Cas disappeared, though I hadn't met him myself. Dean practically tried drinking himself to death." He walked over and pulled out a panel in the wall, revealing a whole horde of potion ingredients and spell books. He hesitated to grab anything though.

"What, are you still afraid of what Michael said to you?" The woman crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Don't say another word, Ellen!" Bobby growled turning around.

"About what?" Ellen raised an eyebrow. "About how Michael totally humiliated you and now you're afraid to try again?"

"Stop it."

Jo sighed and rolled her eyes. The pair could tell she was used to this sort of thing as the couple continued to argue.

"Wait!" Gabriel cut in. "If you help us, not only will you be helping Dean, but that dick Michael will also be humiliated."

Everyone just looked at him for a moment. "Well, I was going to do it anyway, but that's even more reason to do it." Bobby admitted, and then he finally got to work.

Not too long later, Ellen was coating the miracle man's concoction in chocolate.

"That's a miracle pill?" Gabriel asked, incredulous, though his mouth began to water at the sight of all of that chocolate. It felt like it had been days since he had anything sweet to eat.

The couple both looked up at him. "The chocolate coating helps it go down more easily." She slipped it into the pouch that Bobby handed her. "You've got to wait fifteen minutes though so it can reach its full potency." She handed the pouch to Gabriel along with the bowl of extra chocolate.

Gabriel tucked the pill away and happily licked the rest of the chocolate out of the bowl.

"Also, don't let him swim for about an hour." Bobby instructed.

The swordsman set the bowl down as Sam picked up Cas once more. "Thanks for everything." He sincerely said, as they walked to the exit.

The three escorted the men to the door and waved them good-bye as they went on their way.

"Okay." Bobby replied gruffly.

"Be safe, boys." Ellen nodded at them.

"Bye!" Jo waved.

"Have fun storming the castle!" Bobby gave his last farewell, as they disappeared.

Jo lowered her arm. "Do you think it will work?" She asked Bobby.

He huffed out a laugh. "It'd take a miracle."

They went back inside the pub.

AN: Yeah, the Miracle Max scene isn't as funny as it is in the movie. Bobby doesn't really have Billy Crystal's sense of humor; he has a more get right down to business attitude. I believe the one post about how Bobby would have ended the Apocalypse in the first half of an episode is true. Still, for the most part, I think this chapter turned out okay. I really wanted to add Ellen and Jo in here, and this gave me the perfect opportunity. When I actually started planning this story, I was going to have Ellen reading the story to Jo (coincidentally, in that plan, Chuck and Becky were Miracle Max and his wife), but after the episodes with Claire, I really wanted it to be her and Jimmy instead. I think it worked out though.