The song here is "Missing" by Evanescence
Missing
They had gotten something to eat and were about to rest their exhausted bones. They were so drained from the worry and the stress that they were virtually sleeping while standing. They were ready to have some much deserved restful sleep, but that all came to a screeching halt when a bone chilling piercing howl erupted outside of the Men of Letters' bunker.
Everyone gathered at the bottom of the entrance spiral staircase, looking up at the front door. There was no way any angel or demon could get through, not with all the sigils they had plastered on the walls, including the door itself. However, something was out there.
Not long after the howl of a Hellhound, another eerily joined in, making it sound like one Hell of a possessed dog howling with two distinct vocals, but both parallel, hence why it sounded like one hound.
Anne buried herself in Gadreel's arms, feeling that stress hit her like harsh waves of an angry storm. She couldn't hold the tears back as she felt overwhelmed and afraid. She couldn't even cast a spell because she was too shaken up to think of one or focus on it. If it wasn't for Gadreel holding her tightly against him, she'd be a mess.
The howls continued and then they could count at least four Hellhounds. It had to be Metatron out there if one Hellhound suddenly became four. Was Clara sending more rather than staying true to her promise? Was it someone other than Metatron?
Anne began to tremble with uncertainty which was like fuel to the fire that was her stress.
"I shall go out there." Castiel said and the Winchesters knew that if he left, he'd damage the sigils. They would have to let him out through the front door which could give Metatron that chance to infiltrate the bunker. However, when Castiel glanced at them, they knew there was no arguing. They would have to be careful.
Dean followed him up the stairs to the door and slowly opened it, glancing at Castiel as if they were making sure this was done quickly. As soon as the door was slightly open, it was violently kicked in and both Dean and Castiel flew back, over the railing, and about to fall to the floor.
Anne screamed and held her hands out, focusing all her concentration on slowing them down. At the same time, a small glow erupted from her hands and both landed on their backs. They quickly glanced at her with stunned expressions, but they had to time to admire her newfound power.
Two angels walked in and Gadreel quickly shielded Anne with a fierce glare.
"Gadreel." The younger one said.
"Micah, please." Castiel said as he stood up, standing by Gadreel.
Viviane rushed over and wrapped her arms around her daughter, glaring at the angels with loathe in her eyes.
"Hellhounds will not stop me." Micah said and then his face paled and that authoritative expression on his face vanished.
"But we will." Said a female voice and when they all turned to look, Anne exhaled with relief. There stood Clara and a man with a mark on his arm.
"Cambion." Micah said and she narrowed her eyes at him; they even shifted to pitch black and her lips nearly curled back into a snarl.
"Don't forget Knight of Hell," Nikolai said. "And the Mark of Cain." He added as he rolled up his sleeve to better reveal it. He smiled darkly at the angels and noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Dean had looked away as his shoulders tensed.
"You will not interrupt my mission." Micah said with conviction, but Clara let out a cold laugh.
"The angel that tried to kill me." she said and he remained silent. "Didn't think I would recognize you again?" she asked and her eyes remained black as she sneered at him. "Coming here is your mistake." She said and Micah tried to look unbothered.
"Hybrids must be eliminated. I will not spare your relative's child." Micah said and she growled at him, which made the hunters uneasy. "You and your child will be next." He added and everyone tensed as if they knew that would warrant for Clara to unleash her power.
However, Castiel remained hopeful that he could solve this without violence.
"Please, we must talk rather than fight." Castiel said and then the darkness vanished from Clara's eyes as she approached, glancing at Anne.
"Please." Gadreel said, nearly in a whisper. "There is something we must try first." He added and Clara nodded, then glared up at the angels.
"If they move, I'm killing them." She said and the older angel smiled at her.
"You can try." Metatron said and she grinned at him. "Although, I must tell you that I warned Micah about including you and your daughter in his plans." He said and everyone looked up at him with angry confused expressions. Before he could say more, his lips began to bleed. He groaned, but his lips were sealed and then they were stitched closed. It was gruesome and the hunters could only guess one being responsible for that; they turned and saw Clara smiling darkly.
"If I want shit from you, I'll squeeze your head, Metatron." she said and then glared at Micah again who seemed a little more unnerved now that Metatron literally had his lips sealed by the Cambion Queen of Hell. "And you better listen to what they have to say." She concluded.
"Micah, please." Gadreel said, trying to look as empathetic as he could despite the highly stressful situation at hand. "You must listen to what I have to say before you do something rash." He said and Micah remained still and silent, as if waiting. "You cannot harm our child. Anne was resurrected some time ago by Ezekiel." He said and Micah sighed and shook his head.
"I will not listen to nonsense." He said and approached the stairs, but Gadreel's voice took on a tone of desperation.
"It's true! Ezekiel gave her a second chance. She is the last great thing Ezekiel had done before his death. He was responsible for bringing us together, for giving us both a second chance, and out of this, we have our child." He said and Micah still seemed in doubt, but something caught everyone's attention, making them stunned and fearful at the same time.
An angel appeared behind Micah and Metatron and entered the bunker, looking at Gadreel. Another simply appeared on the stairs and then another beside Micah. Some more entered through the door and they nearly crowded around it.
"We will not believe your lies." Micah said and Clara sneered. "You are as bad as those demons you consort with." He added and glared at Clara and Nikolai.
"Why lie when the truth hurts far more?" Clara asked him and glanced at Anne reassuringly.
"We are not here to fight." One angel said as they turned to Micah. "We come to hear for ourselves what Gadreel has to say." She added and they all looked down at Gadreel, waiting.
Gadreel seemed stunned and afraid, but he gave a slight nod, gathering his strength and courage.
"When Anne died, she met an angel that offered her a task. He resurrected her with false memories so that she may one day come across a resurrected angel and help him to earn back his grace.
"That angel was me. Ezekiel brought us together so that we may help each other. He saw what we needed most. If it hadn't been for Ezekiel, Anne and I would not be together and we would not have a beautiful child." Gadreel said, but Micah frowned as he caught onto something illogical.
"Yes, together they opened Heaven." One angel said, glancing down at Gadreel and Anne with a sort of admiration. Micah ignored that statement, pointing out a flaw in their story.
"Ezekiel could not have brought you two together as you say, for he died long before you. This is a lie." He said and the angels seemed to agree that this didn't make sense, even if they believed Gadreel and Anne had saved their Home.
Then, Metatron began moaning and his eyes were wide open, staring at Clara. It seemed he had something to say. Clara sighed with annoyance and then allowed his stitches to break. It was just as gruesome as they just poked out of the skin like worms.
"It's true." He quickly said which confused everyone. "I know how Ezekiel died." He added and looked at Clara as if he knew she wanted to shut him up again. She sighed louder and gestured to him as if annoyed.
"On with it." she said and the angels turned their eyes at her as if they weren't impressed with her attitude towards their own, but were too afraid to show it.
"Angels can travel back into time. We know that if anything is altered, so is the present and future. However, when an angel goes forward into time and manipulates it, he defies the ultimate law of controlling the Fate that God had planned for Man and must pay the consequence." Metatron said and everyone still looked confused. "Ezekiel was the best because of what he knew. Next to me, he had the most knowledge. I must admit with shame and regret, but at the time I was unaware of this; Ezekiel knew what I was about to do. He knew how important Gadreel was going to be.
"Ezekiel defied the law of controlling Fate by going forward into time; taking Gadreel's grace at the time of his glorified sacrifice, then went back to Anne so that she may one day return his grace to him. Ezekiel paid the consequence with his life. He knew it and accepted it, giving Gadreel and Anne the second chance they deserved, with God's seal of approval." Metatron said and the angels simply stared at Gadreel and Anne with blank expressions, but they seemed enlightened.
"God's seal of approval?" Clara asked and it was only then that the hunters seemed to agree with her. Even the angels couldn't argue, none had seen God in ages. Despite that bit, to the hunters and the demons in the bunker listening to Metatron, they knew something didn't seem right. He was obviously up to something.
"They are his legacy." Castiel said and then Micah seemed incredibly put off.
"Using Ezekiel to protect your abomination." He said with disgust, but the angels turned to him and seemed unimpressed. Some even seemed horrified.
"We will not harm the last of Ezekiel's remembrance." One angel said with conviction. "He died so that these two may together help us from Metatron's spell. We shall honor all our great fallen compatriots." The angel added and they began disappearing one after the other. It was clear that the angels wouldn't harm Anne and the baby, but that still left Micah and Metatron, who seemed to realize that although the angels seemed to trust him, they haven't forgotten what he did.
"What will it be?" Clara asked Micah and he seemed angry, but hesitant.
"I shall restore the balance at any cost." He said as an angel blade fell out of his sleeve and into his hand.
"Wrong answer." Clara said and the Hellhounds howled once more. Before Micah could make a move, he was violently pulled to his knees and dragged out, losing the angel blade and clawing at the ground. Metatron then disappeared before Clara could decide to send Hellhounds on him, which didn't bother her. She had the angel she really wanted. Metatron would pop up again since he clearly had a secret agenda.
Clara walked around and turned to face Anne and Gadreel. She smiled and Anne quickly threw her arms around her in a tight hug. Clara seemed surprised, but hugged her back.
"Thank you." She said and Clara let out a small laugh.
"I'll keep my eyes on him." she said and when Anne pulled away, she seemed exhausted, but very much relieved. "Go rest, Anne." She said and smiled up at Gadreel.
"Thank you, Clara." He said and she playfully punched his shoulder.
"You're okay." She said as she watched him walk with Anne down a corridor, a protective arm around her waist.
Viviane approached and hugged Clara as well. When she pulled back, she stroked Clara's cheek like only a mother would and then turned away, walking down another corridor. It made Clara wish she had a mother like Viviane and she thought, once again, how Anne was lucky.
Nikolai approached and waited for her cue to leave, but her eyes went to the Winchesters and Castiel. She smiled darkly which unnerved them.
"Don't think we'll hug you." Dean said and she let out a dark little laugh.
"It was great seeing you. Sorry we couldn't spend more time together." She said and blew them a kiss, vanishing along with her Knight, leaving the hunters slightly shaken by the intensity of the situation that had just taken place in a matter of a few minutes.
The angels might have refused to hurt Anne and her baby, but the Winchesters wouldn't take any chances. Micah and Metatron might just try again, so they had to strengthen their defenses. And, in the back of their minds, they thought that Clara just might come back too.
This chapter is longer than usual, but I just couldn't help it. I hope you liked my solution to my loop hole. Thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing and thanks for supporting!
xo