Chapter 11: Of Prophets
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. - Deuteronomy 18:18
True to his word, Gabriel hadn't been gone too long. But his appearance back in Riley's apartment had not been very long. He'd been ducking his duty too long that day, and he needed to get back to Heaven.
So, Riley was left alone in her apartment with her thoughts.
She stayed the night, went back to her work the following morning. And went out of her mind with worry. Gabriel hadn't had told her what had happened, shrugging it off as a normal mission.
Even though she knew the boys were fine without her, had survived before her and would likely survive without her, she still hated the idea of being gone for long.
So she left. She went home.
Because that was what the bunker had become: home.
The guys returned that evening. They found Riley in the kitchen, surrounded by several dozen chocolate chip cookies. Jack was delighted and started chowing down on them. Castiel wasn't fazed. Sam was a bit surprised but shrugged it off.
Dean was the only one to discerned something was wrong, though he waited till the others left the kitchen before saying anything.
"You okay, Rye?"
"Yeah. Fine. I was just worried. Gabriel took off cause he said you guys ran into issues."
Dean smiled back, "Nothing huge. Some werewolves. Sam got a tad messed up and Castiel was busy with Jack, so we called your Whiskey." He walked to the fridge and pulled out two beers – one he handed to her. "We tend to worry lots of people though. Welcome to the club."
"Shut up, dork. I'm growing attached to the lot of you. Teasing aside." She mock glared, "So I'd rather you don't die out there."
Dean sat down at the table and patted the chair next to him, "No promises, but we try to survive. We've survived a lot."
"I know."
"But you're still worried?"
"I'm not sure I'll stop being worried."
"Yeah, it doesn't really stop in this line of work."
Riley took a long drink of her beer. "Is it strange I wish I'd been able to be there to help? Even though I'd probably end up being a detriment. It bothers me that I can't help. I don't want to be a hunter. But at the same time, I don't want to be useless." She leaned over and rested her head on Dean's shoulder.
"No. It's not weird." He wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "I'm worried about everyone that I'm not able to see. Like Mom. I want to protect everyone. Even though I can't most of the time. Family's weird that way. They get to you."
"Family, huh?"
"Yeah. Family. You're stuck with us at this point."
Riley sighed, "Good." The two sat for a few minutes, drinking their beer. "It feels like I've been here a long time, but it's been a little over a month."
"Time's relative. Hunters decide quickly who they want to be around. Never know when you're not going to see someone again. And this life…. Well it sort of drags you in. Hunters try to retire, but we're not cut out for the whole white picket fence thing."
Riley let a breathy laugh. "Yeah, this life sucks."
"Sometimes. But it's go the best people."
Sam wandered back in at that point, laptop tucked under his arm. "You two okay?" He asked, eyeing his brother and Riley.
"Yep." Riley answered. She pulled away from Dean and reached for another cookie as well.
Sam frowned, then walked over to her and patted her head.
"Are you petting me?" Riley asked, amused.
"Comforting." Sam said, "I'm comforting."
"Hugs work better."
Sam looked slightly taken aback, as he tried to figure out how to hug her while she was sitting and juggle his laptop.
She grinned, "For future reference." His shoulders sagged in relief.
Sam set up at one of the remaining chairs, grabbing a cookie, and flashed her a smile. "So, get this." he started, "I found an article about a strange faith healer in Minnesota. Maybe another angel? Might be something else…."
"Might be worth looking into." Dean looked thoughtful
"We can head out in the morning." Sam said.
"Castiel might want to just go and see."
"True." Sam said.
"So, any luck on the prophet?" Riley asked.
"Not yet." Sam answered.
"Will a prophet really be able to help save Heaven?"
"We need them to read the angel tablet." Sam said. "None of the remaining angels actually know how to create new angels. But when Michael came over from the alternate world he brought the angel tablet with him. We need a prophet to read it." He explained. "We're hoping it will say something about the creation of angels."
"So, is that what prophets normally do then? Translate?"
"Partially. But not really. Normally they speak of events to come, on instruction from Heaven."
"You know… prophecy." Dean replied cheekily.
"That doesn't make any sense. You guys can talk to all the remaining angels."
Sam pursed his lips, "Now. There were a heck of a lot more before the fall."
"Yeah, lot of help the remaining ones are." Dean muttered.
"What he means is that all angels are supposed to know the names of all prophets, past and future. Their names were written down by Metatron. But after Kevin, uh… Kevin Tran, one of the last prophets. When he died Metatron allegedly ended the prophet line, ensuring no new prophet would be called upon."
"Except it didn't end." Dean added.
"We think Chuck did something around the time his sister showed up." Sam said.
"Or, you know, Amara killed Metatron."
"Either way," Sam continued, "a new prophet awakened. So, since the rules for prophets are kind of thrown out the window at this point, well….. we're looking for anything at this point."
"And the angels are no help. Since the names are no longer known." Dean added.
"We'd hoped Gabriel would know." Sam added. "Since the prophets are tied to archangels, with the archangels acting as their protectors when the need arises. Each prophet has an archangel."
Riley did not like the emotion that she was feeling, "So with Gabriel being the only archangel left?" 'Tad over reaction there, girl.'
"He'd be tied to the prophet, but Gabriel hasn't exactly ever been the sharing type when it comes to Heavenly things. But still, he's said he hasn't felt the tether that would come from being tied to a prophet." Sam sighed.
"Could any of the other archangels be alive?" Riley asked.
"No." Sam answered.
Dean though looked thoughtful. "Michael." He muttered. "Last we saw, our Michael was in the cage. Technically he could still be alive."
Sam looked nonplused.
"Do we like Michael?" Riley asked.
"No." Dean answered.
"Michael was in charge after Chuck left. He commanded the Heavenly Host, issued the orders, spoke to the prophets." Sam started to explain.
"He wanted to use me as a meat suit." Dean added.
"He took over our half-brother, Adam, and tried to fight Lucifer. Wanted the biblical show down."
"The whole apocalypses thing." Dean offered. "Lucifer was wearing Sam at the time. But Sammy was able to break through, grab Michael and drag them both into the cage."
"You got out though." Riley said, studying Sam.
"Cas pulled my body out, and Death pulled my soul out." Sam looked rather uncomfortable.
"Woah." She frowned, "There as a lot packed into that sentence. Death?"
"Yeah. Long store." Dean grinned.
"How long were you there?" Riley asked, afraid of the answer. "And I'll want the rest of the other story at some point."
"Earth time, over a year. But that's more than 120 years in Hell time." Dean answered for his brother.
"That sucks." Riley replied. She'd known it wouldn't be good when she asked. She offered her beer to Sam, but he shook his head.
"So, Michael was in the cage. Heaven lost stability and it resulted in a civil war. Surprisingly between Raphael and Castiel, among others." Dean finished. At Riley's questioning look, he mouthed 'later'.
"Michael could still be in there." Sam looked thoughtful. "Though he'd have to be mad by now. It's been a really really long time."
"What about Adam?" Riley asked.
"I tried to get him out." Dean replied, "When I bargained with Death. But he'd only save Sam." This of course was only half true, as Death had offered to save one, but had not specified which. Dean just didn't think either of the others needed to know that part.
"Lucifer escaped." Sam was still thinking, but now out loud. "The cage was damaged when Amara was released. And Lucifer got out on his own, after he was imprisoned the… third time."
"What happened with the second?" Riley whispered to Dean.
"He tricked Cas into acting as his vessel and escaped."
"Oh." There was still an awful lot she didn't know.
"He wasn't in the actual cage the third time though. The spell was recreated with his vessel. He never did go back." Sam muttered. "So it's possible Michael is still in the Cage, which is damaged. So like how Lucifer was sending me visions, maybe Michael was able to form a bond with the new prophet. Helping that person to hide, or…." He trailed off. "I need to check the lore."
Dean and Riley sat, watching as Sam ran off toward the library. "We won't see him for a while." Dean offered.
"Yeah. I figured that. Have you met a prophet before?"
"More than we probably should have." Dean supplied.
"Oh, what happened to the last one?"
Dean visibly winced. "Amara ate his soul, Asmodeus brain washed him, Castiel gave him a lobotomy. We left him here while we went to the other reality with Rowena. She forgot about him. He died because he couldn't take care of himself anymore." Dean at least told the truth, even if it wasn't a pretty truth. "We buried him two states over."
"Any others?"
"The one before that was murdered - Kevin. And the one before that was Chuck."
"Ah." Riley sighed, "Not a great gig then."
"Nope."
Riley watched Dean take another swig of his beer. She wondered how much blood the boys had spilled. How much death and destruction they'd caused. They had saved the world, but half their stories suggested they might be the reason it got fucked up in the first place.
Her first thought about them, that they were rough around the edges, needed to be updated. It was more they were jagged around the edges. Sharp and painful, destroying much of what they touched. It was an unfortunate metaphor, but Riley was fairly sure it was accurate.
She really did like them. And as Dean had said, they were basically family. But the brothers were fear inducing sometimes. She wondered if they were the monsters the actual monsters told their children about. 'Don't eat too many humans or the Winchesters might lob off your head.' It was a sobering thought. But she couldn't find even a drop of fear herself toward them. Especially with Dean making a stupid face at her, drawing her attention.
"So the tablet will tell how to make more angels?" She asked.
"We think so. Plus it should tell the angels how to restore their wings. When the angels fell, they lost most of their abilities." Dean replied. "Cas would like that."
"I wondered about Castiel's wings, I didn't want to ask though."
"Yeah, all the angels that fell have broken wings. You can see it when they pull them as a show of power."
"They're like that all the time." She murmured.
"What?" Dean was staring at her.
"Oh. That's right. I've just become kinda used to it now. I can see their wings. Mine too."
"Your what?"
"Wings." Dean looked unnerved at her response. "You remember I'm technically an angel right?" She stretched them out to their full span behind her – not that he could see them. "So I have wings. Thus the flying lessons"
"Huh. I mean it makes sense." Dean said. "You never said anything."
"I said I was learning to fly."
"True." He nodded, taking a bite of another cookie. "So you can see all the other's wings, just like, hanging around."
"Yep. Though they're like shadows, translucent."
"Hey Cas." Dean called. Castiel appeared at his shoulder, almost touching.
"Hello, Dean." His voice was gravelly.
"Dude. Personal space." Dean sighed. "Can you see other angel's wings?"
"Yes. At least partially. Our wings to do not fully exist on this plane of existence, only a portion of them. Angel's can bring their wings through to this plane, but it takes a lot of power. Which is why I only do it partially. It also tends to burn out mortal's eyes."
Dean started at him. "So you can see Riley's wings?"
"Yes. And Jack's."
"Jack has wings?"
"Yes. Of course." Castiel answered.
"Huh."
"Does this help?" Castiel asked.
"Yeah. Thanks Cas." Dean responded.
Castiel looked miffed. "You realize I am actually very busy Dean."
"I think there was something else he wanted to mention." Riley added, though Dean sent her a perplexed look. "About a possible angel sighting?"
"Oh yeah. Though Sam has actual information." Castiel nodded, then he disappeared again. Most likely to find Sam.
Riley laughed, "You realize you summoned him and he came. He's like your own personal angel. Like ask Jeeves, angel edition."
Dean groaned, "Stop. I really don't want to go there." He leaned back in his chair, "I'm thinking beer and hanging on the couch. We can "research". No reason we have to coop ourselves in the library tonight. Like Sam." He stood, grabbed another couple beers from the fridge.
Riley got up to follow him, "I can help research if you need."
"If by that, you mean I can kick your ass at Mortal Kombat, then yes you can help research."
Riley laughed.
"C'mom kid-sister, bring the cookies." He requested. Riley rolled her eyes as she followed him out.