Chapter Five

Searching

April 11, 2010

Azrial barely said hello to the villa's inhabitants before making her way up the hill behind the massive home. The sun was setting, and it bathed the whole area in a warm glow. When she reached the top of the hill, she stared at the white mausoleum in front of her with a melancholy smile. She placed her hand on the sealed tomb, and shut her eyes.

"Sorry for disappearing again. I do have a better excuse this time, if it means anything."

She opened her eyes and set her forehead against the cool stone with a sigh. Now that she was alone, away from everyone who needed her to keep her shit together, she couldn't help the tears. Her nails dug into the cool marble as she sharply exhaled.

"One of my brothers killed me," she whispered to the quiet tomb. "Always knew that would happen, but I wasn't expecting to come back from it."

Azrial sighed and stood back up, placing the flowers she'd brought with her in front of the mausoleum. The roses picked up the setting sun, and it made the flowers look like they were on fire.

"I'm going to war," she said after a moment. "If I don't come back this time, I'm sorry."

Azrial hesitated to leave the area, but as the feeling of a reaper's presence flickered in her senses, she knew it was time to get to work.

"Give him my love," she whispered to the air before turning to make her way back down the hill. The reaper's presence disappeared as she began making her way back to the villa. She could smell the food already, and was grateful for the hospitality. Hopefully, it wouldn't take her too long to sort through everything.

Line Break

April 20, 2010

Bobby wanted to throw something, and the only thing that stopped him was how old the books were. So far they had found nothing on Azrial's flock, and it was driving him crazy.

"There has to be something," he muttered, paging through the account of a holy man from 800 AD.

"It's a lot of time to cover," Rowen tiredly pointed out. "At least we've narrowed it down some."

Bobby grunted in reply, frowning as the account went off on a tangent. He sighed, gently shutting the book and placing it on the table to be reshelved.

"Ya heading home tonight?" Bobby asked. Rowen nodded, checking the time.

"Yeah. Castiel is coming to get me at midnight. I'm planning to go home and sleep for a few hours before explaining to Sue how boring the past week and a half has been."

Bobby snorted and leaned back in his chair. "When will you be back?"

"Four days, give or take. If you need me sooner, just let me know."

"I'm getting nowhere, so don't bother rushing back."

"When is Azrial due back?"

Bobby frowned, looking away from Rowen. "Last I asked she said it could be another few days."

"You sound annoyed by that," Rowen said.

"She'd be helpful here, that's all."

"Sure," Rowen snorted. "Keep telling yourself that."

Bobby shot him a glare, but didn't comment. He wished Crowley would come by as well, he really wanted a face to face update, but last he spoke to the demon he was forced into keeping a close eye on the boys. Each time Sam thought he was getting close to Gabriel, they ran into a creature that could be mistaken for the Trickster. Crowley was genuinely starting to worry that The Fair Folk may eventually crop up, and that would make the fairy disaster look like a walk in the park.

"I'm going to head back to the hotel," Rowen said. "I could use a bit of sleep before being teleported across the ocean."

"You do that," Bobby said. "I think I'll stick around for a bit longer."

"Don't forget to eat," Rowen said as he stood up.

"Yes dear," Bobby chuckled. Rowen rolled his eyes and set the books he'd gone through aside.

"Smartass," Rowen muttered. "Have a good night Bobby. I'll let you know when I'm stateside."

"Sounds good," Bobby said before turning toward a new book.

"Don't keep our shadow awake too long," Rowen joked.

"Mhhm."

Bobby heard Rowen snort, but didn't bother to look back up. There had to be something, and it wasn't his fault the Vatican only assigned one person to be their babysitter. If it were him, there would be at least three on shifts. At this point, he was sure the poor librarian was asleep. He'd get food in an hour or so, but he wanted to make a bit more progress before then.

Time ticked by, and it was only when he heard the bells outside that he realized it was already nine in the evening. He sighed and set the book down, realizing it was a lost cause.

"I thought you'd never look up."

Bobby spun around, glaring at the relaxed archangel.

"Will you knock that off? You're taking years off my life."

"I would never!" Azrial said with a smile. "I only got here about 20 minutes ago. You were so deep in that book it seemed rude to bug you."

"It went nowhere," Bobby sighed. "That's been the theme around here. Did you have a better trip?"

Azrial hummed, leaning against the table as Bobby began clearing up the space.

"Everything is where it should be. I was right though, I just don't have the number of supernatural weapons Crowley does. Guess I'm boring."

Bobby snorted and shot her an amused look. "That is not an adjective I'd use to describe you, princess."

"The bar is low. I mean, you've been hanging out with Crowley for months!"

Bobby laughed. "Then where the hell is your bar?"

"Nonexistent," Azrial shrugged. "Somehow I fell in love with that bastard. If the war doesn't kill me, I'm sure that the fallout of that tidbit will."

Bobby paused at her nonchalant attitude. "I was hoping you'd be more confident," he quietly said.

Azrial sighed and he met her sad gaze. "Right now, it would be foolish. We need a miracle, Bobby. I'm sure you realized that."

"Will your flock be enough?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Look, I'm trying to be honest with you. I said I'd do my best to be up front, but that means some hard truths."

"I know," he sighed. "Thank you, though. I appreciate knowing our actual odds."

"How are the others doing?"

"Crowley's worried the boys are going to dig up something that doesn't wanna be found, searching for Gabriel. He's rather nervous about them pissing off the Fair Folk."

"That's...a valid concern," Azrial slowly said. "Next time you speak with Sam, suggest he cross reference the tricks with holy occurrences. For all Gabriel's assholishness, he does do some good when he drops by a town."

"I hadn't realized that."

"He keeps it close to the chest, but he likes kids quite a bit. Innocent souls remind him that things aren't complete shit."

Bobby silently packed up his notes. He was surprised that Azrial patiently waited for him to ask another question. It seemed she really was genuine about them trying to work together. It was a relief, if Bobby were honest. They were fighting shitty odds as it was, they didn't need to be fighting amongst themselves.

"What's your connection to Valerius?"

Azrial was surprised by the question, and seemed to carefully weigh her response. "This goes back to the 'I'm old' bit," she joked. "Over the countless centuries I've been alive, I've given my fair share of blessings. The Valerius family was one of my...more complicated blessings."

"There's more to it," Bobby said. He could feel there was a lot she wasn't saying, but wasn't sure if he'd earned her trust enough to ask.

Azrial nodded. "There is, but it isn't really important to you or the mission. Maybe you can ask when all this is over. It's quite the story."

Bobby could tell she didn't mean it as an insult, more just a matter of fact statement about the situation. He could even understand her reasoning, but that didn't stop the curiosity.

"What if I guessed?"

"Bobby, if you managed to guess correctly I think I'd die of shock," Azrial laughed. "I mean it, though; it isn't important. If I thought it would help our current situation more than it already has, I would tell you."

Bobby hummed, and let the matter rest. "I was about to get dinner. Wanna join me?"

"Sure, I know a great place near the Pantheon."

"I was hoping you'd know of somethin', cause I'm getting sick of the food here."

Azrial laughed, and Bobby was shocked as she snagged his arm and dragged him out of the archives.

"You're in Rome! If you don't eat well while you are here, you have no one to blame but yourself."

Line Break

April 25, 2010

Dean looked up at the sound of wings, and felt the tension leave his shoulders at Castiel's arrival.

"How was the flight to Rome?"

"Bobby and Azrial looked ready to burn the archives down," Castiel said. "Rowen practically had to run in to keep the peace."

"They were fighting?" Sam asked in concern.

"No," Castiel chuckled. "They were teaming up on the librarian."

"Poor bastard," Dean sighed. "Saying no to Azrial is one thing, but I don't think I could be paid to say no to Bobby."

"And that poor librarian has to manage both," Sam chuckled. "I hope they are paid well."

"Any new leads?" Castiel asked as he sat down. Dean pushed him a beer, and the angel leaned closer. Dean had to suppress a smile, but couldn't quite manage it given Sam's smirk.

"Shut up, bitch."

"Touchy," his brother laughed. "I do have a possible lead, but I'd like to run it by Crowley."

"Those are words I never thought I'd hear," Dean said. Castiel hummed in agreement, and Sam sighed.

"Yeah, but I can't deny how helpful he is. He actually seemed worried for us when he found out about the run in with the Tanuki."

"There are too many damn tricksters. Did Azrial's advice help?"

Sam nodded at his question, pulling out his notebook. "I actually looked back at our previous run-ins with Gabriel, and she was right. They aren't overt miracles, but they are there. A kid with partial blindness able to see, a couple who couldn't conceive suddenly have a kid, stuff like that. Things that could be brushed off as other things."

"Large miracles always attract Heaven's attention," Castiel helpfully pointed out. "Small things like that would go unnoticed, even in a time of war."

"It makes it hard to know for sure it's him though," Sam admitted. "I'm hoping Crowley will be willing to take a look around."

"I wish you luck in asking," Dean said. "I'm starting to wonder if Bobby has something on the bastard."

"I think it's a case of finding an intellectual equal," Castiel said. Dean looked at the angel in surprise, and Castiel quickly added. "Bobby is extremely knowledgeable, even on things other hunters may find distasteful from what I've experienced. That would be intriguing to Crowley."

"Huh," Sam tilted his head. "That's actually a pretty good point. They also both have that surly thing down."

"Yeah, but Bobby has morals," Dean muttered. "I see what ya mean though. They were hanging out a lot before Azrial came back."

Sam's face scrunched up into one of his classic bitch faces. "You don't think...they were, ya know?"

It took Dean a few moments to figure out what Sam was implying. "What? No! I mean...I don't think Bobby bats for both teams, let alone a damn demon."

Castiel looked between them in confusion. "What do bats have to do with anything?"

Dean hated how idioms just didn't seem to translate well for angels, and tried to curb his embarrassment enough to explain. "Sam was implying Bobby and Crowley uh...shacked up."

"You mean had sex?" Castiel bluntly asked. Dean shook his head, fighting down the mix of amusement and mortification.

"Yeah, that. I don't really wanna think about Bobby having sex with anyone. It would be like thinking about Mom and Dad. Besides, he was still with Ellen, and Bobby ain't a cheater."

"True," Sam admitted. "I hadn't thought of that, but you're right."

"Besides, Crowley was all choked up over Azrial. Now that she's back, I doubt Crowley is gonna go lookin' elsewhere."

"That's not necessarily true," Castiel said.

Dean squinted at Castiel. "Why must you rain on my parade?"

Castiel looked confused for a moment before sighing. "I will pretend I understood that. Dean, angels in particular are not bound to love one person. While it can happen, for example there is no other I'd feel the same way that I feel for you," Dean felt his face heat up, and did his best to ignore Sam's choked laughter. "It is very likely Azrial has loved before, and will love again. Though, that isn't to say her bond with Crowley won't supersede any other." Castiel sounded thoughtful, almost like he was trying to riddle out how such a thing would work.

"Assuming Crowley wouldn't kill whatever poor bastard she fell in love with," Sam said.

"Also true," Castiel agreed. "Demons are notoriously possessive, and I know Crowley feels at least that for Azrial. He is rather good at hiding his feelings from view."

"Why are you giving us an explanation on angel and demon dating practices?" Dean asked.

"I know, for a fact, that Crowley regards Bobby in a similar way he does Azrial. There is a quiet possessiveness, not as oppressive as it is with Azrial, when the demon is around Bobby."

"Well that's just fucking peachy," Dean sighed. "Should we be worried?"

"No, I don't think so," Castiel said. "There is mutual respect between them. If that ever fades, I will smite Crowley before he can lay a hand on Bobby."

"My knight in shining armor," Dean chuckled. "Don't get smite happy though. May upset your big sister."

"The tragedy of it all," Castiel sighed. Dean snorted and Sam laughed at the heavy sarcasm in Castiel's voice.

"How is it you've picked up on sarcasm and not idioms?" Dean demanded.

"Idioms are based on language and culture," Castiel bluntly replied. "If I made such a statement in Enochian, you'd be as lost as I am."

Sam snorted before pulling them back on track. "Come on, let's cross reference this lead one more time. If it looks solid, we'll call Crowley."

Dean nodded, pulling his laptop toward him. He needed to speak with the demon about an idea he had anyway. It likely wouldn't work, but he wanted to go down his list of possible power ups as thoroughly as possible. Castiel shot him a knowing look, and Dean gently squeezed the hand on his knee. Castiel sighed but turned to his own computer. The angel understood, and Dean was grateful for the quiet support.

Line Break

April 30, 2010

Crowley was surprised he couldn't get through the archive wards, but Azrial was more than willing to meet him at a nearby cafe. He tried to hide his relief as she approached the table, but that didn't stop his surprise when she leaned down to kiss him before taking the seat across from him.

"Pick up your jaw," she said quietly. "I just missed you."

"Be still, my heart," he smirked. "How is Robert?"

"Going crazy with the current translation he's working on. He has demanded you stay for dinner so he can pick your brain."

"Tell him it's a date."

Azrial chuckled, and nodded as she quickly ordered a coffee. It was strange to be out in public these days. He was spending so much time combing through weapons and helping the Winchesters on hunts that he barely saw the sun.

"Have you made any progress?" he asked once they had their drinks. Azrial sighed, and shook her head.

"No. It's such a large span of time, and it's a miracle they narrowed it down to AD."

"It feels like we were sent on a wild goose chase," Crowley muttered. Azrial hummed in agreement, and he tilted his head. "How was France?"

"Well," she sipped her coffee. "My mundane weapons collection far outshines yours."

"That's what I was afraid of," he sighed. "You and your sentimental heart."

"Careful. This sentimental heart is the reason you're having coffee with me."

"Here I thought it was my cute face," he chuckled.

A comfortable silence fell over them, and he followed Azrial's thoughtful gaze. She seemed to enjoy watching people, and he wondered how many years she spent doing just that. Sitting. Watching. Taking it all in. Despite his hundreds of years, he'd never had that luxury. He'd been too busy fighting to survive. Crowley shook his head, and looked back toward Azrial.

"Will you ever show me that vault you are so proud of?"

"I think I will." Crowley couldn't hide his surprise, and Azrial looked over at his silence. She laughed and set her coffee down with a small smile. "When this is all over, it should be safe to show you. I will need something stronger than your word as collateral though. I've kept this secret for many years."

"I'm sure I can whip up something that would meet your standards," Crowley said as the surprise wore off. "But will you actually sign it?"

There was a knowing look in her eyes as she tapped her fingers against the table. "We both know the answer to that."

Crowley couldn't help the smirk as he sipped his scotch. "That we do."

"You're interested in him, aren't you?" Azrial curiously asked. Crowley blinked at the change of subject.

"In Robert?" at Azrial's nod he sighed. "I hope you aren't planning to smite him."

"Of course not, but I think I may just claim him for myself."

Crowley felt a wave of possessiveness slam over him, and Azrial smirked at his displeased look.

"Calm yourself, my king, I was joking. You know I'd share with you. Still, he is so unique. I want him to come out of all this alive."

"That we can agree on," Crowley said. "Do you have a plan?"

"The only one I can think of is locking him and the Winchesters in a dungeon until all this is over. If I come up with something better, you will be the first to know."

"If I didn't think they'd find a way to reverse a trap like that on us, I would agree to it."

Azrial snorted at his exasperation, and he felt her foot tap gently against his under the table. "Are you busy for the next few hours?"

"Apparently not until dinner." Crowley met her heated look with a smirk. "Something in mind?"

"The same thing as you, I'm sure."

"Oh, you wanted to visit the colosseum?"

"Watch it, or I'll just go and get gelato," she huffed.

"Pay the bill, angel. I'm not willing to share your time for the next few hours."

Crowley watched her wave over the server and wondered how his life had changed this much. Despite the insanity that followed him becoming a demon, liaising with an archangel in Rome and having dinner with a hunter had never reached his possibilities list. It was really too bad the world was ending.

The next update is Friday, August 7, 2021