Chapter Forty-Six

Aftermath

TW/CW: Last section is from Alistair's POV, and it's dark. No in-depth details, but he is already planning how to torture the main cast.

Bobby's House: August 1, 2010 - Early Evening

Garth stepped into the house and barely said a word before two guns were aimed at his chest. He held up his hands, letting the grocery bags fall to the floor. Bobby Singer and Sam Winchester didn't miss a shot, and he liked living more than he cared about his potato chips.

Bobby tossed him a flask, and Garth barely managed to catch it. "Drink," Bobby ordered.

The smell of blood hanging over the house was all the incentive Garth needed to obey. Whatever happened while he was gone had to be massive. He quickly took a large gulp from the flask and made sure to tug up his sleeve to show off his iron and silver bracelets.

"What happened?" Garth asked, not bothering to hide his concern. "This place smells like a butcher shop."

"We were attacked by a demon we thought was dead," Sam said. "And I would know, I killed the fucker."

Garth winced, shooting a glance at the couch. Dean looked to be napping with a large dog sprawled over his lap. Both he and the dog were covered in blood.

"You're all okay?" Garth asked once the guns were pulled off him.

"We're leavin' tonight,' Bobby said. "And you're coming with us."

"But I thought—" Garth started, only for Sam to cut him off.

"We're sorry, Garth, but we can't give you a choice anymore. They'll be back, and whoever they find will be tortured for information on our whereabouts. If they heard you were here, they may track you down even if you don't stay in the house."

Garth knew Sam was right, especially if this demon had somehow come back from a Winchester offing them.

"What do I need?" he finally asked.

"You happen to have a passport?" Garth nodded at Bobby's question and the man hummed. "Then you're all set unless there's something you can't live without."

"I'll just have to grab a few things from my truck and park it further on your property," Garth said.

"Sam, go with him. I'll keep an eye on Dean and Azrial. Marcus and Crowley should be about done locking up things out back, and Gabriel was finalizing some warding downstairs."

Garth couldn't ever remember seeing Bobby this worried. Suddenly he was glad to be going with the group, because if something could spook Bobby and the Winchesters, then Garth didn't want to be in the same country with it.

Line Break

Azrial's ears twitched as she listened to everyone move around the house. Dean's even breathing let her know he was asleep, though she was sure it wasn't relaxing. Every couple of minutes he'd let out a tiny groan, or a whine so quiet she'd have missed it without her enhanced hearing. Whenever that happened she'd let a barely audible growl vibrate through her chest and it seemed to relax him. At least she wasn't completely useless being stuck in this form.

"Are you both okay?"

Azrial turned her head to see Bobby. He pulled up a stool to sit next to the couch, and now that he was closer, she could see bags under his eyes. She shifted so she could touch her paw to his hand.

He's having nightmares, but I'm doing my best to keep them at bay, she projected to him. I can't expend too much energy communicating, though. It may hinder me turning back.

Bobby sighed, squeezing her paw gently. "Then don't. I just got off the phone with your grandkid. Rather sassy, ain't she?"

The dry question made Azrial snort. Most of the Valerius women were sassy in her opinion. She was pretty sure it was a genetic trait at this point.

"Anyway, the closest international airport to here is Fargo. Crowley and Gabriel think it's best just to drop us nearby and not risk the drive."

They're probably right. We're out of time now, she projected.

"Yeah, that's what Gabriel said." Bobby took a deep breath, and she smelled salt in the air. "I almost lost you both," Bobby muttered.

Azrial stared at him, wondering what he meant. She knew Dean's injury could have been much worse, but what did she have to do with anything?

"Alistair wanted Crowley to bleed your grace from you," he said. "I know Crowley would never do that, but...well, my imagination is an asshole."

She whined softly, shifting her head to butt her nose gently against Bobby's hand. There weren't words to help soothe his pain, especially knowing what happened to his wife. Hopefully, her and Dean's presence would be enough to calm his worry.

Bobby cleared his throat. "We're about ready to head out, though. Are you gonna be okay if we put a collar and leash on you? We still need to walk through the airport, regardless of it being a private flight."

She couldn't let that go, especially given how tense Bobby looked.

Bobby, your timing is horrid. Can't you wait until I look human again?

The shocked look on his face made her want to laugh, especially as he tried to speak and nothing came out. After a moment, he chuckled and ran a hand down his face.

"You're such a handful, princess."

She growled in agreement, happy to see her teasing seemed to ease some of his tension. She heard someone approaching, but didn't bother to turn her head. By the soft smell of cologne she knew it was Crowley.

"Are the three of you ready to go?" Crowley asked.

"Just gotta wake Dean up," Bobby said. "And grab a collar and leash so we don't get kicked out of the airport for our giant dog."

Crowley snorted. "I'll assume she already teased you for that and spare you my thoughts on the matter."

"Bastard," Bobby grumbled affectionately. "You ain't wrong though."

"Then wake up your child. Gabriel already dropped off Garth and is taking Sam now before coming for Marcus. Orion has booked us a room nearby for a few hours that we are dropping into." Crowley shot Bobby an amused look. "Castiel will take Dean, so that leaves us two old gays and our wolf-dog."

Azrial wheezed, though it came out very choked given her current form. Bobby looked utterly offended, and she realized Dean's chest was vibrating with barely restrained laughter, which just made her situation worse. The man had clearly woken up at some point, and she'd been too distracted to notice.

"You're a fucking nightmare," Bobby finally said. "Ya know that, right?"

"Nightmare? And here I thought I was your dream man," Crowley said with faux sadness.

Dean's choked laughter made both men turn toward him. Azrial looked up, noticing he was holding back tears from trying to stem his laughter.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Dean asked.

"I'm eloping with Bobby," Crowley said dryly.

This just made Dean laugh harder, and Azrial took the chance to stretch before hopping off the couch. She shook her body and sat next to the couch to observe the three men.

"The hell you are," Bobby said. "Haven't even asked me!"

Crowley smirked. "I could fix that."

"Do I look dumb to you?" Bobby asked. "Pretty sure Azrial would kill us if we ran off without her."

Azrial barked in agreement, which left Dean gasping for air as he tried to stop laughing. Dean's amusement also visibly relaxed Bobby, which was good to see.

"You're insane," Dean finally said. "The three of you are insane."

"Respect your elders," Crowley ordered. "Castiel is waiting for you on the porch. Are you able to move?"

"Yeah, I think I was just exhausted." Dean stood up, stretching his arms. "I just gotta grab my bag and clean up a bit."

Bobby hummed. "Good, then meet us outside, and we'll lock up the house."

Azrial trotted after Dean, intent on keeping an eye on the man until he could actually get a full eight hours of rest. Besides, there wasn't much else she could help with while stuck as a wolf.

Line Break

Sam blinked a few times, taking in the private jet. They'd had to wait until almost 11 PM before being cleared to leave, but now they were walking across the tarmac to the jet. It was an otherworldly experience for him. He'd lived so much of his life out of crappy motel rooms that the idea of ever seeing, let alone flying on, a private jet wasn't even a thought that crossed his mind. Bobby was loosely holding the leash Azrial was on, which had been the topic of a lot of good-natured ribbing from everyone in the group. If Sam were honest with himself, it was purely an attempt to forget the nightmare they'd experienced.

They were directed up the steps and Sam practically fell into the first seat he came across. Everyone quickly made themselves comfortable, though Dean and Marcus were both visibly tense. It wasn't long before a man's voice echoed through the cabin, announcing their departure.

"You gonna be okay?" Sam asked his brother.

"If I get too jittery, Cas has permission to knock my ass out," Dean said. "But it's nice knowing if something happens to the plane, there are a bunch of people who can get us off in one piece."

Sam glanced at Marcus. "What about you?"

"Everything is still very strange to me," Marcus said. "I will adjust."

Bobby had unleashed Azrial the moment they'd stepped on the plane, and she took the chance to curl up next to Marcus's feet. Her presence visibly relaxed the man, and Sam had a feeling she'd be staying there most of the flight.

"How long is the flight?" Gabriel asked.

"Think the pilot said eight and a half hours," Bobby said. "I'd suggest sleeping if you can."

"As soon as we are in the air, I'm getting a drink," Crowley said. "I hate being cramped in a plane."

"Here here," Gabriel muttered. "I get the need, though."

"But there is so much space!" Garth exclaimed.

Gabriel laughed, dropping his head to lean against his shoulder. Sam smiled softly, draping an arm around the archangel. "We're creatures who can go wherever we choose in moments. Planes take away our agency during transportation."

Azrial barked softly in agreement, and Marcus chuckled, leaning down to scratch her ear.

"I can understand that stance," Marcus admitted.

"Well, at least we have our own space," Sam said. "Could be stuck in economy."

"Perish the thought," Crowley said dryly.

Line Break

Azrial blinked awake, groaning as she shifted so her shoulder blade wasn't digging into someone's foot. It took her a few seconds to realize her body felt heavier than before, and she slowly sat up. She looked down at her hands, sighing in relief at the sight, and pushed herself off the floor. The cabin lights were dimmed, and she was about to quietly make her way back toward the bar when a soft voice stopped her.

"Glad you're back to normal, angel."

Her lips twitched, and she turned toward Crowley. "Come get a drink with me so we don't wake anyone up."

He hummed, gently pulling free from Bobby, who'd fallen asleep against his shoulder. They walked toward the back of the plane, and Azrial made sure to pull the divider shut before turning on the light over the bar. She waved the stewardess away, leaving her and Crowley alone.

"Well, that wasn't how I wanted to spend the last... How many hours has it been?"

"We've only been in the air for two and a half hours, plus your time at the house." Crowley poured himself a glass of scotch. "I'd say you've been a wolf for at least ten hours."

"Fun." She sighed, pulling a hard cider from the bar fridge. "At least it was my wolf face and not my raven. I'd have had to sneak onto my own damn plane."

Crowley snorted. "On that note, you should probably take off the collar."

Azrial almost spit up her cider at Crowley's lewd tone. "You did that on purpose."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

A comfortable silence fell over them and she set the drink on the bar. She ran her fingers along the length of the collar, glad it hadn't ended up too tight around her neck when she shifted back to her human form. She unclipped it, placing it on the bar before picking up her drink.

"Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" she asked.

Crowley hummed, swirling his drink as he stared straight ahead. "You mean Alistair?"

Azrial didn't bother to respond, instead taking a deep swig of her cider. She'd planned for so many things to go wrong, but a powerful demon coming back from The Empty wasn't on her list of possibilities.

"Lucifer surprised us," Crowley said quietly. "I didn't think he'd ever expand that much power to bring back a demon."

"Alistair said it himself; Lucifer wants more soldiers. It was...a smart move."

Those words left a bitter taste in her mouth, and Crowley grunted in agreement. She drummed her nails against the bar, trying to get her thoughts in order. It was difficult, though, since they kept swinging from one extreme to the next. She was angry, seething, really, that Alistair got the jump on them. Then she was scared, which flowed into self-loathing so easily. At least as a wolf, a majority of her thoughts were simplified. Worry about the pack. Protect the pack. Simple and easy. Now that she was back to normal, her emotions were overwhelming.

"We'll have to plan for him being on the battlefield," Crowley said. "He's too powerful for Lucifer to leave behind, and once the battle starts, all the chips are down."

"Then we kill him," she muttered. "And make sure it sticks this time."

She sighed as Crowley's fingers brushed against her hand. It was hard to stomach that the fucker was back, but what could she do besides plan to kill Alistair? Her wolf already had a taste of his blood and was extremely eager to finish the job. Maybe a bit too eager if she were honest with herself.

"You know I would never..." Crowley trailed off, and Azrial shot him a worried look.

"What?"

He grunted, pulling his hand away, and refused to meet her gaze. "Never mind."

She frowned but let the matter rest. After a few moments, she laced her fingers through his and gently squeezed his hand. "Okay."

He squeezed back, and she knew they'd be okay. They'd weathered the storm this far, and she was ready to see the fruits of all their labor. It would just take one last push.

Line Break

Bobby was sure he'd zoned out a majority of the trip, especially once they were in the large van taking them from the airport to the edge of the vineyard. Then again, he'd slept a majority of the flight and was experiencing some hellish jet lag after the events of the previous day.

"How much further?" Dean asked.

"I think only a few minutes," Azrial said without pulling her eyes from the window. "Remember, though, the van is only going to the edge of the property."

Sam looked over at Azrial. "How are we getting the rest of the way?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she said. "Normally, I fly once I'm past the wards, but with such a large group, we'll probably use a cart."

Crowley made an annoyed sound but didn't say anything. Bobby glanced between the two, trying to figure out if something happened while he'd been asleep. They didn't seem upset with each other, but there was an undercurrent of tension and worry between them. He knew now wasn't the time to ask and made a mental note for later. He felt the moment they went from smooth city roads to rural roads, and by the slight grimace on everyone's face, they were all counting down the minutes to their destination.

Azrial popped out of the van to speak with the driver when the van stopped. The rest of them followed suit and began unloading their stuff. A carriage with padded benches around the parameter, pulled by two massive horses, came to a stop near them. It was followed by another two horses trotting alongside them that also stopped alongside the carriage.

"Good to see you again, Mater," Orion openly greeted. "I hear you've brought quite a group with you."

Azrial's lips twitched and she shot a glance at Marcus who seemed distracted by the horses at the moment. "Oh, you have no idea."

"Wait, you didn't tell him?" Bobby whispered as he came to stand next to her.

"Tell me what?" Orion asked as he helped everyone load up their bags. "I mean, as long as no one died, it can't be that bad!"

Bobby chuckled, shooting the man an amused smile. "Quite the opposite of dying."

Orion raised an eyebrow. "If you say so. There isn't room for everyone in the cart with your luggage. Can anyone besides Mater ride?"

This question drew Marcus's attention, and he nodded. "I can."

"Wonderful! If you both take someone with you, then we're all set to make our way toward the estate. I'm sorry we didn't have a bigger cart."

"It's not a big deal," Dean said. "We kinda dropped in earlier than expected."

"You gonna tell the kid that he's talking to his great how-many-times grandfather?" Bobby whispered.

Azrial giggled. "Oh, he'll figure it out. Besides, formal introductions will happen once we reach the estate."

"You're horrible," Bobby said. "Mind if I ride with you? Not sure how horses feel about demons."

"I heard that," Crowley said. "But you have a fair point. I can be near animals, but riding one is a completely different matter. I'll stick with the carriage."

"I can ride behind someone," Garth offered.

Orion clapped his hands together. "That's that then! If everyone loads up, we can head out and arrive before lunch is served."

Azrial walked over to the horse, pulling herself onto the massive animal without breaking a sweat. Bobby took a deep breath and put his foot in the stirrup, hoisting himself up with some help from Azrial. Thankfully, the horse was large enough to hold them both without issue.

"Will the horse be okay?" Bobby asked once he was settled.

"These Clydesdales can handle about 350 pounds each, given their size," she said. "Just make sure you stay centered on the saddle."

It only took a few minutes to get everyone situated, and soon, they were moving, with Orion leading the group on his own horse. Garth looked a bit uncomfortable but seemed taken in by the scenery. Only ten minutes into the ride, grape vines started to appear. Bobby wondered how close to the estate the vines would go, especially since he didn't remember them coming this far out.

"The vineyard has expanded," Marcus said.

Azrial hummed in agreement. "It has. These vines are very young. Only a decade or so. The further in we go, the older the vines."

"Playing tour guide now?" Bobby asked.

Azrial chuckled. "Maybe I am."

"Well then, keep talkin'," he teased.

Azrial seemed happy to indulge his request. He noticed Marcus was listening intently to her, which wasn't surprising. If the vineyard itself was any indication, all of this would be new to the man. Then again, this was new to everyone. He just couldn't see how everyone else was taking her explanation.

Line Break

Alistair swore he'd never go to the surface again, Lucifer be fucking damned.

Whatever that bitch had done to him didn't stop at his piss-poor vessel. She'd ripped one of his arms clean from his demonic form, and he wanted the bitch on his rack now for it. The list of people who could do this amount of damage to him was short, and the fact she'd shacked up with fucking Crowley actually worried him.

"Well, look what the hell hound dragged in!" Asmodeus jeered. "You seem a bit lighter, Alistair."

Alistair growled, but Ramiel shot him a quelling look, so he swallowed his annoyance. Asmodeus was talking out of his ass anyway.

"It would have been nice if one of you lovely Princes had warned me that your siblings could damage my true form," he sneered.

"Hardly our problem," Asmodeus scoffed. "Besides, only a high-ranking angel could have done that."

"Yes, well, Cassiel and fucking Gabriel were in that house!" Alistair snapped, his tail slamming against the marble floor with enough force to break it. "Is your intel so lacking that you missed them, Asmodeus?"

Asmodeus growled, his broken wings flaring in annoyance. "Come over here and say that, ant."

"Enough, both of you." Ramiel's quiet warning made Asmodeus turn his glare to him, but Alistair stood down.

"He was out of line," Asmodeus said.

"And your information was severely lacking if what he says is true!" Ramiel rubbed his temple, glancing toward Alistair. "Which of them did this to you?"

"The bitch," Alistair sneered. "I had no idea she could shift into a damn wolf."

Ramiel frowned, confusion shining in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"She did this," Alistair gestured to the stump on his right side. "As a damn wolf!"

Asmodeus chuckled. "Shows what you know, ant. Neither of Castiel's faces was a wolf. Only angels in Azrial and Michael's flocks had canine faces, and they were few and far between."

Alistair wanted to object, but he remained silent. If what Asmodeus said was true, who was the female angel who'd suffered under his blade? No one had dared lie under his blade before. Now the bitch had injured him on top of that. Add in the fact Crowley had put himself clearly in front of the angel, claiming she belonged to him… It was infuriating. Demons were normally respectful of each other's prior claims. By default, the bitch should belong to him, not Crowley.

"Alistair, do you understand your assignment?" Ramiel demanded.

Alistair shook his head, putting the problem aside for now. He'd only vaguely been paying attention to Ramiel and Asmodeus, but what did it matter? The order was from Lucifer, and as much as he despised it, he was forced to obey. Fucking angels, he hoped Azazel was suffering wherever the bastard was now. He deserved it for helping raise Lucifer.

"Yes, yes," he waved off with his remaining seven arms. "I will return to the lower levels and continue churning out your precious soldiers."

He left without waiting for a response, ignoring Asmodeus whining about his disrespect. So long as he continued to convert souls, he couldn't be touched. It gave him time to plan and hopefully figure out what the hell was going on with that angel. He loathed being lied to, and the fact the bitch had done so as he tortured her was unacceptable. He'd remedy that fact if it killed him—and hopefully have Crowley on a fucking rack next to her. He'd leave Gabriel to Lucifer, but the other two were his.