Reed stared at Gabriel, mind reeling from the absurdity of his request and she couldn't quite stifle a giggle. He didn't seem particularly amused by that, his wings shifting restlessly behind him.
But seriously - stay away from angels? In all her years of hunting, and all the years before that of researching, studying and gleaning every bit of information she could from Bobby and other hunters, she'd never encountered (or heard of anyone else encountering) anything remotely angelic.
The idea that she'd suddenly start bumping into them now seemed ludicrous.
His stare turned pointed, like he was waiting for her to verbally acknowledge his ridiculous request.
"Alright, alright," she said, holding her hands up in surrender, though she couldn't quite maintain a serious face. "I promise, no talking about you and no getting involved in angel business." She shook her head slightly. "Not that I expect to run into any other angels anytime soon. Or ever, really."
Gabriel's eyes flickered with some emotion that Reed couldn't quite place. But before she could ponder it further, he clapped his hands together, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Great! Now, about those pesky hunter friends of yours," he said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "They think they're hunting a trickster, right? So that's exactly what I'll give them."
Reed's brow furrowed in confusion. "Huh?" she asked, eloquent as always.
Gabriel grinned and his wings shifted behind him, light catching on the golden feathers and making them shimmer. Reed found herself struggling not to stare again, though it was getting somewhat easier. Shaking herself, she refocused on his face and the plan.
"I mean, I'll play the part," he said, like it was obvious. "Let 'em kill me like they would a trickster. Wooden stake, blood of a trickster's victim. You know. They get to feel like big, bad hunters who've saved the day, and I get to skip town without any more... complications."
As he spoke, Reed couldn't help but notice that odd emotion flickering in his gaze again.
He waited for her to respond, gauging her reaction to his little plan. The fact that he seemed to actually care whether or not she was up for this was unsettling, yet oddly comforting.
"And you're not going to hurt them?" she asked, and she couldn't keep the concern from her voice.
Gabriel's expression softened for a moment. "Cross my heart," he said, making an exaggerated crossing motion over his chest. "Your friends will be fine."
Reed nodded slowly. It was a good plan, though honestly, this entire encounter felt nothing short of surreal. l. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, her phone buzzed again. Bobby, no doubt —probably growing increasingly worried.
Gabriel noticed her glance at the phone. "Looks like our time's up, kiddo," he said, standing up. "Remember our deal, okay?"
As Reed stood, she felt a strange reluctance to leave. Despite the initial fear and confusion, there was something about Gabriel that felt... familiar. Comforting, even. She pushed the feeling aside.
"I remember," she said, meeting his gaze. "No talking about you. Stay away from angels."
Gabriel nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. As he raised his hand to snap his fingers, she suddenly shot forward in her chair and blurted out a "Wait!"
He arched a questioning brow at her, fingers still poised to snap.
"I just have one more question," she asked, kind of embarrassed at the little outburst. He didn't respond, but she pressed on anyway.
"Why can I see you?" she nodded at his wings, as though it wasn't obvious what she was really asking. "Sam and Dean saw you, and they would have mentioned meeting a janitor with enormous fucking wings."
He chuckled again, his eyes strangely warm and fond, and she found herself fighting a blush.
"Look, sugar. I like you, but some answers aren't worth the price tag they come with. And this is one of them."
Then he winked, and before she could even think of begging him to unpack that ominous statement, he'd snapped her fingers and she found herself back in the hallway of Crawford Hall. As she blinked, adjusting to the sudden change in surroundings, her mind absolutely reeling.
•๑ ๑•
The sun was sinking low on the horizon, painting the motel parking lot in shades of orange and red. Dean paced restlessly beside the Impala, keys jangling in his hand. His jaw was set, a muscle twitching with barely contained worry and frustration.
Reed had left hours ago and hadn't checked in once. After the second missed call, Bobby had started to get worried. And if Dean was honest with himself, each unanswered call had started to ratchet up his anxiety too. His mind raced with a mix of concern and a surprising depth of feeling for Reed. Their recent reconnection had hit him harder than he'd expected. The timing of it all - just before everything had gone to shit - made Reed's presence feel like a lifeline he hadn't known he needed.
"Dammit, Reed," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Where the hell are you?"
Just as he was about to slide into the driver's seat, the familiar rumble of Reed's beat-up truck caught his attention. Dean's head snapped up, relief and anger warring for dominance as he watched her pull into the lot.
Reed had barely stepped out of her truck when Dean was on her, yanking her into a rough embrace. She stiffened for a moment, surprised by the intensity of his reaction, before hesitantly returning the hug.
After a brief moment, Dean pulled back, gripping her shoulders tightly. His green eyes blazed with a mixture of relief and fury. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, his voice low and tight with emotion. "Why weren't you answering your damn phone?"
Reed winced, guilt washing over her features. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, grimacing at the screen full of missed calls. "Sorry. I must have accidentally put it on silent when I was at Crawford Hall. I got distracted looking around and lost track of time."
Dean's face contorted with frustration. "Lost track of time? Are you kidding me?" He ran a hand over his face, exasperation clear in every movement. Pointing a finger at her, he said firmly, "Don't you dare pull something like that again, you hear me? Now let's go find Bobby before he actually loses his mind."
Dean's grip on her shoulders loosened slightly, but his expression remained tense. "You find anything?"
Reed shook her head, avoiding his gaze. "Nothing useful. Just a bunch of empty hallways and classrooms."
Dean studied her face, his eyes narrowing slightly. There was something off about her demeanor, a guardedness in her eyes that seemed strange.
"You sure you're okay?" he asked, his tone softening just a bit.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Reed assured him quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "Just tired. It's been a long day."
Dean hesitated, clearly not entirely convinced. But after a moment, he sighed and dropped his hands from her shoulders. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me?"
Reed nodded, relief evident in her posture. "I won't," she said emphatically. "I really am sorry, Dean. I didn't mean to worry you."
As they walked back to the motel room, Dean kept glancing at Reed out of the corner of his eye. She seemed distracted, lost in thought.
Sam jumped from his seat the moment they entered the motel room. His huge frame enveloped Reed in a tight hug, before he held her at arm's length, eyes scanning her for any sign of injury. "You alright?" he asked, concern etched on his features. If Reed hadn't felt quite so guilty, she would have found their concern touching. Instead, she just felt vaguely nauseous.
So just nodded, forcing a smile. "I'm fine. I promise, I'm good."
Bobby stood off to the side, his expression a mix of relief and anger. He looked at Sam and Dean, his voice gruff as he said, "You boys mind popping down to the diner down the street and grabbing us all something to eat? We're not gonna be able to go after that trickster till tomorrow anyhow."
The brothers exchanged looks before scrambling to leave the room, sensing the tension in the air. Reed nervously shuffled her feet, suddenly feeling like a little kid again under Bobby's stern gaze.
Once Sam and Dean were gone, Bobby fixed Reed with a penetrating stare. "Anything you wanna tell me?"
Reed shook her head, trying to keep her voice steady. "Nope, no sir. Like I told Dean, I must have accidentally put my phone on silent."
Bobby's expression made it clear he didn't believe her, but he didn't press further. Instead, he caught her by surprise, throwing holy water in her face. Reed blinked in shock, water dripping down her cheeks.
Bobby shrugged. "Can't ever be too sure. It's not like you to not answer your phone."
She just blinked at him again, and wiped stupidly at her face, before grumbling, "Rude" and flopping down on the tiny couch. He sat down at the kitchen table and just watched her for a second, before finally asking, "So did you find anything useful, or did you just worry me to death for nothing?"
She groaned internally, not wanting to lie straight to his face. Out loud she just said, "Nope. Just a whole bunch of empty classrooms."
"You run into the janitor?" he asked, and her heart skipped a beat. Hoping her face didn't betray her reeling thoughts, she shook her head. "Nope, why?"
If Bobby noticed anything odd about her behavior, he didn't comment on it, just grunted and continued. "From what the boys said, sounds like that's our guy."
"Ah," she said lamely.
Bobby frowned at her, but didn't say anything further, and they sat in stilted silence until the boy returned with burgers and fries. They looked between Reed and Bobby, and exchanged concerned glances they probably thought were subtle.
They were both silent as they dropped the food on the already cluttered kitchen table.
Sam brought her food to her, and sat down gently beside her. Their shoulders were nearly touching as he asked quietly, "You sure you're okay?"
Reed looked at him, confused, as she grabbed a few fries and stuffed them into her mouth inelegantly. "Why?" she asked, covering her still full mouth with a hand.
Bobby chuckled quietly, but didn't look up from his food. Both Reed and Sam turned to him, bewildered.
Bobby gestured to his own eyes, still chuckling. "Your eye stuff isn't waterproof. He thinks you've been crying."
Reed's hand flew to her face, realizing her mascara must have run when Bobby threw the holy water on her. She couldn't help but join in Bobby's laughter, the tension in the room finally breaking.
As the night wore on, the group began to wind down, the earlier tension giving way to familiar, comfortable banter.
•๑ ๑•
Reed's heart pounded as she quietly followed Sam and Bobby into the theater and it felt like there was a lead weight in her stomach. As they entered, she saw Gabriel sitting comfortably in one of the seats, watching Dean with amusement. His enormous golden wings seemed to phase right through the seats behind him, and she quickly looked away from them.
Behind Dean, in the center of the stage, stood a round bed, the same garish red as Gabriel's armchairs. Clearly he had a thing for red. Then there was the tacky canopy and above it, a disco ball rotated lazily, sending pinpricks of light dancing across the room. The whole scene was ridiculous. But what really sent it over the top were the two women lounging on the bed, both clad in lingerie
"Too bad," Gabriel said, his voice echoing in the large space. "Like I said, I like you. Sam was right. You shouldn't've come alone."
"Well, I'll agree with you there," Dean replied with a smirk as the door slammed shut behind them.
Gabriel's head whipped around, his eyes widening slightly as he took in Sam, Bobby, and Reed, all armed with wooden stakes. His gaze lingered on Reed for a fraction of a second longer, and she felt a pang of guilt.
"That fight you guys had outside – that was a trick?" Gabriel asked, sounding impressed despite himself. Dean's smile widened, and Gabriel chuckled. "Hm. Not bad. But you want to see a real trick?"
Suddenly, a masked man with a chainsaw appeared near Sam, attacking viciously and the two half-naked women lunged at Dean.
Reed's breath caught in her throat – Gabriel had promised her that no one would get hurt.
As Bobby and Sam grappled with the chainsaw-wielding maniac and Dean fought off the two women, Reed stood frozen, her stake clutched uselessly in her hand. She watched in horror as Dean took hit after hit, finally being thrown into the seats near Gabriel, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
She wanted to scream.
"Nice toss, ladies!" Gabriel called out, clapping and chuckling. He stood up, shaking his head. "Dean... Dean, Dean, Dean."
Reed's eyes met Gabriel's for a brief moment. She saw a flicker of regret there, quickly masked by a mischievous gleam. His voice dropped low as he spoke to Dean. "I did not want to have to do this."
Quietly, Sam had tossed the remaining stake to Dean, who caught it deftly. "Me neither," Dean growled, lunging forward and driving the stake into Gabriel's chest.
Reed flinched, her stomach churning. Even though she knew it wasn't real, the sight of the stake piercing Gabriel's chest made her feel sick. As Dean twisted the stake, the chainsaw-wielding psycho and the half-naked women vanished. Gabriel stumbled back, collapsing into a seat.
It was a convincing death - but as lay there, she could see his wings shifting restlessly, still feel the power radiating from his still form.
As her friends gathered around Gabriel's "corpse," Reed hung back, guilt churning in her gut. Despite Gabriel's promises, Sam and Dean had gotten hurt. So had Bobby.
And she felt oddly betrayed.
•๑ ๑•
As they stood in the parking lot of Crawford Hall, an uneasy tension hung in the air. Dean was throwing the wooden stakes into the trunk of the Impala, while Reed leaned against her truck, lost in thought. Dean glanced over at her, a mix of fondness and concern in his eyes. Despite the years apart, he still felt oddly protective of her - the girl who had once been like a sister to him.
"Well, that's that," Dean said, slamming the trunk closed. "One less trickster in the world."
Sam nodded, but his brow was furrowed. "Yeah, but something still feels off about this whole thing." He looked at Reed, remembering how she'd always been perceptive about these things when they were kids. "What do you think, Reed?"
Reed startled slightly at his words, drawing curious glances from the others. She quickly composed herself, touched by Sam's inclusion but guilty about the secret she was now keeping. "Probably just leftover adrenaline," she offered with a forced smile.
Bobby eyed her suspiciously but didn't comment. Instead, he turned to the boys. "You two try to stay out of trouble for five minutes, would ya?"
Dean grinned. "No promises, old man." His eyes flickered to Reed again, and his smile softened. Having her back in their lives, even briefly, had stirred up memories of simpler times - before demons and dead fathers and regret.
As they prepared to part ways, Reed felt a surge of emotion. These boys - now men - had once been like brothers to her. The years apart hadn't diminished that bond as much as she'd feared.
She pulled Dean into a tight hug first. "Take care of yourself, you hear?" she murmured.
Dean hugged her back just as tightly. "You too, short stuff," he replied, using the old nickname that never failed to annoy her as a kid. She wasn't even that short. She was average height for a woman.
Reed rolled her eyes but smiled genuinely for the first time since her encounter with Gabriel.
When she turned to Sam, she was struck again by how tall he'd grown. The gangly teenager she remembered was now a towering man, but his eyes still held that same gentle kindness.
"It was really good to see you, Reed," Sam said softly as they embraced.
"You too, Sammy," she replied, using the childhood nickname without thinking. She felt him tense slightly, then relax.
As they pulled apart, Sam studied her face. "You sure you're okay? You seem..." He didn't finish his sentence. Reed's heart raced, but she managed a casual shrug. "No, I'm good. Just tired. And I'm going to miss you assholes." She tried to infuse some levity into her tone.
Sam nodded, his eyes soft and understanding. "I'm gonna miss you too. But we'll call. Promise."
Then she held her hand out, pinky extended, a question in her eyes. He understood, because he wrapped his pinky finger around hers, eyes crinkling up in the corners with a genuine smile.
"I'm gonna hold you to that, Winchester," she said, removing her hand to poke him his insanely broad and hard chest. "You don't break a pinky promise."
He just chuckled, said a quick goodbye to Bobby and hopped in the passenger seat of the Impala.
As they watched the boys drive away, Reed found herself fighting back tears. Being with Sam and Dean again had awakened a longing for connection she'd been suppressing for years. She'd always had Bobby, but Sam and Dean had always been a bright spot in her childhood.
And now, with this new secret weighing on her, she felt more isolated than ever.
After the day she'd had, she was more than happy to let Bobby drive her truck and she settled into the passenger side, head resting against the window to watch the scenery go by.
Bobby kept glancing at her, concern evident in his gruff features. "You alright there, kid?"
Reed blinked, turning to him with a start. "Hm? Oh, yeah. Just... missing them already, I guess."
Bobby grunted, the sound somehow a mix of understanding and suspicion. "They'll be back around before you know it. Those boys have a knack for finding trouble."
Reed nodded, trying to take comfort in that thought. As they drove on, she found her mind a maelstrom. Burning curiosity about what little she'd learned from Gabriel, guilt over her deception, the embers of betrayal, and under it all, the tiniest bright spot - the warmth of reconnecting with the men she'd once considered brothers.
They drove home in relative silence. Bobby left her to her thoughts, only occasionally casting a concerned glance her way. She didn't notice.
•๑ ๑•
Reed and Bobby quickly fell back into their familiar routine at Singer Salvage - Bobby, fielding calls from his network of hunters and Reed, organizing, cataloging and adding to their ever-growing collection of lore - a task she now approached with renewed vigor and a secret agenda.
Though she tried not to make it too obvious, she found herself gravitating towards texts that dealt with celestial beings. Within their existing stacks of books and scattered research materials, she found plenty to hold her interest; a copy of the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, an ancient text purportedly given by the angel Raziel to Adam after his expulsion from Eden, the Testament of Solomon and various other apocryphal texts, and even copies of the private journals of John Dee, a 16th-century occultist who purported to have discovered the "language of the angels".
Reed spent hours poring over these texts, cross-referencing information and creating what she considered to be a rather comprehensive database of angelic lore. She was careful not to be too obvious about her focus, interspersing her angelic research with other supernatural topics to maintain a facade of general study and if Bobby noticed her sudden interest in the celestial, he didn't comment on it.
If she'd expected the sudden revelation that angels were real to dramatically change her life, she was mistaken. Things carried on much as they always had. She went on the occasional hunt when no one else was close enough to handle it, she kept up with her academic contacts - professors of folklore, mythology, and religious studies at various universities - and scoured obituaries and estate sale listings, looking for collections of deceased scholars or occult enthusiasts.
The only change was the new, albeit sporadic contact with Sam and Dean. Their check-ins were brief – a text here, a short call there – just enough to ensure everyone was still alive and kicking. It was enough though.
During one such call, Dean's excited voice took her by surprise. "Guess where we are," he said, sounding like he might actually vibrate right out of his skin.
Cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by a fortress of books, she sighed. "Knowing you two? Probably neck-deep in trouble somewhere."
"Frickin' LA, man!" Dean practically shouted into the phone. "And get this – I met Tara Benchley!"
There was a pause as Dean waited for a reaction. When none came, he sighed dramatically. "God, you're just as bad as Sam. Tara Benchley? From 'Fear dot Com' and 'Ghost Ship'?"
Reed snorted. "Oooh," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Those cinematic masterpieces. How could I forget?" She could hear Dean's jaw working through the phone and could picture the scandalized look on his face. "Kidding," she said. "Great movies, I just didn't know her name. That opening scene from Ghost Ship? Classic."
She could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke next. "So, you enjoying playing librarian while we're living it up on an actual movie set?"
Reed rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her. "Someone's got to keep this place from turning into a total disaster zone," she retorted. "Besides, you never know when this librarian might have the info you need to save your ass."
Dean chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't go all Jack Nicholson on us - all work and no play and all that jazz." He paused, then added with renewed enthusiasm, "But seriously, Reed, you should see this place. It's frickin' awesome!"
"Sounds thrilling," Reed deadpanned. "Try not to get your pretty face eaten by any Hollywood monsters, okay?"
"Aw, you think I'm pretty," Dean teased.
She mumbled a few choice expletives at him, and the last thing she heard before killing the call was his loud, amused laughter. Smiling fondly, she turned back to the stack of books she'd been working through, and her notebook, filled with cramped handwriting and hastily sketched symbols.
For what felt like the millionth time in the last few weeks, she found her mind wandering back to Gabriel. His twinkling eyes, the massive golden wings, the air of barely contained power. The smile fell from her face as she thought of his casual admission to murder, and his cryptic warnings.
A strange feeling washing over her then, like she was being watched. Shaking herself, she decided to call it a night with the research and padded downstairs to make dinner.