Fallen Angels

It was a long night for Dean and myself. With Sam gone, taken over by an Angel, and now Kevin gone as the angel had killed him, it was actually hard on Dean. Just like any good hunter would be, we had burned the body that night. When we got back, Kevin's stuff was still on the table and Dean just lashed out after it really hit him. But in the meantime, there was this concert going on.

"You're on in 10. Label wants you to open with 'Baby, Be My Baby'. Then you can roll right on into 'Babycakes,' and then the clean version of 'Babymaker'. Oh, and Corey? Let's try to take it easy with the groupies tonight, huh?"

"Yeah whatever." He remarks and opens the door to his dressing room to find Gadreel there.

"The hell...security!"

"It's fine, Margey. You can go."

"What? Corey..."

"Bitch, did I stutter?!" He says, closing the door. "Hello, Gadreel."

"Thaddeus. That's a new look, I must say."

"Well, what can I say, you know? We all got booted out of the penthouse, and I just kind of figured...why be an angel when you can be a god? How are you old friend?"

"I am not your friend."

"Well, I think you're being a little bit mean there, considering all the quality time we spent together."

"I was imprisoned, and you tortured me."

"Heaven has rules. Do the crime, do the time. That's it."

"I made a mistake."

"I was a guard. I was doing my job."

"What you did to Abner, was that your job?"

"Your boyfriend? Now, that, mnh...that was just fun. Is that what you're here for? The big payback? Fine. If you want to get a little bloody, uh, I have no problem kicking your ass...again. You know, w...we'll say for old time's sa..." He trails off as he opens the guitar case, clearly looking for the angel blade, finding it empty.

"Looking for this?" Gadreel asks, holding the blade in clear view.

"Gadreel...I'm sorry." He says, only for Gadreel to stab and kill him.

However, Dean and I were loading up our bags with everything we would need. As we were, Cas showed up.

"Dean. Brooke."

"Cas."

"Hey Cas."

"Now, look at you, all suited up and back in the game."

"I, um...I came as son as you called. I wa..." Cas trails off and sees the mess made by Dean. "Dean, what happened? What's wrong?"

That causes us both to stop what we were doing, and go silent.

"Sit, we'll tell you everything." I motion to a chair.

"Sammy was dying. What was I supposed to do?" Dean says after we explained everything.

"You let an angel possess him?"

"Hey, I thought he was who he said he was too. He had us all fooled." I remark.

"He said it was the only way, and I believed him. We both believed him. Now Sam's gone. Kevin's...."

"Dean, Brooke, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well...sorry don't pay the bills does it? It sure as hell ain't gonna bring Kevin back. We got to find that son of a bitch."

"No kidding."

"Dean. If the angel possessing Sam isn't Ezekiel, then who is it?"

"That's the thing...." I trail off.

"...a dead man walking."

"What, you're gonna destroy him?"

"Damn right."

"You kill an angel, its vessel dies too."

"Think I don't know that? If I don't end Sam and that halo burns him out and I....god, I was so damn stupid."

"Dean you weren't stupid. He had us both fooled." I try to reassure him.

"You were stupid....for the right reasons." Cas adds.

"Yeah, like that matters."

"It does. Sometimes that's all that matters. Listen to me. Sam is strong. If he knew an angel was possessing him, he could fight. He could cast the angel out."

"Maybe. But as far as I know, he's in the dark. I don't know how we clue him in."

"Do you remember Alfie?"

"That kid angel? Yeah. Why?"

"Before he died, he told me the demons were able to dig into his mind, access his coding. We might be able to do that here. Might be able to...to bypass the angel and talk directly to Sam."

"And you think that would work?"

"I don't know, but I think we should try."

"Okay. Um, where do we start?"

"Well, what demon do we have locked up in the dungeon?" I ask.

"Crowley." He states and that's where we head to.

"Hello boys. Brooke."

"Here's the deal...you're gonna tell us how to hack an angel, and I'm gonna give you some of the good stuff." Dean says as he has a syringe of his blood. "Human blood, fresh from the tap. Word is you're jonesing for it."

"Please. I'll pass."

"What do you want then?" Cas asks.

"He wants to be freed." I say after some thought. "Isn't that right."

"Exactly. But for starters, a massage. Between the sitting and the shackles, a body gets a little stiff."

"Yeah, I ain't rubbing you."

"God, no. Get Kevin. His tiny fists can really work wonder..."

"Kevin is dead."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Are you really?" I ask.

"Don't pretend you care. You tried to kill him."

"I told him this was gonna happen. I was the only person who tried to warn him. I told him to run."

"From what?"

"You. How many times am I gonna have to say this? People in your general vicinity don't have much in the way of a life-span. Now, I can't teach you how to crack open an angel. It's more...art than science. But I can do it for you. All I ask in return is a little field trip. Dying for some fresh air. Chains on, naturally."

"No."

"Dean....come on."

"No? Of course not. Because if I'm plan 'A,' I'm sure you have a totally viable, much better plan 'B'.

"You can't be considering this."

"With the chains on, he can't do anything."

"It's Crowley. He can always do something."

"Looks like we need a tiebreaker. You, go get Moose." He says to me, and that's when we all fall silent.

"Unless....unless of course you can't. That's why you're here, isn't it? The poor giant baby's in trouble again, isn't he?"

"Are you done?"

"Depends. Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent. When do we leave?"

"Soon as I can scrounge up a ride."

"Well, I have a vehicle." Cas states.

"You do?" I question.

"It stopped a few miles from here, inexplicably."

"Well maybe it's just out of gas. I mean cars do run on gas you know."

"Only one way to find out. Let's go. You get our things Brooke, I'll get Crowley out of here."

I nod and do so, and he does so as well. We then make the walk up the road, miles away where the car stopped.

"Really? What are you, a pimp?" Crowley questions Cas.

"I like it."

After I had handed Dean's bag to him, he tosses it in the front seat and takes out the keys for the car that Cas gave him, the engine sputters. "Yeah, it's out of gas."

"Riddle me this, boy wonder. Why do you need the wheels?"

"When you betray us, I'll be the one to carve out your heart."

"Oh Cas, such a flirt."

"Alright, let's go."

"Shotgun." Crowley calls out.

"Uh, wrong. You're in the back."

Cas grins and goes to open the passenger side door.

"Hey..you too. Keep an eye on him. Rather not have Brooke sitting in the back with him." Dean says before getting in the driver's side.

I just grin and get in the passenger side door, after Cas and Crowley get into the back.

"Hey."

"Watch the leg."

"You're on my side."

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

"Don't act like a bunch of bickering children." I give them a look, before Dean starts the car and we bounce around a bit from the hydraulics.

In the meantime, Metatron was at a bar by himself, but clearly waiting for Gadreel.

"Get you anything else?"

"I'm good, thanks."

The door opens and Gadreel walks in, sitting next to him.

"Welcome home, sweethearts." Metatron says as he opens the bag to find the tablets. "Strange seeing an old vessel, isn't it? Like looking in a fun house mirror. But first things first...the tasks I gave you, any hiccups?"

"Killing Thaddeus was easy. He had it coming."

"I know all about your history. Why do you think I gave you his name? Consider it your signing bonus. And the kid?"

"That was...less easy."

"He was a threat, but I flipped a switch upstairs, and now that Kevin is gone, there will be no more prophets. And what about Dean Winchester and that woman of his, Brooke?"

"You never gave me their names Metatron."

"Not much for seizing the initiative, are we? Gadreel, we are writing our own epic story here. To make that work, sometimes you have to kill your darlings. It's not like you haven't done worse before. Sorry. Sorry. Onto new business. Your next target."

"How many more lives do I have to take?"

"It's not your place to ask questions. It is your place to obey. You want to be my second in command? Prove you're ready. Prove you're loyal. Or don't. Walk away. Go back to being Gadreel the traitor, the sap, heaven's longest-running joke."

However where we had just gotten the car, the woman who was outside with her dog at the time which we paid no mind to, she had killed the dog and filled it's bowl with it's blood, clearly she was possessed by a demon.

"Inferni clamavi ad te regem. Abaddon? I found him. Crowley is on the move."

The following day, Crowley tracked down someone that could help us hopefully and we ask to see her.

"Your source is in here?" Dean asks as we're in an office building, sitting and waiting.

"And she can track anything you need, even our little lost Samantha."

"How?"

"Yeah, how Crowley?"

"Well, this place isn't really...this. It's a front for an N.S.A. listening post."

"What are they listening for?"

"Everything. The U.S. government is quite the voyeur these days. So I planted one of my best and let her go to work."

"Looking for terrorists?"

"Looking for marks, slow boat."

"Mr. Crowley? She'll see you now."

He nods and we all get up to go with him.

"Uh, just Mr. Crowley."

"I'll be listening to every word you say."

"Promise?"

He then heads up to her office with the security guard, sitting down in the chair across from her when he enters her office.

"Cecily. How are you?"

"Better than you. That was Dean Winchester, Brooke, and...Castiel?"

"Yes, I know. Without the tie, he's barely recognizable. It's so..."

"...hot. I mean, human Castiel? Eh. But feathered Castiel?"

"Human Castiel?"

"You heard what happened to him right?"

"I've been tied up. Pray, do tell."

"Hear anything?" Dean asks Cas as we've been sitting for a while.

"No. The room Crowley's in has been warded."

"Great." I sigh.

"Awesome. that's friggin' awesome."

"So Captain Sexy out there totally cuts another angel's throat, yoinks and grace, and now? He's got his mojo back...minus the broken wings."

"Well, that explains the hooptie. And we know all this how?"

"I tuned one of our satellites to pick up angel radio."

"Impressive."

"Yeah. Not just a pretty face."

"What about Hell?"

"No one's doing their job. I send oodles of data down there every week, but does Hell give a damn? No."

"Well of course with Abaddon in charge, you...?"

"Oh, that 'B' with an 'itch' ain't the boss. I mean, she's got a few of the more aggro types on her side. But most are just waiting to see who takes the belt...you or her."

"They're still afraid of me."

"Probably 'cause they don't know you're in cuffs."

"Speaking of which...do they come off?"

"Not without the key."

"Fine." He sighs. "I need you to do me a favor. Can you find this car for me?"

"Easy-peasy."

"Nice to know someone's still loyal."

"Uh huh."

"That is, of course, if you're not playing both sides?"

"Wouldn't you?"

After she finds where the Impala is, she prints out where it was it was seen and hands it to Crowley, sending him on his way. Cas, Dean and myself stand when he comes back down the stairs.

"Your phallus on wheels just ran a red light in Somerset, Pennsylvania 10 minutes ago. Let's go. The three amigos ride again."

"He's not my amigo." Cas remarks.

"And he's forgetting me." I add, as we all follow him out.

Somerset, Pennsylvania

Gadreel had stopped in this residential neighborhood, obviously on his next task to eliminate another angel. He approaches a man gardening.

"Alexander Sarver?"

"Yeah? Gadreel?"

"Abner?"

"I thought you were dead. W-what happened? W-what are you doing here?"

"I-what are you doing here?"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Hey. Delilah, this is Daddy's best friend. Can you say hi?"

"Hi."

"You have a child?"

"I have family, Gadreel. Look, my wife and the niblet are going to a movie. Swing back in a few hours so we can catch up okay?"

"Okay. Sure."

He comes back later that night when they get back to have a talk with him.

"So, um, you have a job?"

"Customer support...computers mostly. It's like answering prayers, but they pay you for it."

"You have changed Abner."

"Yeah well, I was a crappy angel. I was petulant. I deserted my post. I spent 700 years in heaven's lockup. I...no. Doesn't matter. We're a long way from Thaddeus now."

"I killed him Abner. I got our revenge."

"I w-I wish you hadn't done that."

"But why? He tortured us...you most of all."

"I remember. And I remember you were always there to put me back together."

"We were friends."

"We are friends. And the fall, it's our second chance. We can forget our old hates, who we were."

"It's not that easy."

"Yes it is. Look at me. I'm happy."

"And your vessel...is he happy?"

"He was an abusive ass. But I love my family, and they love me. I'm not a wise mane, Gadreel. But I know this. The key to happiness? It's getting the one thing you want most and never letting it go."

"What if there's a price?"

"There's always a price. But it's worth paying."

In the meantime, we've caught up with Gadreel, finding the car parked out in front of a house.

"There it is. Now where's that angel?" I ask.

"Inside the house he parked out front of?"

"Only one way to find out." Dean says and we head towards the door, him and I head in first quietly. "Stay close." He says to me.

That's when we see spots of blood and a man dead, then hear water running, heading into the kitchen.

"You two should not have come here."

"You kill my friend, then you take my brother, and you think I'm gonna let that stand?"

"I allowed you to live. Both of you."

Dean then takes out the angel blade, and I take mine out as well.

"Mistake." He states before going after him, only to be thrown into the bookcase.

That's when he starts to approach me, but I stand my ground.

"You think you scare me? Whoever you are? Well you don't." I say as I glance behind him and see Cas.

"Is that so? You do know I can kill you just like that."

"Yeah well, that's a chance I'm willing to take. Of course, maybe not right now. You may want to look behind you." I smirk.

He does, only to get knocked out by Cas.

"Good job Cas. Dean...Dean. Wake up. We got him. Got to get him back to the car."

"So Crowley was here?" Abaddon asks Cecily as she's been in her office to get the information.

"Yeah. Um, I thought you'd want to know."

"You thought right. And now? Any idea where he scampered off to?"

"Somerset, Pennsylvania. With Dean Winchester, Brooke and the angel Castiel."

"And you know this how?"

"They're chasing an Impala. I helped them track it."

"You helped Crowley?"

"Yeah. I'm kind of playing both sides until someone w...until you win." She chuckles nervously.

"Hm."

"Smart, right?" She asks, but gets back up against the wall.

"No." Abaddon says before killing her. "Sort of the opposite."

With us, we're at and abandoned building and had Gadreel tied up, sitting across from Crowley, finally waking up.

"Oh look who woke up." I remark.

"Welcome to the party pal. Cas, how we lookin'?"

"Most of Sam's internal burns have healed. I should be able to fix the rest. What's your name? I thought I knew every angel in heaven, but I've never seen you."

"Why would I tell you anything?"

"Well, I don't give a damn who you are. You need to get out...now!"

"And if I don't?"

"Then you and I will have a lovely little playdate." Crowley replies.

"Even bound, I can rip this body apart. Tell them Castiel."

"You do, you die."

"You want this to end? Go ahead. Put a blade through your brother's heart. If it makes you feel better, I have Sam locked away in a dream. As far as he knows, the three of you are working a case right now...something with ghouls and cheerleaders."

"Why are you doing this, huh? We fought together. And I trusted you. I thought you were one of the good guys!"

"I am doing what I have to do."

"Well, so am I."

Crowley then stands and picks up a pin of some sort and inserts it into the side of Sam's head, making Gadreel scream. That goes on for some time as Crowley keeps at it, the screaming continuing. It gets to be too much for him and Dean walks off.

"Dean?"

"I'll go, you stay here." Cas says as he walks off in Dean's direction and I nod.

"Hey."

"I can't watch that anymore."

"I understand. It's not Sam, but...it's still Sam."

"Pretty much, yeah. How are you doing?"

"You want to talk about me now?"

"I want to talk about anything that's not a demon sticking needles into my brother's brain. Yeah, humor me man. How you doing?"

"Uh...I'm okay."

"Good. Good. That's uh....so what, you just change the batteries out, power back up? It's that easy?"

"It wasn't easy, but I didn't have a choice."

"Yeah. Well, that's usually how it goes. Cas...I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"Kicking you out of the bunker. That's uh...you know, not telling you about Sam."

"You thought his life was at stake."

"Yeah, I got played. Brooke and I both got played."

"I thought I was saving heaven. I got played too."

"So you're saying we're just a few dumbasses?"

"I prefer the word 'trusting'. Less dumb. Less ass."

"Laverne! Shirley! Get in here!" Crowley calls to them. "Pinhead's out cold, but watch this." He adds as he twists the needle.

"Zir noco iad Gadreel. Zir noco iad Gadreel."

"What's he saying?"

"His name. Gadreel."

"Does that mean something to you?"

"Well, it's why I've never seen him. He's been imprisoned since the dawn of time. Gadreel was the sentry who allowed Lucifer into the garden."

"My, my. A celebrity."

"Wait, the garden. Like Eden? Adam and Eve? Fig-leaves garden?"

"It's his fault...all of it. The corruption of man, demons, hell. God left because of him. The archangels...the apocalypse. If he hadn't been so weak, none of it would have happened. You ruined the universe, you damn son of a bitch!"

"Cas! Cas! Hey!"

"Calm down Cas."

"He..."

"We get it. But you got to chill."

Crowley goes digging some more, twisting the needles, but we're not getting anything and Dean was getting impatient.

"What's taking so long?"

"Other than the fact that I'm trying to unravel a living, multidimensional knot of pure energy, not much."

After one more twist, he comes back to life.

"It won't work. You will never find your brother. Go ahead. Poke and prod. I can sit in this chair for years and watch you fail over and over again. I've endured much worse than this Dean. So...much...worse. And I have all the time in the world."

"Shut up! Alright, plan 'B'. Cas, you got to possess him."

"What?"

"Do it now! Get in there, tell Sam what's going on, and help him kick that lying son of a bitch out!"

"It might work. But I can't possess a vessel without permission."

Just then Crowley clears his throat, getting our attention.

"You?" I question.

"No. Not happening."

"Don't be daft. Demons can take what they want. I can burrow into that rat's nest of a head. I can wake Sam up. Just call me Plan 'C'."

"You can't-" Cas starts to say, but gets cut off by Dean.

"You got a better idea? What about the angel?"

"I'll work fast."

"And if he finds you?"

"I'll run. I'm not dying for you lot. Of course, if I do this, you're gonna have to..."

"Take off the leash. Yeah, I know."

"And it stays off. I save Sam, I leave here a free man. Do we have a deal?"

"Dean..."

"No Brooke, this is the only way. Cas, burn off Sam's tattoo."

"Dean."

"Do it. Do it."

With hesitation, Cas goes up and exposes the tattoo and burns it off.

"If you mess with Sam, if you try anything-"

"I keep my bargains. Besides, I don't want to be inside your brother any longer than I have to. I'm not one for sloppy seconds."

He sits and Dean takes the chains off, stepping away. "When you find him, say 'Poughkeepsie'. It's our go word. It means 'drop everything and run'."

"Fine. While I'm gone, hands off the suit."

"I will destroy you."

"Eat me."

And with that, he leaves his vessel and goes into Sam, leaving us to just sit and wait.

"And now we wait."

"A demon and an angel walk into my brother. Sounds like a bad joke."

"Dean, if this doesn't work..."

"It'll work."

In Sam's dream, he's researching as he would on any case in the bunker.

"I mean, it just doesn't make any sense. Why is this ghoul only chomping on dead cheerleaders?"

"Hey, you want a beer?!"

"No I'm fine."

"Not bad." Crowley states, in result scaring Sam.

"Dean? Dean!"

"Poughkeepsie."

"How do you know that word?"

"Because Dean sent me, Bullwinkle, the real Dean. I'll make this quick..you've been possessed by an angel. He's got you packed away in some dusty corner of your own mind, and I'm here to break you out."

"Seriously?"

"Fine. We'll do this the fun way." He says as he shoots Sam, but he doesn't die. "See? Not real. Like I said. I know how possession works Sam. You've seen everything that he's seen, even if you can't remember. That's what I need you to do. I need you to remember."

He does indeed remember, bits and pieces but he remembers.

"Did I kill Kevin?"

"No, you didn't. He did. You need to take control Sam. Blow it up and cast that punk ass holy roller out! What? Oh, Bollocks."

"Hello Sam."

"Who are you?"

"His name is Gadreel, the original chump."

"Was a chump. And now? I'm going to be the one that leads my kind back to heaven. I'm going ot be a hero. But you, demon, for all your chatter, you will always be a coward. You should be running."

He doesn't run, but instead clocks him across the face. But that causes him to fight back, sending Crowley across the room and kicks him in the ribs a few times. Sam goes after him, only to be thrown across the room himself.

"Give up boy. You're not strong enough."

"Take control Sam! Cast him out!"

"Get out of my-"

"You sure you want me to go? Maybe I'm the only thing holding you together. I leave, you might die."

"I said get....the hell...out!"

And with that he's out of Sam's body as we shield ourselves from the bright light coming from him. Metatron is still at the bar however, waiting for Gadreel to return, but he never does.

"Waiting for someone?"

"I am, and he's late."

Just then the lights dim and glasses shatter, Gadreel entering the original vessel.

"Let me guess. Winchester trouble?"

Crowley then exits his body and goes back to his.

"Sam! Cas?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Crowley says sarcastically.

"Sam, are you okay?"

"Cas?"

We then see lights and hear a car approaching.

"Who can that be?" I ask as Cas goes to look.

"It's Abaddon."

"Go. The back door. I'll handle this." Crowley states as Cas and I help Sam out.

"Oh, 'cause you're such a good guy?"

"Right now, I'm the goodest guy you got."

"This don't make us square. I see you again-"

"I'm dead. Yes, I know. I love you too. Pleasure doing business with you lot, as always."

We quickly leave and he sits down, the door opening as she walks in.

"Hello darling."

"Crowley. Bring me his head."

"See, that's the thing about demons. They're only obedient to a point. Right. Let's have a chat."

"I'm not here to talk."

"And I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to them, the average demon, because I feel their pain. It must have been difficult, with your loving king so cruelly taken from you. I imagine you felt all at sea. And then along came...the brute. She's strong...and a knight and immortal...at the moment. So I'm not surprised that some of my more idiotic subjects bought her line. But now? Good news fellas. Daddy's home."

"Hell doesn't want you Crowley. It's mine."

"Is it? Not what I hear. Not while I'm still kicking."

"Well then, let's settle it. You and me. Right here. Winner takes the crown."

"See, that's your problem love. You think this is a fight."

"It's not?"

"It's a campaign. Hearts and minds, that's what's important. See the demons have a choice...take orders from the world's angriest ginger...and that's saying something...or join my team, where everyone gets a say, a virgin, and all the entrails they can eat. So think on this lads. Spread the word...vote Crowley." He says before he disappears.

In the meantime, since we've escaped, we went to some docks and it started to rain. But Cas at the same time healed Sam's wounds on his head due to the needles.

"You feel better?"

"A little, yeah."

"It'll take time to fully heal you. We'll have to do it in stages."

"Alright. Let me hear it." Dean tells Sam, cueing Cas and I to step away and let them have their brother to brother argument.

"What do you want me to say...that I'm pissed? Okay. I am. I'm pissed. You lied to me. Again."

"I didn't have a choice."

"I was ready to die Dean!"

"I know. But I wouldn't let you, because that's not in me."

"So, what? You decide to trick me into being possessed by some...psycho angel?"

"He saved your life."

"So what? I was willing to die. And now...Kevin..."

"No. That is not on you. Kevin's blood is on my hands, and that ain't ever getting clean. I'll burn for that. I will. But I'll find Gadreel. And I will end that son of a bitch. But I'll do it alone."

"Whoa whoa whoa." I state, walking over after clearly hearing his words. "Doing it alone? You're kidding me right?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Can't you both see? I'm...I'm poison guys. People get close to me, they get killed....or worse."

"Not me." I cross my arms over my chest.

"You know, I tell myself that I..I...I help more people than I hurt. And I tell myself that I'm...I'm doing it all for the right reasons, and I believe that. But I can't...I won't...drag anybody through the muck with me. Not anymore."

"Go. I'm not gonna stop you. But don't go thinking that's the problem, 'cause it's not."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just go."

"Dean wait." I call to him. "Sam, are you gonna be okay?" I ask as I watch Dean get into the Impala.

"I'll be fine. I'll be with Cas, I'll be just fine."

"Alright well, want me to check in with you when I get the chance?"

"If you want." He nods.

"Then I will. Talk to you later alright?"

"Yeah." He nods.

I hesitantly head towards the car, opening the door before Dean could pull off.

"You're not going anywhere without me."

"Brooke..."

"No Dean." I say, getting into the passenger side and closing the door. "You're not leaving me behind. Not again. I don't give a damn what you say. You may be able to leave Sam behind, but you're not leaving me behind. You do realize that nothing has happened to me in the time we've known each other. I can take care of myself, that's why. We got into this mess together and we're going to end it together, whether you like it or not."

"You're stubborn, you know that right?"

"Remind you of someone?"