Status: In progress
The Fire Within a Human Burns Brighter Than All of Hell
Chapter 4
A month and two days after Deana was cured, Sam came into her room in the morning to tell her something. When she just sat there in silence, fiddling with her phone, Deana decided to speak up.
"What is it, Sammy? Just tell me."
Sam's eyes flick up to meet her face, head still slightly bowed. "I talked to Crowley."
Deana's heart clenches painfully, a common reaction from the muscle lately, and she has to work to keep her expression neutral. "Oh?"
Sam is clearly overtaken with nerves, as she stares at her with wide, doe-like eyes. "Yeah."
"....And...?"
"And...he has another case that will benefit us mutually."
"Right, sounds typical for him. So, details?"
Sam looks surprised. "You...you wanna work it?"
"Yeah, don't we always? If it's in everybody's best interest--"
"But, are you really okay with...being around him again?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"Well--"
"You think I'm weak, Sam?" she asks, lifting her chin and staring at her challengingly.
"No! No, Deana, of course not. You're the strongest person I know."
"Damn right I am. So, tell me the details of the case."
Sam nods and quickly obeys.
***
If Crowley's heart worked, it would be hammering in his chest right now. To be in the same vicinity as Deana, to watch her move, to listen to her talk...it may be too much for him to handle. So much different from watching her sleep. Will she even talk to him? Will the gaze she turns on him be cold, or broken, or warm, if she looks at him at all? Crowley takes a moment to collect himself, before appearing in the park where he is to meet the Winchesters and the angel. The trio is already sitting on a bench under a small shelter, leaving the one adjacent to it empty for the demon. He sits, placing his hands on the top of his thighs and looking at Sam.
"Morning," he says.
Sam nods at him. "Did you find the location of the nest?"
He nods and explains where to find the vampires, carefully keeping his eyes from straying to the elder sister.
Sam rubs her hands together and says, "Well, let's go get ready."
Castiel stands after her, then looks to his left. "Deana?"
"Yeah, coming." She stands as well, and they follow Sam.
Crowley's metaphorical heart breaks when Deana walks away, without so much as a word or a glance. He watches her leave, his eyes burning into her back.... And Deana must feel his gaze, because a couple meters away, she turns around, and their eyes meet.
***
When Crowley greeted them with the word "morning," a quick series of moments instantly played through Deana's mind, of herself waking up in the man's arms, and he whispering that word to her, eyes shining with love that she never knew demons could feel. Deana kept herself together on the outside, but inside she fell apart. Her heart crashed painfully over and over within the cage of her ribs, and tears burned her eyes, which were thankfully hidden behind her sunglasses. When she follows Cas away from the bench, Deana takes them off and slips them into the side of her backpack. She feels Crowley's gaze on her back, and it's like fire. She turns instinctively to lock eyes with the demon, and something inside her snaps, like a legit rubber band. Her body starts flying forward, wanting to run to him, before she even made the decision to move. But a firm hand grips her arm, jerking her to a stop after just one step. Her head whips to see who has a hold of her, to see Castiel staring her down with daggers in his eyes. Deana deflates and let's him lead her to the Impala, his grip never loosening on her arm.
***
Crowley snarls as the angel takes his Deana away, every part of him vibrating with fury. His eyes are past black--they burn red--and his teeth are bared. He forces himself to teleport back to Hell before he shred the angel's vessel and takes Deana by force. In his office in Hell, the demon king sweeps the contents of his desk to the floor, throws furniture, and calls in a particularly useless demon just to set him on fire and watch him burn.
***
In the car, Castiel doesn't speak of what happened, and Deana doesn't either. She feigns enthusiasm for the hunt, trying to match Sam's attitude. The younger Winchester is never excited to go on hunts, and Deana knows that her sister is just happy that the meeting seemed to go so well. She can pretend to be unaffected by Crowley. She can pretend for Sam.
***
That afternoon, the sisters and the angel go to the nest and slaughter the bloodsuckers. In and out. Simple, as far as vampire hunts go. Afterward, Deana goes to bed with apologetic words to her sister and friend. She can't handle another night of Sam's constant celebration. She knows why her sister wants to party after every hunt--to drill it into Deana's head that the hunts are god things, that they need to be happy about what they're doing. But Deana knows that. She doesn't need to be reminded. She's not a demon, she doesn't want to be a demon. She just wants Crowley.
"What is it, Sammy? Just tell me."
Sam's eyes flick up to meet her face, head still slightly bowed. "I talked to Crowley."
Deana's heart clenches painfully, a common reaction from the muscle lately, and she has to work to keep her expression neutral. "Oh?"
Sam is clearly overtaken with nerves, as she stares at her with wide, doe-like eyes. "Yeah."
"....And...?"
"And...he has another case that will benefit us mutually."
"Right, sounds typical for him. So, details?"
Sam looks surprised. "You...you wanna work it?"
"Yeah, don't we always? If it's in everybody's best interest--"
"But, are you really okay with...being around him again?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"Well--"
"You think I'm weak, Sam?" she asks, lifting her chin and staring at her challengingly.
"No! No, Deana, of course not. You're the strongest person I know."
"Damn right I am. So, tell me the details of the case."
Sam nods and quickly obeys.
***
If Crowley's heart worked, it would be hammering in his chest right now. To be in the same vicinity as Deana, to watch her move, to listen to her talk...it may be too much for him to handle. So much different from watching her sleep. Will she even talk to him? Will the gaze she turns on him be cold, or broken, or warm, if she looks at him at all? Crowley takes a moment to collect himself, before appearing in the park where he is to meet the Winchesters and the angel. The trio is already sitting on a bench under a small shelter, leaving the one adjacent to it empty for the demon. He sits, placing his hands on the top of his thighs and looking at Sam.
"Morning," he says.
Sam nods at him. "Did you find the location of the nest?"
He nods and explains where to find the vampires, carefully keeping his eyes from straying to the elder sister.
Sam rubs her hands together and says, "Well, let's go get ready."
Castiel stands after her, then looks to his left. "Deana?"
"Yeah, coming." She stands as well, and they follow Sam.
Crowley's metaphorical heart breaks when Deana walks away, without so much as a word or a glance. He watches her leave, his eyes burning into her back.... And Deana must feel his gaze, because a couple meters away, she turns around, and their eyes meet.
***
When Crowley greeted them with the word "morning," a quick series of moments instantly played through Deana's mind, of herself waking up in the man's arms, and he whispering that word to her, eyes shining with love that she never knew demons could feel. Deana kept herself together on the outside, but inside she fell apart. Her heart crashed painfully over and over within the cage of her ribs, and tears burned her eyes, which were thankfully hidden behind her sunglasses. When she follows Cas away from the bench, Deana takes them off and slips them into the side of her backpack. She feels Crowley's gaze on her back, and it's like fire. She turns instinctively to lock eyes with the demon, and something inside her snaps, like a legit rubber band. Her body starts flying forward, wanting to run to him, before she even made the decision to move. But a firm hand grips her arm, jerking her to a stop after just one step. Her head whips to see who has a hold of her, to see Castiel staring her down with daggers in his eyes. Deana deflates and let's him lead her to the Impala, his grip never loosening on her arm.
***
Crowley snarls as the angel takes his Deana away, every part of him vibrating with fury. His eyes are past black--they burn red--and his teeth are bared. He forces himself to teleport back to Hell before he shred the angel's vessel and takes Deana by force. In his office in Hell, the demon king sweeps the contents of his desk to the floor, throws furniture, and calls in a particularly useless demon just to set him on fire and watch him burn.
***
In the car, Castiel doesn't speak of what happened, and Deana doesn't either. She feigns enthusiasm for the hunt, trying to match Sam's attitude. The younger Winchester is never excited to go on hunts, and Deana knows that her sister is just happy that the meeting seemed to go so well. She can pretend to be unaffected by Crowley. She can pretend for Sam.
***
That afternoon, the sisters and the angel go to the nest and slaughter the bloodsuckers. In and out. Simple, as far as vampire hunts go. Afterward, Deana goes to bed with apologetic words to her sister and friend. She can't handle another night of Sam's constant celebration. She knows why her sister wants to party after every hunt--to drill it into Deana's head that the hunts are god things, that they need to be happy about what they're doing. But Deana knows that. She doesn't need to be reminded. She's not a demon, she doesn't want to be a demon. She just wants Crowley.
♠ ♠ ♠
This chapter was the most emotionally difficult for me to write, honestly. The heartbreak and the fury and the dejection.... God. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing!