Take Me Down With You - Chapter 8: This Isn't a Fairy Tale
Take Me Down With You - Chapter 8: This Isn't a Fairy Tale
See Warnings on Chapter 1
Go back to Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - This Isn’t a Fairy Tale
“What?!” Max and Logan yelped at the same time. Logan almost spewed a mouthful of macaroni and cheese out of his mouth.
“Aw…well, yes, I was getting to that,” the Doctor said.
“You better explain fast,” Max replied.
“Crowley, how are you feeling?” the Doctor asked, seemingly changing the subject. He spun on his heel to face the man slumped in the chair.
“Tired, irritated, hungry and irritated that I’m hungry,” Crowley answered in a deep sigh. “Even more irritated he didn’t bring enough for all of us.”
“Joshua can go back and get more,” Joshua offered.
“Yes,” Crowley said, enthusiastically.
“No,” Max and Logan said at the same time.
Yes!” Crowley repeated louder. He stood and walked over towards the bed, looking at Logan’s tray. “But not that crap. I want a steak. Make it rare.”
Joshua turned to leave.
“Wait. Just a moment,” The Doctor ordered. “Crowley, what aren’t you feeling?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s something missing, right. You’re irritated but you’re not angry. You’re not feeling hate.”
“Of course I feel hate. I hate being human,” Crowley replied as he paced the room. “Weak, useless, trivial. That’s what I am right now.”
“I don’t mean that bored kind of hate. I mean the raging hate you normally feel. That feeling you want to rip the world in two and make it bleed.”
“Sounds like too much work. Wouldn’t mind watching it, though.”
“You’re a real charmer,” Max said.
“Wouldn’t mind watching you two bleed, either. Maybe Alec would let me play a little after he catches you?” Crowley half-smirked.
“Shut it!” Max yelled. She picked up Logan’s plate and threw it at Crowley’s head. It missed by a fraction.
“She is a firecracker, that one,” Crowley said as went back to his chair and flopped down in it. “But you’re right. It feels like something is missing.”
“It is. You were born, in your universe, to house all the negative energy of a Demon. Now a large part of it is missing because Alec has absorbed it.”
“How can a part of me be missing?”
“It’s like the souls you take. Demonic energy is just made up of a different type of energy than souls.”
“I don’t like the idea that the Dean-Doppelgänger has any part of me inside him.” He stopped for a moment and smiled. “Well - at least not that part. I can think of some parts of me that might like to be inside him.” He snickered. “Hey, if you two don’t want him, can I have a go?”
Max threw a pillow at him.
“Max, he’s just trying to goad you,” Logan said. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, finally tired of lying around. He was getting anxious about Alec and what all this meant.
“The problem is - the Angels are also inside Alec.”
“It’s a regular orgy inside him, isn’t it?” Crowley observed as he threw his legs over the side of the chair.
“The Angels feed on time - the Demon feeds on evil. It won’t take much before Alec is no longer in control and he unleashes Hell on Earth. It won’t be long until there is a bloodbath.”
“That does sound like my kind of party, but I’d like to host it myself if you know what I mean.”
Logan stood up, stretching and turned to the Doctor. “Why do you think Max and I can stop him? We don’t have any power over the demon or the Angels.” He looked down at his legs, relieved they seemed to be holding steady. “Hell, there are days I can’t even walk normally.”
“Because Alec loves Logan and Max,” Joshua said. “Love can defeat evil. That’s what all the fairy tales say.”
“This isn’t a fairy tale, Joshua,” Max replied.
“But fairy tales all have their basis in truth,” the Doctor said. “Joshua’s right. Alec loves you and you must convince him that you love him to give him the strength he needs to expel the Demon. Once we get rid of it, dealing with the Angels will be easier.”
Max’s phone rang. “It’s OC,” she whispered. “Hey...,” she answered. “What? I can hardly hear you. What is he doing? Okay - get somewhere safe. Get everyone out if you can. I’ll be there soon.” She hung up. “Looks like Alec’s already partying. He’s at Crash, breaking up the place. OC says he’s yelling for us and if we don’t get there in five, he’ll start chopping heads.”
The Doctor and Crowley headed out the door with Joshua, but Logan pulled Max back. “Max, I know Alec loves you. I’ve suspected it for some time. It’s…okay if you can love him. I’ll step back.”
Max stared at him. “Logan, I…don’t know…”
Logan felt a smack on the back of the head, but it wasn’t Max. The Doctor had come back into the room. “Both of you. I said he loves both of you. Remember - I’ve seen something of what happens if this doesn’t work. Now get a move on.”
Max quickly kissed Logan. “He does. I think I see that now. I’m going to go on ahead and stall him.” She sped up and raced away from the group.
“She is a spritely little thing,” Crowley observed. “How exactly are we getting my - for lack of a better word - essence back into me?” he asked the Doctor as they began walking. “Cause I gotta tell you, if it involves Alec doing me, I’m not sure I can bottom.”
“No - there will be no doing of you…I don’t think.”
“Good - cause I hate Sex Magick. Things always go wonky and it’s always so messy.” Crowley grimaced.
“I never said there wouldn’t be any…sex. Well, not with you anyway,” the Doctor said, dismissively. The Doctor looked disturbed at just the thought of anything doing Crowley.
“Alec likes getting busy,” Joshua announced. “He watches lots of it on the tube.” He added, pumping his fist into the air to illustrate his meaning. Crowley and the Doctor stopped and stared at Joshua’s hand movements.
Crowley laughed. “He’s more like Dean than I suspected. Even in this crap world, people still collect porn.”
Joshua shook his head sadly. “He won’t let Joshua watch. But how can Joshua learn if no one lets him watch? Joshua might like to get busy one day, too.”
“I’m sure one day you will find your Lassie and hump to your heart’s content,” Crowley joked, patting Joshua on the back, who smiled, looking pleased at the reassurance, and clearly not understanding the joke at all.
The Doctor looked appalled at the two of them. “Enough of the disturbing sex talk, please.” He stopped and looked back to where Logan had lagged behind them.
Logan was trying to sort of his thoughts as he walked behind the group. He heard their discussion, but it became just a buzz in his head until their voices began to drift away and he heard Alec’s voice instead. He stopped and leaned against the wall, unable to keep focus on where he was walking.
‘You will come to me. You will be mine….help me…,’ the voice echoed in his head, the last part sounded so small and distant, desperation clinging to the sound.
“I’m coming, Alec. Hang on,” he whispered quietly, unaware he was speaking aloud. He jerked as he felt the Doctor’s hand on his shoulder. He had evidently walked back to get Logan. Crowley and Joshua were waiting for them.
“Can you hear him?” the Doctor asked, looking at Logan curiously.
“Yes…I don’t know why…but he sounds farther away each time.” He tilted his head trying to understand the words, but it was starting to sound like white noise.
“I think we’re losing him,” the Doctor mused.
“Uh, this is probably the time I should mention that if the only way to save Alec is some hokey lovey-dovey triad thingy with those two, the first thing I would do is convince him he doesn’t love you or that you don’t love him - and then split you up.”
“I guess I’m glad it’s not you then,” Logan replied. He opened the door to the street and looked around before stepping out.
“Except, it is…in a way, isn’t it?” Crowley said, coming up behind him.
The Doctor smacked himself in the head. “Of course - you’re him, he’s you! You know exactly what he’d do. That also means he’d know what you’d do.” The Doctor scratched his head.
“Don’t let me make the plans, then,” Crowley said, looking at the Doctor. “Although I would do my best to stop Logan from getting there if I thought Max would make it there first. Keep them away from each other. If Alec loves both of them, then even if the one can convince Alec they love him, it won’t be enough.”
“Thought you didn’t believe in love, Crowley,” the Doctor said. “Isn’t that in the Demons’ Code of MisConduct?”
“Very witty. I believe in it. I just don’t like it. The trick is that what you need here is the real deal, not what most cattle prattle on about. It just doesn’t happen as often as people would like to think. Most people tart up desire and convenience and call it love. I doubt what these three meat suits have is real love but I’m not dumb enough to take chances either. I’ve seen Dean, who is incapable of most real emotions, tackle love and win because he understands that love is about sacrifice. I’m not hedging my bets against Dean-Lite in this universe. Not sure about the chickie and boxer-boy here.”
“Your confidence is overwhelming,” Logan said dryly.
“Honestly, have you even given Alec a thought along these lines before tonight? Do you really have what it takes to honestly love him? What is it you would sacrifice for him? Would you sacrifice the same things for him as you would for the bird?”
Logan swallowed. It was a hard concept to grasp but Crowley was right. He’d never examined his feelings about Alec because he loved Max. Could he honestly say he felt the same about Alec? Everything was moving too fast for Logan to take in. He turned to walk away.
When Logan didn’t answer, Crowley chuckled. “I thought not.” He turned to the Doctor, “On the off chance this works, I’d like to be there to get the rest of me stuffed back inside.”
Suddenly, Logan screamed as an Angel grabbed his shoulder and he fell to his knees before disappearing.
“Well, that’s just...fucked up,” Crowley said as he, Joshua and the Doctor looked up to where Logan had been standing.
“Yeah, fucked up,” Joshua repeated, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a note. He handed it to the Doctor. “I am supposed to give this to you now.”
The Doctor took the note from Joshua. “Oh, you clever little bugger, you,” he muttered. He turned to Crowley and Joshua. “Come on, then let’s go,” and beckoned them to follow him as he quickly walked down the street.
“Where the hell are we going?” Crowley yelled as he caught up to the Doctor.
The Doctor waved the note as he walked. “The place where we can end this,” he announced, cryptically.
---
Go to Chapter 9
See Warnings on Chapter 1
Go back to Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - This Isn’t a Fairy Tale
“What?!” Max and Logan yelped at the same time. Logan almost spewed a mouthful of macaroni and cheese out of his mouth.
“Aw…well, yes, I was getting to that,” the Doctor said.
“You better explain fast,” Max replied.
“Crowley, how are you feeling?” the Doctor asked, seemingly changing the subject. He spun on his heel to face the man slumped in the chair.
“Tired, irritated, hungry and irritated that I’m hungry,” Crowley answered in a deep sigh. “Even more irritated he didn’t bring enough for all of us.”
“Joshua can go back and get more,” Joshua offered.
“Yes,” Crowley said, enthusiastically.
“No,” Max and Logan said at the same time.
Yes!” Crowley repeated louder. He stood and walked over towards the bed, looking at Logan’s tray. “But not that crap. I want a steak. Make it rare.”
Joshua turned to leave.
“Wait. Just a moment,” The Doctor ordered. “Crowley, what aren’t you feeling?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s something missing, right. You’re irritated but you’re not angry. You’re not feeling hate.”
“Of course I feel hate. I hate being human,” Crowley replied as he paced the room. “Weak, useless, trivial. That’s what I am right now.”
“I don’t mean that bored kind of hate. I mean the raging hate you normally feel. That feeling you want to rip the world in two and make it bleed.”
“Sounds like too much work. Wouldn’t mind watching it, though.”
“You’re a real charmer,” Max said.
“Wouldn’t mind watching you two bleed, either. Maybe Alec would let me play a little after he catches you?” Crowley half-smirked.
“Shut it!” Max yelled. She picked up Logan’s plate and threw it at Crowley’s head. It missed by a fraction.
“She is a firecracker, that one,” Crowley said as went back to his chair and flopped down in it. “But you’re right. It feels like something is missing.”
“It is. You were born, in your universe, to house all the negative energy of a Demon. Now a large part of it is missing because Alec has absorbed it.”
“How can a part of me be missing?”
“It’s like the souls you take. Demonic energy is just made up of a different type of energy than souls.”
“I don’t like the idea that the Dean-Doppelgänger has any part of me inside him.” He stopped for a moment and smiled. “Well - at least not that part. I can think of some parts of me that might like to be inside him.” He snickered. “Hey, if you two don’t want him, can I have a go?”
Max threw a pillow at him.
“Max, he’s just trying to goad you,” Logan said. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, finally tired of lying around. He was getting anxious about Alec and what all this meant.
“The problem is - the Angels are also inside Alec.”
“It’s a regular orgy inside him, isn’t it?” Crowley observed as he threw his legs over the side of the chair.
“The Angels feed on time - the Demon feeds on evil. It won’t take much before Alec is no longer in control and he unleashes Hell on Earth. It won’t be long until there is a bloodbath.”
“That does sound like my kind of party, but I’d like to host it myself if you know what I mean.”
Logan stood up, stretching and turned to the Doctor. “Why do you think Max and I can stop him? We don’t have any power over the demon or the Angels.” He looked down at his legs, relieved they seemed to be holding steady. “Hell, there are days I can’t even walk normally.”
“Because Alec loves Logan and Max,” Joshua said. “Love can defeat evil. That’s what all the fairy tales say.”
“This isn’t a fairy tale, Joshua,” Max replied.
“But fairy tales all have their basis in truth,” the Doctor said. “Joshua’s right. Alec loves you and you must convince him that you love him to give him the strength he needs to expel the Demon. Once we get rid of it, dealing with the Angels will be easier.”
Max’s phone rang. “It’s OC,” she whispered. “Hey...,” she answered. “What? I can hardly hear you. What is he doing? Okay - get somewhere safe. Get everyone out if you can. I’ll be there soon.” She hung up. “Looks like Alec’s already partying. He’s at Crash, breaking up the place. OC says he’s yelling for us and if we don’t get there in five, he’ll start chopping heads.”
The Doctor and Crowley headed out the door with Joshua, but Logan pulled Max back. “Max, I know Alec loves you. I’ve suspected it for some time. It’s…okay if you can love him. I’ll step back.”
Max stared at him. “Logan, I…don’t know…”
Logan felt a smack on the back of the head, but it wasn’t Max. The Doctor had come back into the room. “Both of you. I said he loves both of you. Remember - I’ve seen something of what happens if this doesn’t work. Now get a move on.”
Max quickly kissed Logan. “He does. I think I see that now. I’m going to go on ahead and stall him.” She sped up and raced away from the group.
“She is a spritely little thing,” Crowley observed. “How exactly are we getting my - for lack of a better word - essence back into me?” he asked the Doctor as they began walking. “Cause I gotta tell you, if it involves Alec doing me, I’m not sure I can bottom.”
“No - there will be no doing of you…I don’t think.”
“Good - cause I hate Sex Magick. Things always go wonky and it’s always so messy.” Crowley grimaced.
“I never said there wouldn’t be any…sex. Well, not with you anyway,” the Doctor said, dismissively. The Doctor looked disturbed at just the thought of anything doing Crowley.
“Alec likes getting busy,” Joshua announced. “He watches lots of it on the tube.” He added, pumping his fist into the air to illustrate his meaning. Crowley and the Doctor stopped and stared at Joshua’s hand movements.
Crowley laughed. “He’s more like Dean than I suspected. Even in this crap world, people still collect porn.”
Joshua shook his head sadly. “He won’t let Joshua watch. But how can Joshua learn if no one lets him watch? Joshua might like to get busy one day, too.”
“I’m sure one day you will find your Lassie and hump to your heart’s content,” Crowley joked, patting Joshua on the back, who smiled, looking pleased at the reassurance, and clearly not understanding the joke at all.
The Doctor looked appalled at the two of them. “Enough of the disturbing sex talk, please.” He stopped and looked back to where Logan had lagged behind them.
Logan was trying to sort of his thoughts as he walked behind the group. He heard their discussion, but it became just a buzz in his head until their voices began to drift away and he heard Alec’s voice instead. He stopped and leaned against the wall, unable to keep focus on where he was walking.
‘You will come to me. You will be mine….help me…,’ the voice echoed in his head, the last part sounded so small and distant, desperation clinging to the sound.
“I’m coming, Alec. Hang on,” he whispered quietly, unaware he was speaking aloud. He jerked as he felt the Doctor’s hand on his shoulder. He had evidently walked back to get Logan. Crowley and Joshua were waiting for them.
“Can you hear him?” the Doctor asked, looking at Logan curiously.
“Yes…I don’t know why…but he sounds farther away each time.” He tilted his head trying to understand the words, but it was starting to sound like white noise.
“I think we’re losing him,” the Doctor mused.
“Uh, this is probably the time I should mention that if the only way to save Alec is some hokey lovey-dovey triad thingy with those two, the first thing I would do is convince him he doesn’t love you or that you don’t love him - and then split you up.”
“I guess I’m glad it’s not you then,” Logan replied. He opened the door to the street and looked around before stepping out.
“Except, it is…in a way, isn’t it?” Crowley said, coming up behind him.
The Doctor smacked himself in the head. “Of course - you’re him, he’s you! You know exactly what he’d do. That also means he’d know what you’d do.” The Doctor scratched his head.
“Don’t let me make the plans, then,” Crowley said, looking at the Doctor. “Although I would do my best to stop Logan from getting there if I thought Max would make it there first. Keep them away from each other. If Alec loves both of them, then even if the one can convince Alec they love him, it won’t be enough.”
“Thought you didn’t believe in love, Crowley,” the Doctor said. “Isn’t that in the Demons’ Code of MisConduct?”
“Very witty. I believe in it. I just don’t like it. The trick is that what you need here is the real deal, not what most cattle prattle on about. It just doesn’t happen as often as people would like to think. Most people tart up desire and convenience and call it love. I doubt what these three meat suits have is real love but I’m not dumb enough to take chances either. I’ve seen Dean, who is incapable of most real emotions, tackle love and win because he understands that love is about sacrifice. I’m not hedging my bets against Dean-Lite in this universe. Not sure about the chickie and boxer-boy here.”
“Your confidence is overwhelming,” Logan said dryly.
“Honestly, have you even given Alec a thought along these lines before tonight? Do you really have what it takes to honestly love him? What is it you would sacrifice for him? Would you sacrifice the same things for him as you would for the bird?”
Logan swallowed. It was a hard concept to grasp but Crowley was right. He’d never examined his feelings about Alec because he loved Max. Could he honestly say he felt the same about Alec? Everything was moving too fast for Logan to take in. He turned to walk away.
When Logan didn’t answer, Crowley chuckled. “I thought not.” He turned to the Doctor, “On the off chance this works, I’d like to be there to get the rest of me stuffed back inside.”
Suddenly, Logan screamed as an Angel grabbed his shoulder and he fell to his knees before disappearing.
“Well, that’s just...fucked up,” Crowley said as he, Joshua and the Doctor looked up to where Logan had been standing.
“Yeah, fucked up,” Joshua repeated, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a note. He handed it to the Doctor. “I am supposed to give this to you now.”
The Doctor took the note from Joshua. “Oh, you clever little bugger, you,” he muttered. He turned to Crowley and Joshua. “Come on, then let’s go,” and beckoned them to follow him as he quickly walked down the street.
“Where the hell are we going?” Crowley yelled as he caught up to the Doctor.
The Doctor waved the note as he walked. “The place where we can end this,” he announced, cryptically.
---
Go to Chapter 9