By Any Other Name (4/6) - SPN/FF/HL/SV - Immortal!Dean Universe
Title: By Any Other Name (4/6)
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: Pen37
Rated: PG - 13
spoilers: For the movie Serenity: The series goes AU from the end of the movie
Prompt: #43 Square for crossovers100 my table is here
Fandom: Firefly, Highlander, Supernatural & Smallville. The rest of the Immortal!Dean Universe can be found here.
Characters: From FF: Mal, Zoe, Wash, River, Jayne, Simon, Inara, Kaylee. From I!D 'Verse: Dean Winchester, Duncan MacLeod, Richie Ryan, Chloe Sullivan and Sam Winchester. Dean/Chloe, Richie/River
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators.
Summary: The Immortal!Hunters and Mal's crew stop on Persephone where they run into some Alliance trouble. Sam's abilities continue to evolve leading to more questions.
A/N: This is the forth story in the "Immortal!Dean in the Firefly 'verse" which started with:
Since I Found Serenity; The World as We Know It; Into the Coming Storm
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6
Chapter 4
The ship was on auto pilot heading, with all possible speed, away from Persephone. The entire crew positioned themselves around the galley waiting for Sam to explain what had happened with Dean and the unusual Reavers.
While Sam knew that the ability to sense nearby Immortals was something they all shared, consciously tapping into Dean's quickening, as he'd done, was something new. He had control of his quickening power; it was what he felt when he'd 'talked' to Reavers for the first time. The one in the cargo bay had responded to him and 'listened' to the power that Sam had inside.
“We ran into Reavers,” Sam began. “But not exactly. Dean called them Reavers 2.0 and I think that fits. The demon we met on that moon said that they’d perfected their -” he hesitated and settled for, “infection. The Alliance guards waiting for us on Persephone looked and acted human but they were definitely a new type of Reaver. I could command them, not easily, but I could find my way into their minds.”
“That why they didn’t blow your head off?” Mal asked.
“It was only a matter of time." Sam admitted. “I'd only tried to control the one we have in the cargo bay. There were five on Persephone and they were the more advanced model. My ability to make that many obey was tenuous at best. When Dean grabbed my wrist -" He hesitated not knowing exactly how to express what had happened.
“Somehow Sam tapped onto my quickening,” Dean finished for him.
“What do you mean he 'tapped into your quickening'?” Duncan asked disbelievingly.
“I’d never felt anything like it. Sam funneled my quickening toward the Reavers. It was like we were linked -" Dean hesitated over the use of River's word to describe what had happened, "telepathically. I could 'see' what Sam was attempting to do to the Reavers and help him." He shuddered uncomfortable with the memory of being connected to those creatures.
"So you have the same power as Sam now?" Mal asked. "You can control the Reavers."
"No!" Dean snapped and then reconsidered. "At least I don't think so." His eyes locked with Sam's asking him for confirmation.
"I'm pretty sure the ability comes from me." Sam hesitated. "I utilized the innate power in my quickening to control the Reavers. When Dean grabbed my arm, I suddenly knew I could use his to help me finish what I'd started."
Duncan sat up straighter. “That’s impossible. We can’t just will our quickening to obey; that would be like willing our blood to flow.”
“No, it’s not,” Sam said softly. “I've always been aware of my quickening and I can feel it as part of my psychic abilities. I've figured out that you,” he gestured to the other Immortals, "don't feel it the same way I do."
“I don’t believe that,” Duncan whispered and then added hastily, “Not that I think you’re lying but it doesn’t work that way.”
“It doesn’t work that way.” River mocked the Highlander’s words in her little girl sing song voice before stilling as her eyes took on a faraway cast. “He is the link. He makes it work that way.”
Duncan shook his head. "You behead someone, you absorb their quickening; simple as that. It does not give us psychic abilities."
"Look, Mac, I know it doesn’t make sense to you but I can't seem to explain clearly. It's just part of who I am since I woke up on Miranda."
"Maybe it does give you psychic abilities," Simon offered. "I mean it heals you and grants you Immortality. Maybe learning how to tap into this new ability is why Sam was brought back in the first place."
"Listen to Simon," River said.
Sam wasn't surprised that the members of Serenity's crew were more willing to accept his physic abilities. They'd been dealing with River and her cryptic pronouncements for a while now.
"River," Mal addressed her, gently. "What do you know about Immortals?"
"Sam is special," she said. "He needs to practice. We need to find more Reavers. The 2.0 kind."
"Whoa Mal, she's crazy," Jayne blanched at her pronouncement. "We ain't gonna go looking for Reavers, just so's Sam can make nice with 'em?"
"That sounds a bit crazy to me too, Sir," Zoe said, a bit surprised that she found herself agreeing with Jayne.
"I agree. No need to go looking for trouble, it usually finds us with out any help," Mal chuckled; his statement eliciting a few snickers from Serenity's crew as well. "But we need to be sure, don't we?" Mal looked to Duncan for support.
The older Immortal was still a bit shocked by what Sam was suggesting and simply shrugged his bafflement at the whole situation.
"No we don't!" Dean snapped, answering for his mentor. "We don't need to be throwing Sam at Reavers seeing if he can make them dance."
"Dean - " Sam began and was immediately waved off.
"We don’t need your freaky mind powers to defeat the Reavers,” Dean assured him. "Old-fashioned chanting will work just fine."
Sam knew that Dean was trying to put him at ease about all the changes going on and his big brother was more than happy to dismiss his psychic nature if it meant protecting Sam from himself. Hadn’t Dean already insisted his abilities weren’t necessary hours before as they sat in the cargo bay?
“But we need to understand what I can do,” Sam insisted. “It’s important.”
"We've done just fine without them in the past." Dean smiled, but Sam could see the worry behind it. “Not like this is our first Apocalypse. Right guys?”
Richie echoed Dean’s attempt humor. “He’s right, Sam. We’ve faced tougher situations than this relying solely on superior firepower, Latin and our good looks.”
Chloe snorted, loudly. This set of a chorus of snickers from around the room.
"I'm thinking Reavers may be immune to your charms," Mal said with a wry smile.
"I'm going to have to agree with Mal, I don't see them falling for any of your lines, guys." Sam said, enjoying the feeling of camaraderie the teasing was generating.
Richie feigned outrage. "I am hurt that you doubt our abilities."
"Reavers don't really seem the romantic type," Wash said. "And I for one am not about to make googly eyes with one - ever."
Dean chuckled. "Never know what might work."
"I won't be jealous if you have to romance a Reaver," Zoe said straight-faced as she patted her husband's arm in mock sympathy.
Wash rolled his eyes at her. "Good to know."
“Just how many of these 'end of the world scenarios' have you participated in?” Inara asked.
“Too many,” Duncan said then quirked a smile. "But I don't ever recall Dean or Richie ever dating a demon." He paused before adding, "Well, there was that on waitress on Ceres about a hundred years ago."
"Don't go there, Mac," Dean groaned.
"You have to admit, she was pretty scary," Richie reminded him
"Oh, I have to hear about her," Chloe laughed.
"No - No, you really don't." Dean grumbled and glared at his friends.
Richie mouthed a not so subtle Later to Chloe who smiled and nodded.
"All right, everyone lets get back on task," Duncan said, his enjoyment of the exchange clear in the smile on his face. He looked at Sam, eyebrow raised, questioning Sam's readiness to continue with more serious matters. Sam nodded and allowed Duncan to get everyone focused again.
The moment of levity had gone a long way to diffusing the tension that had been building. They still didn't have all the answers but it was comforting to know that everyone could find the humor in the situation.
"We need to finish exploring the opportunity that Sam's abilities represent if we have any hope of winning this fight," Mac said. When Dean made as if to protest, Mac backed him off with a weary shake of his head and continued to speak, “Yes, we’ve done this without Sam before but he is here for a reason, Dean. This is not the time to play overprotective sibling.” Mac switched his focus back to Sam. “So, if you know something that will tilt the balance on our favor, I - we - need to understand what that is.”
"Not like it's the first time the Winchester's have upset the Immortal apple cart," Richie chuckled.
Sam was immediately struck by the irony of the situation. Richie was right. Five hundred years ago the Winchester brothers had turned the Immortal world upside down by uncovering the deception of the Game, now it seemed that it was time for them to do it again.
"Don't really know what more I can tell you. I do know I don't want to go Reaver hunting." Sam ran a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts. “I think - I think, I can do this quickening grab from any Immortal, and maybe more than one at a time, if we are all in contact.”
“Wo de tian a! That’s brilliant,” Chloe exclaimed and received blank stares from those around the galley in return.
Sam had noticed her deep in thought during most of the discussion and was not surprised she was two steps ahead of him.
“I’m glad it makes sense to you, Chloe,” Sam said. “Because I've yet to figure it all out.”
“Then luckily for you I think I have. If you can link the quickening of dozens of Immortals think how easy it would be to clear hoards of Reavers, 2.0 or otherwise, out of their hosts in one shot.”
“That has to be it.” Sam was getting excited. “I can control a few on my own but adding the power of everyone together, we could defeat them. Send their little Frankenstein army back to hell.” He tossed a quick smile at River. “I’m the link.”
River huffed out her exasperation. “That’s what I said.”
“Have you tried to ‘link’ with any one else?” Chloe asked.
Sam shook his head.
“Here.” Richie reached across the table holding out his hand to Sam. “Try me.”
Sam had enjoyed getting to know Richie. From the moment Richie had acknowledged his reincarnation that day on Serenity, Sam had accepted that they had been good friends in the past. Still, their relationship was new enough that Sam couldn't help but be touched by the trust that simple gesture implied.
Leaning across the table to clasp the offered hand, Sam focused on Richie’s face as he tried to find the feel of the other Immortal’s quickening. After a minute, Sam let go; unable to sense anything unusual let alone recreate the situation that had occurred with Dean.
“Sorry but it’s not working,” Sam admitted. “I couldn’t feel your quickening.”
Richie’s face fell as he pulled his hand back. “Maybe it’s because Dean is your brother.”
Sam sensed the hurt in Richie’s admission and knew that it was because he thought of Sam as a brother too.
Silently, Dean walked around the table to offer Sam his hand. Standing to face his brother, Sam grasped Dean’s wrist as he’d done on Persephone. He tried to recapture the feeling that had allowed him to control their quickenings but all he succeeded in doing was giving him self the beginnings of a headache.
Finally, Sam released his grip and shook his head. Dean echoed his motion.
“Still nothing?” Chloe asked, as she slumped back in her chair. It was clear to Sam that she'd been so sure that he would be able to recreate the link.
Dean gave Sam's shoulder a squeeze before retaking his seat. Sam could see the confusion and concern at war on Dean’s face, but he refrained from expressing his displeasure with the focus on Sam's "freaky mind powers". It was heartening that his brother had finally adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude, allowing Sam and Chloe the space they needed to puzzle this out.
“Maybe it worked before because I was focused on getting rid of the Reavers. When Dean grabbed my arm I was already in solid control of two and influencing the others,” Sam mused. “It was the effort to hold onto so many that was taxing me. As soon as Dean grabbed my arm, I felt renewed. My focus was stronger.”
"From a whisper to a shout," River said. "A single voice to a chorus."
Sam thought about that and nodded. "That's actually the perfect analogy"
"Sam needs to practice," River repeated her earlier statement.
"We are not going out looking for more Reavers," Dean growled.
“We don't have to," Chloe said. "Let's just visit our friendly neighborhood Reaver in the holding cell. That should get you in the right frame of mind to try again.” Standing, she indicated that they should move their gathering to the cargo bay.
River was the first to stand to follow Chloe. "Come on, Sam, practice lifting the light load. You are the link."
Dean was getting a little tired of her Cassandra-like pronouncements that ultimately didn't explain anything. "Why does she always have to sound like friggin' Yoda?" he groused. "First Sam's the key, now he's the link. If she knows something, why can't she just tell us?"
Chloe leaned over a still seated Dean and in a froggy voice intoned, "Anger. Fear. Aggression, the dark side of the force are they."
Dean tried to glare at her but the twinkle in her eye had him biting back a smile. "Quit it. You're just upset you're not the Oracle any more."
"I was Watchtower and I never claimed to have psychic abilities." She laughed as she walked over to link arms with River, steering her out the door. "Coming?" Chloe tossed back over her shoulder.
That one word mobilized everyone else to exit the galley. Mal caught up with Dean as they walked down the corridor. "What did she mean that she was a Watchtower?"
Dean shook his head. "Long story from Earth-That-Was."
"Involving leather, very tight outfits and people with superpowers," Richie supplied with a laugh from behind them.
Dean threw a "shut -up" glare over his shoulder that peeked Sam's interest.
"I want to hear that story," Sam said.
Richie whispered a not so subtle, "Later," to him that brought more glaring from Dean and more laughter from Richie.
Sam snickered. "Yeah, that look never stopped me either."
"They gossip like little girls," Dean grumbled, but Sam could hear the smile in his brother's voice.
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: Pen37
Rated: PG - 13
spoilers: For the movie Serenity: The series goes AU from the end of the movie
Prompt: #43 Square for crossovers100 my table is here
Fandom: Firefly, Highlander, Supernatural & Smallville. The rest of the Immortal!Dean Universe can be found here.
Characters: From FF: Mal, Zoe, Wash, River, Jayne, Simon, Inara, Kaylee. From I!D 'Verse: Dean Winchester, Duncan MacLeod, Richie Ryan, Chloe Sullivan and Sam Winchester. Dean/Chloe, Richie/River
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators.
Summary: The Immortal!Hunters and Mal's crew stop on Persephone where they run into some Alliance trouble. Sam's abilities continue to evolve leading to more questions.
A/N: This is the forth story in the "Immortal!Dean in the Firefly 'verse" which started with:
Since I Found Serenity; The World as We Know It; Into the Coming Storm
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6
Chapter 4
The ship was on auto pilot heading, with all possible speed, away from Persephone. The entire crew positioned themselves around the galley waiting for Sam to explain what had happened with Dean and the unusual Reavers.
While Sam knew that the ability to sense nearby Immortals was something they all shared, consciously tapping into Dean's quickening, as he'd done, was something new. He had control of his quickening power; it was what he felt when he'd 'talked' to Reavers for the first time. The one in the cargo bay had responded to him and 'listened' to the power that Sam had inside.
“We ran into Reavers,” Sam began. “But not exactly. Dean called them Reavers 2.0 and I think that fits. The demon we met on that moon said that they’d perfected their -” he hesitated and settled for, “infection. The Alliance guards waiting for us on Persephone looked and acted human but they were definitely a new type of Reaver. I could command them, not easily, but I could find my way into their minds.”
“That why they didn’t blow your head off?” Mal asked.
“It was only a matter of time." Sam admitted. “I'd only tried to control the one we have in the cargo bay. There were five on Persephone and they were the more advanced model. My ability to make that many obey was tenuous at best. When Dean grabbed my wrist -" He hesitated not knowing exactly how to express what had happened.
“Somehow Sam tapped onto my quickening,” Dean finished for him.
“What do you mean he 'tapped into your quickening'?” Duncan asked disbelievingly.
“I’d never felt anything like it. Sam funneled my quickening toward the Reavers. It was like we were linked -" Dean hesitated over the use of River's word to describe what had happened, "telepathically. I could 'see' what Sam was attempting to do to the Reavers and help him." He shuddered uncomfortable with the memory of being connected to those creatures.
"So you have the same power as Sam now?" Mal asked. "You can control the Reavers."
"No!" Dean snapped and then reconsidered. "At least I don't think so." His eyes locked with Sam's asking him for confirmation.
"I'm pretty sure the ability comes from me." Sam hesitated. "I utilized the innate power in my quickening to control the Reavers. When Dean grabbed my arm, I suddenly knew I could use his to help me finish what I'd started."
Duncan sat up straighter. “That’s impossible. We can’t just will our quickening to obey; that would be like willing our blood to flow.”
“No, it’s not,” Sam said softly. “I've always been aware of my quickening and I can feel it as part of my psychic abilities. I've figured out that you,” he gestured to the other Immortals, "don't feel it the same way I do."
“I don’t believe that,” Duncan whispered and then added hastily, “Not that I think you’re lying but it doesn’t work that way.”
“It doesn’t work that way.” River mocked the Highlander’s words in her little girl sing song voice before stilling as her eyes took on a faraway cast. “He is the link. He makes it work that way.”
Duncan shook his head. "You behead someone, you absorb their quickening; simple as that. It does not give us psychic abilities."
"Look, Mac, I know it doesn’t make sense to you but I can't seem to explain clearly. It's just part of who I am since I woke up on Miranda."
"Maybe it does give you psychic abilities," Simon offered. "I mean it heals you and grants you Immortality. Maybe learning how to tap into this new ability is why Sam was brought back in the first place."
"Listen to Simon," River said.
Sam wasn't surprised that the members of Serenity's crew were more willing to accept his physic abilities. They'd been dealing with River and her cryptic pronouncements for a while now.
"River," Mal addressed her, gently. "What do you know about Immortals?"
"Sam is special," she said. "He needs to practice. We need to find more Reavers. The 2.0 kind."
"Whoa Mal, she's crazy," Jayne blanched at her pronouncement. "We ain't gonna go looking for Reavers, just so's Sam can make nice with 'em?"
"That sounds a bit crazy to me too, Sir," Zoe said, a bit surprised that she found herself agreeing with Jayne.
"I agree. No need to go looking for trouble, it usually finds us with out any help," Mal chuckled; his statement eliciting a few snickers from Serenity's crew as well. "But we need to be sure, don't we?" Mal looked to Duncan for support.
The older Immortal was still a bit shocked by what Sam was suggesting and simply shrugged his bafflement at the whole situation.
"No we don't!" Dean snapped, answering for his mentor. "We don't need to be throwing Sam at Reavers seeing if he can make them dance."
"Dean - " Sam began and was immediately waved off.
"We don’t need your freaky mind powers to defeat the Reavers,” Dean assured him. "Old-fashioned chanting will work just fine."
Sam knew that Dean was trying to put him at ease about all the changes going on and his big brother was more than happy to dismiss his psychic nature if it meant protecting Sam from himself. Hadn’t Dean already insisted his abilities weren’t necessary hours before as they sat in the cargo bay?
“But we need to understand what I can do,” Sam insisted. “It’s important.”
"We've done just fine without them in the past." Dean smiled, but Sam could see the worry behind it. “Not like this is our first Apocalypse. Right guys?”
Richie echoed Dean’s attempt humor. “He’s right, Sam. We’ve faced tougher situations than this relying solely on superior firepower, Latin and our good looks.”
Chloe snorted, loudly. This set of a chorus of snickers from around the room.
"I'm thinking Reavers may be immune to your charms," Mal said with a wry smile.
"I'm going to have to agree with Mal, I don't see them falling for any of your lines, guys." Sam said, enjoying the feeling of camaraderie the teasing was generating.
Richie feigned outrage. "I am hurt that you doubt our abilities."
"Reavers don't really seem the romantic type," Wash said. "And I for one am not about to make googly eyes with one - ever."
Dean chuckled. "Never know what might work."
"I won't be jealous if you have to romance a Reaver," Zoe said straight-faced as she patted her husband's arm in mock sympathy.
Wash rolled his eyes at her. "Good to know."
“Just how many of these 'end of the world scenarios' have you participated in?” Inara asked.
“Too many,” Duncan said then quirked a smile. "But I don't ever recall Dean or Richie ever dating a demon." He paused before adding, "Well, there was that on waitress on Ceres about a hundred years ago."
"Don't go there, Mac," Dean groaned.
"You have to admit, she was pretty scary," Richie reminded him
"Oh, I have to hear about her," Chloe laughed.
"No - No, you really don't." Dean grumbled and glared at his friends.
Richie mouthed a not so subtle Later to Chloe who smiled and nodded.
"All right, everyone lets get back on task," Duncan said, his enjoyment of the exchange clear in the smile on his face. He looked at Sam, eyebrow raised, questioning Sam's readiness to continue with more serious matters. Sam nodded and allowed Duncan to get everyone focused again.
The moment of levity had gone a long way to diffusing the tension that had been building. They still didn't have all the answers but it was comforting to know that everyone could find the humor in the situation.
"We need to finish exploring the opportunity that Sam's abilities represent if we have any hope of winning this fight," Mac said. When Dean made as if to protest, Mac backed him off with a weary shake of his head and continued to speak, “Yes, we’ve done this without Sam before but he is here for a reason, Dean. This is not the time to play overprotective sibling.” Mac switched his focus back to Sam. “So, if you know something that will tilt the balance on our favor, I - we - need to understand what that is.”
"Not like it's the first time the Winchester's have upset the Immortal apple cart," Richie chuckled.
Sam was immediately struck by the irony of the situation. Richie was right. Five hundred years ago the Winchester brothers had turned the Immortal world upside down by uncovering the deception of the Game, now it seemed that it was time for them to do it again.
"Don't really know what more I can tell you. I do know I don't want to go Reaver hunting." Sam ran a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts. “I think - I think, I can do this quickening grab from any Immortal, and maybe more than one at a time, if we are all in contact.”
“Wo de tian a! That’s brilliant,” Chloe exclaimed and received blank stares from those around the galley in return.
Sam had noticed her deep in thought during most of the discussion and was not surprised she was two steps ahead of him.
“I’m glad it makes sense to you, Chloe,” Sam said. “Because I've yet to figure it all out.”
“Then luckily for you I think I have. If you can link the quickening of dozens of Immortals think how easy it would be to clear hoards of Reavers, 2.0 or otherwise, out of their hosts in one shot.”
“That has to be it.” Sam was getting excited. “I can control a few on my own but adding the power of everyone together, we could defeat them. Send their little Frankenstein army back to hell.” He tossed a quick smile at River. “I’m the link.”
River huffed out her exasperation. “That’s what I said.”
“Have you tried to ‘link’ with any one else?” Chloe asked.
Sam shook his head.
“Here.” Richie reached across the table holding out his hand to Sam. “Try me.”
Sam had enjoyed getting to know Richie. From the moment Richie had acknowledged his reincarnation that day on Serenity, Sam had accepted that they had been good friends in the past. Still, their relationship was new enough that Sam couldn't help but be touched by the trust that simple gesture implied.
Leaning across the table to clasp the offered hand, Sam focused on Richie’s face as he tried to find the feel of the other Immortal’s quickening. After a minute, Sam let go; unable to sense anything unusual let alone recreate the situation that had occurred with Dean.
“Sorry but it’s not working,” Sam admitted. “I couldn’t feel your quickening.”
Richie’s face fell as he pulled his hand back. “Maybe it’s because Dean is your brother.”
Sam sensed the hurt in Richie’s admission and knew that it was because he thought of Sam as a brother too.
Silently, Dean walked around the table to offer Sam his hand. Standing to face his brother, Sam grasped Dean’s wrist as he’d done on Persephone. He tried to recapture the feeling that had allowed him to control their quickenings but all he succeeded in doing was giving him self the beginnings of a headache.
Finally, Sam released his grip and shook his head. Dean echoed his motion.
“Still nothing?” Chloe asked, as she slumped back in her chair. It was clear to Sam that she'd been so sure that he would be able to recreate the link.
Dean gave Sam's shoulder a squeeze before retaking his seat. Sam could see the confusion and concern at war on Dean’s face, but he refrained from expressing his displeasure with the focus on Sam's "freaky mind powers". It was heartening that his brother had finally adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude, allowing Sam and Chloe the space they needed to puzzle this out.
“Maybe it worked before because I was focused on getting rid of the Reavers. When Dean grabbed my arm I was already in solid control of two and influencing the others,” Sam mused. “It was the effort to hold onto so many that was taxing me. As soon as Dean grabbed my arm, I felt renewed. My focus was stronger.”
"From a whisper to a shout," River said. "A single voice to a chorus."
Sam thought about that and nodded. "That's actually the perfect analogy"
"Sam needs to practice," River repeated her earlier statement.
"We are not going out looking for more Reavers," Dean growled.
“We don't have to," Chloe said. "Let's just visit our friendly neighborhood Reaver in the holding cell. That should get you in the right frame of mind to try again.” Standing, she indicated that they should move their gathering to the cargo bay.
River was the first to stand to follow Chloe. "Come on, Sam, practice lifting the light load. You are the link."
Dean was getting a little tired of her Cassandra-like pronouncements that ultimately didn't explain anything. "Why does she always have to sound like friggin' Yoda?" he groused. "First Sam's the key, now he's the link. If she knows something, why can't she just tell us?"
Chloe leaned over a still seated Dean and in a froggy voice intoned, "Anger. Fear. Aggression, the dark side of the force are they."
Dean tried to glare at her but the twinkle in her eye had him biting back a smile. "Quit it. You're just upset you're not the Oracle any more."
"I was Watchtower and I never claimed to have psychic abilities." She laughed as she walked over to link arms with River, steering her out the door. "Coming?" Chloe tossed back over her shoulder.
That one word mobilized everyone else to exit the galley. Mal caught up with Dean as they walked down the corridor. "What did she mean that she was a Watchtower?"
Dean shook his head. "Long story from Earth-That-Was."
"Involving leather, very tight outfits and people with superpowers," Richie supplied with a laugh from behind them.
Dean threw a "shut -up" glare over his shoulder that peeked Sam's interest.
"I want to hear that story," Sam said.
Richie whispered a not so subtle, "Later," to him that brought more glaring from Dean and more laughter from Richie.
Sam snickered. "Yeah, that look never stopped me either."
"They gossip like little girls," Dean grumbled, but Sam could hear the smile in his brother's voice.