Alexandria (Chapter 13 of 13)

[tikific]

Please see the masterpost for warnings, summary, and previous chapters.



The ceiling crumbled. Dirty and bleeding, Dean clung onto Cas, thinking this was a very stupid way to die, but at least he got to be here, in his final moments, with this person. “I love you,” he whispered.

“What?” asked Cas.

“What?” answered Dean.

Yes, it was a very stupid way to die.

There was a sharp crack, and both of them stared upwards as suddenly a beam of sunlight lit up the dim tunnel.

A very large feeding tentacle snaked in, felt around, grabbed Lucifer’s body, and yanked him back out.

In the far in the distance, there was the muffled sound of slurping.

“Hey!”

Cas and Dean looked at one another, and then looked up to see Sam’s head peeking over the big hole in the ceiling. “Sam?” said Dean.

“That wasn’t very pretty!” said Sam.

“Sorry we missed it,” Dean yelled. “Hey, we need a hand.”

“I’m sending you lots of legs,” said Sam. He stepped back and Cecilia the crawly-bug was scurrying down into the hole. She stood before Dean and Cas, wiggling her tentacles in an excited manner.

“I guess we ride up?” Dean asked Cas. Dean grabbed onto the small bug and rode her back out of the tunnel, and then she went back for Cas.

“How the hell did you find us?” Dean asked Sam.

“Demeter found you!” said Sam, pointing to an excessively large bug that was standing nearby. “Lucifer wounded her calf, Persephone, and I guess he must have gotten some bug blood on him.”

Dean and Cas looked at each other. “I didn’t see any blood. Any bug blood, that is.”

“Well, it only takes a few molecules. These guys have an insane sense of smell.”

“I guess we’ll watch ourselves.”

“Anyway, between me and Alfie, we managed to convince her that you guys rescued her. Anyway, come on up, we'll take you to where everybody is gathered.” And then they were up a rope ladder, and riding on Demeter's back. Dean had to agree it was better than trying to ride inside one of the damned things.

Castiel looked around the encampment with wonder. The evacuees had gotten a few miles away from the Red Fort he guessed, as he could still see the red rock mountains in the distance. There were several giant bugs milling around, some of which - of whom? - he recognized, some he didn’t. He saw Crowley presiding over a gaggle of kitchen personnel, many of whom carried blades Cas had personally forged. There was a whole group of Benny’s vampirates, all seeking the shade of one of the bigger bugs. There were soldiers from the Red Fort, all mixed in with Lucifer’s people. Some of Lucifer’s men appeared to be prisoners of war, but others were mingling with his friends, chatting, or getting their wounds tended to. Doc Cottle was running back and forth, assisted by Rev. Jim, grumbling and checking the injured and flicking cigarette ashes at the unwary.

Some of Lucifer’s men ran up to Doc Cottle. “Come quick! You need to check on Abaddon.”

“What's wrong with her?” he grumped.

“We think it's a seizure! Hurry!”

“C’mon, Cas,” said Dean, and he followed Dean and Sam over to the redhead he recognized as one of Lucifer’s officers. She was now lying on the floor, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “Has she had these episodes before?” the doctor asked, kneeling down and supporting her head.

“I dunno. I don't think so.”

“Metatron!” wailed Abaddon. “No!”

“Wait, what did she say?” asked Dean. He looked at Cas.

Cas stepped forward. He hunkered down and watched Abaddon for a moment, while Doc Cottle administered a sedative. Her body relaxed, but she continued mumbling. “Doctor,” he said. “I think this condition may be magical in nature.”

“That guy Metatron?” asked Dean, who was hovering nearby. “That’s the guy who kicked you out, right?”

Cas nodded. “He is very powerful.”

“Abaddon thought he was controlling Lucifer,” Dean told them. “There at the end.”

“I think he may be seeking a new subject.”

“We need psychics!” said Sam, who was already running off.

Missouri was fetched, as was Pamela. Missouri knelt down next to Abaddon, who was pale and shaking, her eyes rolling up into her head.

“Whatever it is, it's gonna kill her,” said Cottle. “Her heart can't take it, and I don't wanna give her any more of the sedative.”

“Honey,” Missouri told Abaddon, “you gotta break the connection.” She looked up. “Pamela, help me.” The two women joined hands over Abaddon and started reciting the words. “Spirit, I command you to be gone. I command you!” Missouri began to sweat, and Pamela was breathing hard.

“I command you!” shouted Missouri.

Abaddon reared up and emitted an ear-piercing scream. Missouri and Pamela let go, and both women fell back, gasping and shaking.

Abaddon was up on her elbows now. “What the fuck?” she growled, looking around. She got to her knees, trying to stand.

“Easy, girl,” said the doctor, grabbing her arm to steady her.

“That fucker was in my head. In my head!” said Abaddon.

Missouri had raised herself up to sit, while Pamela remained lying down, with Jess down holding on to her. “Metatron?” Missouri asked.

“Metatron,” said Abaddon.

“We gotta kick that guy's fucking ass,” said Pamela, from where she was lying.

“Don’t worry. We will,” said Dean.

Thanks to what Benny was now calling the Bug Armada, and to Pamela's evident distress, everybody was swiftly relocated to the grounds of the old Sapphire Fort, including the troops who had remained loyal to Lucifer. They were behaving themselves, as Dean had threatened them with being used for bug feed.

John had called an informal meeting of the leaders to decide how to proceed. A rather large crowd sat around a big table in one of the old banquet rooms. John sat at the head with his sprained ankle propped up on a seat. There was a lot to talk about. Two of the six functioning forts had sustained a great deal of damage, and the Onyx Fort had been left with just a skeleton crew back home, and the remaining soldiers divided into loyalists and mutineers.

“I could take the men who are willing and take command of the Onyx Fort,” Abaddon volunteered.

“Do you trust all those guys?” asked Dean. “Or any of 'em?”

Abaddon smiled. “No. But we're used to it.”

“You know that place better than anyone,” said John. “I think you're the one for the job. Just don't get yourself killed.” Abaddon's smile broadened to a grin.

“I'd like to remain here at the Sapphire Fort,” said Pamela. “It's my home.”

“We could start rebuilding,” Bobby offered.

“'We?' Wait, you're staying here, Bobby?” laughed Dean. Bobby gave him the stink-eye.

“It's gonna be a big job,” said John.

“It's a big fucking mess,” Bobby agreed, “but it's near a bug den, so we'd have a supply of raw materials. Inias said he's happy to run the forge for us, when he's ready. If it's okay with Cas?”

Cas beamed and nodded.

“We'll need to call in the other leaders,” said John, “but this place has been abandoned so long, I don't imagine there will be any objections. We're probably going to need to staff the Emerald Fort as well.”

“I got a suggestion,” said Dean. “Bobby and I already talked about this. You up for it, Victor?”

“What?” asked Victor, who evidently had not been consulted.

“About damned time,” said Bobby.

“I- I-,” Victor stammered. Ash clapped him on the back.

“Good, that's settled,” said John. “We've got some repair work too.” He turned to Sam. “I don't suppose you'll mind your old man staying around while we rebuild our home?”

Sam and Dean looked at each other and grinned. “I think the boys have been waiting for this, John,” Ellen told him.

“I have a proposal too!” declared Benny. John was obviously not thrilled with the vampire sitting in, but Dean had insisted on it. “You're not the only ones put out of your home, brother.”

“We need to help Benny and his crew rebuild their ship,” said Dean.

“Well, I've had second thoughts regarding that,” said Benny. “I had one hell of a good time racing around on those bugs! My whole crew, in fact. I've never seen those bastards so happy.”

Dean turned to. “You wanna captain a bug?”

“That is what I'm proposing.”

“You're going back to your pirating ways, Captain Lafitte?” asked John suspiciously.

“No! In fact, I am going to turn over a new leaf, if there were any leaves out here. Seem to me you're in need of a transportation system.”

“I'll stick to my baby, thanks,” said Dean.

“But you're gonna need big things hauled, if'n you're gonna rebuild that smashed fort of yours. Stones and suchlike.”

“What do the bugs think of this?” asked Sam.

“I've been chatting with them, by way of Cas's little brother, and they're happy as hell to do it, if you keep running the generators for them to sniff.”

“We're bug drug dealers now,” chuckled Dean.

“But I need that little brother of yours along, Cas. Will it be agreeable to you if he’s our cabin boy?”

Cas smiled. “It seems my family is in demand here. Yes, he can go along, but I want to make certain he’s keeping up with his lessons-“

“That we can do!”

“And perhaps the title of ‘helmsman’ would be more appropriate?”

Benny threw his head back and laughed. “Stickin’ up for the little guy, are you? What about apprentice helmsman?”

Cas nodded. “It wasn’t what my father envisioned as a career, but I think it’s more suited to him than work in a forge.”

“We've all got a lot of work to do, but I'm optimistic,” said John. “We've got the Enemy on our side now. This is a great day.”

“There's one more thing,” said Pamela. “And it's a bigger threat than the bugs ever were.”

Dean stood talking to his brother when Missouri and Pamela came marching up. “Talk about an odd couple,” Dean told Sam.

“We need Sam,” said Pamela.

“We - who?” asked Dean.

“Me and Missouri.”

“I thought you guys hated each other!” Dean objected.

Missouri looked into Pamela's sightless eyes. “We got over it,” she chuckled.

“We're going to need all the magic users,” said Missouri. “Sam, and Cas too.”

They ended up gathering around a small table: Missouri, Pamela, Sam, Cas, and also Abaddon, though she still appeared pale. She had been set to leave for the Onyx fort, but when she found out the plans, had insisted on staying. Crowley had supplied them with fresh blood that he claimed he had had to steal away from Benny.

They all joined hands. “If you don't mind,” Cas told them, “I'd like to take the lead on this.”

“It's dangerous, Cas,” said Abaddon.

“I know,” he said, reaching out his hands. Everyone at the table linked hands and concentrated. The pool of blood in the center roiled up to resemble the Sapphire Fort. And then, abruptly, it began to wheel off across the terrain.

“Are you all right, honey?” Missouri whispered to Cas.

“I am perfectly all right,” he answered, glaring at the scrying bowl. The image soon changed to the Narrow Sea, and then they were hugging the coastline, and finally arriving in Lawrence, and alighting on a familiar building.

The view zoomed in as they flew inside and traveled from the entryway and down a wide corridor to a room stacked high with every kind of book. They threaded through the hoard to see a rumpled man standing in the midst, looking absolutely furious.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?”

He spoke, but it was as if his words were in their heads.

“Metatron,” said Castiel. “I am Castiel, the rightful owner of De Angelus Sword and Forge.”

Metatron shook his head. “You're still upset over that? We're fighting a war.”

“Not any more,” said Cas.

The ground trembled. And then the ground beneath Metatron's image was trembling as well.

“What are you doing?” said Metatron. “Wait! Stop!”

But the shaking worsened. All of the people at the table - Cas, Missouri, Sam, Pamela and Abaddon - concentrated deeply.

A book from the top of one of the piles came shaking loose and struck Metatron in the head. He fell to his knees, crying, “Stop!” But the shaking continued. “No!” An entire stack of books rocked and then toppled over, burying him to the waist. “Stop this right now!” And then another pile fell, and Metatron was buried up the the neck. “I'll get you for this!” he hollered, the voice echoing in all their minds.

Cas began to recite the words, and the rest of the table joined in. “I'm being crushed! Help!” screamed Metatron. But then a white light cut through the image, suffusing the room.

The books sparked, and lit on fire.

“Noooooo!”

And then they were backing swiftly out of the burning room, smoke wisping down the hall, and then out of the building, just as the rest of it caught on fire. The view whirled back, and they could see the entire mansion was engulfed in red-tinged flame.

And then back, until it was just smoke on the horizon.

And further back.

And further back.

The vision in the scrying dish slumped until it was just flat liquid.

Cas dropped his hands, sat a back and sighed.

“There goes Metatron,” said Missouri.

“It's a shame,” said Dean.

Everyone turned back to stare at Dean. “A shame?” Sam asked him. His throat was dry.

“About the books, I mean.” said Dean.

Pamela sat back and laughed.

The next few weeks were busy ones as everyone scrambled to begin rebuilding. Victor was approved as the new leader of the Emerald Fort, and so, after a big and rather drunken goodbye dinner, he had departed the Red Fort, taking along a few key personnel, including Ash, his new second in command. He also took along Garth, who wanted very much to learn to drive one of the cars.

Bobby soon had repair crews working at the Sapphire Fort. Cas stayed around to help Inias get the forge running successfully, and then said his goodbyes. Jo decided to start an apprenticeship with Inias. Ellen approved of this, although Kevin was still rather grudging about the whole thing. Ellen too stayed on at the Sapphire Fort, while Kevin joined Cas in returning to the Red Fort, where Sam, Dean and their father had already gone ahead to get started on repairs.

True to his word, Benny and his old crew began making runs almost every night, dragging stones and repair materials across the desert. During the days, the vampires slept while the bugs burrowed deep. Sam began to talk of mad plans for a vast underground railway connecting the forts, using the bug tunnels. He and Cas began talking late into the night about constructing steam powered locomotives for the job. Dean just rolled his eyes.

John stuck around for a while, which was surprising.

Jess had gone to the Red Fort too, which surprised absolutely no one.

But Dean had the biggest surprise of all.

“No kidding?” Sam asked Dean. “You're gonna drive to Venice?”

“Venice, California. Cas found it in an old book.” They were sitting in his office one late night, just like old times. Dean had a dusty old book opened on his desk, spread open on a map.

Sam threw up his hands. “I don't even know where to start. The west? Are you crazy?”

“Probably.” Dean was wearing his most annoyingly smug grin.

“You'll be eaten by bugs! That is before you run out of gas.”

“Cas and I have been talking with the bugs, along with his brother, Alfie. Seems it's a different tribe when you get further from the coast, but we're cool with them, as long as we stay on the roadway.”

“They have tribes?” Sam's eyes lit up. Almost despite himself, he was interested.

“Something like that. Anyway, that was the best word Alfie could come up with. Those brothers are smart. Weird as all hell, but smart.”

“Gas, Dean. What do you do when the reserve tank runs low?”

“That's the best part! The western outpost.”

“What?”

“There's a gas station right along the way. It's supposed to be run by some crazy hermit, Gabby or Gabe or something. Benny has heard some of the stories from western pirates.”

“You're gonna trust a bunch of bugs and a pirate story?”

“You wish you were going along, right?”

Sam sat back. “Dammit,” was all he said. And then he leaned over close to Dean. “You sure this is not all to avoid Dad and Rev. Jim marrying you off?”

Dean leaned in as well. “I haven't asked Cas yet!”

“Oh!” said Sam.

Dean was suddenly digging in a desk drawer. “You are sworn to silence on this!” He pulled out a little box. “I had Garth make this just before he left. Damn, the guy is good! I had no idea he was competent. We may have to kidnap him back from the Emerald Fort.” He handed the box to Sam. It contained a lovely little braided ring.

“Is this silver and gold?”

“Yeah.”

“It's pretty.”

“Anyway, I think out by the coast, you know. We'll get a picnic. A sunset. Very romantic. And he likes the water!”

“You're driving hundreds of miles into unknown territory … to propose?” whispered Sam.

“Yeah!” said Dean, like it was the most awesome idea ever.

The brothers grinned at one another.

And so, one morning, they all stood out in the long shadow of the Red Fort. Jess gave Cas an enthusiastic hug. Sam hovered near as Dean finished loading the car.

“And when will you be back? Will you be back?” Sam whispered to Dean, his voice rising a little at the end.

“In time for you guys's wedding. Don't worry!” Dean slammed the trunk. “You wanna go to the west coast, right, Cas?”

Cas drew nearer, wearing a puzzled expression. Dean draped an arm over Cas shoulders. “I'm sure I'll like the west coast. I like the water,” said Cas.

“He likes the water,” said Dean.

“And perhaps we will find a Corvette, Dean. I've heard they have them in California.”

“I dunno. Like I told you, they weren't made of steel. They might not be around any more. Or they'd be in real bad shape.”

“Then I will learn the magic of fiberglass, and I will repair it for you!” Cas told him. Dean just smiled and put a hand on Cas's jaw, rubbing his thumb along Cas's face, and they looked at each other.

Sam smiled as Jess came up to stand beside him. Dean gave Sam a quick hug, and Jess a peck on the cheek, and then he and Cas were in the car, waving goodbye.

The car revved and took off.

Sam, his arm around Jess, stood and watched until the car became a dot on the horizon, and then disappeared off the edge of the world. “You know,” Jess whispered, “how much you wanna bet those guys come back driving one of those wacky old cars, a Corvette?”

Sam laughed and kissed the top of Jess's head.

“Sam!”

Sam turned to see Crowley, standing there in a chef's tonque. “I need some input on tonight's menu.”

“OK. We'll figure it out,” Sam told him.

And then they all went inside.

THE END

xxxxx



I had to include this here 'cause they're so neat: these are ammo's chara designs for TFW. I bugged her (HAHA!) to include Sammy in one of her pieces because he's just so darned cute.