SPN AU: Havdalah

[dormouseketeer]

It was the Saturday evening service when the men in the black suits showed up, too nicely dressed for Havdalah services at the tiny Reform synagogue in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Which was perhaps the best time--only a few congregants attended, and it was after Shabbos, so the rabbi could do work. Like, apparently, translate the leather-

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[sleight_of_fate]

It's not terribly long after Tuck's phone call that a small, dark blue SUV rumbles up the access road to the parking lot, a brief beep of horn on its way by as it pulls around to the back of the bar and parks there. And after that, it's only another minute or two before there's the clatter of heavy deadbolts unlatching and the thick wooden door swings open

[dormouseketeer]

"Demons." The word caught her attention in the way that word tends to, bothering her deeply. She watched Tuck for any indication that he was lying, but found none. And it made sense, with everything that had happened--or maybe she was just too tired to process information. Her eyes closed for a long moment.

"I always thought they were metaphors, in his stories, for the evil in people. You know?"

[dixietech]

"So did I. Least until one showed up on my back porch and tapped the back of my head against a brick wall." Not a pleasant memory, but at least Sam and Rhys had been there to deal with things while he was out cold. "They're real, and if you don't mind me sayin, it sounds like a demon might have brought that book to your Dad. They've got a lot of power, but we've got the know-how to keep them out."

"Whatever you decide darlin, you're safe here. Demons, witches, even angels - they're all real, they just tend to stick below the radar of the general public."

[sleight_of_fate]

The leather satchel quietly disappears behind the bar as Rhys comes by to quickly consult on any specific lunch requests. Those IDs will be a big help, protecting people who need to disappear with new identities and helping get their hunters into investigations where they can get information on threats faster: Tuck does good, solid work and has been invaluable to their operations since they stumbled on each other. Then Rhys vanishes back into the kitchen as the scent of brewing coffee starts to fill the bar. That's all Ellen's and he had nothing to do with that one: he's not much of a snob and just drinks Folgers most of the time at home

[dormouseketeer]

She inhaled through her teeth, thinking a bit before straightening in her seat. Both hands lifted off the book, but she didn't make the offer to let him look any more explicit than that. Meanwhile, she was glancing at the sigils he had indicated, trying to see if any of them were simple enough for her to understand.

"I guess I'm not general public anymore." That was something that had been playing around her surface thoughts, not really sinking in. Her life had changed, completely, and she would need to figure herself out a plan. With the help of these guys, perhaps.

[dixietech]

Tuck slid the book a little closer, waiting for any signs of protest. When there were none, he looked down at the leather cover. It was old, very old. Well worn leather and faint symbols etched into it were all but faded away from years of careful handling

[dormouseketeer]

She nodded slowly, sipping the coffee straight, quick enough to scald the hell out of her tongue. "You understand, now." There was a weak hint of smugness behind the words--there was a reason for her to be defensive all along, a reason big enough to shock Mr. Bill Tucker. "Why I'd be scared, running hard, afraid to rest. Even if I didn't know what to call this thing...the parts I can read are scary shit, okay?"

[dixietech]

"The scary part is that I can read the rest of it," he murmurs. "Yeah, yeah I get it, darlin. I do."

His head was pounding as the words shift and realign in his vision. Translation courtesy of Gabriel's influence is always a bit of a pain in the ass. "But you did come to the right place. You're safe here. So's this book."

Since she hadn't objected, Tuck turned towards the bar. "Rhys - you might want to take a look at this, man."

[sleight_of_fate]

Rhys puts aside his towel and, after consulting quietly with Tuck for a moment, flips out his cell phone to shoot off a quick text to Ellen, a brief heads-up that something is going on. A last glance around behind the bar, and then he heads over to the table, giving her a reassuring smile as he pulls out a chair for himself next to Tuck. Thick black tribal thorn tattoos curl up his arms to disappear under his sleeves, ornate patterns shifting as he moves, and he sits casually, one boot propped on the rung of his chair as he settles at the table.

The smile fades into a serious gaze as his eyes flicker to the book in front of Tuck, then widen slightly as he takes in the old, worn leather and the ornate writing inside. Definite recognition there. "...Ah. Not exactly light reading." Concern furrows his brow and he looks back at the other man with a deepening frown, then at Davida across from them.

[dormouseketeer]

"Yeah. So, this is what I've got. This, my laptop, my car, and my bat mitzvah money. I don't know what to do next. I don't know where to go next. Definitely have no clue where this book...belongs. And you're both right, I'm...running on empty. So, if the offers of help stand, you tell me. Tell me what I'm supposed to do, honestly."

She finally took one of the sandwiches for herself, beginning to eat much less daintily than someone would expect. Big bites, chewing quickly through it, with deep swigs of coffee between.

[dixietech]

"Can't offer you any quick fixes, darlin. It's never that simple unfortunately. But here's what we're going to do for right now. Once you finish up, you can pull your car around the back of the bar, get it out of sight for the time being. Then you're going to finish your coffee and take ten minutes and regroup. Any decision made when you're running on fumes is bound to be a bad one."

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to take a closer look while you do. Rhys, you think one of our local friends can find us a connection at a local temple to help out?"

Frowning he rubs at his temple. Loudmouthed damn angel.

[sleight_of_fate]

Rhys nods, braid swaying, and peers over at Tuck again, this time with a more personal cast to the look- asking with a glance if the other man is okay. He knows Tuck well enough to know that look, and to read the irritation in his expression

[dormouseketeer]

She glanced between the men before nodding. "Alright. Alright, I'll trust you enough to stay the night. Try figuring out where to go in the morning. Because I know I'm not getting back on the road tonight, not safely."

The sandwich occupied her attention for a long moment, as she finished it in record time. And the apple. And chips. It was a good meal, even if unkosher. She hadn't paid it the attention necessary to verify. Being picky would only draw attention, right?

[dixietech]

A quick nod towards Rhys. He's fine, just going to be nursing a headache until he reads the entire book to make sure it is what he thinks it is. Sometimes the only way to keep him quiet is to do what needs to be done, then sleep off the headache for a couple of days. Not the easiest partnership, but Gabriel was still his angel. He'd given him this life after facing down his brother, so Tuck wasn't one to complain. At least not often.

"Fair enough darlin. That'll give us some time to put out some feelers, see what we need to do to keep you and this book off the collective demon radar, as well as find some safe place for it to be."

Tuck grinned as she finished the meal in record time. "So do we get a name to go with the face, or are you okay with random nicknames? Because we're kind of prone to them without much direction."