09x12 - Problem Child - Part Two: Dead or Alive
Episode Number: 09x12 of Season 9 Fan Fiction (S9FF)
Title: Problem Child
Subtitle: Dead or Alive
Author: dracox-serdriel
Word Count: 2,038
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: language
Status: Complete. Feedback appreciated.
Sam rolled over in bed, his arms reaching out across the pillows. The familiar surrounding was comforting, but something was missing.
He smelled bacon, and his stomach rumbled. He stretched as he got out of bed, carefully and thoughtfully. His nose led him down to the kitchen.
He expected Dean, or maybe even Cas but not -
"Kevin?" Sam said.
"Morning."
"What are you - "
"Doing here? Yeah, I thought Castiel told you about all this like, days ago, but apparently not."
"Cas brought you here?"
Kevin flipped pancakes. "Yeah, last night."
"Is everything okay?"
"I'm on December break."
"That - doesn't answer the question," Sam replied. Without thinking about it, he set the table with an extra place for Kevin.
"You wanna know? Go get Cas."
"Uh, not a good idea."
"Huh? I thought angels don't sleep?"
"They don't," Sam said casually. "But Dean does."
"Right, of course," Kevin replied. "So, how have you been?"
The smell of bacon was more than enough to coax Dean out of his bed early. By the time he and Cas came to the kitchen, Kevin had finished the pancakes and eggs, and Sam had told him about Dodge and their last case.
"Kevin?" Dean asked. "What're you doing here?"
"You said you'd tell them," Kevin shot at Castiel.
"I planned to, but - there was much going on."
"Much going on?" Dean repeated. "Kev, please tell me you're okay and this is not about some demonic asshole finding you."
"No, no," Kevin replied. "I'm on December break."
"And?" Sam said.
"We thought this would be the best time to, uh, set something in motion," Castiel added. "Kevin will be safe here at the Bunker."
"Why wouldn't Kevin be safe in New Jersey with his mom?" Sam asked.
"Because of this," Kevin said as he produced a small box carved with sigils.
"Hex box?" Sam asked.
"Sort of, it keeps the objects and knowledge of whatever's inside hidden from prying eyes," the prophet replied. He opened the box and showed them a notebook and the Angel Tablet.
"Is that - " Sam began.
"The Angel Tablet?" Dean finished. He glared at Castiel. "You said it was safe, no one could find it, not even us. It's been with Prophet-Boy the whole time?"
"Yes," Kevin said defensively. "And it has been safe. The only people who can see it are people I show it to. I brought it here because I'm done and I wanna stash it with the Demon Tablet."
"You're done?" Sam asked. "Meaning - "
"You translated the Angel Tablet? While doing your first semester at Princeton?" Dean cut his brother off. He muttered, "Overachiever."
"That's what we need to set in motion, the trials of the Angel Tablet," Castiel said.
"You want to board up Heaven?" Sam asked.
"The trials don't close the Gates of Heaven," Kevin asserted.
"Okay, then, what do they do?" Dean asked.
"According to the tablet, every angel in creation is uniquely made. Not two angels can make a third, unique angel, because the angels share a single father."
"No angel babies, got it," Dean summarized. "So what?"
"Hell's demons come from burning away parts of the human soul, making them crave and strive solely for power," Kevin explained. "Heaven's power stems from the Angelic Host."
"That's not good news, given the circumstances," Sam said. "A lot of angels have died."
"Precisely," Castiel said. "And according to Kevin, the tablet speaks to that exact problem. When the Angelic Host diminishes, new angels cannot be made from angels."
"But, what, they can be made from humans?" Sam asked as a joke. Kevin and Castiel exchanged soulful looks.
"Seriously?" Dean asked. "That's your plan? Turn all the souls in Heaven into Angels? That's - that's crazy."
"No, not all the souls," Kevin snapped. "It's a voluntary process. The souls of people who want to serve as soldiers or healers or whatever take on a process to distill Grace from the Soul."
"Like a brewery, but instead of beer, we're getting angels?" Dean said skeptically. "Really?"
"They won't be like the angels you've met," Cas said. "They have human souls, so they will understand human emotions much better than angels. And they won't be as powerful, but they will have power over illness, demons, monsters - this is a good thing, Dean. Heaven's numbers grow thinner with each passing year. In a few decades, there won't be enough to guard the souls in heaven, let alone do any of their work on earth."
"I don't mean to insult you, Cas, but most of the angels we've met were dicks. Is it really a bad thing if they all just stayed in Heaven?"
Castiel tilted his head.
"I don't mean you," Dean added.
"Dean, you've used holy water as a weapon for many years," the angel began. "Did it ever occur to you to ask why it worked? It's just water that's had a few words spoken over it, and those words aren't a spell."
"So, what, you're saying angels bless the holy water?" Sam asked.
"A class of Cherub is responsible for imbuing holy objects and blessings with power. Holy oil, holy water. Vows taken by humans. If they leave, holy water will no longer be a weapon among other things," Cas explained.
"Awesome."
Sam weighed in. "Let's say we get on board with this. The last trials took us months to do, and Crowley found out about it quickly. You think we can finish these with no one noticing?"
"Yes," Kevin replied.
"How?" asked Dean.
"For one thing, I've translated the entire tablet already. And for another, we're not trying to lock anyone away here," Kevin said. "Sit down and eat, the food is getting cold. We can argue after."
They gathered at the table and ate, even Castiel, who realized that he enjoyed food when shared with others.
A very long time ago... Metatron rested.
"You have a question?" God asked.
"I - am curious," Metatron said quietly.
"Ask."
"Why are there trials? And why these particular acts?"
"To let anyone, even the very best individual, change the shape and nature of the world in one motion would be dangerous. The trials ensure multiple parties assisting, and as for the particularity, they follow the same pattern as the trials to close the Gates of Hell.
"The first entails bravery, strength, and loyalty. Without these traits, no one can hope to complete such a task.
"The second requires knowledge of the other planes and of the nature and movement of souls. Only someone with wisdom and imagination can hope to succeed.
"The third demands humility in pursuit of new knowledge as well as compassion towards those considered enemies, because as you realized earlier today, every one can become whole once more."
"Am I to write that for the prophet?" Metatron asked.
"No, no. Some things the prophet will understand by revelation of the word through the mind, but the rest will fall to the revelation of the soul."
Sam cleared the dishes to the sink, and Castiel washed them. He could utilize his powers and clean the lot of them in seconds, but Kevin needed time to explain the plan to the Winchesters.
"These trials," Dean said, "what are they? Don't dress'em up, okay?"
Sam joined them at the table.
"The first trial is to eliminate a traitor of heaven."
"Eliminate?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, it's not specific, it's like, 'stop' or 'impede,'" Kevin tried to explain. "Killing one would work, I guess, but it could also be about reforming a traitor."
"And the second?" Dean asked.
"Rescue an innocent from Purgatory and deliver the soul unto Heaven."
"An innocent from Purgatory?" Dean asked. "How would an innocent soul even get into Purgatory?"
"The tablet didn't go into detail, but I feel like - " Kevin stopped. "Sometimes I get an understanding, even when the words aren't there."
"Okay, Prophet-Boy, lay it on us," Dean insisted.
"Some species don't take to the soul until you have fed," Kevin explained. "Vampire. Rugagru. But some species turn the soul right away, and some are born."
Sam said, "Like shape shifters."
"I guess - "
"And the last trial?" Dean interrupted.
"To resurrect an angel who died for humanity," Kevin said.
"I'm sorry, what?" Dean asked.
"How - how?" Sam asked.
Kevin sat back in his chair. "According to the tablet, when an angel dies, its Grace returns to the source."
"Let me guess, there's some big Fountain o' Grace in Heaven," Dean said.
"No, you idiot," Kevin replied. "The source, as in God. The Grace returns to God."
"Is that how I was resurrected?" Castiel asked as he joined them at the table.
"I think so."
"So, what? We just go up to God and ask him?" Sam asked. "I mean, if God has the Grace, then the only way we could get it is to find him, right?" He made a gesture indicating he needed a minute before he left for his room.
"You two are serious about this?" Dean asked.
"Sam shut the Gates of Hell, but the demons are finding ways back to earth," Cas answered. "And much of that fault lies with me."
Dean replied, "Because of the civil war and Purgatory?"
"Crowley dredged up so many secrets when trying to find it, like how to transport souls from Purgatory. Before only reapers could bring a soul to Purgatory; they couldn't pull a soul out. After I took in all those souls, anyone with the right abilities could move freely in and out of Purgatory, with or without souls in either direction."
"Haven't there always been rogue reapers? That's not your fault."
Cas replied, "Had I not helped Crowley, none of this would be happening."
"You don't know that - " Dean began, but Sam interrupted when he returned carrying something in his fist.
"We'll be needing this," Sam said, holding out Dean's old necklace.
Dean asked, "What - where did you get that?"
"I pocketed it after you threw it out."
"And you've had it all this time?"
"Dude, it was in the Impala," Sam said. "Surprised you didn't find it when you were living with Lisa and Ben."
"What is it?" Kevin asked.
"This pendant burns hot in when near God," Sam said, but Dean stopped that train.
"You can't be serious about - "
"Why not?"
Dean turned to Cas and asked, "How long did you spend looking for God? Almost a year? Longer? And then he told someone else to tell us to back off! How is this any different?"
"Because this time we're not asking him to curtail free will," Castiel replied.
Sam weighed in with, "The real question is, will God resurrect an angel at our request? We might - "
"That's the real question?" Dean interrupted.
"God knows what's going on. I believe he will help us," Castiel replied, ignoring Dean's comment.
"Because he's been so much help before?" Dean asked.
"He has," this time it was Kevin who spoke. "If you believe nothing else, you know he's brought Castiel back."
"Right, but that's - " Dean began.
Kevin interrupted. "That's not something that happens for everyone. He didn't bring Channing back, did he?"
Dean felt cowed at the dead girlfriend card, and the room fell silent for several awkward minutes.
"There's one more thing," Kevin said.
"There's more?" Dean asked.
"To close the Gates of Hell, one person had to become purified and throw the switch."
"Yeah, not fun," Sam interjected.
"But to do this, each trial must be done by a different person, and afterwards, all three must come together and say a spell."
"Okay, so we'll divvy up the trials, I'll take one, Sam takes one, and Cas will - "
"No, Castiel can't do this," Kevin interrupted. "He can assist us, but only humans can actually complete these trials."
"Kev, we don't have a third wheel on hand - " Dean began.
"We could ask Charlie or Garth," Sam suggested.
"No, and hell no," Dean said to his brother.
Both Winchesters started with, "What are you - "
"I'm going to do it," Kevin interrupted them. "I'm going to do the third trial."
The dead girlfriend made Dean feel cowed but that statement made his brain come to a screeching halt.
<<< Previous Part:
Part One: Street Light
Next Part: >>>
Part Three: Flick of the Knife
Primary Post: 09x12 Problem Child
Primary Post: Season 9 Fan Fiction (S9FF)
Title: Problem Child
Subtitle: Dead or Alive
Author: dracox-serdriel
Word Count: 2,038
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: language
Status: Complete. Feedback appreciated.
Sam rolled over in bed, his arms reaching out across the pillows. The familiar surrounding was comforting, but something was missing.
He smelled bacon, and his stomach rumbled. He stretched as he got out of bed, carefully and thoughtfully. His nose led him down to the kitchen.
He expected Dean, or maybe even Cas but not -
"Kevin?" Sam said.
"Morning."
"What are you - "
"Doing here? Yeah, I thought Castiel told you about all this like, days ago, but apparently not."
"Cas brought you here?"
Kevin flipped pancakes. "Yeah, last night."
"Is everything okay?"
"I'm on December break."
"That - doesn't answer the question," Sam replied. Without thinking about it, he set the table with an extra place for Kevin.
"You wanna know? Go get Cas."
"Uh, not a good idea."
"Huh? I thought angels don't sleep?"
"They don't," Sam said casually. "But Dean does."
"Right, of course," Kevin replied. "So, how have you been?"
The smell of bacon was more than enough to coax Dean out of his bed early. By the time he and Cas came to the kitchen, Kevin had finished the pancakes and eggs, and Sam had told him about Dodge and their last case.
"Kevin?" Dean asked. "What're you doing here?"
"You said you'd tell them," Kevin shot at Castiel.
"I planned to, but - there was much going on."
"Much going on?" Dean repeated. "Kev, please tell me you're okay and this is not about some demonic asshole finding you."
"No, no," Kevin replied. "I'm on December break."
"And?" Sam said.
"We thought this would be the best time to, uh, set something in motion," Castiel added. "Kevin will be safe here at the Bunker."
"Why wouldn't Kevin be safe in New Jersey with his mom?" Sam asked.
"Because of this," Kevin said as he produced a small box carved with sigils.
"Hex box?" Sam asked.
"Sort of, it keeps the objects and knowledge of whatever's inside hidden from prying eyes," the prophet replied. He opened the box and showed them a notebook and the Angel Tablet.
"Is that - " Sam began.
"The Angel Tablet?" Dean finished. He glared at Castiel. "You said it was safe, no one could find it, not even us. It's been with Prophet-Boy the whole time?"
"Yes," Kevin said defensively. "And it has been safe. The only people who can see it are people I show it to. I brought it here because I'm done and I wanna stash it with the Demon Tablet."
"You're done?" Sam asked. "Meaning - "
"You translated the Angel Tablet? While doing your first semester at Princeton?" Dean cut his brother off. He muttered, "Overachiever."
"That's what we need to set in motion, the trials of the Angel Tablet," Castiel said.
"You want to board up Heaven?" Sam asked.
"The trials don't close the Gates of Heaven," Kevin asserted.
"Okay, then, what do they do?" Dean asked.
"According to the tablet, every angel in creation is uniquely made. Not two angels can make a third, unique angel, because the angels share a single father."
"No angel babies, got it," Dean summarized. "So what?"
"Hell's demons come from burning away parts of the human soul, making them crave and strive solely for power," Kevin explained. "Heaven's power stems from the Angelic Host."
"That's not good news, given the circumstances," Sam said. "A lot of angels have died."
"Precisely," Castiel said. "And according to Kevin, the tablet speaks to that exact problem. When the Angelic Host diminishes, new angels cannot be made from angels."
"But, what, they can be made from humans?" Sam asked as a joke. Kevin and Castiel exchanged soulful looks.
"Seriously?" Dean asked. "That's your plan? Turn all the souls in Heaven into Angels? That's - that's crazy."
"No, not all the souls," Kevin snapped. "It's a voluntary process. The souls of people who want to serve as soldiers or healers or whatever take on a process to distill Grace from the Soul."
"Like a brewery, but instead of beer, we're getting angels?" Dean said skeptically. "Really?"
"They won't be like the angels you've met," Cas said. "They have human souls, so they will understand human emotions much better than angels. And they won't be as powerful, but they will have power over illness, demons, monsters - this is a good thing, Dean. Heaven's numbers grow thinner with each passing year. In a few decades, there won't be enough to guard the souls in heaven, let alone do any of their work on earth."
"I don't mean to insult you, Cas, but most of the angels we've met were dicks. Is it really a bad thing if they all just stayed in Heaven?"
Castiel tilted his head.
"I don't mean you," Dean added.
"Dean, you've used holy water as a weapon for many years," the angel began. "Did it ever occur to you to ask why it worked? It's just water that's had a few words spoken over it, and those words aren't a spell."
"So, what, you're saying angels bless the holy water?" Sam asked.
"A class of Cherub is responsible for imbuing holy objects and blessings with power. Holy oil, holy water. Vows taken by humans. If they leave, holy water will no longer be a weapon among other things," Cas explained.
"Awesome."
Sam weighed in. "Let's say we get on board with this. The last trials took us months to do, and Crowley found out about it quickly. You think we can finish these with no one noticing?"
"Yes," Kevin replied.
"How?" asked Dean.
"For one thing, I've translated the entire tablet already. And for another, we're not trying to lock anyone away here," Kevin said. "Sit down and eat, the food is getting cold. We can argue after."
They gathered at the table and ate, even Castiel, who realized that he enjoyed food when shared with others.
A very long time ago... Metatron rested.
"You have a question?" God asked.
"I - am curious," Metatron said quietly.
"Ask."
"Why are there trials? And why these particular acts?"
"To let anyone, even the very best individual, change the shape and nature of the world in one motion would be dangerous. The trials ensure multiple parties assisting, and as for the particularity, they follow the same pattern as the trials to close the Gates of Hell.
"The first entails bravery, strength, and loyalty. Without these traits, no one can hope to complete such a task.
"The second requires knowledge of the other planes and of the nature and movement of souls. Only someone with wisdom and imagination can hope to succeed.
"The third demands humility in pursuit of new knowledge as well as compassion towards those considered enemies, because as you realized earlier today, every one can become whole once more."
"Am I to write that for the prophet?" Metatron asked.
"No, no. Some things the prophet will understand by revelation of the word through the mind, but the rest will fall to the revelation of the soul."
Sam cleared the dishes to the sink, and Castiel washed them. He could utilize his powers and clean the lot of them in seconds, but Kevin needed time to explain the plan to the Winchesters.
"These trials," Dean said, "what are they? Don't dress'em up, okay?"
Sam joined them at the table.
"The first trial is to eliminate a traitor of heaven."
"Eliminate?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, it's not specific, it's like, 'stop' or 'impede,'" Kevin tried to explain. "Killing one would work, I guess, but it could also be about reforming a traitor."
"And the second?" Dean asked.
"Rescue an innocent from Purgatory and deliver the soul unto Heaven."
"An innocent from Purgatory?" Dean asked. "How would an innocent soul even get into Purgatory?"
"The tablet didn't go into detail, but I feel like - " Kevin stopped. "Sometimes I get an understanding, even when the words aren't there."
"Okay, Prophet-Boy, lay it on us," Dean insisted.
"Some species don't take to the soul until you have fed," Kevin explained. "Vampire. Rugagru. But some species turn the soul right away, and some are born."
Sam said, "Like shape shifters."
"I guess - "
"And the last trial?" Dean interrupted.
"To resurrect an angel who died for humanity," Kevin said.
"I'm sorry, what?" Dean asked.
"How - how?" Sam asked.
Kevin sat back in his chair. "According to the tablet, when an angel dies, its Grace returns to the source."
"Let me guess, there's some big Fountain o' Grace in Heaven," Dean said.
"No, you idiot," Kevin replied. "The source, as in God. The Grace returns to God."
"Is that how I was resurrected?" Castiel asked as he joined them at the table.
"I think so."
"So, what? We just go up to God and ask him?" Sam asked. "I mean, if God has the Grace, then the only way we could get it is to find him, right?" He made a gesture indicating he needed a minute before he left for his room.
"You two are serious about this?" Dean asked.
"Sam shut the Gates of Hell, but the demons are finding ways back to earth," Cas answered. "And much of that fault lies with me."
Dean replied, "Because of the civil war and Purgatory?"
"Crowley dredged up so many secrets when trying to find it, like how to transport souls from Purgatory. Before only reapers could bring a soul to Purgatory; they couldn't pull a soul out. After I took in all those souls, anyone with the right abilities could move freely in and out of Purgatory, with or without souls in either direction."
"Haven't there always been rogue reapers? That's not your fault."
Cas replied, "Had I not helped Crowley, none of this would be happening."
"You don't know that - " Dean began, but Sam interrupted when he returned carrying something in his fist.
"We'll be needing this," Sam said, holding out Dean's old necklace.
Dean asked, "What - where did you get that?"
"I pocketed it after you threw it out."
"And you've had it all this time?"
"Dude, it was in the Impala," Sam said. "Surprised you didn't find it when you were living with Lisa and Ben."
"What is it?" Kevin asked.
"This pendant burns hot in when near God," Sam said, but Dean stopped that train.
"You can't be serious about - "
"Why not?"
Dean turned to Cas and asked, "How long did you spend looking for God? Almost a year? Longer? And then he told someone else to tell us to back off! How is this any different?"
"Because this time we're not asking him to curtail free will," Castiel replied.
Sam weighed in with, "The real question is, will God resurrect an angel at our request? We might - "
"That's the real question?" Dean interrupted.
"God knows what's going on. I believe he will help us," Castiel replied, ignoring Dean's comment.
"Because he's been so much help before?" Dean asked.
"He has," this time it was Kevin who spoke. "If you believe nothing else, you know he's brought Castiel back."
"Right, but that's - " Dean began.
Kevin interrupted. "That's not something that happens for everyone. He didn't bring Channing back, did he?"
Dean felt cowed at the dead girlfriend card, and the room fell silent for several awkward minutes.
"There's one more thing," Kevin said.
"There's more?" Dean asked.
"To close the Gates of Hell, one person had to become purified and throw the switch."
"Yeah, not fun," Sam interjected.
"But to do this, each trial must be done by a different person, and afterwards, all three must come together and say a spell."
"Okay, so we'll divvy up the trials, I'll take one, Sam takes one, and Cas will - "
"No, Castiel can't do this," Kevin interrupted. "He can assist us, but only humans can actually complete these trials."
"Kev, we don't have a third wheel on hand - " Dean began.
"We could ask Charlie or Garth," Sam suggested.
"No, and hell no," Dean said to his brother.
Both Winchesters started with, "What are you - "
"I'm going to do it," Kevin interrupted them. "I'm going to do the third trial."
The dead girlfriend made Dean feel cowed but that statement made his brain come to a screeching halt.
<<< Previous Part:
Part One: Street Light
Next Part: >>>
Part Three: Flick of the Knife
Primary Post: 09x12 Problem Child
Primary Post: Season 9 Fan Fiction (S9FF)