Living on a Prayer, BtVS/SPN, part 21/?
Living on a Prayer
nwhepcat
Supernatural/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sam and Dean Winchester, Castiel, Faith Lehane
Follow up to
Like the White-Winged Dove and Waiting for the end of the World.
Faith has a slayer dream which sends her on a reluctant journey to her old territory, on a quest to save a new ally.
Previous parts are here.
The bright sunshine on rain-wet streets makes everything look shiny and freshly washed. It's the kind of day she's always welcomed in the midst of a long winter, full of the promise of spring, even if it's still far off. "Feel like walking?" she asks Castiel. She's in no big hurry to wreck this mood. "How's that knife gash?"
"The pain is tolerable." Which she suspects he'd say even if it was his arm that had been hacked off. "Yes, I'd like to walk. Normally I have little enough time to pay attention to the world when I'm here."
"So this isn't all one big distraction?"
"Some of my brethren would find my interest ... problematic. But I'm on the sidelines of the larger fight until I heal. This is my chance to acquaint myself with what we're trying to save. It's not just an abstract ideal."
Faith shows him the neighborhood as they walk, pointing out places she remembers and those that have changed. As they reach the corner where the church sits, she pauses to look for the window with the angel, which gives her a strong physical sense of memory. "That angel," she says. "I used to look at that window all the time the two or three years I actually went to church. And later, when I was past the whole church thing, I still looked for him. I'd be stumblin' out of some guy's car, or drunk off my ass after one of Kenny's gigs, but I'd always stop and look, even though the window was just a big dark shape. I'd forgotten that." The traffic signal changes and Faith steps out into the crosswalk. "It's never as beautiful when you're standing on the outside," she says softly. She lapses into silence and Castiel leaves it unbroken. After a few minutes, she says, "One of those demons. He said something about the next time you're in hell, that it wouldn't just be a walk-through. What was that about?"
"I was sent there on a rescue mission."
"Dean."
Castiel looks at her sharply. "I can't say."
"Something's eating at him. It's big. I've murdered people, I know what it is to be haunted. I've got nothin' on him."
"He has other problems," Castiel says grimly.
"Nothing on the order of bein' in hell, I'd guess."
"Then you'd guess wrong. His brother is a problem."
"Sam?"
"Dean's inability to influence him is a problem. It may become a problem for all humanity."
"Shaggy?"
"Sam has powers that are demonic in origin. He has been warned not to use them, yet he persists. He believes that if he uses them for purposes he deems good, they will not corrupt him. He consorts with a demon who encourages this."
"Consorts?" He aims a sharp look at Castiel, who doesn't elaborate, but the look on his face fills in the definition for her. The notion twists her stomach with disgust. "Why?"
"Ruby has been in the Winchesters' orbit for some time. Helping them on occasion. After Dean's death, she took advantage of Sam's weakness. Seduced him in body and spirit. He believes that because she has helped him in the past, she is his friend."
"Maybe she is."
That earns her a glare that should singe her eyebrows off.
"Just because a person is evil, it doesn't mean he or she can't love."
"Ruby is not a person. She's a demon, wrapped in a cloak of humanity."
"Doesn't mean she doesn't care about him. I'm just sayin'." She stiffens her spine under the heat of his anger. "Look, I had someone swoop me up who aspired to be a fricken demon."
"I'm aware of this."
"Well, you should be aware of this, too. I know that he loved me, and it wasn't gross or nasty. I thought maybe it was at first, and I would have gone along because that was what I knew, but he let me know it was fatherly, and I was not gonna change that. It was love and it was real, and the hosts of heaven are not gonna convince me otherwise. It might be true of this Ruby."
"It doesn't mean she won't destroy Sam."
"That's where we agree. I did a lot of evil things for Richard Wilkins."
Castiel relaxes then and seems to lose a good four inches in height. She realizes they've been standing in the middle of the sidewalk, half shouting at one another.
"You have a real talent for looming, you know that? It must come in handy when you're threatening Sam."
"I do not threaten."
"Whatevs. This is why you dumped me on the Winchesters, isn't it? In case Sam goes all dark side and Dean can't do what's needed. You got yourself a reformed assassin."
Castiel's silence stretches out for a long moment, giving her all the answer she needs. "Could you do this?"
"I think you know what you're asking me to do. Cross a line that I've crossed before, do something that nearly destroyed me."
"I am not Richard Wilkins."
"Or Michael Landon. Yeah, I got that."
"The future of this world -- of heaven and hell -- may rest on Sam. If he will not stop himself, and Dean can't stop him, will you stand between the world and utter darkness?"
Faith meets his gaze. "I love this world, even fucked up as it is. And when I get ganked, I'd much rather have you give me the grand tour of heaven than hell. Yeah, Castiel. I will do what needs to be done."
nwhepcat
Supernatural/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sam and Dean Winchester, Castiel, Faith Lehane
Follow up to
Like the White-Winged Dove and Waiting for the end of the World.
Faith has a slayer dream which sends her on a reluctant journey to her old territory, on a quest to save a new ally.
Previous parts are here.
The bright sunshine on rain-wet streets makes everything look shiny and freshly washed. It's the kind of day she's always welcomed in the midst of a long winter, full of the promise of spring, even if it's still far off. "Feel like walking?" she asks Castiel. She's in no big hurry to wreck this mood. "How's that knife gash?"
"The pain is tolerable." Which she suspects he'd say even if it was his arm that had been hacked off. "Yes, I'd like to walk. Normally I have little enough time to pay attention to the world when I'm here."
"So this isn't all one big distraction?"
"Some of my brethren would find my interest ... problematic. But I'm on the sidelines of the larger fight until I heal. This is my chance to acquaint myself with what we're trying to save. It's not just an abstract ideal."
Faith shows him the neighborhood as they walk, pointing out places she remembers and those that have changed. As they reach the corner where the church sits, she pauses to look for the window with the angel, which gives her a strong physical sense of memory. "That angel," she says. "I used to look at that window all the time the two or three years I actually went to church. And later, when I was past the whole church thing, I still looked for him. I'd be stumblin' out of some guy's car, or drunk off my ass after one of Kenny's gigs, but I'd always stop and look, even though the window was just a big dark shape. I'd forgotten that." The traffic signal changes and Faith steps out into the crosswalk. "It's never as beautiful when you're standing on the outside," she says softly. She lapses into silence and Castiel leaves it unbroken. After a few minutes, she says, "One of those demons. He said something about the next time you're in hell, that it wouldn't just be a walk-through. What was that about?"
"I was sent there on a rescue mission."
"Dean."
Castiel looks at her sharply. "I can't say."
"Something's eating at him. It's big. I've murdered people, I know what it is to be haunted. I've got nothin' on him."
"He has other problems," Castiel says grimly.
"Nothing on the order of bein' in hell, I'd guess."
"Then you'd guess wrong. His brother is a problem."
"Sam?"
"Dean's inability to influence him is a problem. It may become a problem for all humanity."
"Shaggy?"
"Sam has powers that are demonic in origin. He has been warned not to use them, yet he persists. He believes that if he uses them for purposes he deems good, they will not corrupt him. He consorts with a demon who encourages this."
"Consorts?" He aims a sharp look at Castiel, who doesn't elaborate, but the look on his face fills in the definition for her. The notion twists her stomach with disgust. "Why?"
"Ruby has been in the Winchesters' orbit for some time. Helping them on occasion. After Dean's death, she took advantage of Sam's weakness. Seduced him in body and spirit. He believes that because she has helped him in the past, she is his friend."
"Maybe she is."
That earns her a glare that should singe her eyebrows off.
"Just because a person is evil, it doesn't mean he or she can't love."
"Ruby is not a person. She's a demon, wrapped in a cloak of humanity."
"Doesn't mean she doesn't care about him. I'm just sayin'." She stiffens her spine under the heat of his anger. "Look, I had someone swoop me up who aspired to be a fricken demon."
"I'm aware of this."
"Well, you should be aware of this, too. I know that he loved me, and it wasn't gross or nasty. I thought maybe it was at first, and I would have gone along because that was what I knew, but he let me know it was fatherly, and I was not gonna change that. It was love and it was real, and the hosts of heaven are not gonna convince me otherwise. It might be true of this Ruby."
"It doesn't mean she won't destroy Sam."
"That's where we agree. I did a lot of evil things for Richard Wilkins."
Castiel relaxes then and seems to lose a good four inches in height. She realizes they've been standing in the middle of the sidewalk, half shouting at one another.
"You have a real talent for looming, you know that? It must come in handy when you're threatening Sam."
"I do not threaten."
"Whatevs. This is why you dumped me on the Winchesters, isn't it? In case Sam goes all dark side and Dean can't do what's needed. You got yourself a reformed assassin."
Castiel's silence stretches out for a long moment, giving her all the answer she needs. "Could you do this?"
"I think you know what you're asking me to do. Cross a line that I've crossed before, do something that nearly destroyed me."
"I am not Richard Wilkins."
"Or Michael Landon. Yeah, I got that."
"The future of this world -- of heaven and hell -- may rest on Sam. If he will not stop himself, and Dean can't stop him, will you stand between the world and utter darkness?"
Faith meets his gaze. "I love this world, even fucked up as it is. And when I get ganked, I'd much rather have you give me the grand tour of heaven than hell. Yeah, Castiel. I will do what needs to be done."