Unexpected Destinies Chapter 33
Title: Unexpected Destinies
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,384
Summary: For this hunt, Dean plays bait.
PAST
Dean resisted the urge to scan the sports bar, afraid that he'd blow his cover by appearing far too alert and aware of his surroundings to be just an average Joe. He nearly snorted at the thought, it was ironic that he was here, just over four months after being kicked out of Lisa's, once more attempting to pass for normal in a world he knew only all too well to be filled with the supernatural. At least, he mused, he was able to put some of what he'd learned in Cicero to good use, even if the overall experience had been a complete disaster.
It still hurt for Dean to think about Lisa, Ben and the time he'd spent there. Not only was it yet another failure in an impossible long list of them, but it had been the shattering of a dream he'd clung to quite desperately. Or no, not a dream, but rather an illusion. He'd deluded himself into thinking that he wanted the normal, apple pie life; that he could be happy like that in order to keep himself going. It had become a light at the end of the tunnel as he'd needed there to be something there seeing how he'd had nothing at the time to cling to.
When the thoughts threatened to turn to the present, Dean did his best to try and shove them aside. His mind, however, refused to cooperate. Now that he'd drawn attention to the fact, he couldn't help but think about what he had now waiting for him at the end of the tunnel.
Nothing.
Now, not only did he not have a dream induced self-delusion, but he also didn't have either Sam or Bobby. Oh, he'd known before that there was always a chance that they wouldn't all make it through the Apocalypse alive and while he'd outright refused to discuss the possibility, it had constantly been on his mind. He'd just always assumed that if he lost either of them, it would be to death, not to betrayal.
The reminder of Sam and Bobby's actions tore through him and it was all that Dean could do to keep his posture open and approachable as he forced down the salad he'd ordered. The creature was quite predictable and liked it's victims to be male, twenty-five to forty, health freaks and alone. At least that was the pattern that he could see so far. The creature, or rather creatures he suspected, were also following a nice steady pattern in how they chose their attack towns and the cops would be all over them if they'd even bothered to look at the cases closely, but so far they hadn't. Then again, they hadn't found what he had, a clearing deep in the woods strewn with the chewed bones of a torn apart corpse. As far as the police were concerned, they were still dealing with multiple, simple missing person cases.
The urge to take in his surroundings was back, especially now that Dean was sure he could feel eyes on him, but he resisted the temptation. As soon as he'd realized that playing bait was the best way to track down and kill whatever he was hunting, and he was starting to suspect a pack of skinwalkers, he'd called Castiel in for backup. With his lover covering his back, he knew he was as safe as he could possibly be, but old habits were hard to break, especially ones he'd acquired to help him survive. Thinking of his lover inevitably led back to thoughts of Lisa and the end of the tunnel.
Part of what had hurt so bad with the whole apple pie life fiasco was Lisa kicking him out. That was twice now that he'd been prepared to give himself entirely to someone else and both times they'd flat out rejected him, wanting nothing to do with him in the long run. They'd been happy to be with him for a short while, but as soon as the truth came out, as soon as they got to know the real him, they couldn't end it fast enough. Obviously all he'd been good enough for was sex, short-term, meaningless sex. He really should have clued in with Lisa's relatively unwelcome greeting that first time he'd gone back to see her, just before Ben had been taken by the changelings. But, instead, he'd been blind to it, willing himself to ignore it and what it meant. He was good at that. At least Cas wanted him for more then just the sex.
The thought made him think of the tunnel again and it was all that Dean could do to keep his composure and keep up the facade. The eyes had been trained on him for a while now, far longer then mere curiosity would justify, so he was pretty sure that this was one of the creatures he was after, studying him. Despite that, his thoughts still drifted. Yeah, Castiel was clearly into more then just the sex, but for how long? Until they dealt with the Apocalypse once and for all and the time came for him to go back to Heaven, or would the angel end it before that? He really hoped not, but if it was the former, he almost hoped that he wouldn't survive the end of it all. Yeah, it would suck not getting to see the victory he'd worked so long and hard for, but it would be better then ending up all alone. Then needing to watch Castiel walk out on him.
Again.
The very idea pained him enough for Dean to know that he wouldn't survive that. Not now after everything that had happened. He got attached to people quickly that he let close, he knew he did and that was part of the reason why he normally kept things quick and distant. A night of pleasure for himself and his partner, no strings attached, and then it was time to move on before he learned any more of them or started to care for and expect more from them then they were willing to give. Yeah, okay, so he understood why it had been necessary for Castiel to leave before, but that hadn't made it any easier to deal with and then, at least, he'd had something to look forward to. Now, he didn't.
A part of his mind tried to tell him that this time was different, that there was no chaos and anarchy in Heaven for Castiel to go deal with, but Dean shoved it aside. Who knew what would happen between now and then, especially with Michael out and about? How long before the archangel tried to usurp Cas' power and position and caused more strife? And that was all assuming that they'd win and he'd live to see it happen. But, if it all played out like that, and Heaven wasn't in uproar, then he knew he still couldn't lay claim to his lover. Castiel was an angel and angels belonged in Heaven. He'd seen what being away from there did to Cas and he had no desire to see that repeated ever again.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I join you?"
The man asking was of average height but above average build and most of that due to muscle mass. If this guy knew how to fight, Dean knew he'd have a challenge on his hands, but he doubted the creature considered hand-to-hand an important skill to have. If he was right about this guy, then he probably relied on his shape shifting abilities more then anything else.
"Uh, sure," Dean replied, putting what he thought was enough hesitancy into his voice.
The bar was by no means full and there were plenty of empty tables, so the average Joe would probably be a bit wary of a complete stranger coming to join him, well if it wasn't a girl anyway, and he'd half expected that it would be. That way at least they could lure their victims in easily. As the creature sat, he couldn't help but note the slightly more golden hue to his eyes then was normal. Most people would probably write it off as a trick of the light if they noticed it at all, but he knew better.
"Sorry," the man said calmly. "But I couldn't help but notice that you were sitting alone and that you looked like someone who likes to play golf."
Hook. At least the golf shirt Lisa had insisted he buy would come to some good use.
"Yeah, I do, unfortunately my ex got all of my clubs in the divorce, so I can't exactly play at the moment."
Line. Now, would he take the bait?
"That sucks, man!" the creature stated sympathetically. "But I've got an extra set if you want to play a game?"
Sink 'em. Much as Dean wanted to accept the offer, he had to play his part to avoid looking too eager. Therefore, he frowned.
"Don't you have anyone to play with?"
"Nope, I'm new, just moved into town and I hate playing on my own."
"I don't know."
"Come on, man, it's already November, how much longer do you think the weather will hold even this far South?"
"That's true," Dean mused. "Oh, what the heck."
"That's the spirit! I'm Alex, by the way."
"Justin."
"Well, good to meet you, Justin. Do you still need to pay or are you good to go?"
"I'm good."
"Great, my car is parked 'round the back, in the parking garage."
Of course it was somewhere away from prying eyes and anyone likely to hear or respond to a cry for help. Dean also strongly doubted that the creature's vehicle was a car at all, he'd bet the Impala that it was a van or something else that would make it easy to covertly transport an unconscious and potentially bleeding body.
Since he knew he was still safe here, Dean led the way out of the sports bar. As he went, he could feel the creature's eyes on him, no doubt assessing him. He had to suppress a shiver at the thought of being so thoroughly appraised not for his looks or fighting abilities, but rather for how good he'd taste or how big of a meal he'd be. Based on the normal appetite for a skinwalker, the chosen victims and the frequency with which this pack was killing, he estimated that there were five to seven creatures in the pack, depending on their genders. That had been part of the reason why he'd known this plan would work. Though he wasn't quite as tall as his father or brother, he knew he was still taller then average and his hunter's physique made him more muscled then your average American male, so he'd known that he'd be more appealing to the pack. Still, between thinking that and actually being drooled over as a meal, there was a large gap and it was a distinctly uncomfortable one. He could only hope for the previous victims that they'd been killed before the pack had started eating, but he was afraid that they hadn't been.
"This way," the creature indicated, coming to walk beside him.
Dean started some inane conversation as he let the creature lead him. He kept his eyes peeled, though, and noticed the man lingering outside the parking garage. A quick glance in a car window showed the guy following them. Amateur, he thought to himself, not that they'd needed anymore then this with their normal victims. Still, you didn't see Castiel making stupid mistakes like that. Hell, even he couldn't spot the angel and he knew he was out there, somewhere. Then they rounded a corner and there were two more guys standing with a woman. He nearly smiled as he noticed the van they were standing next to. Any urge to smile vanished when he caught one of the guys licking his lips at the sight of him.
Dude, that was just gross and wrong on so many levels.
A quick glance around to ensure that there were no innocent bystanders present and Dean was more then ready to get this show on the road. In a gesture designed deliberately to look as innocuous as possible, he reached out to touch the creature's bare forearm. With his right hand, the one bearing the silver ring. As expected, the creature hissed and pulled his arm away.
Bingo.
"Are you alright?" Dean inquired innocently. "Did I hurt you?"
Not only had the little incident put any final doubts he might have had to rest, but it had also had the added benefit of drawing the attention of the four other skinwalkers. Dean noticed the woman wincing in sympathy as they started to close in on him. Good, the closer the better as that meant there was less chance of them getting away once they realized exactly what was going on here.
"No, no," the creature replied hastily, glancing about wildly. "You just caught me by surprise is all."
It took a few seconds for Dean to figure out what Alex- if that was even his real name- was trying to do, but he smiled when he did. They were too far away from the van for the creature's comfort. He wanted to get him closer to it before doing anything to give the game away and he was desperately trying to tell his packmates that. Not that any of them seemed to be either getting the message or caring about it. So perhaps the word 'pack' was the wrong one as he tended to associate packs with a clear, strong leader whom the others followed and that definitely didn't seem to be the case here. No, they were rather a ragtag and undisciplined group.
"Oh, really?" Dean questioned, voice syrupy sweet. "Gee and here I thought it was the silver of my ring you didn't like."
The words made the creatures freeze in their tracks, eyes wide.
It seemed to click for the woman first as she drew in a sharp breath. "Hunter!"
"Damn right, I am," Dean replied. "Did you really think that you could get away with eating people and no one would notice? If so, guess again. Honestly, what is it with you guys anyway?"
The first to respond was the one who'd licked his lips earlier, a truly terrible expression twisting his already fugly face. "I'm going to fucking tear you to shreds."
"No, you are not."
The words are said calmly, but Dean could detect the familiar steel underneath them that meant that his lover was deadly serious. The sudden, unexpected arrival of the two archangels (and what the hell was Michael doing here anyway?) caused chaos and he used the opportunity to take out the creature closest to himself before it decided to attack him. He was already turning to aim his silver bullet loaded Desert Eagle at the skinwalker not being attacked by Castiel and Michael when he heard a growl behind him. Reacting instantly, he spun around to face the sound and only just managed to twist away from the snarling jaws aimed at his throat.
A clawed paw scratched his arm as he went down and Dean hissed in pain, though he tried to ignore it so he could face the new threat head on. This particular skinwalker had taken on the form of a large Doberman and was already crouched to attack him once more when it suddenly whined, the sound quickly turning into a howl as it was incinerated on the spot, much as Anna had been when she'd tried to kill Mom.
Momentarily stunned, Dean could only stare at the ashes that were all that was left of a sixth skinwalker, one he hadn't even known was there until he'd heard that growl. The complete silence around him was what allowed him to remain in place for so long as he'd been far too well trained to freeze in the middle of a fight. Not that he'd expected anything else from two archangels, they probably could have taken the lot of them out without blinking, but still, if there had been any sign of an ongoing struggle, he'd have given it his full attention immediately.
Slowly, Dean rose to his feet and turned to look at the others, jumping back as he realized exactly how close Michael stood to him and the fact that he had one of his hands raised out towards him.
"Whoa, back off, dude!" Dean exclaimed.
"You are hurt," Michael replied, not lowering his arm.
Both Michael and Castiel were completely unruffled physically, though his lover appeared to be caught between surprise and, Dean frowned, what looked like fear. His angel was looking at Michael at first, but then Cas turned to look at him and he realized that, yeah, it was fear in those eyes and that it was because of what had so nearly happened to him. The complete lack of alarm there, though, allowed him to come to a decision and he didn't pull away when the archangel reached out towards his arm once more. The now familiar feeling of skin sewing itself shut washed over him and he wondered what it meant that Michael had thought to heal him. Was it progress or simply a desire to keep his vessel in the best condition possible for when he got to wear it?
"Did you do that?" Dean demanded, gesturing towards the ashes.
"Yes."
"How?"
"By using my powers," Michael said slowly, as if speaking to a small child.
"Fuck you," Dean shot back, earning himself the expected scowl.
"How?" This time the question came from Castiel, who was looking at his brother in surprise.
"It is an archangel ability," Michael stated.
"Good," Dean replied. "So teach Cas how to do it."
"Excuse me?"
"Teach Cas, he's an archangel now."
His lover's face lit up and Dean knew that Castiel had just realized what he had. He didn't know why it hadn't occurred to them any sooner then this. There Cas and Xarael had been, struggling away to try and discover and master all of the new abilities that Castiel possessed as an archangel, when they now had the perfect source available to them. It showed how wary they were of Michael, but the archangel had yet to do anything more then be a complete ass since he'd first shown up three weeks ago.
Michael eyed his brother in a way Dean didn't like at all and he pounced before the douchebag could open his mouth. "Look, Mikey, you're the one that sought us out and, so far, we've been accommodating, but that can change real quick if you don't give us a little something back."
He was getting that expression again, the one that was a bizarre mix of self-righteous anger, resignation, confusion and resentment. He still enjoyed it far more then he knew he should.
"Angels do not teach each other skills, they are created already knowing all the ones that they need to," Michael stated.
"Yeah, well, Daddy changed the rules, remember? Unless you really think He gave Cas all of these abilities without the intention of him ever learning to use them?"
Apparently that was the right thing to say as Michael seemed to relent, though as ungracefully as before. Dean frowned, not liking how easy all of this was. After everything that had happened before Stull Cemetery, he'd have expected far more of a fight from the archangel then they'd been getting. He knew that he didn't really understand the connection between angels and God- hell, he wasn't even sure if he was even capable of understanding that type of bond- but could it really explain Michael's aberrant behavior? Was that all it would have taken before? One unmistakable sign of God's thoughts on the matter and the entire Apocalypse would have been averted?
For once, Dean found himself almost wishing that he never learned the answer to that question. If he did and his thoughts were confirmed, then he was pretty sure that he'd come to hate Castiel's Father in a way that was bound to hurt his lover.
A.N.: Guys, I'm really sorry to have kept you all waiting so long, but I've been sick as a dog the past few days and haven't really left my bed unless absolutely necessary. I'm starting to feel a bit better now, not so much that I'm seeing anyone- I think I may still be contagious- but luckily that's not an issue for any of you. I hope that this chapter hasn't suffered for my not being quite 100% yet (my ability to stick to one tense seems to be completely shot), but I apologize now if it has and I'll correct any mistakes people find.
Chapter 34
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,384
Summary: For this hunt, Dean plays bait.
PAST
Dean resisted the urge to scan the sports bar, afraid that he'd blow his cover by appearing far too alert and aware of his surroundings to be just an average Joe. He nearly snorted at the thought, it was ironic that he was here, just over four months after being kicked out of Lisa's, once more attempting to pass for normal in a world he knew only all too well to be filled with the supernatural. At least, he mused, he was able to put some of what he'd learned in Cicero to good use, even if the overall experience had been a complete disaster.
It still hurt for Dean to think about Lisa, Ben and the time he'd spent there. Not only was it yet another failure in an impossible long list of them, but it had been the shattering of a dream he'd clung to quite desperately. Or no, not a dream, but rather an illusion. He'd deluded himself into thinking that he wanted the normal, apple pie life; that he could be happy like that in order to keep himself going. It had become a light at the end of the tunnel as he'd needed there to be something there seeing how he'd had nothing at the time to cling to.
When the thoughts threatened to turn to the present, Dean did his best to try and shove them aside. His mind, however, refused to cooperate. Now that he'd drawn attention to the fact, he couldn't help but think about what he had now waiting for him at the end of the tunnel.
Nothing.
Now, not only did he not have a dream induced self-delusion, but he also didn't have either Sam or Bobby. Oh, he'd known before that there was always a chance that they wouldn't all make it through the Apocalypse alive and while he'd outright refused to discuss the possibility, it had constantly been on his mind. He'd just always assumed that if he lost either of them, it would be to death, not to betrayal.
The reminder of Sam and Bobby's actions tore through him and it was all that Dean could do to keep his posture open and approachable as he forced down the salad he'd ordered. The creature was quite predictable and liked it's victims to be male, twenty-five to forty, health freaks and alone. At least that was the pattern that he could see so far. The creature, or rather creatures he suspected, were also following a nice steady pattern in how they chose their attack towns and the cops would be all over them if they'd even bothered to look at the cases closely, but so far they hadn't. Then again, they hadn't found what he had, a clearing deep in the woods strewn with the chewed bones of a torn apart corpse. As far as the police were concerned, they were still dealing with multiple, simple missing person cases.
The urge to take in his surroundings was back, especially now that Dean was sure he could feel eyes on him, but he resisted the temptation. As soon as he'd realized that playing bait was the best way to track down and kill whatever he was hunting, and he was starting to suspect a pack of skinwalkers, he'd called Castiel in for backup. With his lover covering his back, he knew he was as safe as he could possibly be, but old habits were hard to break, especially ones he'd acquired to help him survive. Thinking of his lover inevitably led back to thoughts of Lisa and the end of the tunnel.
Part of what had hurt so bad with the whole apple pie life fiasco was Lisa kicking him out. That was twice now that he'd been prepared to give himself entirely to someone else and both times they'd flat out rejected him, wanting nothing to do with him in the long run. They'd been happy to be with him for a short while, but as soon as the truth came out, as soon as they got to know the real him, they couldn't end it fast enough. Obviously all he'd been good enough for was sex, short-term, meaningless sex. He really should have clued in with Lisa's relatively unwelcome greeting that first time he'd gone back to see her, just before Ben had been taken by the changelings. But, instead, he'd been blind to it, willing himself to ignore it and what it meant. He was good at that. At least Cas wanted him for more then just the sex.
The thought made him think of the tunnel again and it was all that Dean could do to keep his composure and keep up the facade. The eyes had been trained on him for a while now, far longer then mere curiosity would justify, so he was pretty sure that this was one of the creatures he was after, studying him. Despite that, his thoughts still drifted. Yeah, Castiel was clearly into more then just the sex, but for how long? Until they dealt with the Apocalypse once and for all and the time came for him to go back to Heaven, or would the angel end it before that? He really hoped not, but if it was the former, he almost hoped that he wouldn't survive the end of it all. Yeah, it would suck not getting to see the victory he'd worked so long and hard for, but it would be better then ending up all alone. Then needing to watch Castiel walk out on him.
Again.
The very idea pained him enough for Dean to know that he wouldn't survive that. Not now after everything that had happened. He got attached to people quickly that he let close, he knew he did and that was part of the reason why he normally kept things quick and distant. A night of pleasure for himself and his partner, no strings attached, and then it was time to move on before he learned any more of them or started to care for and expect more from them then they were willing to give. Yeah, okay, so he understood why it had been necessary for Castiel to leave before, but that hadn't made it any easier to deal with and then, at least, he'd had something to look forward to. Now, he didn't.
A part of his mind tried to tell him that this time was different, that there was no chaos and anarchy in Heaven for Castiel to go deal with, but Dean shoved it aside. Who knew what would happen between now and then, especially with Michael out and about? How long before the archangel tried to usurp Cas' power and position and caused more strife? And that was all assuming that they'd win and he'd live to see it happen. But, if it all played out like that, and Heaven wasn't in uproar, then he knew he still couldn't lay claim to his lover. Castiel was an angel and angels belonged in Heaven. He'd seen what being away from there did to Cas and he had no desire to see that repeated ever again.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I join you?"
The man asking was of average height but above average build and most of that due to muscle mass. If this guy knew how to fight, Dean knew he'd have a challenge on his hands, but he doubted the creature considered hand-to-hand an important skill to have. If he was right about this guy, then he probably relied on his shape shifting abilities more then anything else.
"Uh, sure," Dean replied, putting what he thought was enough hesitancy into his voice.
The bar was by no means full and there were plenty of empty tables, so the average Joe would probably be a bit wary of a complete stranger coming to join him, well if it wasn't a girl anyway, and he'd half expected that it would be. That way at least they could lure their victims in easily. As the creature sat, he couldn't help but note the slightly more golden hue to his eyes then was normal. Most people would probably write it off as a trick of the light if they noticed it at all, but he knew better.
"Sorry," the man said calmly. "But I couldn't help but notice that you were sitting alone and that you looked like someone who likes to play golf."
Hook. At least the golf shirt Lisa had insisted he buy would come to some good use.
"Yeah, I do, unfortunately my ex got all of my clubs in the divorce, so I can't exactly play at the moment."
Line. Now, would he take the bait?
"That sucks, man!" the creature stated sympathetically. "But I've got an extra set if you want to play a game?"
Sink 'em. Much as Dean wanted to accept the offer, he had to play his part to avoid looking too eager. Therefore, he frowned.
"Don't you have anyone to play with?"
"Nope, I'm new, just moved into town and I hate playing on my own."
"I don't know."
"Come on, man, it's already November, how much longer do you think the weather will hold even this far South?"
"That's true," Dean mused. "Oh, what the heck."
"That's the spirit! I'm Alex, by the way."
"Justin."
"Well, good to meet you, Justin. Do you still need to pay or are you good to go?"
"I'm good."
"Great, my car is parked 'round the back, in the parking garage."
Of course it was somewhere away from prying eyes and anyone likely to hear or respond to a cry for help. Dean also strongly doubted that the creature's vehicle was a car at all, he'd bet the Impala that it was a van or something else that would make it easy to covertly transport an unconscious and potentially bleeding body.
Since he knew he was still safe here, Dean led the way out of the sports bar. As he went, he could feel the creature's eyes on him, no doubt assessing him. He had to suppress a shiver at the thought of being so thoroughly appraised not for his looks or fighting abilities, but rather for how good he'd taste or how big of a meal he'd be. Based on the normal appetite for a skinwalker, the chosen victims and the frequency with which this pack was killing, he estimated that there were five to seven creatures in the pack, depending on their genders. That had been part of the reason why he'd known this plan would work. Though he wasn't quite as tall as his father or brother, he knew he was still taller then average and his hunter's physique made him more muscled then your average American male, so he'd known that he'd be more appealing to the pack. Still, between thinking that and actually being drooled over as a meal, there was a large gap and it was a distinctly uncomfortable one. He could only hope for the previous victims that they'd been killed before the pack had started eating, but he was afraid that they hadn't been.
"This way," the creature indicated, coming to walk beside him.
Dean started some inane conversation as he let the creature lead him. He kept his eyes peeled, though, and noticed the man lingering outside the parking garage. A quick glance in a car window showed the guy following them. Amateur, he thought to himself, not that they'd needed anymore then this with their normal victims. Still, you didn't see Castiel making stupid mistakes like that. Hell, even he couldn't spot the angel and he knew he was out there, somewhere. Then they rounded a corner and there were two more guys standing with a woman. He nearly smiled as he noticed the van they were standing next to. Any urge to smile vanished when he caught one of the guys licking his lips at the sight of him.
Dude, that was just gross and wrong on so many levels.
A quick glance around to ensure that there were no innocent bystanders present and Dean was more then ready to get this show on the road. In a gesture designed deliberately to look as innocuous as possible, he reached out to touch the creature's bare forearm. With his right hand, the one bearing the silver ring. As expected, the creature hissed and pulled his arm away.
Bingo.
"Are you alright?" Dean inquired innocently. "Did I hurt you?"
Not only had the little incident put any final doubts he might have had to rest, but it had also had the added benefit of drawing the attention of the four other skinwalkers. Dean noticed the woman wincing in sympathy as they started to close in on him. Good, the closer the better as that meant there was less chance of them getting away once they realized exactly what was going on here.
"No, no," the creature replied hastily, glancing about wildly. "You just caught me by surprise is all."
It took a few seconds for Dean to figure out what Alex- if that was even his real name- was trying to do, but he smiled when he did. They were too far away from the van for the creature's comfort. He wanted to get him closer to it before doing anything to give the game away and he was desperately trying to tell his packmates that. Not that any of them seemed to be either getting the message or caring about it. So perhaps the word 'pack' was the wrong one as he tended to associate packs with a clear, strong leader whom the others followed and that definitely didn't seem to be the case here. No, they were rather a ragtag and undisciplined group.
"Oh, really?" Dean questioned, voice syrupy sweet. "Gee and here I thought it was the silver of my ring you didn't like."
The words made the creatures freeze in their tracks, eyes wide.
It seemed to click for the woman first as she drew in a sharp breath. "Hunter!"
"Damn right, I am," Dean replied. "Did you really think that you could get away with eating people and no one would notice? If so, guess again. Honestly, what is it with you guys anyway?"
The first to respond was the one who'd licked his lips earlier, a truly terrible expression twisting his already fugly face. "I'm going to fucking tear you to shreds."
"No, you are not."
The words are said calmly, but Dean could detect the familiar steel underneath them that meant that his lover was deadly serious. The sudden, unexpected arrival of the two archangels (and what the hell was Michael doing here anyway?) caused chaos and he used the opportunity to take out the creature closest to himself before it decided to attack him. He was already turning to aim his silver bullet loaded Desert Eagle at the skinwalker not being attacked by Castiel and Michael when he heard a growl behind him. Reacting instantly, he spun around to face the sound and only just managed to twist away from the snarling jaws aimed at his throat.
A clawed paw scratched his arm as he went down and Dean hissed in pain, though he tried to ignore it so he could face the new threat head on. This particular skinwalker had taken on the form of a large Doberman and was already crouched to attack him once more when it suddenly whined, the sound quickly turning into a howl as it was incinerated on the spot, much as Anna had been when she'd tried to kill Mom.
Momentarily stunned, Dean could only stare at the ashes that were all that was left of a sixth skinwalker, one he hadn't even known was there until he'd heard that growl. The complete silence around him was what allowed him to remain in place for so long as he'd been far too well trained to freeze in the middle of a fight. Not that he'd expected anything else from two archangels, they probably could have taken the lot of them out without blinking, but still, if there had been any sign of an ongoing struggle, he'd have given it his full attention immediately.
Slowly, Dean rose to his feet and turned to look at the others, jumping back as he realized exactly how close Michael stood to him and the fact that he had one of his hands raised out towards him.
"Whoa, back off, dude!" Dean exclaimed.
"You are hurt," Michael replied, not lowering his arm.
Both Michael and Castiel were completely unruffled physically, though his lover appeared to be caught between surprise and, Dean frowned, what looked like fear. His angel was looking at Michael at first, but then Cas turned to look at him and he realized that, yeah, it was fear in those eyes and that it was because of what had so nearly happened to him. The complete lack of alarm there, though, allowed him to come to a decision and he didn't pull away when the archangel reached out towards his arm once more. The now familiar feeling of skin sewing itself shut washed over him and he wondered what it meant that Michael had thought to heal him. Was it progress or simply a desire to keep his vessel in the best condition possible for when he got to wear it?
"Did you do that?" Dean demanded, gesturing towards the ashes.
"Yes."
"How?"
"By using my powers," Michael said slowly, as if speaking to a small child.
"Fuck you," Dean shot back, earning himself the expected scowl.
"How?" This time the question came from Castiel, who was looking at his brother in surprise.
"It is an archangel ability," Michael stated.
"Good," Dean replied. "So teach Cas how to do it."
"Excuse me?"
"Teach Cas, he's an archangel now."
His lover's face lit up and Dean knew that Castiel had just realized what he had. He didn't know why it hadn't occurred to them any sooner then this. There Cas and Xarael had been, struggling away to try and discover and master all of the new abilities that Castiel possessed as an archangel, when they now had the perfect source available to them. It showed how wary they were of Michael, but the archangel had yet to do anything more then be a complete ass since he'd first shown up three weeks ago.
Michael eyed his brother in a way Dean didn't like at all and he pounced before the douchebag could open his mouth. "Look, Mikey, you're the one that sought us out and, so far, we've been accommodating, but that can change real quick if you don't give us a little something back."
He was getting that expression again, the one that was a bizarre mix of self-righteous anger, resignation, confusion and resentment. He still enjoyed it far more then he knew he should.
"Angels do not teach each other skills, they are created already knowing all the ones that they need to," Michael stated.
"Yeah, well, Daddy changed the rules, remember? Unless you really think He gave Cas all of these abilities without the intention of him ever learning to use them?"
Apparently that was the right thing to say as Michael seemed to relent, though as ungracefully as before. Dean frowned, not liking how easy all of this was. After everything that had happened before Stull Cemetery, he'd have expected far more of a fight from the archangel then they'd been getting. He knew that he didn't really understand the connection between angels and God- hell, he wasn't even sure if he was even capable of understanding that type of bond- but could it really explain Michael's aberrant behavior? Was that all it would have taken before? One unmistakable sign of God's thoughts on the matter and the entire Apocalypse would have been averted?
For once, Dean found himself almost wishing that he never learned the answer to that question. If he did and his thoughts were confirmed, then he was pretty sure that he'd come to hate Castiel's Father in a way that was bound to hurt his lover.
A.N.: Guys, I'm really sorry to have kept you all waiting so long, but I've been sick as a dog the past few days and haven't really left my bed unless absolutely necessary. I'm starting to feel a bit better now, not so much that I'm seeing anyone- I think I may still be contagious- but luckily that's not an issue for any of you. I hope that this chapter hasn't suffered for my not being quite 100% yet (my ability to stick to one tense seems to be completely shot), but I apologize now if it has and I'll correct any mistakes people find.
Chapter 34