Work Text:
Last post’s dilemma: Which vessel should the group use?
Tumblr chose: Look for the glass chip or see if Missouri knew if it was chipped before. If they can't verify the bottle, then Sam.
*****
Sam stepped into one of the bedrooms, closing the door partway behind him. It was a poor illusion of privacy. Either of the angels could hear him and Bobby had watched him go, but he felt better with some space to himself. This was moving fast, too fast, and he didn’t want to make the wrong call again.
Call. Of course. He didn’t have to make this decision on his own. The man fished his cell from one of his pockets and scrolled to the newest entry. Missouri picked up on the first ring. “Sam Winchester, you’re not about to ask me to come bail you out of some small town jail, are you?”
Sam laughed a little unsteadily. “No. Of course not, I just have a question. That bottle you gave us- was it perfect? I mean, did it have any cracks or chips in it when you had it blessed?”
Missouri was quiet for a moment before answering. “Is Castiel all right?”
“Cas, uh, he’s not in great shape,” he admitted. “I dropped the bottle. Nuriel says it might explode if we use it and it was broken.”
“So he wants so use you,” she finished gently.
Sam perched on the edge of the queen-sized bed, raking his hair back. “He promises it wouldn’t be possession. I’d just hang onto the grace until we could find a good use for it, but I’m not sure if I can trust that. Angels haven’t always been up front with us. I don’t know what the right thing is.”
“What do you want, Sam? You tell me what you want and I’ll tell you what I think you should do.”
“I want my brother back,” he said at once. “I want Dean free of the Mark and I want Cas to be safe and I want one month where the world isn’t ending.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, a resigned sort of ache in his heart. “Sorry. I’m sorry, Missouri, none of that is- I mean, Bobby’s back. Kevin’s doing his prophet thing again. The angels are finally sorting themselves out and helping humans. Maybe we have to find a way to save Dean, but we’ve always gotten through before. If he were really gone he wouldn’t have asked for Bobby. I guess right now what I want is some good advice.”
She made a little humming noise, thinking. When she spoke her voice was firm. “I don’t remember the bottle being broken. If you can do it, go ahead and store that grace. You know you’ve evicted two angels already, a little nameless grace isn’t gonna hurt you.”
That was a good point. Sam’s stomach unknotted a little. “Thanks, Missouri. We’ll let you know how it works out, all right?”
He sat for a minute after the call ended, getting his thoughts in order. When he was ready he slid down to his knees, folded his hands, and closed his eyes. “Okay, here goes. Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been, ah, one year since my last confession.”
*****
Bobby was nowhere to be seen when he came out of the bedroom. Nuriel looked over from positioning Cas in the center of the chalk design. “So you have decided. I knew you were a brave soul, Sam Winchester, but to witness your compassion towards one who has harmed you is truly remarkable.”
Castiel flinched at the reminder. “Sam, I did break your wall. It isn’t right for you to-”
“You were out of your head, Cas,” his friend said with a quick smile. “And you fixed it. I forgave you for that a long time ago, man.” He raised his eyebrows. “Where did Bobby go?”
“I sent him to wait outside,” Nuriel told him. “The escaping grace would likely blind him. If you are ready, please join my brother in the circle and join hands.”
Sam stepped over the chalk lines to crowd in beside Cas. The angel had been cleaned up, clothes neat and repaired, but his complexion was still gray. Sam took his hand somewhat awkwardly and tried for a reassuring smile. “Hey. It’s gonna be okay, Cas. You’ve been human before, it isn’t that bad. Just- think about PB&J.”
A reluctant smile curved Castiel’s lips. “That is certainly a point in favor of humanity.”
Nuriel placed each foot carefully into the design and drew his blade. “This circle should keep anyone outside the room from noticing or being injured by a mishap,” he explained. “I don’t expect problems, but it’s best to be prepared. This is very simple. I will push the grace from Castiel into you through your joined hands. There may be some pain, not much and it will stop when we finish. The grace should not be noticeable once it’s been stored in your soul. Castiel, will you allow me to take this grace from you uncontested?”
At the angel’s nod Nuriel made a quick slice across Castiel’s arm, tracing a curving symbol from the cut to the back of Sam’s hand before flicking the leftover blood on his fingers to the ground. The circle began to glow faintly. Nuriel spoke three quick words in Enochian that made the air hum. A luminous blue mist welled up from Cas’s skin and oozed along the blood train to Sam, swirling around his hand until all of it was gathered over his fist. It felt warm, nothing more. The hunter tightened his grip and wondered if something had gone wrong. “Why isn’t it doing anything?”
“It needs permission,” Nuriel said softly. “Sam, do you accept this burden of your own free will?”
Sam steeled himself and nodded. “Yeah. Yes, I accept.” There was a flare of light. A familiar pain burned up Sam’s arm as the grace sank into his skin, lighting his veins briefly blue. It was the same thing he’d felt during the trials. Unlike before, the pain faded with the warm light until he could feel neither.
Cas sagged, a little puff of air escaping him as he sank to his knees. Nuriel was there in an instant, kneeling to press their foreheads together. “Easy, brother,” he soothed. “With the stolen grace gone I can restore your vessel. Breathe a moment.”
A faint humming in the back of Sam’s mind distracted him, but it faded as the angels got to their feet. Castiel’s face was pink with health again. He drew a shaky breath, then let it out. “Sam? Are you well?”
The hunter took stock. He felt great, actually, rested and energetic even after the long ride. “Am I supposed to feel this good?”
“There may be some benefits when it comes to stamina,” Nuriel said with a smile. “I’m unsure how much, and it felt dishonest to suggest anything before you made your decision. It won’t hurt you.”
“You’re certain it can’t control him?” Castiel asked. “He is definitely Sam?”
The younger angel’s smile grew sad. “As definitely as you are mortal, brother. Missouri Moseley says there may yet be hope of recovering your own grace. I will pray that our father allows it.”
They’d probably used up all their divine interventions in the Leviathan affair. Castiel nodded anyway, gripping the muscular arm in thanks. “Whether we find it or not, I owe you. Not many of our family are willing to help me at the moment.”
“We all heard Metatron tell of his trickery. The others will come around.” Nuriel bent to smear to chalk lines. “After all, there are no longer enough of us to disown one forever.”
A knock at the door had them turning. Nuriel glanced at it. “It is a human woman. The one from the desk.”
“Let me,” Sam said quickly. “We don’t want her seeing the chalk, she might get upset.” He hurried over to open the door a crack. The receptionist stood with a tray of food and something tucked under her arm. “Hi. I don’t think we ordered anything.”
She gave him a much friendlier smile than she had downstairs. “Your father asked me to bring this up. He said he had an errand to run.”
“Oh. Thanks, then.” Sam took the tray and passed it off to Castiel, who was eyeing the thick sandwiches with interest. “Did he pay or…?”
“It’s been taken care of already,” the woman assured him. She held out a padded envelope. “UPS left this for you at the desk. Call if you need anything else.”
He thanked her again, staring at the envelope as he closed the door. There wasn’t anything special about it, just a plain white bubble-mailer, but the addressee was CASTIEL WINCHESTER and the sender was JANI ST JAMES. Warrant, Sam thought with a half smile. That was more Dean’s style than Bon Jovi. The hunter whipped out his knife to open it. “Cas, you’ve got another letter.”
“I’m not sure you should handle it,” Castiel said through a mouthful of fries. He swallowed and added, “It could be dangerous.”
“The last one wasn’t.” Sam slit the end and tipped it upside down. A single piece of wood slid into his palm, a puzzle piece with a shiny red peg in the center. It looked like a corner piece. Most of the face was sky, though something white edge in from the right. Blue sigils covered the plan back. Sam went to dig the frame from his bag. “Can you tell what the picture’s meant to be?”
Both angels crowded behind him to watch. “It is unfamiliar to me,” Nuriel admitted in fascination. “You say you received something like this before?”
“Just this part.” Sam held the piece up to the frame, turning it until it would fit in the top left corner. The piece came alive in his hand, jerking backwards to snick into place against the board. A little wave of something rippled outwards before both went inert again. “Whoa.”
“That was old magic,” Nuriel said in surprise. “I could not tell what kind. Would that you had your own grace back, Castiel, you always were more knowledgeable than I about these things.”
Cas touched the puzzle with a cautious finger. Nothing happened. “It should not be dangerous,” he said slowly. “We should be able to handle it at least until it’s complete.”
Sam wrapped it carefully in a t-shirt and stuck it back in his backpack. “Right. Not like we don’t have enough to worry about right now.” A shadow passed over Castiel’s face. He picked his sandwich back up and took an overlarge bite. Concerned, Sam squeezed his arm. “Hey. It’s next on the list, man. We’ll find something.”
The door swung open again. Bobby came in with one hand over his eyes. “Is it safe yet?”
“Your hand would not protect you if it were not,” Nuriel said, watching Sam and Castiel curiously. “But yes, we have completed the ritual.”
“Good, cause there’s something we might need to take a look at.” The old hunter produced a printout and waved it. “I checked my email downstairs. I’ve still got a service set up to monitor the news for certain keywords, and I guess they kept it going while I was gone. Most of it was crap. This was recent, though.”
Sam took the paper. It was a news article from Las Vegas detailing a homicide in a prison outside the city. According to the police someone had brutally beaten six death row inmates to the point where the coroner needed dental records for identification. All camera footage had mysteriously shorted out. Two guards on duty swore they’d fallen asleep somehow, woken by their relief hours after the massacre. A third guard failed her polygraph, leading police to believe she’d drugged the others. She was being held without bail pending psychiatric evaluation on the grounds of some wild statements during initial questioning.
“Demons?” Sam said aloud. “That would explain how they got past security at least.
“We haven’t seen them do anything like this since the Apocalypse,” Bobby said, serious. “It sounds more like something Leviathan would do.”
Castiel shook his head. “Leviathan would have eaten the bodies.”
“It doesn’t say they weren’t chewed on,” the old hunter said. “If we got Leviathan out and about again that’s pretty damned important to know now, isn’t it?”
“Dean is more important,” Sam snapped. He stopped, took a breath and tried to keep his voice even. “We can’t just leave him like that, Bobby. We have to find something to do.”
Bobby sighed and adjusted his ball cap. “And we’re going to. We’ve got to drive back that way anyway if we’re going to the bunker. I’m just suggesting we check this out on the way.”
“What is wrong with Dean Winchester?” Nuriel asked. “What is ‘next on the list’?”
The others stopped to share a long, uncertain look. Did the angels know about the Mark of Cain? From Castiel’s expression he hadn’t said anything and Crowley likely wouldn’t, so in all likelihood no one else knew. That left them with some options. They could tell Nuriel, see if Heaven has any advice on the matter. That might backfire, though, especially given the garrison’s reaction to Dean last time they’d met. There was no way of knowing if the prohibition on angels harming Cain extended to Dean now. Hannah might take the excuse to kill or capture him.
This prison thing is pretty troubling, too. It isn’t that far out of their way if they’re heading back to the bunker. If they want to head back to see Cain, maybe ask him to help cure Dean, Vegas is more of a detour. With Castiel cured they aren’t on a time crunch anymore, and they don’t have much to go on about the Mark.
Choices, choices, so many choices. What’s TFWMD’s next move?
This is a two-poll week since we have two questions.
Dilemma One: Do they tell Nuriel about Dean bearing the Mark of Cain?
1) Yes. He’s been trustworthy so far. They should tell him but ask that he keep it from the others if Heaven is allowed to hunt Dean.
2) Yes. Keeping secrets never works out for them, and Hannah seems pretty penitent lately. They should send Nuriel to tell her, let her decide whether to tell the others.
3) No. It’s too dangerous and they don’t know enough. Still, Nuriel has been helpful. They should tell him they’re hiding something but it’s to keep him from having to keep secrets from his fellow angels. A promise to tell him if things change enough to make it safe might be nice, too.
4) Nuriel helped them, yes, but the Mark of Cain is too big. They should stonewall, change the subject, give zero explanation, just do whatever to not discuss it and leave as fast as possible.
Dilemma Two: Should they investigate the prison murders?
1) No. They need to go talk to Cain right now and see what he’ll tell them.
2) No. They need to get back to the bunker and research the Mark, maybe see if Kevin has any ideas.
3) Kevin might have news. They should call him to check. If he’s got nothing, they can check the prison out and then decide where to go from there.
4) Ask Nuriel’s advice. If he says it’s worth looking into, it’s probably worth a peek. If not they can head back east and decide whether to stop in Lebanon or push on to Cain in Missouri.
5) Yes. They’re hunters, this is a big hunt, and with the general scarcity of experienced talent they might be needed to nip a problem in the bud before it explodes into something huge.
6) This is exhausting. They’ve been pushing it for too long. All of this can wait a day for them to have a few drinks, teach Nuriel about Netflix, and take a breather. They can decide tomorrow.