Broken and Burned

8. Alone

Ruby wiped the counter again. She had already cleaned it four times.
She was worried. Mostly for Sam. He had been crying in his room for 4 hours.
She washed the rag under the hot water of the sink. A soft click of a door shutting made her look up.
Sam came in, dragging his feet; his eyes where red from crying.
She smiled at him. He didn't return it. He walked to the sink and turned the water on cold.
He splashed some on his face and leaned over the sink. He picked up a towel and dried his face.
They were both silent, the only sound was the chains on the Archangel as he moved in the other room.
"I'm not a expert on angels but I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to leave them in there."
Sam sighed, realizing she was right. He really wished Chuck was there.
"Alright lets do this."
Sam walked out of the kitchen and over to the room. He opened the door.
Gabriel looked over at them. "What are you doing?" Ruby asked.
He had one wing wrapped around the chain that held his right hand.
He hesitated. "I was bored......"
He unwrapped his wing and pulled it in as far as the chain would let it.
"Umm ok. Gabriel this is Ruby. Ruby, Gabriel." The two looked at each other.
Sam could already tell that there was going to be issues.

~~~~

Metatron told Kevin what he had to do to run the sales and buys.
Chuck watched as he filled in papers. Kevin nodded as Metatron spoke. He looked down at the papers that Metatron was handing him.
Kevin walked away looking at the papers stressfully.
Gordan walked in. Chuck felt his entire body tense.
Gordan placed an angel feather on Metatron's desk. Metatron examined the tan speckles. Then handed it back to Gordan. "I want one completely white."
"I don't have any that are completely white."
Metatron sighed "Then get some."
"What about the angel I have now?"
"I don't care! Just keep him, sell him, kill him. I really do not care."
Gordan left.
Chuck gripped his pen tighter. "Damn it."
He got up and ran after Gordan.
"Hey! Gordan! I hear you're selling an angel."

~~~~

Ruby had taken on a offensive stance. Her chest puffed out and head held high.
Gabriel kind of just stared at her.
"She's a...uh... Demon," Sam said.
"I know."
Sam looked at them both. He picked up a can of holy oil and redid the circle. "I'll be getting bracelets in a few days."
He finished pouring and lit the circle back up.
Ruby watched from the door. She jerked her head as a signal to talk to him alone.
He left and closed the door. "What?"
"I can't do this. I will never get along with that angel."
"You don't even know him."
"I know that he will be selfish annoying pain in the-"
"I get it."
Ruby threw up her hands and walked away. "Ruby. Come on."
She pouted, "I'm sorry. Your just going to have to suck it up."
Ruby glared at him "Not helping."
She headed back into the kitchen. "Oh come on don't leave me to do this on my own."
She didn't respond. Sam stood outside the secure room for a couple seconds, pulling himself together.
He opened the door.

~~~~

Dean cried for several minutes. Eventually the tears slowed to sniffles. Andy waited patiently.
"My brother bought the Archangel."
He felt the tears start to come back.
"And after what happened with Lucifer?" He started to cry again.
"What happened with Lucifer?" Andy asked. Dean's lip quivered.
"You've heard of the storm apocalypse, right?"
Andy nodded. "Well I guess you could say we were in the eye of the storm."
"The towns around us were attacked, Lucifer setting free angels and demons and letting them run free. But then the wall around the eye hit. Hard."
He paused, pushing back the memories that have been hidden for years and were threatening to break through.
"Our mother was killed and our father barely got out alive."
He went silent. Andy looked at him. "How did your brother take it?"
Dean sighed, "He didn't talk for a while, I let him stay at my place while I went to work. After some time he moved into his own apartment with his demon, Ruby. He doesn't go to work. People cut him slack. After what happened to him. "
Andy pushed a little farther. "What happened to him?"
Dean went back to scrapping paint of the table. "Lucifer found him and talked to him. Alone. Just him and the devil. I would have been there, I would have helped, if I'd known." Dean said, feeling the need to justify himself. But Andy could tell that Dean blamed himself for what happened.
"He never told me exactly what happened." Dean said softly, "I try to help. Keep his mind off that stuff. But then he goes and buys a archangel. I don't know what to do."