"What am I? Your pet puppy?"
"Well if you wanna act like a bitch-"
Laid atop the Impala I stare irritably at the stars. The minutes ticking by and my fury not diminishing. That I trust her more than you. With every replay I grit my teeth so hard I think they're going to break in my jaw. When we get out of this town there is one thing that is pushing to the forefront of my mind. One thing that has been continuing to make me see red. Ruby. It's been years- years of her whispers and they're finally taking their toll on Sam and his relationship with me. He has on rose-colored glasses and it's about time someone breaks them off.
My feet shoved from the Impala's edge, Dean huffs in his stride "Get in."
Barley tilting my head, I absurdly question "Why?"
Slowing his stride, Den reluctantly steps back to tell me pointedly "Archangel's El. Archangel's."
Dean disappearing into the driver's seat I scramble off the bonnet "You going to elaborate!?"
{}{}{}
"So let me check I've got this straight", I have my head rested against my hand on the window, trying to wrap around the newly enlightened information "Castiel tells you that Chuck, our Prophet, is tied to an Archangel that's going to smite any threat to his station?" Pursing his lips speeding through another red light, Dean tightly nods. He's focused. So engrossed in what Castiel's told him that I'm not sure he's thought his plan through. Watching Dean's reaction, I beg "Please tell me you know why going over to kill Chuck is a bad idea?"
"It's the only idea I have Eleanor", Dean irritably snaps back "We kill Chuck and we've got an Archangel to speak to."
"Or he shoots first and asks questions later", I make a point of stressing when Dean shoves the Impala into the park. Dean shoving open the door I'm two steps ahead. Already leaning over to yank it back shut. Smacking Dean's hand away from the latch when he tried for it again, I add "By which point everyone is dead besides their precious Prophet."
Rolling his shoulders Dean takes a moment to collect himself behind the wheel, staring dead towards Chuck's disarray home "What the hell you wanna do then El? Have a nice old chat with an Archangel and hope he does us a solid?"
"No that's Ludacris", I shove my passenger door open "But if we put the Lord's prettiest most protected treasure in the same room as his greatest threat..." Trailing off I let the door slam behind me and my gun heated in my waistband. Jogging up the pavement as Dean trails behind me, I motion towards the sky "Thy enemy of thy enemy is my friend."
"Have you even read The Art of War?"
"It's a military axiom to the ideal that laying force to your enemy is pointless and to instead be ready to receive them through unexpected attacks", tugging my gun out of my waistband under the shroud of Chuck's trees, I tilt my head back at Dean "Bobby had me read it."
Before I can smash through Chuck's door, Dean's hand wraps around my gun. With a hesitant glimmer, Dean warns me "We need him alive."
"I know", I assure him bluntly "But we also need Sam alive." Tugging my gun from Dean's grasp, I mutter "Even if he doesn't trust me to keep him that way." I don't get a chance at the door because Dean shoulders his way through. With the wary glance back at me I think he can see the frustration I still have simmering from my earlier argument. If anything gets you killed in this game it's the inability to think straight. Dean knows that as well as I.
Stepping back I let Dean storm into the house. Entering the living room I see Chuck looking up startled to see us in front of him. Curled up under a cotton blanket with a mug of whisky, Chuck lowers his glasses "What are you doing here? I didn't write this-"
"Get up", Dean yanks off Chuck's cotton blanket of protection he's tried hiding further under "We need you to come with us."
Stumbling up from the force Dean uses to yank Chuck off the sofa, I watch his glass overspill in his haste "What? Where?"
"To the motel where Sam is."
"That's where Lilith is."
"Good job sparky", I cynically clap in the living room archway "Cudos. Really." Dean sending me a look I roll my eyes. Yeah. Because him asking nicely is getting us anywhere.
When Dean tries tugging him back towards the door, Chuck yanks his arm from Dean's grasp "Are you insane! Lilith?!" Despite Dean's glowering, Chuck rambles "I know what she's capable of Dean. I wrote her-"
"Alright you listen to me", Dean reins it back, calmly explaining "You have an Archangel tethered to you- okay?" Quietly Chuck stumbles back as Dean presses forwards, "All you gotta do is show up and BOOM! Lilith gets smoked."
Blue eyes wide and panicked, Chuck anxiously stutters "I-I-I-I haven't- haven't seen that yet-"
"Chuck you're the only shot I've got left", Dean pleads with him, our team all out of other options.
"But... I'm just a writer."
"This isn't a story anymore man! This is real and you're in it!" Chuck stunned to silence, Dean presses on with the off chance he's getting through to the anxious little man "Now I need you to get off your ass and fight."
Stepping around Dean I watch him closely gnawing at his fingers. Dean's words swirling around in his head. Sharply spinning, he erratically shakes his head "No way. No friggin way."
Rolling my bottom lip I step down from the alcove I've patiently stood. It didn't work Dean's way? Sure. Now let's try it mine. Grabbing Chuck by his sofa-smelling hoodie he yelps when I yank it back and slam him against his peeling wall. "Okay, Chuck you know how this works. You have two options here", I threaten him lowly "Either you come with us or I redecorate this wall with red."
Gaze flickering nervously to Dean over my shoulder, Chuck questions "I thought you said I was protected by an Archangel?"
"Then consider this your Archangels motivation", I uncap the safety by my side with a click "Let's see who the quicker draw is." Chuck's gaze flickers nervously between Dean and me but my focus is set. "You think your Archangel can out apperaite a bullet?" I'm getting Chuck to the motel one way or another. If I have to drag him kicking and screaming I'll do it. I've committed to way worse. When Chuck's gaze finally lowers I let him fall off the wall "Great. You're riding shotgun."
{}{}{}
Reaching the motel Dean and I practically throw Chuck first through the door before stumbling in after him, the small man yelling "I AM THE PROPHET CHUCK!"
Unsaddling a dumbstruck Sam, Lilith flicks her long curling blond hair. Ruby's blade in hand, Lilith snarls at us "Oh you have got to be joking."
Suddenly the shutters begin to shake and the wind picks up outside. Castiel was telling the truth. An Archangel is coming for her. "You're gonna wish it was", averting my gaze from the shaking unsteady banging, I threaten "Chuck here has an Archangel on his shoulder." The banging grows louder and the room violently shakes from what's to come. Meeting Lilith's glare as paintings fall and glasses smash, I press "You sure you wanna tango with that!?"
Bright Celestial light beaming through the door and windows, I squint as Dean yells over the violent wreckage "You've got about ten seconds before this room is full of wrath and you're reduced to charcoal!"
Dust falling in fluffs from the room Lilith glares at us full of loathing and hate. She can't stay and she knows it. This will be the end for her. With a final glance spared back at Sam that has me furrowing my brows Lilith escapes the host in a scream of fury. Her dark Demon smoke escaping through the open window and back into the night. Taking the threat of a looming Archangel with her. Cabinets cease to bang and glasses no longer smash. We're reduced to quiet labored anxiously breathes.
"What did she offer you?" I step forwards and immediately question Sam.
Slightly rattled still from what happened around him in seconds, Sam hesitantly lifts himself off the bed she's straddled him on "Nothing-"
Grabbing his shoulders I stubbornly shove Sam back on the bed, narrowing my gaze "Stop. Lying. To. Me."
"Okay scrappy", Dean tugs me away from Sam by my wrist, inserting himself between the pair of us "Cool off."
Yanking my hand free, my hardened stare doesn't avert from Sam's. Sam being the first to avert his, drops it to hide fidgeting hands "She wanted to make a deal. A deal to get this entire... to get all the Demons and Angels and Seals called off."
"And you didn't take it?"
"Oh, he was ready to take something."
"Eleanor out", Dean snaps his fingers dismissively towards the door.
Tilting my head my anger flares "What am I? Your pet puppy?"
"Well if you wanna act like a bitch-" My scowl deepening I stride across the room and wrap my fingers around my duffle. Snatching my jacket when Dean questions "Where're you going?"
Yanking the duffle over my shoulder and swiping the Demon knife I stride purposefully towards the door "To find the actual bitch responsible for this entire mess." I don't wait for permission. In fact, I know I'm going to hear it later but with the anger sparking in my veins I'm not thinking about the consequences. Snatching up the Impala keys I throw the door with a slam behind me and race for the driver's seat.
My name yelled just as I slam the driver's door shut I'm fast locking the doors just as Dean tries to haul it open. His eyes widen and filled with a panicked fury, Dean yells in the night "Eleanor don't you dare-"
Looking away I ignite the engine and throw her into gear. Tires screeching I barely hear my name as I swerve out of the parking lot and onto the blacktop. Managing to call Bobby I don't wait for him to greet me, stating "I need you to track the unlisted number that keeps calling Sam's phone. I wrote it down and pinned it to your board-"
"Are you in trouble?" Clutching the phone tighter I clench my hand tighter around the wheel "You wanna put Dean on-"
"Dean's not with me right now and he's only going to stop me", I tell Bobby bluntly "I'm the only one that can see her how she is- she's got her claws into Sam-"
Suddenly it hits me.
Punching the break I skid to a stop swerving messily onto the gravel. This is what she wants. Ruby wants-no. No, she needs a wedge. We can prevent Sam going over the edge and that won't be of any benefit Ruby. Not when she's the one who's helping him harness his abilities. Helping Sam tapping into something... something dark. Dare I say even monstrous.
"El? El Darlin are you alright?"
With a hard swallow, I mutter "Get the panic room ready."
"I'm not following?"
"I told you I'd watch out for Sam and this ability of his", I remind Bobby curtly, my gut twisting when I admit quietly "Bobby... I think everything's finally coming to a head."
I don't wait long for Dean and Sam to find me after I'm off the phone to Bobby. Headlights shining in my eyes I tilt my head to the side and watch Sam and Dean slamming the doors shut on a silver Prius. On any other occasion, I would've laughed at the idea of Dean driving a Prius. Although his features illuminated by the headlights don't bring me an inch of that happiness. Standing up I swipe off the gravel from my bare legs as Dean's pissed-off energy finally reaches me. "You wanna enlighten me on why the hell you stole Baby?" Dean bluntly questions me, snatching the keys that I offer back to him "Do you have any idea the worry you just freakin caused me?"
My attention isn't on Dean. It's on Sam stood behind him looking equally distracted and alarmed all at once. Acting as I mean it, I feign the apology "I'm sorry Sam." The alarm replaced by a meek smile, Sam nods and wanders past me and over to the Impala. Duffle slung over his shoulder. Presuming my apology was taken, I mutter to Dean backtracking after his brother "I didn't damage her if that's what-"
"That's not what I was worried about", Dean catches my arm, tugging me back to meet his gaze. Furrowed, Dean nods over to the Impala "You wanna fill me in here? Because I'm lost."
"I was going to go after Ruby", I freely admit, the edge still evident in my voice "But I can't. Because of Sam I don't get the luxury of killing her."
Green eyes furrowed over my shoulder towards the impala Sam's escaped into, Dean hazards the guess "He'll be pissed."
"And Ruby's playing an angle with him", I agree quietly, muttering utterly convinced of myself "She's always had an angle. The lying, the secrets, the phone calls- it all reeks of ulterior motive and we're the one thing standing in her way."
Dropping his gaze back to me, Dean understands "That's why you apologized? To get even with her?"
Shaking my head, I check Sam's not listening before I quietly admit "The distance put between Sam and me when you went to Hell... Dean that trust isn't fixed. It's a shattered piece of glass and Ruby's the one that broke it with a hammer." Sadly glancing over my shoulder, I mutter disdainfully "I hate her. I distain her with my entire being but I can't kill her otherwise my relationship with Sam will be in tatters." Dropping my gaze I sincerely offer "I'm sorry I stole your keys."
Browse furrowed Dean shakes his head and pulls me into his arms. Tucking my head into his shoulder my arms slide under his jacket and around Dean in search of some comfort in the idea that I'm not going to lose him like I'm losing Sam. "Don't worry about it El", Dean presses a kiss to my temple, his arms tightening around me "It's alright."
"It's not going to be."