They met in the dark of night. The waning moon stood high in the sky, its light obscured by the slow-drifting clouds. There was not a sound to be heard. Not even the leaves crunching beneath their feet as they made their way to the edge of the grove, going as close to the house as they could get. The Cupid with the lavender-colored dress sighed.
"Still nothing."
"Can you blame them for wanting to be careful?" reacted her companion with a dry tone of voice.
"Yes!" exclaimed Amore bluntly. "Or no... But they know it's safe! It's been a month already since Manhattan. I don't understand what's holding them back."
"You don't get that your little barbecue trick traumatized Allegra? Really?"
"Yeah, okay, you can stop rubbing that one in. I feel guilty enough as it is." She turned away and gave out a frustrated grunt. "God, this sucks! Their love is so overwhelming; it's even making me feel..."
She gasped when she was suddenly overcome by heat. Once again, she felt the deep pull of passion that went on inside the house at this very moment. This was getting ridiculous, even for a Cupid who essentially thrived on love. Meanwhile, her companion just gave her an amused but sympathetic look.
"As I said, Allegra can't just forget about what happened to Eric, despite you bringing him back. Dean is - and I'm pleasantly surprised about this - respecting that and giving her time to settle into their relationship. They'll get there eventually. Just watch."
"Eventually isn't good enough. Every day that Allegra and Dean tiptoe around each other, there is still a chance for Sam to..."
"Sam isn't here. You're worrying about nothing."
"I am worrying about everything!" Amore snapped, her cheeks slightly flustered. "If Allegra and Dean take this final step, we are so much closer to having that prophecy come true! Michael will be assured of his succession, and we will all be assured of survival!"
"Can we please leave Mr. Holier-than-thou out of the conversation? Allegra and Dean getting it on does not mean that bastard gets a free ticket. Dean still needs to let Michael in, and Allegra needs to be willing as well. Frankly, I don't see either happening."
Amore stared at the dark-haired angel, who once again kept his gaze fixed on the spot where the house (supposedly) stood, hands in his pockets.
"Then," she spoke, curiously but confused, "what is the point of all of this? Why have them be together now if not for the sake of the prophecy?"
"Because after what we did to her, she deserves to be happy. She deserves to finally have someone who will love her unconditionally. I would have thought that you, of all people, would agree with me on that."
Amore sighed. Of course, she agreed. She'd kept an eye on Allegra ever since she got back from Hell because she owed a favor and because it was her duty as the girl's Cupid. She stood a silent witness to every good and bad thing that had ever happened to her. Amore wanted Allegra (and Dean, too) to have a happily ever after more than anything.
But still... prophecies come true, one way or another. Even if it him took years, Amore was certain Michael would escape the Cage at some point. And when he did, it would be more than convenient to have matters with his vessel well worked out already. He would only have to possess Dean once, after all. Just one time... and they would all be saved from the scourge that threatened to devour both Heaven and Earth whole.
"Maybe I could call in a favor for you."
Amore looked up at her former lover.
"If it's such a big deal to you, I mean. A certain hellion still owes me for not killing her. And for giving her the wildest weekend she ever had."
"Who are you talking about?" demanded Amore suspiciously.
"Oh, she's a lot like you. In a better universe, you two might even be friends. But where you take on affairs of the heart and love, she deals more with... ardent desire."
"You mean... No! No, we can't!"
"We can. And we should. We've done our best to convince them. So maybe we should... nudge them, instead?"
Amore bit her lip. At this point, making a deal with the hellion to better Allegra's life didn't seem like such a bad option. Only very few among the angels stayed neutral when it came to the hybrid Archangel. Most others were... concerned. Frightened. A small group even believed it was better to kill her. Naomi believed in the prophecy, so she managed to keep things in check for now. But it was only a matter of time before someone took matters into their own hands. If the others were assured Allegra had chosen the right vessel and they only had to wait for Michael's freedom...
"Do it," she said.
The man glanced back over his shoulder, smiling wickedly.
"Your cue, my dear."
Amore spun around when she heard footsteps behind her. A woman with skin as red as blood, hair as black as ink with a pair of curved horns protruding from it, and eyes as gold as the sun appeared from between the trees. Her sheer dress only served as an illusion of having something on her naked body. She grinned wickedly, making Amore shrink away, and then spoke with a clear but double-edged voice.
"Well then... Let's begin, shall we?"
***
"Dean, stop it! You're gonna make me mess this up!"
"So?"
"So, do you want pie or not?"
"Mmm, not."
"Okay, who are you, and what have you done to Dean Winchester? Nonono, stop!"
Allegra giggled uncontrollably when Dean tickled her in her sides. She doubled over, dropping the whisker into the mixing bowl. Dean quickly pulled Allegra to him as she tried to get away, spinning her around to face him. He stopped tickling her and smoothly moved his hands to the small of her back.
"I'd much rather have you," he spoke enticingly.
He leaned in. Allegra reached back to grab hold of the spoon lying near the cream mix she was attempting to make. She dipped it in and pushed the mix right into Dean's mouth. He drew back, startled at her action. His wide eyes closed instantly when the zingy fresh taste of the lemon cream tingled his senses.
"Oh... my... God!"
Dean grabbed the spoon out of her hand and licked it clean. Allegra chuckled and took the opportunity of having him distracted to give one last whisk to the cream before pouring it into her pie bottom.
"You want the last of it?" Allegra shot him a playful look and waved the bowl in front of him.
Dean beamed at her and jumped up on the kitchen counter, eagerly taking the last of the lemon cream from her.
"So, I was thinking maybe we could go out tonight?" suggested Allegra as she started on the meringue. "They do a drive-in at the park every three months."
"Sure, what movie?"
"Willie Wonka."
"Okay, why does that sound like a bad porn flick?"
Allegra snorted. Then she noticed Dean's confused look.
"Hang on a sec; you've never seen Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?" she asked.
"Don't think so." He shook his head.
"Oh my... okay, well, that settles it. We're going. Unbelievable... Please tell me at least read the book or know what an Oompa-Loompa is."
Allegra sighed when she saw his pensive expression. The things she could teach this man. And maybe she should. It was, after all, only fair that she enlightened him just as well as he had been enlightening her the past couple of weeks, and in particular these last days.
Only last night, they'd gone to bed, fully intent on taking a break from their... activities for one night that week, but it had been no use. Dean's scarcely clad body, lying against hers, radiating that overwhelming heat... He often said she bewitched him, but Allegra was sure he had no idea of his effect on her. And every night, he only endeavored to make their love-making even more unforgettable.
Those hot kisses on her lips. Those affectionate but hard squeezes at her breasts. That sweet and yet rough manner in which he moved his body against hers. And oh, when he used his tongue... Last night's orgasm had been so paralyzing; Allegra could still feel the soft flutter of butterflies in her belly.
As she peered up at his face through her eyelashes. It was plain as day; Dean made her feel and experience things she had never imagined possible, and she adored every minute she spent with him. How had she ever been strong enough to refuse him? And why, for the love of God, was she still doing so?! Her smile wavered. She knew why, of course. If she lost Dean now... No. Never.
***
Okay, Willie Wonka, Willie Wonka, where are you? Alley said you were a book, so you gotta be in here somewhere. Hm... Oh, wait, chocolate factory... that's gotta, be it.
Dean pulled out the book from the case and frowned at the title.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Where the hell is Willie?
He turned to read the cover, mumbling the words along.
"Oh, so that's where the golden ticket comes from."
He skimmed through the book, stopping to look at some of the drawings here and there. Fat kid getting stuck in a tube, kid blowing up to a giant blueberry, other kid getting attacked by...
"Damn, Willie really doesn't like kids. A-hole."
He put the book back on the shelf and decided to just watch the movie and agree to whatever Allegra said (no way he was making that mistake again).
"Dean!" Allegra yelled up for him. "Dean, I got a call from the Sheriff!"
Dean groaned as he went back down and met her in the living room.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Not sure yet. He just said something weird is going on and asked us to come over for a consult. Off the record."
"Off the record means a case." Dean sighed. "Okay, let's go then. With some luck, we can play hooky to eat that pie before we see Willie torture some kids."
He snickered at Allegra's confused expression after his Willie comment but said nothing else and grabbed the keys to the Chevy. They made sure the house was locked up (not that anyone ever came here, and if they did, they wouldn't get past Trixie) and got into the car. The drive to the station wasn't that long, but it was still long enough for them to notice... things.
"Okay, is it just me, or are people suddenly very fond of their front yards with zero regards to privacy?" remarked Dean. "I've done some crazy stuff in my day, but never what that mailman was doing to that housewife."
"Don't look over here, then. I'm pretty sure I saw a guy barbecuing a foot."
Dean stepped on the gas after he and Allegra exchanged a worried look. When they got to the Sheriff's station, they quickly got out and ran inside. But the chaos inside made them wish they'd never entered.
The girl at the front desk was stuffing her face with marshmallows. She barely took the time to properly chew them and shoved as many as possible in her mouth. The three empty bags and the seven full ones sprawled all over her desk did not bode well.
Further down the office, one of the female officers was cleaning the floor... with a toothbrush. And she was doing it obsessively and with all sorts of chemicals that were sure to kill her if she didn't at least wear a mask or anything. The Sheriff himself was dancing around his desk, throwing money from evidence bags like he was some spritely fairy or something.
What drew Allegra and Dean to venture further was the blood flowing from the holding area. With bated breaths, they dared to go in. Dean nearly hurled at the sight of a teenager ripping a male officer's flesh off his left arm with his teeth. The kid was crying tears of blood and choking, but he just kept going. The only silver lining in this whole thing was that the male officer was already dead. And from the looks of the syringe in his hand and the needle points that were nearly all over his so far untouched right arm, he'd gone quickly and in a haze.
"Dean, what is this?" asked Allegra fearfully.
"I-I don't know," said Dean.
"I wanna check on Lorelai and make sure that she and her husband are okay. And Mrs. Robinson."
"Go, I'll meet you back at the house. Be careful."
"You too."
Allegra zapped out. Dean pressed his lips together, debating whether or not he should enter the cell to make the teenager stop eating human flesh. Eventually, he decided he should at least try and stepped up to the door of the cell.
"Hey, kid, can you hear me?"
After ripping another chunk of meat off the officer, the teenager looked up at Dean. His body shook violently, and blood oozed from his eyes.
"P-Please... m-make it stop... I-I didn't really want t-to... I-I was only..."
The kid coughed and spat and gasped for air before slumping back against the wall of his cell, empty eyes staring up at Dean. He drew back, horrified. He was so fixated on the dead teenager that he didn't even hear the soft clicking of heels until it was too late.
The brunette who'd been sitting at the front desk with the ten bags of marshmallows entered the holding area. Her eyes were wild and bleeding, the same as the teenager's. She threw herself at Dean.
"You have more! I know you do! Give them to me!"
He threw her off him. She cried out in pain as she hit the wall. Dean got ready to defend himself, but the girl just sat against the wall, whimpering to herself.
"They're so tasty. I want more. More, more, mo-..."
But just like with the teenager, the girl's words were cut short as she got a terrible wheezing coughing fit. Dean hurried over to her, but it was no use. There was nothing he could do. She was already dead.
***
"Allegra! Alley, you here?!"
"Dining room!"
Dean ran through the living room toward the sound of Allegra's voice.
"Hey, did you- what happened?!'
He froze when he saw the cut and bruise on his girlfriend's cheek.
"I found Lor and Lucas in a... compromising position. They never even realized I was there. Their eyes were brimming with blood, so I knocked out Lucas with a baseball bat and dragged Lorelai into a different room. That's when she decided to put up a fight. I barricaded the doors so they can't get to each other."
"What about Mrs. Robinson?" asked Dean as he walked around the table to her.
"She's fine. Whatever's going on didn't affect her yet. I put a sleeping pill in her tea and dropped off Trixie to guard her."
She winced and rubbed the bruise.
"Come here, let me see that."
But as soon as Dean cupped Allegra's face, something happened. An inexplicable urge washed over him, and he brought Allegra to him. Their mouths crashed together. Dean didn't know what the hell possessed him to do it. He knew he shouldn't. Allegra was hurt, and the last thing he wanted was to cause her even more pain. But he couldn't stop. And to his own astonishment, Allegra wasn't making him stop either. On the contrary, she was very eagerly and willingly meeting his kiss.
Completely taken over by his desire for her and by Allegra's apparent consent, Dean moved his hands down her body and lifted her onto the table. With a swift swoop, he cleared away the books and papers so he could push Allegra down on the smooth surface. She wrapped her legs around him, bringing him down with her. The act made Dean grind up against her, and Allegra gasped at the feel of him.
In that brief second that their lips were parted, their eyes met. The lust, the yearning, the sheer passion, even the gold rings in both their irises was more present than ever before. But they both saw each other's shock as well.
Dean forced himself to create some distance between himself and Allegra, summoning every ounce of his will. The moment he was a few inches away, she zapped to the other side of the table, steadying herself against the support beam between the living and dining room. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath.
Dean caught her stare and stared right back, feeling the unfathomable urge to jump over the table and take her right back in his arms to continue where they left off. His body was pulling at him to do it. But instead, Dean drew away until he stood with his back against the wall.
"Wha... What the hell just happened?" he asked.
"I-I don't know. When you touched me, I just... I went blank."
"Me too."
Allegra grimaced as her nails dug into the wooden beam.
"God, you have no idea how badly I wanna tear your clothes off," she said, her teeth gritting together."
"Pretty sure I wouldn't stop you," said Dean.
"O-Okay, so... you stay there, and I'll... I'll go upstairs. All the way up. Maintain distance."
"Yeah, that's... probably the best idea."
"I hit the books, and you check the web?"
"Uhu, sure."
Their eyes locked again. Dean stepped in Allegra's direction, but she thankfully disappeared right away when she saw him coming. He took a deep breath, exhaling very slowly, and closed his eyes. That's when he felt something stinging in the corner of his eye.
Dean reached into Allegra's purse and grabbed her make-up mirror. He gasped silently when he saw the blood. Whatever was going on in town seemed to have rubbed off on him. And on Allegra. They had to fix this... before it was too late.
***
"Dean! Dean, I've got it!"
Allegra waited anxiously for Dean to appear below the stairs. The very moment he did, she almost propelled herself to him. She gripped the railing and grounded her feet to keep herself from moving. She could tell Dean was fighting to keep in place as well. Not wanting to drag this torture on, Allegra immediately ensured they focused on the case.
"What's the one thing all of these people have in common?" she asked.
"You mean apart from the fact that they cry blood and drop dead after going completely crazy?"
"They're acting on lust, greed, gluttony, obsession... Basically, what they want most."
"So... what, like seven deadly sins or something?" Dean raised his brow.
"Try desire."
Allegra lifted the seventeenth-century book she'd been reading, showing him the open page with the drawing of a horned female demon.
"Lady Aosoth, hellion of passionate death. She brings out her victims' deepest desire, allowing it to spread like an infection through touch until they are completely consumed by it."
"Touch? That makes sense, actually," said Dean. "I fought off the receptionist at the station, and you handled Lorelai. That must be how it rubbed off on us."
"There's a spell to cast her back to Hell. I say we summon this bitch and send her down tout de suite."
"Ah... how?"
Allegra looked down at him. She grasped his meaning immediately. They couldn't bear to be any closer than they were now. They needed a lot of space, and somewhere no one could get caught in the crossfire or see them. An abandoned warehouse, or...
"The grove. I'll go there now and prepare for the ritual. You follow on foot. And bring your father's knife and my blade, just in case."
"All right, see you there."
***
Dean walked out from between the trees, halting when he saw Allegra on the other side of the clearing. Everything inside him screamed at him to run right to her and push her against the dirt to have his way with her right then and there. He bit his lip and gripped his father's knife tightly, hoping the feel of it would distract him from those thoughts.
"Ready?" asked Allegra.
"Ready," answered Dean.
'Well, it's about damn time."
They both turned their heads at the sharp female voice. Dean's breath caught when he saw a woman in the middle of the clearing. She was both gorgeous and horrifying at the same time. Her body was blood-red, and her hair pitch black. Curved ram horns came out of her head. And her eyes... they were almost as gold as Allegra's were. This had to be her - Lady Aosoth. She looked almost exactly like the drawing in the book. But how the hell had she known to appear here without the summoning? Had she been watching them? Had she been waiting?
"So you two are the ones this whole thing has been about." The hellion grinned. "So nice to finally meet the happy couple. And kudos for holding out so long. Really, I applaud you. It's not easy to fight ardent desire. Believe me, I know."
Dean dared to glance over to Allegra. She appeared just as confused as he was. Them? This was all about them?
"What do you want with us?" demanded Allegra.
"Me? Nothing, dear. This is just a... mutually beneficial arrangement. I get my fill of passion and desire and yummy human flesh, and you two... Well, you'll figure it out in a minute."
Aosoth snapped her fingers. A surge of raw magic rushed all around the clearing, hitting Dean with full impact. His father's knife dropped to the ground. He just managed to stay on his feet.
"There, all those who were still enjoying themselves have been released from my hold. When they wake up tomorrow, they won't remember a thing. I'll be picking up my snacks later tonight. Now, there's really nothing left for me here except to say, have fun, you two."
The roar of laughter echoed through the grove as the hellion vanished in a swirl of flames. Dean held his arm up to shield his eyes from the worst of the blazing light and heat. When the darkness and quiet returned, he slowly lowered his arm. His eyes searched for Allegra. She was still standing in the exact same spot.
As soon as she met his gaze, Dean felt his heart beating furiously in his chest. His blood coursed through his body like rapids down a river. It hurt so goddamn much. And all because she wasn't in his arms. He wanted her. He needed her. He had to have her.
Right now.