They get to a cafe and sit at the counter, Dean putting money on the counter. Sam is holding Liam and puts him on his lap, keeping an arm around him so he doesn't fall off.
"What can we get for, uh, $4.60?" He questions the waitress.
"Um, a slice of pie and a cup of coffee." She states.
"four forks?" Dean asks. The waitress smiles, walking away. "Damn it, I was hoping for a cheeseburger."
"You can't even digest cheese anymore." Sam retorts.
"Dude. Lactaid." Dean says.
"Just accept the loss, Dean." Larissa says.
"Alright. So, if Garth is right, we take this road, but honestly, it doesn't look like there's anything up there." Sam says.
"Hey, how long have you lived here?" Dean asks the waitress gives them coffee.
"All my life." She states.
"Great. Can you tell us what is up that road?" Dean points to the part on the map.
"No. Are you for real? Did Candy put you up to this?" The waitress asks.
"Please tell me that's a nickname." Larissa says.
"No, nobody put us up to this. We're-- we're just headed that way and wanted to know if there's anything up there." Sam says.
"Um, forget it. Sounds nuts." The waitress says.
"Nuts is good, yeah. A couple of Mr. and Mrs. Fucking Peanuts here." Dean says.
"Okay. There's-- there's kind of this, um, urban legend around here, about this place in the middle of nowhere. It's a-a pool hall that is... magic." The waitress says.
"Magic pool hall?" Sam asks.
"I told ya. They say that if you get up there and you win, then you come back lucky. Like, hit the Powerball lucky." The waitress says.
"Sounds good to me." Dean says.
"Except no one ever does." The waitress says.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.
"Um, one of our regulars, Leonard. The bank was coming for his house, so he went out to find the place and he never came back. Heard he had some sort of accident." The waitress says as the phone starts ringing. "Excuse me."
"Yeah." Sam and Dean mutter as the waitress goes to answer the phone.
"Okay. I guess now we know what the downside is." Sam says.
"Eh, not from where I'm sitting." Dean says.
"A-a pool hall that makes you lucky or might kill you? I mean, it sounds like a demon or a witch or--"
"Or it could be awesome." Dean cuts his brother off. "It's pool. The-the-- the game of champions, kings. My game. Hell, our game. How many honest to goodness great memories do we have hustling pool?"
"Yeah, because we had to. To eat." Sam says.
"Okay, well, my point is, that if pool is the way we get our mojo back, then maybe we ain't as screwed as we thought." Dean says.
"Hey, do you guys drive an Impala?" The waitress asks. "I, uh, I think you have a flat."
+++
"Relax. We might actually have some fun." Dean tells his brother as they get out of the car and walk to the pool hall. Larissa picks Liam up and Sam tightly holds onto Athena's hand.
"Right." Sam mumbles as they walk in. "Dean, we don't even have beer money, much less whatever the buy-in is here."
"Hey, we'll figure something out." Dean assures, the family walking to the bar.
"Get you something?" The woman behind the counter asks.
"Yeah. Four waters, por favor." Dean tells her and she nods, starting to pour the waters. "Hey, uh..." He trails off.
"Evie." She informs.
"Evie. Say, listen, if, uh, me and my family here wanted to get ourselves a game...?" Dean asks.
"Pax. Three more for ya." Evie calls and a man, Pax, walks over.
"Hey, you remember a guy who was in here a few weeks ago? Uh, name was Leonard?" Sam asks.
"No. Sorry." Evie walks off.
"Follow me." Pax tells them group and they do so. "So, how'd you guys find us?"
"Uh, a friend." Sam says.
"Did your, uh, friend say how we wager?" Pax asks.
"Yeah, listen, uh, money's a little tight right now." Dean says.
"Yeah, we don't bet with money." Pax states. He opens a box and takes out a coin. "We use this." He puts the coin on the desk, sliding it across to them.
"Okay. What are we looking at?" Sam asks.
"Go ahead. Touch it." Pax says.
The thee adults exchange looks, none of them really wanting to risk it. Dean reaches out and puts two fingers on the coin. A green light shimmers from the coin for a few moments before disappearing and Dean takes his hand away.
"Not great. Not the worst, either." Pax says.
"And that means...?" Dean asks.
"Well, you see, everybody walks in here with a certain amount of luck. That glow... that's you. About average." Pax says.
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Dean says.
"But you set that coin on that table, you get yourself a game." Pax points to the pool table behind them. "And you win? You might just see your fortune improve."
"And if he loses?" Sam asks.
"Play again. Have a good time. You know, keep playing. But if the coin goes blank, that means you're out of luck. You gotta leave. Questions?" Pax asks.
"Yeah. What is this place? Who owns it?" Sam asks.
"I just work here. Look, if you don't like it, door's open." Pax says, sitting down.
"When I win, can I split it? The luck?" Dean asks.
"It's yours. You do what you want." Pax says.
"Yeah. Uh, just give us a second. Thanks." Sam drags them away. "No, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. No way."
"Man, I've been slinging pool cues since before you were born." Dean says.
"What? When you were four? Really? What, between nap time and snack?" Sam remarks making Larissa snicker.
"Look, we barely made it out of that monster fight club, okay? We need this. And you know it. Now, look, you're better than me at pretty much everything, okay? That's okay. I'm not mad. I'm proud. But I can wipe the floor with you when it comes to pool."
Sam scoffs before sighing and nodding.
"Good. All right." Dean goes back to Pax. "Okay, pal. Let's give it a go."
~ ~ ~
Dean circles the table as he holds a pool cue in his hand.
"So, how long are we supposed to just wait around?" Sam asks, keeping his arms wrapped around Athena's shoulders protectively.
"You know, if the fish aren't biting, throw 'em a little chum." Dean says. He leans down and hits the white ball with the cue, making the colored and striped balls disperse.
"I don't know, Sammy. I'm a little rusty." Dean says loudly. A few moments later, a woman walks over.
"Go on. Rack 'em up." Moira says.
"Yeah, yeah." Dean agrees.
Sam and Larissa make their way over to the bar.
"Decided not to play?" Evie asks.
"Uh, yeah. It's not really my thing." Sam says, sitting down. Larissa sits down, leaving a chair between them empty for Athena.
"So, what's her deal?" Sam asks, motioning to the woman Dean's playing.
"Who? Moira? Been here a while. Guess her sister's still in a coma." Evie says.
"So, she's playing to wake her up?" Sam asks.
"Everybody wants something." Evie asks.
"Yeah." Sam mumbles. "Hey, do you ever smell anything weird, like rotten eggs or...?"
"Just Charlie." Evie jokes, the couple glancing at Charlie who is playing pool.
"Right. What about... have you ever noticed little bundles laying around?" Sam asks.
"Uh... no. Look, you're new. I get it. You're trying to figure this out. I guess it is pretty unbelievable." Evie says.
"Places like this don't exist for no reason." Sam says.
"Most people think it's a Godsend. Take that guy." Evie says, the three looking over at a guy who is wearing a suit. "Loves his wife, but she has expensive taste. He came here from Atlantic City, not a dime left to his name. Or her..." They watch a woman walk past with a drink.
"Three kids, works doubles, buys a scratcher every night. They both deserve a lucky break. And they almost got one. They went on a streak, could have walked away winners, but they kept on playing till their luck went sour."
"They're not actually winning?" Sam asks.
"Not anymore. Like I said, they should have walked away." Evie says, giving the couple a certain look. She walks away and Sam and Larissa look at each other.
"That seemed like a message for us, right?" Larissa asks.
"Oh, yeah." Sam nods.
+++
Dean ended up winning the game and the family are sitting at the bar while Sam tells them what Evie told him and Larissa.
"It felt like a warning, like she was telling us to cut our losses." Sam says.
"Come on, man. I'm on a roll." Dean says.
"Dean, you won one game. Listen, I think this place sucks you in, right? And if you keep playing, you'll lose. And if you keep losing..." Sam says.
"You go all Leonard." Dean says.
"Exactly." Sam says.
"All right, so we need to minimize our risk and maximize our profit, right? It's kind of like that action we took back in Tallahassee. Remember that? The-- the... the "Fast Eddie"?" Dean recalls.
"I don't remember." Sam says.
"It was dad's favorite, from the movie. Paul Newman. The Hustler." Dean says.
"Alright, fine. One more game. One." Sam relents.
"Okay. Now we just gotta find our Jackie Gleason." Dean says, looking around.
~ ~ ~
"What did you say your name was again?" Joey Six asks Dean as they play.
"Well, my name's Dean Winchester. And I'm gonna kick your ass." Dean states. "Now, what kind of name is, uh, Joey Six?"
"Oh, it's just something they used to call me back in PBR." Joey says.
"Professional bull riding circuit. Nice." Dean says. He sinks a ball into a pocket. "Tell me. How was that? Corner pocket." He hits the cue ball and the eight ball rolls, but stops just short of the corner pocket.
"Good times." Joey says. He shoots, but misses. "And some not so good. The cue ball is next to a striped ball which is by the eight ball. Dean angles his pool cue. "Double or nothing says you miss that shot."
"You trying to hustle me, Rodeo?" Dean asks.
"I thought you were gonna kick my ass." Joey says.
Sam grabs Larissa's hand, holding it behind her back, and anxiously squeezing it. She gives him a reassuring squeeze back.
"Alright." Dean angles the pool cue and hits the cue ball. It jumps over the striped ball and hits the eight ball, knocking it into the pocket. Everybody in the bar cheers and claps. Sam sighs in relief, Larissa feeling his grip on her hand loosen.
"Helluva shot." Joey says.
Joey's coin shimmers before it goes blank and Dean's coin shimmers as he gains the luck. Joey takes his coin out and walks off. Dean takes his coin, sharing a look with Sam.
"Go. Go, I got the kids." Larissa says.
"Okay." Sam pecks her on the head before following Dean outside.
~ ~ ~
The brothers walk back into the building, going to Larissa and the kids who are sitting at the bar.
"Dada." Liam reaches out to him.
"Hey, buddy." Sam manages a small smile, picking his son up.
"Yeah, I liked that leathery son of a bitch." Dean says.
"Yeah, when he bet double or nothing, you cleaned him out." Sam says.
"Okay, well, plan worked. Let's hit the road." Dean says.
"What about everybody else? Just give me some time, alright? I-I need to figure this out." Sam says.
"Dude, we're in a fight with God, okay? And... we just got our mojo back." Dean says.
"You really think there's enough luck in that coin to make up for whatever Chuck took from us?" Sam asks.
"Why don't I give it a whirl?" Dean asks.
"How?" Sam asks.
"I'll go for a quick drive. If Baby treats me right, then I know we're out of the woods. But when I get back, it's adios." Dean says.
~ ~ ~
Dean walks back inside.
"Well, car's dead. Again. Didn't even make it out of the parking lot. This coin blows. I think you're right. Didn't have enough juice." Dean says.
"Hold on." Sam picks up the coin. "No way." He mumbles. "At first I thought maybe these coins were-were hexed or cursed."
"Like the rabbit's foot." Dean says as Sam takes another coin out.
"When you win, you're-- you're taking luck from whoever you beat, right?" Sam asks.
"Right." Dean nods.
"But Joey Six beat how many people? 30? 40? More? All of that accumulated luck should've been passed to you." Sam says.
"Well, tell that to Baby." Dean says.
"Exactly. It didn't. Because what if someone's stealing, every game, skimming luck off the top?" Sam asks.
"What-- what do you mean? Like, the house?" Dean asks.
"Her." Sam holds the coin up, a face on it. "I think." Dean takes the coin and inspects it, Libby leaning closer to see the coin.
""Atrox Fortuna"?" Dean asks.
"Roman Goddess of Luck." Sam says.
"Okay, say you're right. What do we do?" Dean asks.
~ ~ ~
"I-I can't help you. I'm sorry." Evie tells them.
"Then why warn me in the first place?" Sam asks.
"So you'd take your family and go." Evie says.
"Wait, why are you here? Does she have something over you?" Dean asks.
"I came to play. I lost. I'm only alive cause she lets me stay. Long as I keep working." Evie says.
"So, if you don't play yourself to death, you work yourself to death. Is that it?" Dean asks.
"Yeah, that's it." Evie nods.
"Is she here?" Sam asks.
"I don't know. I only talk to Pax. Her son." Evie states.
~ ~ ~
"Pax. Hey, uh, can I ask you a question?" Sam asks, him and Larissa walking over. Athena holds Liam's hand, staying a few feet back. Pax stands up and Dean comes up behind him, a brass blade held to the man's throat. "Where's your mom? Fortuna!"
"We have your son." Dean announces.
Moira, who is apparently Fortuna, the woman Dean played against earlier, walks over.
"Enough!" Fortuna exclaims.
"Fortuna?" Dean questions.
"That's one of my names." She states.
"We know you're skimming luck off what we won. We want it back." Sam says.
"Or I kill him." Dean says.
"Well, you probably could. His daddy was human. But, no." Fortuna denies.
"Mom." Pax says.
"I'm sorry, baby. I can always make more sons." Fortuna says.
"What the fuck is wrong with her?" Larissa whispers to her husband.
"Get the kids." Sam whispers. Larissa immediately goes over to Athena and Liam, dragging them back over to Sam. She picks Liam up and Sam picks his daughter up, keeping her in a tight hold.
"Then play me for it." Dean says, letting Pax go.
"I played you already." Fortuna says.
"Then we go again." Dean says.
"When I play someone, I get a read on them. And you... you're just a beach read. Sexy, mm, but skimmable." Fortuna states.
"Beach read? Lady, I'm Tolstoy." Dean says and Fortuna laughs.
"That's very funny. These two here... they could be interesting." Fortuna says. She walks to the couple.
"Wait. No, no, no. That's... uh-uh." Dean objects. "Neither of them."
"Fine." Sam says before Larissa can stay anything. "Yeah, I'll play. But not for our luck. I'll play for the lives of everybody in here."
"No. Only for your luck. And if you lose, I get your lives. Come on, you threatened my baby, my livelihood. An example must be made." Fortuna says.
"You almost let us kill your baby and your livelihood." Larissa remarks.
"Motherhood is complicated, you understand." Fortuna says.
"No!" Larissa exclaims. "Somebody puts a knife to my babies' throats, they're the ones dying, not my damn kids." Larissa states.
"You're feisty. I like it." Fortuna comments. She looks back at Sam. "So... are you in? Or should I play your wife instead?"
~ ~ ~
Sam hits the cue ball into the balls, sinking a striped ball into one of the pockets. Larissa is still holding Liam and Dean has an arm draped over Athena's shoulders, keeping her close to him.
"Guess that makes me solids." Fortuna comments. "So, why do you need this luck so bad? Wife trouble? Mistress problems? Liver failure? Annoying children?"
"Excu--" Larissa starts to charge at her, but Dean stops her.
"Accursed by God." Sam says.
"Life's a bitch, then you die." Fortuna says.
"The God... literally cursed us." Dean states, Larissa nodding.
"You've met?" Fortuna asks.
"Yeah. Little guy, squirrely as hell." Dean says.
"Yeah, that's him. Well, welcome to the club." Fortuna says.
"The club?" Dean asks.
"Yes, the club." Fortuna says, finally able to take a shot after Sam missed one. "God created the world, but you know who created us gods? You did. You humans. Sort of. When you apes first climbed down from the trees, you didn't pray to him. You prayed the the-- the sun, the womb, the rain, and the stars. Well, at first, the creator was furious. How dare you not recognize his beneficence?"
"But soon enough, he birthed us... Ra, Anu, Hera, Mixcoatl, all the rest."
"Why?" Dean asks.
"Why? Why?" She scoffs. She takes another shot, but missing the pocket. "To take the blame. Bad harvest? Stillborn child? Our bad. Not His. Plus, we made for epic stories. But his ego could only handle that for so long. Now he's happy to behind whatever religion has the most syndication deal. While we survive on scraps in the wilderness."
"Most gods, they're forgotten. But I'm old. I hold a grudge. Oh well. What are you going to do?" Fortuna questions.
"We're gonna fight him." Dean states.
"Are you now? And when you lose...?" She asks.
"We lose swinging. Eight ball, corner pocket." Sam says. He takes the shot, getting the eight ball in the corner pocket.
"You little minx. You got me talking. You're good." Fortuna says.
"I learned from my brother." Sam says.
"Alright, you know the deal. Even up." Dean says.
"What do you say we make it interesting? Okay? You're gonna fight God. That's the stuff of heroes, right? So, you're gonna need the luck of heroes. Hercules, Cuchulain, Gilgamesh. I helped them all. I can help you, too."
"What's the catch?" Sam asks.
"Another game. Double or nothing." Fortuna says.
"Double. That's how the cowboy died." Dean says.
"Mm-hmm." Fortuna nods.
"Yeah. Deal. But not for more luck. For them. If I win, you have to let them go." Sam states.
"Honey, I'm not stopping them." Fortuna says.
"Okay, then when I win, you have to give back the luck you stole. Close up shop." Sam says.
"What is with you and these losers? They're nothing! They don't matter." Fortuna says.
"They matter to me." Sam says.
"They matter to us." Dean corrects.
"Well, fine. Rack 'em up." Fortuna says.
After resetting the game, Fortuna gets the first shot and she sinks all of the balls, Sam not even getting one chance to play.
"Eight ball, corner pocket." She says before taking the shot, the eight ball rolling into the corner pocket. Larissa quietly sighs, wincing. "You challenged the Goddess of Luck in her own joint. What did you think was going to happen?"
"Well, we had to try." Dean says.
"Well, that was stupid." Fortuna walks away.
Sam walks over to his family and Larissa rubs his arm.
"You did your best." She says, kissing his shoulder.
"Yeah." He mumbles, nodding.
They go outside and make their way to the Impala.
"Thought she was going to kill us." Dean says.
"Yeah, she doesn't have to. Our luck will do that on its own. Dean, we can't just..." Sam says.
"Just leave them. No. I know. Alright, well, let's go find some Wi-Fi and see what kills Lady Luck. Then we'll circle back." Dean says.
"Hey." Sam greets, noticing everybody walking out and Evie walks over to them. "What... what's going on? What happened?" Sam asks Evie.
"She-- she shut it down." Evie says.
"What?" Sam asks.
"Because of you. She said she thought your kind had gone extinct." Evie says.
"Our kind?" Sam asks.
"Heroes. Like the old days. And, uh, she gave me a message. She said, "Don't play his game. Make him play yours."" Evie says. She holds her hand out, holding the coin out and Sam takes it. Evie walks away and the coin glows green over Sam's hand.
Dean takes it, the same thing happening.
"Here." Sam holds the coin out to his wife.
"I told you, I don't need it. I'm... I'm normal." Larissa says.
"Just... just try it, please." Sam gives her puppy dog eyes. Larissa huffs, but takes the coin, and it glows green. "Huh."
"Now hopefully you're good." Sam says.
"I want it!" Athena reaches for the coin, grabbing it out of her mom's hand, and it glows. "Can I give it to Liam?"
"Sure, let him hold it." Sam says and Athena gives the coin to her brother. Liam grins at the object, watching it glow. He goes to put it in his mouth.
"Ah, ah, no!" Larissa pulls his arm away.
"No, no!" Sam covers Liam's face with one hand and takes the coin with the other.
"God, this kid will eat anything and everything." Larissa mutters.
"Come on." Dean says, the group walking over to the Impala. They get in and Larissa buckles Liam up. Dean puts the key in and turns it, the car starting and the engine revs.
"We're back, baby!" Dean cheers.
+++
"Alright, this is it. Last scratcher. Come on, come on." Dean mutters as they walk into the bunker. He blows the scraps off the card, frowning. "What the hell? I mean, so much for that "Luck of Hercules" bullshit."
"Swear jar." Athena says.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Dean waves her off, giving her a quarter, making her grin.
"So, we didn't win the lottery. But no car trouble. Uh, credit cards work. Oh, and back to back bacon double cheeseburgers didn't kill you, so..." Sam says.
"That was beautiful, by the way." Dean says.
"It's like watching a caveman." Larissa retorts making Athena giggle.
"I'm just saying, would it have killed her to give us a little extra?" Dean asks.
"Well, she thinks we're real heroes. Maybe they don't get all the shortcuts." Sam says.
"Fuckin' gods, man." Dean says.
"Swea--"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know." Dean gives her one dollar.
They walk into the library.
"Cas?" Dean asks as he walks in.
"Hey. Everything okay?" Sam asks.
Cas steps aside and Jack walks out. Larissa's eyes widen and she freezes.
"Hello." Jack raises his hand.
"Jackie!" Athena grins, racing over to him. She crashes into him, tightly hugging him. Jack smiles a little, hugging her back.
"Jack?" Sam asks.
"It's really him." Cas states.
Sam quickly goes to Jack and hugs him, smiling at the Nephilim.
"Oh, my God." Larissa whispers, putting Liam down, and hugging Jack tightly. "Holy, shit." She breathes out, one hand placed on the back of his head. She pulls away. "You're alive." She laughs, cupping his neck.
Jack smiles, giving her a small nod.
"Oh, thank God. Well, not God, but thank-- thank whoever." Larissa says, hugging Jack again for a few seconds.
She finally pulls away.
"Is he yours?" Jack asks, pointing to Liam who is hugging Sam's leg.
"Oh, yes. Yeah. Right. Um, Jack, this... this is Liam." Larissa informs.
"Hi." Jack waves at him.
"Hi." Liam waves back.
Dean steps up, putting a hand on the side of Jack's neck. He looks at Cas who nods.
+++
The group are sitting around the map table as Jack explained where he's been and what he's been doing.
"Jack, you... you ate their hearts?" Sam asks.
"I... I had to." Jack states.
"And you let him?" Dean asks Cas who nods.
"You could've called us." Sam says.
"Every day I wanted to come home, but... I couldn't." Jack says.
"Why not?" Dean asks.
"Because if I don't stay hidden, if I use my powers, my grandfather-- he'll know I'm back, and he'll try to kill me... again. He's afraid of me. And that's why we had to wait."
"Billie kept him hidden in the Empty until Chuck went off world." Cas informs.
"She let me out when it was safe." Jack says.
"Safe to what? Eat a bunch of angel hearts?" Dean asks.
"Safe to do what I have to do. The hearts, they were just the beginning. They made me strong, but I-I'm not strong enough. I... if I do exactly what she says, if I follow her plan, then I'll get stronger and... I'll be able to kill God."