Houses of the Holy
"You saw it, didn't you?" Dean asked as we walked into the main room of the church. "Didn't you?"
"Yeah." Sam replied,nodding his head. "Yeah, Dean, I saw an angel."
Dean stepped around his brother as Sam sat down on a pew. Dean reached into his jacket, pulling out a flask and offering it to Sam.
"I don't want a drink." Sam shook his head.
Dean shrugged, taking a swig himself then offering it to me.
"Uh, one second." I grabbed his wrist, checking his watch. "Yeah, I said I would drink for at least another hour."
Dean shrugged again, screwing the cap back on and shoving the flask in his coat. "So, what makes you think you saw an, uh, angel?"
"It just..." Sam trailed off, smiling a little. "It appeared before me and just...this feeling washed over me, you know, like peace. Like grace."
"Okay, ecstasy boy." Dean says. "Maybe we'll get you some glow sticks and a nice Dr. Seuss hat, huh?"
"Dean." I complained.
"Dean, I'm serious." Sam stated. "It spoke to me. It knew who I was."
"Its just a spirit, Sam." Dean insisted. "Okay? And its not the first one to be able to read people's minds." He moved to sit on the pew across from Sam. "Okay, let me guess, you were personally chosen to smite some sinner. You just gotta wait for some divine Bat Signal, is that it?"
"Yeah, actually." Sam nodded his head.
"Great." Dean remarked. "I don't suppose you asked what this alleged bad guy did?"
"Actually, I did, Dean." Sam replied. "And the angel told me. He hasn't done anything...yet. But he will."
Dean let out a humorless chuckle as he stood. "Oh, this is--I don't believe this."
"Dean, the angel hasn't been wrong yet." Sam snapped.
"Okay, lets take a chill pill and calm down, huh?" I suggested.
"Someone's gonna do something awful and I can stop it." Sam continued.
He had a point. I understood where Sam was all too well. I too wanted nothing more than to save lives just to prove to myself that I was good. I was scared. I think Sam is too.
"You're supposed to be bad too, Sam." Dean stated. "Maybe I should just stop you right now."
My heart sank. I swallowed. That could easily be me. If I spoke up, it would be. If I had seen the angel like Sam had, it would be.
The bad part is, I didn't blame Dean.
A part of me thought it would be best if he stopped me. A part of me thought he should. And maybe, just maybe, a small part of me wanted him too.
"Maybe that's best." I murmured, sinking into myself.
Deans eyes fell to me, softening. "Si--"
"I'm serious--" I began.
"You know what, Dean? I don't understand. Why can't you even consider the possibility?" Sam asked.
"What, that this is an angel?" Dean asked, voice harsh again, matching Sam's.
"Yes!" Sam said. "Maybe we're hunting an angel here and we should stop. Maybe this is God's will."
"Okay, all right. You know what, I get it." Dean says, crossing the room and sitting back down. "You've got faith. That's--Hey, good for you. I'm sure it makes things easier. I'll tell you who else had faith like that: Mom."
Sam looked over at Dean.
"She used to tell me when she tucked me in that angels were watching over us." Dean continues. "In fact, that was the last thing she ever said to me."
"You never told me that." Sam whispered.
"What's there to tell?" Dean shrugged. "She was wrong. There was nothing protecting her. There's no higher power, there's no God. I mean, there's just chaos and violence. Random, unpredictable evil that comes out of nowhere that rips you to shreds. So you want me to believe in the stuff? I'm gonna need to see some hard proof. You got any? Well, I do. Proof that we're dealing with a spirit."
___
Kneeling in front of the dead priests grave, I stare at the vines growing over it.
"It looks like--" Sam began.
"Its wormwood." Dean stated. "Plant associated with the dead. Specifically, the ones not at rest. I don't see it growing anywhere else, except over the murdered priests marker. Its him, Sam."
"Maybe." Sam admitted.
"Maybe?"
"Dean, I don't know what to think."
"Okay, you want some more proof? I'll give you more proof."
Sam chuckled. "How?"
"We'll summon Gregory's spirit."
"Okay, you've officially lost you mind." I stated.
"What?" Sam asked. "Here? In the church?"
"Yeah." Dean stood. "We just need a few odds and ends and that seance ritual in dads journal."
"Oh, seance, great. Hope Whoopi's available." Sam remarked.
"Ghost was such a sad movie." I said. "But Patrick Swayze was pretty hot, so..."
"That's why Roadhouse is your favorite movie, isn't it?" Dean asked.
I shrugged. "Maybe."
"Anyway, if Father Gregory's spirit is around, the seance will bring him.right to us. If it's him, we'll put him to rest."
"But if its an angel, it won't show." Sam said. "Nothing will happen."
"Exactly." Dean replied. "Its one of the perks of the job, Sam. We don't have to operate on faith. We can know for sure. Don't you wanna know for sure?"
___
As Sam went on about how we're using a SpongeBob placemat for an alter cloth, I hung up the phone. Dean and Sam joined my side outside of the store.
"We'll just put it SpongeBob side down." Dean shrugged.
"I have to go." I said.
"What's wrong?" Dean asked.
"Millie just called. She's panicking. I have to go." I leaned up to kiss him. "Call me when your SpongeBob seance is over, 'kay?"
"Okay. Be safe." Dean told me.
I smiled.
___
"And-and-and his eyes were, they were black. He said-he said that I needed to tell you that this isn't over. He's coming for you. He said to tell the Sorceress she's going to die." Millie stuttered out, pacing the floor. "I can't stay here. I'm scared." Tears brimmed her eyes.
"Don't worry, Mills." I told you. "You can come with me and Sam and Dean. We'll keep an eye out for you."
"Aren't you worried? This-this demon said he's coming for you. Who's the Sorceress?"
"I...I don't know, but I am almost certain everything will be fine." I assured her.
"Saige, he was going to kill you. He said so." Millie says.
"Where did he go?" I asked, beginning to move around the room to look for clues. I had to admit, a part of me was worried. This demon was in my house, terrorizing my best friend.
"He just ran out the door, I saw black smoke, then the body dropped. By time you got here, the guy woke up and was gone." She explained.
Sulfur was on the floor and the windowsill. Other than that, nothing was different. Nothing was wrong.
"We should leave. Before he comes back." I say.
___
On the way back to the Winchesters, Millie slept. I drove as she curled up in the passenger seat. My phone rang.
"Hey, Dean." I answered in a hushed tone.
"Hey, sweetheart. Everything okay?" He asked.
"Define okay." I sighed. "What about you?"
"I'm sorry, Si, but it was Father Gregory." He said.
I nodded my head, though he couldn't see me. "Well, you we're right."
Dean laughed a little. "That doesn't sound as good as it normally does."
"Well..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"But still with no one around the guy--who was a complete jackass-- got killed. I was tailing him. He got in a car accident.. A metal pole stabbed him right through the chest, right where all the other vics were stabbed."
"Oh."
____
"Dean what did you see?" Sam asked as I walked through the door to the motel room.
"Maybe....God's will." Dean replied.
"I feel like we missed something." Millie whispered to me.