Out in the middle of nowhere during the day, I was lying on a picnic table.
Dean walked closer, running a hand over my arm.
I tried and failed to hide a smile, looking up at Dean. "Hey, you."
Dean smirked. "Hi."
I leaned up from the table to meet Dean halfway in a kiss, lying back down again.
Dean smirked, sitting down on the bench next to me.
I took Dean's hand.
Dean looked at me, raising his eyebrows slightly.
I smiled a small smile.
Sam walked closer. "So, what, Cas is human?"
Sam sat down on the bench across from Dean on the other side of me.
I sat up.
"Ish," Dean answered. "I mean, he's got no grace, no wings, no... harp, whatever the hell else he had."
"Okay," Sam told us. "Where'd he crash-land?"
"Called me from a pay phone from Longmont, Colorado," Dean told us. "I told him just to make for the bunker."
"Well, you think he can handle a road trip like that?" Sam asked.
"Well, Cas is a big boy," I told them. "Things go 'Breaking Bad', he knows our number. Right now, we got bigger worried."
"The fallen angels?" Sam asked.
"Yeah," I answered. "I mean, thanks to Metatron, we now have a couple of thousand confused loose nukes walking around here."
"What do you think they're gonna do?" Sam asked.
"I got no damn clue," I told them.
"What about Crowley?" Sam asked. "You, uh..."
Sam mimed slicing his own throat.
Dean looked at me. "I would've loved nothing better than to ice that limey bitch. But Nessie here had other ideas."
Sam looked at me. "Ness?"
"Don't look at me like that," I told him. "I figured the king of Hell might know a few things, so why not Zero Dark Thirty his ass?"
I slid off of the table.
"Wait," Sam told us. "So, Crowley is... alive?"
I walked toward the Impala.
Sam and Dean stood, following.
I opened the trunk to reveal Crowley inside.
"Oh, yeah," Dean answered. "He's the junk in my trunk."
A devil's trap was painted on the inside of the trunk to trap Crowley inside.
Sam was surprised. "Huh."
~~~~~~~~
I walked into the bunker, on the balcony above the control room.
An arrow soared in my general direction, getting stuck in the railing a few feet in front of me.
"The hell?" I asked.
Kevin stood from behind his barricade of books and a flipped-over table, holding a crossbow. "Ness? You're alive."
"Yeah, 'cause you're a crappy shot..." I trailed off, taking the arrow out of the railing. "Katniss."
I walked down the stairs into the control room.
"Sorry," Kevin told me. "It's been a bad couple of days. I--I haven't slept, or eaten. I'm pretty backed up."
"Okay, overshare," I told him.
"This place went nuts, all right?" Kevin asked. "Th--there was some alarm, and all the machines were freaking out, and the bunker just locked down. I couldn't open the door, my cellphone stopped working. I thought the world was ending."
"Close," I told him. "The angels fell."
"The..." Kevin trailed off. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing good," I answered, taking the crossbow from Kevin. "Listen, next the world's ending, grab a gun." I put the crossbow down on the table, pacing away, taking out my phone. "I got service." I flipped a switch on the bunker's control panel. The lights turned on. There was the sound of mechanics whirring into action. "It's back online." I looked at Kevin. "Maybe when I opened the door from the outside, it reset the system."
"Yeah, okay, let's go with that," Kevin told me.
Sam and Dean walked in with Crowley who was handcuffed, blindfolded and had earmuffs.
"Hey," Dean told us. "All good?"
"Is it ever?" I replied. "Come on."
I led Sam and Dean out of the room into the dungeon.
~~~~~~~~
Crowley was chained to a chair in the center of the devil's trap.
Dean pulled off his hood, tearing the duct tape off his mouth, making him groan in pain.
"Hello," Crowley told us.
Dean punched Crowley in the face, making him groan in pain. "Never get tired of doing that."
Crowley looked at the wall full of torture implements. "Homey. Where did you get this fantastic little treehouse?"
"All right, here's how it's gonna go," I told him. "You're giving us the name of every demon on earth, and the people they're possessing."
"Am I?" Crowley asked. "Doesn't sound like me."
"We saw you break down, Crowley," Sam told him. "When I was trying to cure you. We know a part of you was human again. Maybe still is."
"Blah blah, boohoo," Crowley told us. "Done? Good. 'Cause this is what I know. I'm not giving you anything. Why would I? You have no leverage, darlings. You're not gonna close the gates of Hell, because you didn't. You're not gonna kill me, because you haven't. So what's left?"
"We have a few ideas," Dean told him.
"Torture," Crowley told us. "Brilliant. Can't wait to see Sam in stilettos and a leather bustier, really putting the S-A-M into S&M. Honestly. What are you gonna do to me that I don't do to myself just for kicks every Friday night?"
Sam and Dean exchanged a look, looking at me.
I nodded.
Sam and Dean walked out, leaving.
I looked at Crowley, smirking. "Have fun."
I walked out, leaving, closing and locking the doors behind us, turning off the lights, leaving Crowley alone in the dark.
~~~~~~~~
Sam, Dean and I stood with Kevin in the control room.
"What's Crowley's doing here?" Kevin asked incredulously. "Why isn't he dead? Why aren't you stabbing him right now?"
"All right, all right, chill out, Kevin, okay?" Dean asked. "We need him."
"What?" Kevin asked.
"Kevin, look," Sam told him. "If we can get Crowley to give us the name of every demon he's got topside, we can hunt them down. All of them."
"He will break, okay?" I asked. "When he does, we'll hold him down while you knife him. Then we all go out for ice cream and tequila."
"Just stay away from him, all right?" Sam asked.
Kevin hesitated, nodding. "So now what?"
"I gotta make some phone calls," Dean told him. "You need to hit the angel tablet, see if you can find anything on the spell that Metatron used to empty out Heaven."
"Yeah, maybe we can reverse it before the God Squad does too much damage," Sam told us.
"Yeah, if we're lucky," I told them. "All right, I'm gonna check the net for anything angel-y."
I sat at the table, typing on my laptop.
"Or demon-y," Sam told me.
"Or monster-y," Dean told me. "Or ghost-y, or..."
I sighed, closing my eyes, shaking my head. "It's gonna be a busy year."
~~~~~~~~
Sam and Dean were doing paper research.
Kevin was researching the angel tablet.
I was on the phone, also researching on my laptop. "Yeah, Irv, fallen angels."
"Huh. That's a wrinkle."
"Well, trust me, they're just monsters with good PR. So, if you run into on, torch his ass with holy oil. Oh, and if they drop, uh, like, a silver sword, grab it. Those pigstickers come in handy."
"Okay. Criminy."
"Hey, look, I know this is weird, but--"
"Well, Nessie, weird's what we do. I remember this case me and Bobby worked up in Saskatoon, and these two--"
"Werewolf Siamese twins."
"He told you about that?"
I smiled a small, remembering smile. "Every time he drank Labatt's. So, if you run into any problems, give a call, okay? The more hunters that know, the better."
"Roger-Dodger."
~~~~~~~~
Sam and Dean went to check out a crime scene where people had been found dead and a bunch of Army men had disappeared.
I was still at the bunker, sitting at one of the tables in the library, on my laptop. My phone rang. I saw it was Dean calling, answering. "Hey."
"Hey, boss, uh... we got a little problem here."
"You two morons are on the brink of getting caught again?"
"Yeah. Just a local badge needs confirmation we're supposed to be here. How the word came down from FBI headquarters in DC."
I heard a woman's voice. "This is Sgt. Miranda Bates. Who am I talking to?"
"Assistant Director Cotton, thank you for asking. They're there for a reason and it is to do their jobs."
"If I'm not mistaken, I think the Army has jurisdiction."
I sighed, pulling up something on my laptop. "Are you questioning my authority?"
"Yes, I am. I don't take order from the Feeb. So, unless you can give me one good reason you got a couple of pretty-boy agents poking around my crime scene, I'm gonna put them in cuffs and spank your ass raw. Understand?"
I smirked, looking at my laptop in amusement. "Cabo, last June."
"What?"
"That's my reason. My favorite is you in a sombrero doing a body shot off some naked guy in a Luchador mask. Super classy."
"How did you find that?"
"'Cause I'm Assistant Director Cotton. So, unless you want this forwarded to your commanding officer, Major Velasquez, I suggest you give my guys anything they want. Understand?"
"Yes."
"'Yes, ma'am'."
"Yes, ma'am."
I heard Dean's voice. "Ness? What the hell did you just do?"
"All military computers are linked to the same network."
"And?"
"And I saved your asses again by hacking it."
Dean chuckled. "God, I love you."
I smiled. "Love you, too. You two have fun."
I hung up, smiling.
~~~~~~~~
After dark, a cellphone in a box of phones started to ring.
I stood, walking toward the box, going through the box, answering. "Hello?"
"This is Dean's number, but this voice is Dean-adjacent. Hello, again, Ness."
I took a deep breath. "Abaddon."
"Bingo. Last time I saw you, you burned me alive."
"You lived. And apparently so did your vessel."
"Hmm. You're right, we did. But you made me very, very mad. How about some revenge? I have something you all might want."
~~~~~~~~
Sam and Dean were here now.
I was sitting at my laptop, typing away.
"Ness, wait, wait, wait," Sam told me. "Slow down."
"She gave me these coordinates," I told them, typing them into my computer. "44.053051 by -123.127860. It points to an old warehouse in Eugene, Oregon. She also gave me two names. Irv Franklin and Tracy Bell."
"I take it you know both of them," Dean told me.
"Who don't I know?" I replied. "They're hunters. And Abaddon said that if we didn't go save them, that she would kill them."
"Yeah, I've heard that song before," Dean told us. "Where's Kevin?"
"Digging up everything the Men of Letters have on Knights of Hell," I answered. "Trying to find a way to kill one, and I mean permanently. He said that if he did, he would drop a dime."
I stood.
"And we're just gonna walk right into the trap?" Sam asked.
"Guns blazing," I answered. "You guys with me?"
"You know it," Dean told me.
Sam nodded.
~~~~~~~~
We got to the place where they were by daylight, walking into the contaminated ghost town with a bag of weapons.
"The hell happened here?" Dean asked.
"Local chemical plant sprung a leak, years ago," I told them. "They evacuated three square blocks. Guess it's still contaminated."
"Wait," Sam told me. "So, this whole place is poison?"
"Yep," I answered. Dean shielded his crotch with his hand protectively. "That's not gonna help."
"Doesn't hurt," Dean replied.
Sam rolled his eyes, walking forward.
We walked along until we heard a thud from inside an abandoned diner, walking in.
Tracy and Irv were tied and bound to chairs.
"Guys," I told them, walking toward them, removing the gag from Irv's mouth. "Irv? Hey. Where's Abaddon?"
"Abaddon's been torturing hunters," Irv told them. "She's trying to get intel on you three."
"Do you know why?" Sam asked.
"I seriously doubt she wants to add you to her Christmas card list," Irv told us. "Now, do you wanna make with the rescue or what?"
"Right after you take a shot of holy water, huh?" Dean asked.
Sam and Dean both unscrewed flasks of holy water, making Tracy and Irv drink some to prove that they weren't demons.
"Happy?" Tracy asked.
"Sorry about that," Dean told them.
"Don't worry about it," Irv told us. "Last thing you need is us popping black eyes."
Dean and I cut Tracy and Irv free.
I looked at Sam and Dean, introducing them to Tracy. "Sam, Dean, Tracy Bell."
"Hi," Sam told her. "I'm Sam Winchester."
"Good for you," Tracy told him.
"She's new, a few years," I explained. "We did a shifter job in Sacramento together. Smart, but got a mouth on her."
"Kinda like you, right, Ness?" Dean asked. I shrugged. "Let's gear up."
~~~~~~~~
I checked our supplies and weapons. "All right, we got Jesus juice, guns loaded with devil's trapped bullets. Shoot a demon, you put them on lockdown. The angel blade works..."
They heard a noise from outside.
Sam walked toward the window window to investigate. "They're coming."
"Good," Dean told us.
"And they've got assault rifles," Sam told us.
"Okay, less good," Dean told us.
"So, what's the play?" Irv asked.
Dean played a recorded message on his phone on repeat to lure the demons to the diner and give us enough time to get out. "Come and get it, you dicks! Come and get it, you dicks! Come and get it, you dicks!"
~~~~~~~~
Sam, Dean, Tracy, Irv and I walked along, staying hidden.
"All right," Dean told us. "We gotta flank SEAL team douche in there, so, uh, Irv, you, Ness and me will go left. Sam, you and Tracy go right."
"Okay," Sam told us. "Let's move."
Sam laid a hand on Tracy's shoulder.
Tracy pushed Sam away. "Don't touch me."
"Whoa," I told her. "What's the problem?"
"My family's dead because of him," Tracy told us.
"What?" Sam asked.
"I watched a demon slaughter my parents," Tracy told us. "And the whole time, it talked about how it was celebrating. Some dumb kid let Lucifer out of his cage."
Dean and I looked at Sam.
"Okay, all right, we gotta move," Dean told us. "Girl's with me. Ness..."
'Okay," I told them. I looked at Sam and Irv. "Looks like it's just us. Let's go."
~~~~~~~~
Sam, Irv and I stood on one side of the abandoned diner.
Other than my gun, I had an angel blade.
"Ness, you copacetic?" Irv asked.
"Yeah," I answered.
"Good," Irv told me. "Now, hand me that toothpick, you two and Dean and Tracy, you beat feet out of here."
"What?" I asked.
"I'm going in there alone," Irv told us. "I'll buy you as much time as I can."
"Irv, that's death," Sam told him.
"Yeah, well, it's what I've got coming," Irv told us. "It's my fault. I was... in some dive and I was sloppy, and lonely, and I met some girl. And next thing I know, I'm strapped to some bed, and she's twisting things that ain't supposed to be twisted."
"'She' who?" Sam asked.
"Abaddon," Irv answered. He had tears in his eyes. "I gave them up. Pete, Tracy. I gave them all up." He looked at me. "So, you hand me that blade, and you let me do what I gotta do, or so help me--"
Irv was shot in the heart, falling to the ground dead.
Sam and I took cover behind the diner.
A sniper on the rooftop shot toward us.
Sam and I shot toward the sniper, making him lay off the shots toward us.
Sam dove inside the diner to avoid being hit.
A demon appeared in my way of getting inside.
I ran toward another building on the other side of the dirt road, shooting toward the sniper, hitting him with the devil's trap bullet in the head, making him stop. I turned to the demon behind me, shooting him in the head with devil's trap bullet to stop him. I staked him in the heart with the angel blade, killing him, making him flash with bright light, taking it out, letting him fall.
~~~~~~~~
I just got done in finishing off another demon with the angel blade, letting him fall.
Another demon tackled me from behind, rolling me onto the ground, straddling me, pinning my wrists to the ground on either side of me. "Not so tough when you're all alone and separated, are you?"
"Who says we came alone?" I asked.
There was a bright flash of white light from within the diner from where Sam was, blasting out all the windows.
The demon looked at me. "An angel?"
"What, you think we'd roll up to this mouse trap without some backup?" I asked.
The demon grabbed me by the throat, throwing me into a glass window, making it shatter and me fall to the ground, disappearing.
~~~~~~~~
I groaned, standing, picking up the angel blade and my gun.
Dean walked closer, seeing me, walking closer instantly. "Hey. You okay?"
"Are you?" I asked.
"No, I guess not," Dean answered. "Where's Sam?"
"Being Ezekiel--I'm gonna call him Zeke--while he ganks a bunch of demons with the knife so Sam won't ask questions when he comes to," I answered.
Dean nodded. "Right. That's smart, I guess."
"Troubling, more like it," I told him.
Dean nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's just that, uh, this is one me. I was the one who talked Sam out of boarding up Hell. So every demon deal, every kill that they make... well, you're looking at the person who let it happen."
"You were protecting your brother, Dean," I told him. "Just like you're protecting Sam with Ezekiel."
"Yeah, and if that goes sideways, that's on me, too," Dean told me.
I shook my head, looking down. "You said that I hate myself for what happened to my mom and my dad, and what happened in Purgatory, and you're right, because everything that happened was because of me. But you? You self-loathe me under the table. I guess that's why we work so well. We love each other but hate ourselves." Dean looked at me. I stepped closer. "Look, you're not in this alone. Okay? That's kind of what I'm here for."
Dean barely nodded.
I managed a small smile, leaning my head against his.
~~~~~~~~
Dean and I were in the abandoned diner, packing supplies into duffel bags.
Sam woke up, groaning.
"Sam?" Dean asked. "Sammy? Hey, whoa."
"Dean?" Sam asked. "What the hell happened?"
"You took a shot to the head, and we came in and saved your ass, like usual," Dean told him. "Got a little messy, we got a little lucky." He helped Sam stand. "Oh, and, uh, we're awesome, so there's that."
"Jeez," Sam told us. "You are pretty damn awesome."
Dean looked at me.
I shrugged slightly.
A car pulled up outside.
Sam, Dean and I walked outside.
Tracy pulled up in the Impala, getting out.
"Hey," I told her. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Tracy answered. "You?"
"More or less, yeah," I answered.
"Good," Tracy told us, tossing the keys to Dean. "I got everything, but I guess I'm late to the party."
"Lucky you," Dean told her. "Let's blow this toxic waste dump. Burgers and Silkwood showers on me."
~~~~~~~~
Sam, Dean and I walked into the bunker.
I was holding a bucket of chicken and a bottle of prune juice. "Kevin?"
"Kevin?" Sam called.
The main level was deserted.
Sam, Dean and I exchanged a look.
I put down the food.
We ran upstairs into the dungeon.
Crowley was only slightly beaten.
"Who worked you over?" Dean asked.
"Martin Hayward and Brandon Favors," Crowley told us.
"They did this to you?" Sam asked skeptically.
"No," Crowley answered. "They're demons. You asked for names, I'm giving you names. They're under performers. Spike them, you'll do me a favor."
"Wow," I told him. "You break easy."
"Please," Crowley told me. "Your little plan to have me stew in my own delicious juices... pathetic. You want intel. I want things, too. Maybe we can come to some kind of arrangement. Quid pro quo, Clarice."
"So, these are what, then, freebies?" Sam asked.
"Not at all," Crowley answered. "You can consider them fair trade for the enjoyment that Kevin gave me."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.
"He's my new favorite toy," Crowley told them. "Wind him up, watch him go."
I looked at Sam and Dean. "You two check the names. I'll go find the kids."
We walked out, leaving Crowley in the dark again.
~~~~~~~~
I walked downstairs into the control room.
Kevin walked toward the exit, carrying a backpack.
"Where are you going?" I asked. Kevin walked past me. I turned after him, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Whoa. Talk to me."
"You can't keep me locked in here," Kevin told me. "I'm leaving."
"We're not keeping you locked up, Kev," I told him. "We're trying to keep you safe. Man, we told you not to talk to Crowley, okay? He messes with your head."
"He said my mom's alive," Kevin told me. "Crowley said if I let him go, he'd give her back to me."
"And you believed him?" I asked.
"He's still in there, isn't he?" Kevin asked.
"If your mom's alive, I promise I will help you find her," I told him. "I swear, okay? But if I know Crowley, if he's keeping her alive, she's locked up somewhere that we won't be able to find without help from the inside. I know you're dying to bolt, man. I get it. But out that door, it's demons, and it's angels, and they would all love to get their hands on a prophet. So even with Crowley here, this is still the safest place for you. It just is. And we need you, man."
"Because I'm useful," Kevin told me.
"Because you're family," I told him. "After all the crap we've been through, after all the good that you've done... Kev, if you don't think that we would die for you... I don't know what to tell you." Kevin had tears in his eyes. "Because you, me, Sam, Dean and Cas? We are all we've got. But, hey, if none of that matters to you, then I won't stop you."
Kevin didn't leave.
Good.