November 2nd, 2013
St. Paul, Minnesota
A week slowly ticked by, and with each passing day, Alex could feel the air growing colder. She stared up at the bleak, cloudy evening sky, and one wing folded down around Ashiel to herd him closer as they waited to cross the street. A stark, biting wind swept through the trees, forcing the angel to turn up the collar of her jacket to keep it from her ears. The traffic light changed, and Alex took her son's hand as they crossed the asphalt. It was one of those classic grey days, she mused as they reached the far sidewalk. One of those days that nothing good could ever come of.
Her grace found the motel door unlocked, and the angel paused, a frown clouding her freckled face. "I hate it when I'm right," she muttered to herself as she pushed the door open, feathers ruffling outwards in wariness as she peered inside.
A pair of golden wings could be seen peeking over the back of the couch, and Alex's fell back to her side with a low huff of relief. "It's you."
"You don't seem very pleased about that," came the amused reply, and whiskey-colored eyes glimmered humorously.
"Anja!" Ashiel moved forward, clearly recognizing their guest on the couch, and his own fluffy grey wings stretched towards the archangel.
Gabriel grinned at the sight, and, with a dramatic flourish of his hand, produced a sucker. Ashiel accepted it with a squeal of delight, but Alex only crossed her arms. "You know he's way too young for that."
"You're not a very fun mom," the archangel teased as the fledgling stared quizzically at the saran wrap, a frustrated sound emanating from his mouth at his lack of success.
Alex quickly crossed the room and extracted the sweet from his hands. She picked up the fledgling before he could protest and balanced him on her hip as she turned back to Gabriel. "Why are you here?" she asked, wings flicking in annoyance that the archangel didn't call ahead of his arrival. She knew she shouldn't be frustrated; this happened every month. Sometimes twice.
If Gabriel noticed, he didn't care. "I just thought I'd stop by," he said, shoulders rising and falling in an eased nonchalantness. "See how you and the kid were doing."
"We're doing fine." Ashiel squirmed in her arms, and Alex put him down onto the ground. She watched as the fledgling hurried over to his toys and picked up Sam the Moose before he carried it back over to Gabriel.
Ashiel held up the toy. "Sam," he insisted, waving the stuffed toy by the antlers.
Alex saw Gabriel grin in amusement, and she quickly added, "He's still pretty fond of that toy."
"Well, he did get it from his favorite archangel." Gabriel accepted the gift from the child, waggling his eyebrows at Alex to accompany his words. "Who doesn't love a moose?"
He handed the toy back to Ashiel when Alex grunted in agreement. "How are things going for you?" she asked, sitting down on the couch and pushing her annoyance aside as she fell back into her more typical amiability. "It's been awhile since you've stopped by. You haven't had any problems with anyone, right?"
Gabriel joined her on the couch, shrugging. "You know me. I've been here and there. Same as every damn year for the past ten thousand years."
"Your life sounds boring," Alex teased as she pulled her legs up onto the couch, turning slightly to face him more.
The archangel matched her smile, his eyebrows rising in a hint of amusement. "It has its moments." Gabriel pulled Ashiel up onto his lap, and the fledgling grasped at his wings, blue eyes open wide. "Any luck on finding his dad?"
"No, not yet. We . . . we're thinking we might have to find him a new family," Alex admitted. "I just . . . the Winchesters are back in the game, and I'm not sure how long I can stay away."
Gabriel didn't immediately respond, and Ashiel took the opportunity to speak his own mind. "Cacka," he insisted, and he put a hand on Gabriel's chest before made another unintelligible sound.
"Are you hungry?" Alex guessed, and Ashiel's head swung over to look at her, mouth hanging open slightly as he nodded yes. Gabriel chuckled, and Alex walked over to the counter. "You know," she called over her shoulder, "from the way he eats, anyone would think he was your son."
She heard the archangel's wings rustle as he shifted to look over at her. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he joked, but a more serious note crept into his tone. "If you're hinting that I should take him —"
"What? No no no." Alex shook her head. "I wouldn't ask you to do that." She pulled down a box of crackers from the cupboard and counted out four. "No offense, but I wouldn't trust you with a kid." Gabriel didn't protest, and Alex handed the fledgling a cracker, who had somehow found his way off of the archangel's lap and into the kitchen.
"Fair enough." Gabriel turned slightly, golden eyes watching as the fledgling ran off to eat his cracker in peace. He flapped his wings twice as he tried to get more comfortable, and Alex watched as a golden feather drifted down through the air and came to rest on the kitchen table.
"You know," she slowly began, picking up the soft feather and making her way over to stand by the couch, "I remember the first time I saw your wings. I mean, I had just become an angel, but I remember thinking how beautiful they were."
Gabriel quirked an eyebrow and leaned back against the couch, one fist propping up his head while a cocky grin played on his lips. He clearly knew what Alex wanted, and so he prompted, "And now?"
"And now?" Alex sank down onto the couch beside him, fingers going to toy with one of his feathers. "Well, after being around so many angels, I've come to realize that you must be in a constant state of molt." She gave a sharp tug, and the feather came out, leaving her to frown playfully over at the archangel who barely held back an undignified noise at the sudden change. "I'm serious, Gabe. Look at this." She waved the feather in front of his face, and the archangel batted it away. "You're like a dog that's shedding everywhere."
"I'm not a dog," Gabriel shot back defensively, a roll of his eyes revealing his lack of amusement at her comment. "And I don't know what you're talking about." He snagged the feather out of her hands and looked down at his wings, almost as if he was contemplating putting the feather back before he gave up and dropped it on the ground. "For your information, I've been a bit busy the past few days and haven't had the time to actually, you know, preen them."
"You lie like your brother," Alex ribbed. "Unless by a 'few days' you mean a few years." She ran her fingers through the arches of his wings, teasing out the loose feathers and dirt. She felt the powerful muscles beneath her fingertips twitch at her warm touch, and she looked up into Gabriel's eyes. "You need to take a day off and just clean the shit out of these, man. Healthy wings means healthy ... something, I'm sure." She ended with a shrug and pulled away, turning her attention to her own wings, black and shiny. Quickly deeming them good enough, she stood and moved back towards the kitchen. "Coffee?"
She knew the archangel was going to accept some offer of a drink. Every time he showed up he sought an excuse to stay longer, and Alex gladly gave him one; he was lonely, she was lonely, and company was a welcome change for both.
"Still got that whiskey from last time?" came the reply, and Alex quirked an eyebrow. A quick glance over her shoulder showed the archangel to be focused on his wings, fingers combing through the bristles, and she quickly turned back to the cupboards lest he notice and stop. Company really was a welcome change.
...
Sam called in the middle of the night. Alex was startled out of her thoughts by the ringing of her phone, and she scrambled to find it before Ashiel awoke. "What do you want?" she hissed into the receiver as she pulled herself back to her feet, shaking out her wings in frustration. "This better be important. It's two in the morning."
"I need your help." A dark note lined Sam's voice, dark enough to give the angel pause. "I'm in Enid, Oregon. Dean's gone. He said he had some 'personal business' to take care of, but I don't trust him."
Alex rolled her eyes as she sat down on the couch. "If it's personal business, that means we're not supposed to get involved," she reminded tersely. "Dean will be fine on his own."
"He won't even tell me who he's going to see, Pip. We're in the middle of looking for Kevin and trying to close the gates of Hell, and he just ducks out. And he turned off his GPS. Something's up. I think he might be in trouble."
A growl of frustration rumbled in Alex's chest, but she turned to look back at Ashiel, who lay curled up among the pillows. She snapped her phone closed and got to her feet as she quickly gathered up his things. "Fine," she muttered to herself. "I'll watch over Dean. I'm sure he'll really appreciate it." She scooped up the sleeping fledgling, who stirred tiredly in her arms, and then her wings carried her after Sam's soul.
Her grace guided her to him, and she landed in the darkened motel room, lit only by a single lamp on the nightstand. "Fine," she repeated. "I'll go after Dean, but you need to babysit." She set Ashiel down on the empty bed as Sam watched, eyes wide in surprise at her appearance, and she dropped the duffle bag that contained his things onto the floor. "You said you'd babysit anytime, remember? So put up wardings. I don't want any demons finding him. He probably doesn't really need to eat, but if he asks for food, you can feed him. Nothing fried, on a stick, or generally unhealthy, got it?"
"Uh, yeah, I-I guess." Sam shifted his laptop off of his lap. "I'll do what I can."
Alex frowned at his less than enthusiastic promise. "I'm trusting you, Sam Winchester. Now where is Dean?"
"I-I don't know," Sam stuttered, gaze focused on the fledging he was now in charge of. "He didn't say. He, uh, was headed towards I-90."
Alex turned to kneel in front of Ashiel. "Listen. Mommy has to go away for a while, but Sammy is going to stay with you, okay? I want you to listen to everything he says." She watched as Ashiel's small brow furrowed in confusion, and she pressed a quick kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back very very soon," she promised. Then her wings carried her into the air.
...
She found the Impala on the other side of the state. Black feathers brushed her arms as she pulled her wings in tight, plummeting towards the speeding car as the wind whipped in her face. Flying was fun, yes, but something about the drop was exhilarating, and she flared her wings out at the last second, swooping back up to fly alongside the sleek black car. She passed through the metal easily and folded her wings up as she took a seat alongside her friend. "Hello, Dean."
The Winchester cursed, and the car swerved violently. "Fuck! Don't do that!" Dean ran a hand through his hair, swearing under his breath once again. "How the hell did you find me, anyways?"
Alex looked over at Dean. "Angel," she reminded with an emphasizing flick of her wings.
The gesture went unnoticed by the hunter. "Yeah, but Cas carved those wardings into us," he protested. "They're suppose to hide us from creeps like you."
"Okay, then your brother. And ouch." Alex pulled a hurt face. "Creep? That's a bit harsh, Winchester."
Dean frowned, displeased with her comment, but chose to brush it off. "Whatever." He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, pointedly turning his attention back to the road. "What are you even doing here? What about that kid of yours?"
"That 'kid of mine' is with Sam." The angel crossed her arms, lips setting into a tight line. "And I'm here because Sam is worried about you. I'm worried about you," she emphasized, head turning towards the Winchester. "It's not like you just to drop everything and run."
"I'm not running, I — why am I even defending myself to you!" Dean snapped. "It's none of your damn business. Sam should keep his nose to himself. He took an entire year off; I just need one damn day."
"We're just worried."
"Worried?" Dean scoffed, and the car accelerated harshly. "Like how you were worried when I was in Purgatory? Did you even look for me?"
"I searched the country."
"Oh, the country. Then what? You just gave up on us and settled down with a kid?" The anger in Dean's voice was undeniable, and Alex's temper flared at his insinuation.
"I didn't give up on you!" she snapped. "I gave up on everything." She set her jaw, shifting to look out the window, but in the next second she was turning back to him, anger pressing at her chest, burning to get out. "You know what? You have no right to talk to me like this, Dean. Yeah, you were in Purgatory. Whoop dee doo! But you left me after you promised that you wouldn't. You promised it would be me! Do you know what that did to me? That kid is the only reason I'm still alive! I had the blade against my throat, Dean, and I was seconds away from ending it all." Her voice cracked, and the angel lowered it to a whisper. "You weren't the only one who had a bad year."
Dean didn't immediately respond, and Alex turned her eyes to the trees flying by. "When we landed in Purgatory, Cas ran," Dean finally began. "I thought he had been dragged off, but he just . . . ran away."
"I-I'm sure he had a good reason," Alex offered as a lame excuse, eyes narrowing in hurt at Dean's accusation. "It's not like him to just — to leave you on your own."
"He was being chased by Leviathans," Dean explained curtly. "He said he was trying to protect me."
Alex frowned at the dark undertone in his voice. "You don't sound very happy about that," she pointed out, teeth teasing at her bottom lip as she waited for Dean to further insult her mate.
"He left me in Purgatory!" the Winchester snapped. "I prayed, but he didn't come back, and I had to survive there without him!" When Alex didn't immediately offer up a response, he added coldly, "That's where I'm going. I owe this guy my life."
Silence. "Well. That's one of the most cryptic things I've ever heard," the angel finally quipped. "You mind explaining that one a bit further, Voynich?"
"No, because it's none of your damn business."
Alex sighed, and she pulled her feet up onto the seat as she turned to face Dean. "Alright, let's get one thing straight, Winchester. I'm not leaving." She watched as Dean huffed and rolled his eyes, and her voice grew sharp. "Sam asked me to look out for you, so that's what I'm going to do."
Dean snorted. "What? You back to taking orders from Sam, huh? Kinky."
"I'm being serious, Dean. We both want you to be safe. So either you just accept the fact that I'm coming with, or else I'll go all Invisible Man on your ass and then you'll never know if I'm there or not."
"God that sounds creepy." Dean wavered, but after a few seconds, he gave in. "Fine. Fine. You can stay ... visible. Just stay out of my way, okay?"
"Of course." Satisfied, Alex turned back so she was facing forward once again. "So. Where are we going and why?"
"Eagle Harbor," Dean grumbled, and the car accelerated slightly. "We're going to meet the guy that got me out of Purgatory. His name's Benny."
"Wait wait wait." Alex turned, exhaling sharply in surprise at this revelation. "Benny? There were other humans in Purgatory?"
"Not exactly."
...
Eagle Harbor, Washington
They were near the coast before the sun had begun to rise. Alex, true to her word, hadn't left Dean's side, but the Winchester hadn't said a single word about what "not exactly" had meant, no matter how much the young angel had pressed him. Eventually she had just given up, and the rest of the drive had proceeded in silence.
Dean pulled the Impala up to a shipping yard, and as soon as he threw the car into park Alex threw open the door. Her grace pushed outwards to take in what lay ahead, searching for both danger and Dean's friend. Suddenly, her wings flared out. Four dead bodies, all in pools of blood. One live one. "Dean," she hissed as the Winchester slammed the car door. "Vampire."
She thrust down her wings and took off towards the creature, even as she heard Dean yell, "No! Alex, stop!"
She landed on the lower deck of a rusted old cargo ship, her angel blade gripped tightly in her left hand. A low growl rumbled through her chest as the scent of fresh, living blood, and feathers rustled in the small cabin as she crept towards an open metal door.
Inside lay a man, thick set with a strong jaw. Dark eyes glittered warily up at her, and despite the blood staining his button-down, his chin was raised defiantly against the newcomer. "You wouldn't happen to be here to help?" he asked, his thick southern accent accentuated even more by the scorn in his voice, and a large hand tightened around the bloodied handle of a machete.
"You're a vampire," the angel stated calmly, although her eyes carefully watched where his fingers gripped the wooden handle. "I don't take kindly to your sorts." She let her wings rustle carelessly as she raised her own chin. "However, I'm willing to make your death painless if you'd just answer me one question."
The vampire managed a grin at her request. "Depends on the question," he quipped back.
Alex's eyes narrowed; his voice hid his pain well, even though she could hear it in every labored breath he took. "I'm looking for someone," she said simply. "Friend of a hunter. He calls himself Benny."
To her utmost surprise, the vampire let out a low, throaty laugh. "I'll be damned. Didn't know Dean was bringing a friend." He shifted into a slightly more relaxed position, arms spreading out ever so slightly in a welcoming gesture. "You looking for Benny? You found him."
"You're a vampire." Alex's wings fell to her side in disbelief. "I . . ."
"And you must be that little angel Dean and that other fellow was always talking about. Or at least that's what I'd reckon by those wings of yours." Benny's head lolled back against the metal wall, and Alex drew her weapon back up into sleeve as she knelt down beside the injured vampire.
"Wings? How - how do you know I have wings?" she inquired, and caution darkened Alex's expression. "I ... that's not something your kind normally can see."
The vampire let out a low chuckle. "You'd be surprised what a couple decades in Purgatory can do." His eyes flickered warily when Alex reached out, and a guarded growl rumbled within his chest. "You mind?"
"Sit still and let me fix you," the angel snapped. "What the hell happened anyways? You look like you lost a round with a blender."
To her surprise, Benny chuckled. "Long story."
"Yeah, I imagine." Alex placed a gentle hand over one of the large, bloody cuts as she pushed her grace into the vampire. "How well did you know Cas?" she asked, and her head tipped to one side as she heard Dean yelling for her in the distance.
"Well enough." Benny grunted as his wounds were stitched back together. "I wouldn't say we exactly got along."
"Oh." Alex pulled her grace back, gaze dropping to the ground. "I just — how did he die? Dean wouldn't tell me."
"Die?" A note of scorn rang in the vampire's tone. "We didn't see that friend of yours die. He got left behind — although I s'pose that makes him good as dead."
"Alex!" Dean's angry voice came from the ladder down into the boat's hull, and Alex turned her head, echoing back a greeting. Footfalls echoed on the metal stairs, and Dean burst through the door as Benny pulled himself to his feet. The Winchester slid to a stop, eyes going between Alex and the vampire, not sure what to make of it.
"You could have told me he wasn't human," Alex finally said, voice both patient and scolding as she rose from the ground. "That would have saved the both of us a lot of trouble."
"Yeah, well, I didn't think you'd take it so well," the hunter grumbled back as he eyed the deep, bloody gouges in the vampire's shirt. "You're not looking too good, Benny."
"Up yours," the vampire quipped back. "Was a hell of a lot worse before she showed." He gave Alex a small nod, but his gaze didn't linger long before it turned back to Dean. "That for me?" he asked, motioning to the blue-and-white cooler in the Winchester's hands.
"Uh, yeah." Dean held it out, and Alex let her grace push in past the plastic lining as the vampire took it. She frowned at what she found, and her frown deepened as Benny set it on the table and pulled out a bag of human blood.
"Mind telling me where you got that?" she asked, voice tinged with a poorly-disguised accusation. She crossed her arms as Benny turned an eye to her, a thick eyebrow raised as he considered his response.
"Donation truck; I don't drain people. She's more short-tempered than I was expecting," he added to Dean as he brought the IV line in the bag up to his mouth.
"Tell me about it," Dean agreed, and Alex huffed angrily to see him taking the monster's side. Her frown deepened even more, but she took it as her cue to fall silent. "Oh, I, uh, brought you this." Dean held out a small plastic shopping bag, clearly filled with a change of clothes, and Benny grunted, draining the last of the blood from its pouch.
"Thanks, brother." Without another word he disappeared through a metal door, and Alex watched him go before she turned to Dean.
" 'Tell me about it?' " she growled. "Really? You're taking his side over mine?" Hurt pulsed through her, hot and sharp like a knife, and her eyebrows turned upwards in childlike distress. "What is that even supposed to mean?"
Dean didn't seem to understand. "Yeah, well, no offense, but you've been a bit pissy recently." He leaned up against the metal table, crossing his arms. "I'm not taking sides; I was just agreeing."
"Yeah. With a monster. Since when do you converse with monsters, huh? Two years ago you would have killed him without even blinking, Dean. I just — I don't mind, really I don't, it's just . . . you're different. And it's a little uncomfortable, man."
She was cut short as the door behind her swung open, and her gaze dropped to the ground as Benny stepped out, redressed in a cream henley over a ribbed tank-top. A dark coat hid a pair of suspenders that held up his slacks, and Alex couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise. An old-fashioned vampire. What were the odds? Dean straightened up, and his arms dropped to his side. "Wow. You look better."
"Wasn't much my doing. Wouldn't mind learning that trick, sister," he added to Alex, who barely stopped herself from retorting that he, in fact, couldn't; she thankfully held her tongue — that would have sounded stupid. So she sated herself with a small shrug as the vampire turned back to Dean. "I'll be one hundred percent before you know it," he promised as he reached for another bag of blood. "With a little rest and half a cooler of AB negative, most wounds short of an amputation will heal up . . . vampirically speaking." He put on his dark hat and held out a hand to Dean. "Thank you, brother."
Dean's face twisted into a frown as he shook the vampire's hand. "Benny, what's going on here?" he demanded.
Benny smiled at his words. "Oh, your work here is done, Dean," he promised. "You two already saved the day. You know I got my, uh, deal, and you got your — what'd you call it? Family business?"
Dean didn't budge. "Benny. What's going on?" he repeated just as firmly.
The vampire sighed and rolled his dark eyes, but his voice didn't lose its ever-present comradery. "You and that whole 'friend' thing, man. Well, it's good to know you're still as dumb as ever."
"Yeah, well some things never change," Dean retorted. "Now, why you getting into machete fights with your own kind?"
It took a few seconds, but Benny gave in. "Quentin, the one I came for?" he finally said. "We were in the same nest. I'm hunting the vampire that turned me: my maker."
"Well, now don't get me wrong," Dean began. "I'm down with the hunting, but . . . why?"
"Kill him before he kills me . . . again."
"Again?" Alex echoed, finally speaking up. "You mean this 'maker' of yours already killed you?"
"Why else do you think I was in Purgatory?" Benny rebutted amiably, and all Alex could offer up was a shrug, wings fluttering before they settled once again against her back. "Now I get it if you two aren't up for it, but —"
"Hold up." Dean held up a hand. "No. We're definitely in, Benny." Green eyes flickered over to Alex, almost like they were daring her to protest, but the angel calmly held her ground, nodding in full agreement.
"If Dean's in I'm in," she vocalized firmly. "Trust me; you'll want me there." She heard a whisper in the back of her mind; Sam's distant voice, and she hesitated before she let out a long breath. "Dean." She waved the hunter over, and Benny spoke in a low voice to the hunter before he slipped out of the ship. Now left alone with the angel, Dean approached. "Sam's calling," Alex said quietly. "I'm going to go make sure everything's okay with him and Ash. I . . . don't leave, okay? Or if you do, just tell me where you are because I swear to God if you ditch me I'm never letting your ass out of my sight again, got it?"
To her surprise, Dean didn't even try to offer up a fight. "Yeah, sure thing," he agreed. "You're in on this now." Alex turned to go, but a tight hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Don't tell Sam," he warned. "About Benny — about any of this. It's none of his business."
The young angel frowned. "He's going to find out one way or another," she warned.
"I know."
"Then okay." Alex nodded, praying he took her word as promise enough. The second his hand released her shoulder her wings carried her up into the cloudy sky and towards her son.
...
She landed outside the motel door. Inside she felt the soul of Sam Winchester, and beyond that the agitated grace of Ashiel. It calmed momentarily when Alex brushed against it before it erupted back into distress. "What's wrong?" A push of her wings had Alex landing between the two motel beds.
"Mama!" The fledgling held out his arms and sniffled, and Alex was quick to scoop him up into her arms, gently rubbing his small back when he pushed his tear-stained face into her neck.
"Hey." Sam flashed her a quick, nervous smile. "Uh, thanks of coming. I can't seem to calm him down."
Alex made a soft, tsking noise as she wrapped her grace comfortingly around the toddler. "I thought I told you to behave, micaelaz," she chastised gently, and to her surprise, Lucifer's grace moved forward as well, brushing against the fledgling's grace in a curious manner, like a wolf examining a new-found pup.
Ashiel cooed softly at the archangel's cool touch, and Alex slowly drew her grace away. The fledgling sniffed one more time before he pointed towards the ground, an insistent babble making his point clear. Alex obliged.
"How's Dean?"
Alex looked up at Sam, wings flattening as she contemplated her answer. "He's fine," she promised. "We'll be another day probably, but I'll keep him safe."
"What's going on?"
"Sorry. I'm not allowed to say." The angel pulled an apologetic face, and her blue-grey eyes flicked over to where Ashiel was pulling himself up onto Sam's bed. A push of her grace helped him up, and the fledgling crawled over to where Sam sat. "We're fine, Sam," she added. "Don't worry about us."
...
It was nightfall by the time Alex returned to Dean and Benny, having spent the afternoon taking care of her son. It was only Dean's call that they were on the road that drew her back. She was able to track the vampire once she reached Washington, and she landed in the back of the Impala. "Huh. Smells like dog."
"Son of a bitch," Dean cursed, and green eyes locked with hers in the rear view mirror. "A little warning next time."
"That was my warning," Alex countered, and she gave the vampire a half-smile in greeting. "Hey, Benny."
"Hey yourself," came the low response.
Alex pulled her feet up onto the seat and folded them beneath her. "Alright," she began, "so where exactly are we going? What did I miss?"
"Prentiss Island," Dean explained. "That's where the vampirates are holed up." He paused, waiting for Alex to speak, and she quickly took the bait.
"Wait wait wait. Vampirates?" The angel leaned forward curiously. "You mean like —"
"Vampire pirates?" Dean finished, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "Damn straight. Turns out they've been overtaking yachts, feeding, and — what was it you said?" He motioned to Benny. "Boarded, burned, —"
"And buried at sea," Benny chimed in, and Dean nodded, repeating the vampire's words. Benny turned his large head to look at Alex. "It's how we fed. Prentiss Island is where my maker is hiding."
Something about the vampire's words had Dean snapping his fingers as if something had just occurred to him, and Benny turned his gaze to the hunter. "So," Dean began, "if you were your maker's favorite, why did he kill you?"
"When you get turned, its like you're reborn into a vampire nest," the Southerner began. "Your maker — he means everything to you." Alex heard a creak as the vampire reached into the blue cooler that sat between him and Dean, and a frown creased her face as he pulled out another bag of blood. "I mean, you really start believing he's God," he continued, unaware of the other's discomfort. "Now, if your maker happens to believe the same thing, well..." He pulled off the stopper and took a sip through the IV tube.
Alex wrinkled her nose as the scent of chilled blood permeated the car, and Dean turned to watch. "See how that could be a pickle," he agreed, and the vampire hummed in agreement as he continued to drink. "Well, uh — do you really have to do that?" Dean added with a grimace, motioning to the blood. "I mean, right now?"
The vampire let out a low chuckle, but lowered the bag into his lap. "I'm sorry, brother. I'm better, but still on the mend."
"Right."
"Anyways ... our father — he was a jealous god." Benny fell back into his story, and Dean turned back to the road. "He kept the family together but kept us far apart from the rest of the world, always at sea. I always did what was best for the nest... 'till I met her. Andrea. Andrea Kormos." Benny's head tilted so he could look over at Dean. "Beautiful. I mean, words don't even cut it, you know? Greek heiress."
Dean looked over at the vampire, a smile playing on his lips. "Come on."
Benny grinned almost sheepishly, and his gaze fell back into his lap. "She was sailing a forty-two long sloop to the Canary Islands," he explained. "Now, I shoulda called in her boat's destination to my crew, but instead, I joined her on it."
"Seriously?" The Winchester let out a loud laugh at the cliche scenario. "Was Fabio on the cover of that paperback?"
Alex huffed in light amusement, but Benny's face remained stoic and serious. "My life changed when she entered it, Dean. Everything I had been or done up to that point just ... seemed to vanish into what we had become together. I mean ... we found it, man." He looked over at his friend before he turned his gaze back out the windshield. "Eventually, we settled in Louisiana. And then one night, we were coming home, and the old man — he was just there. Quentin, Sorento, my oldest nestmates. It was only that night I understood what a crime it was to him — me leaving him." Benny hesitated before concluding, "They pinned me down and beheaded me. Last thing I saw was the old man tearing out Andrea's throat."
The last word caught in the vampire's throat, and Dean waited two long seconds before he looked over at him, his own voice low and quiet. "Well, that's what payback's all about — am I right?"
Benny didn't respond. "Docks are up ahead," he finally said. "Should be able to find a dinghy we can use."
"I could fly us across," Alex offered, but Benny shook his head.
"No offense to you, sister, but I don't trust you angels." The vampire's voice was polite, but it still made Alex's feathers ruffle disgruntledly. "Nothing personal."
"I bet not." Alex shifted backwards in her seat as Dean pulled the Impala down towards the docks. He put the car in park, and all three got out. Alex waited as Dean and Benny circled around to the trunk. Metal clanked against metal as they packed their machetes into Dean's green duffle bag. Alex took the time to start walking towards the dock, eyes darting over the large speed boats that were tied between the wooden posts. She turned her head to the left as the two men joined her at the edge of the dock. "There." Benny pointed down below to where a small motor boat was tied to a pier. Alex watched as the two scrambled down there before her own wings carried her down to the sandy beach. Her feet sunk into the sand, and she narrowed her eyes in distaste. Nothing quite like sandy shoes before a hunt.
A hand on her shoulder had Alex turning to see Dean brush past her. Benny was untying the dinghy, and Alex and Dean quickly joined him. "So what's the plan?" Alex asked as she climbed into the boat.
Dean let out a grunt as he shoved the dinghy into the water, and his feet splashed in the water before he hopped precariously into the boat. Benny reached out to stabilize him. "The old man is mine," the vampire insisted darkly. "You two are gonna have my back." He started the motor, and with a rusty hum the boat started towards the island.
Alex nodded. "Sure thing." She let a minute or two pass, gaze focused on the water beneath, and when no one else spoke she dared to ask, " How many do you think there's going to be?"
"A lot." An emotion Alex couldn't quite place marred the vampire's expression. "Handful'll be in the maker's house, even more will be sleeping in the surrounding cabins." Blue eyes turned on the angel. "Think you can take care of 'em all?"
"Yeah, easily." Alex let her angel blade fall into her hand, and she rested it on her lap, watching as the moonlight glinted off of the sleek, silver metal. "Think you can handle the vamps in the house to start?" she asked Dean, even though the answer was clear.
Dean nodded. "Course." His gaze turned past Alex's head, and she glanced over her shoulder at Prentiss Island. Thick, dark trees rose up out of the rock beach, their wood turned silver by the moon, and in between the trunks one could just barely make out the glint of synthetic light. "Think you can handle the others?" he added jokingly.
"Oh please." Alex turned her attention down to the shimmering, dark water, and she reached out to dip her fingers beneath the waves as her voice filled itself with mock offense. "I'm hurt that you think so little of me. And you," she added with a finger aimed at the vampire. "You find yourself in trouble, you pray to me, and I'll help."
The two fell quiet as Benny killed the motor, and the boat drifted up towards the rocky shore of the island. Dean made his way to the front of the boat, an old coil of rope from the bottom of the dinghy in his hands, and Alex moved back to give him room to maneuver. The Winchester sat himself on the prow, feet hanging off so that when they landed, he could brace himself.
Alex watched as he straightened his legs, stopping the boat from colliding forcefully with the boulders before he jumped off to tie the small motorcraft up. Benny moved to follow him, and Alex slung the duffel bag over her shoulder before she joined them on the island.
She waited until Dean had tied the boat securely to a fallen log before she handed the hunter his bag. "You two know where you're going?" she asked, her words more directed towards Benny than towards Dean, but both nodded all the same.
"Meet us back at the house when you get done," Dean added.
Alex nodded and followed the two of them up the rocky shoreline and towards the trees. "How many cabins did you say?" she murmured quietly, grey eyes darting up towards the forest.
"Four, five should be filled," came the reply. "Depends how many men are out there on boats, I guess."
Alex grunted in acknowledgment and quickened her pace so she could walk beside Dean. "Better get started then." She flapped her wings twice before she thrust them down violently, shooting up past the treetops and into the moonlit night. She hovered there, gazing down at the island below. In the middle was a clearing, and a large, bright mansion sat in it, surrounded by a wrought iron fence. Six other cabins were scattered about; four were clumped together just to the right of the clearing, arranged in a loose circle, while the remaining two were several yards off. Alex's black wings held her in place only a moment longer before they pressed in tight against her back and let her fall.
Wind whipped in her face as she dropped towards the trees, and her grace pushed out. Vampires in the four cabins; the other two were empty. She flared her wings out to slow her descent as she neared the ground, and she rolled through the first cabin's wall, her speed and grace making the transition painless. She landed on her feet, the rustle of her feathers loud in the dark and heavy silence. All eyes turned to her, and Alex straightened her back under their cold stares, her own eyes narrowing into chips of ice.
"What do you want?" one hissed, surprise flashing in its eyes as his fangs slid down into view.
Alex let her blade fall into her hands. "Take a guess," she quipped.
To her complete surprise, one of the vampires actually laughed. "You must be that angel hunter," he sneered. "Thought rumor had it you were retired." He swiped a hand through his slick, black hair and sauntered forward from the shadows.
Alex held the creature's dark gaze. "Well, rumor was right," she agreed. "But now I'm back in." She drew Lucifer's grace up when it stirred in frustration, and she let it swirl through her limbs, taking charge. The air crackled with its presence, and the vampire lunged forward. Alex's blade was there to meet him, piercing his chest and cutting through his arteries, killing him immediately. She spun out of the way, weapon sliding free with a wet, painful sound. The vampire fell, and the room came alive. Alex let her wings carry her forward; her blade slicing one throat before plunging into a chest. She spun around, leaving her weapon only momentarily to place a hand over another vampire's forehead. Her other hand muffled the screams as her grace poured into him, and she left the body to crumple to the ground as she retrieved her blade from the vampire's chest.
One by one they all fell, but it was less than a minute before Alex found herself standing in the middle of the lifeless room. Bodies lay around her, bloody and charred. The angel paid them little attention, boots clicking on the silent wooden floors as she stepped over the corpses to reach the door. One down, four to go.
...
Alex landed in the foyer of the mansion, head tilting and eyes narrowing as tendrils of her grace stretched out into the house. Two or three dead vampires, seven or eight live ones, one human soul. Very close to a living, breathing vampire that was definitely not Benny. She was there in the next seconds, landing quietly behind the creature. It was stalking Dean, unaware that he himself was being hunted.
"You don't know him," Dean hissed from around the corner. "He's a friend."
"A friend?" came the indignant and heated response from who could only be Sam Winchester. "You don't have any — all of your friends are dead."
"That's not what I called to talk about!" Dean growled back.
Alex couldn't help the snort of amusement that forced its way from her throat, and both the vampire and the hunter spun around at the noise. The vampire screamed as Alex's grace dug its way into his flesh, and the angel reached up to put a hand over his mouth. "Sh sh shhh," she admonished as the creature died, doing her best to keep the sounds muffled. "Don't be a sore loser."
She turned to look at Dean, who had his phone pressed into his chest as he watched her lower the body to the ground. "Dean?" A muffled, concerned voice came from the phone, and Alex tipped her head.
"That Sam?" she asked, strolling over to the hunter. "Give him a kiss for me, huh?" She winked at Dean to let him know she wasn't being serious before she started leading the way down the hall.
There was a beep as Dean hung up, and then he was walking beside her. "You're in a surprisingly good mood," he grumbled, machete swinging at his side.
"Yeah, I guess so." Alex tipped her head, thinking, before she shrugged. "It's been a long time since I've hunted like this. It's kind of therapeutic, killing. I feel ... good. Energized." She looked over at the Winchester. "Is that weird? It sounds weird."
"Not at all." Dean thumped her on the shoulder and took the lead. His phone rang again, and he answered it. "The hell do you want, Sam?"
"How about an answer?" came Sam's response, and Dean pulled the screen away from his ear. Alex watched as he opened up his messenger. "I get the separate-lines thing, but this is a hunting thing, and we need to find that line —"
"Oh my God, stop talking!" Dean brought the phone back up to his ear. "I texted you my 20!"
"Yeah, I got it. I'm on my way —" Sam's voice was cut off as Dean hung up, and Alex watched as he powered off his phone and shoved it back into his pocket.
"Help me get these vamps into that room," Dean grumbled, and Alex nodded. She scooped up the head and carried it into what appeared to be a sitting room. She tossed it onto an ornate fabric couch, and her grace tingled uncomfortably. More vampires. She heard a grunt and a struggle, and she ran back out into the room just in time to see a head topple to the floor.
"Nice one." The angel's wings fluttered as she quickly searched the rest of the house. "Leave 'em," she added when Dean nudged at one of the corpses. "We need to get to Benny. They're upstairs." She started down the hall before she drew herself to a complete stop. "Wait wait wait." She turned back to Dean. "Did Sam say he was coming here?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Son of a bitch." Alex raised her wings to fly off, but Dean must have sensed it, because then a hand was around her wrist. "Dean." Alex shook the hunter off. "Sam says he's coming here. Sam's also watching my son. So either he's just going to leave him there, or he's bringing him here. Into the vampire nest."
"Seriously? Sam's not going to leave him," Dean scoffed. "And we'll be long done with this before they get here. You know Sam, Pip," he added when Alex hesitated. "He wouldn't put anyone in danger."
"I know, I just ..." The angel shifted uncomfortably. "It feels weird leaving him alone for so long."
"Then let's finish up this job, huh?" A hand brushed across her shoulder as Dean took the lead. "How's Benny doing? He still okay?"
Alex stretched out her grace. "He's upstairs," she repeated. "Um, apart from him there's three in the room with him. Two outside the door." She hesitated, finishing her search. "Three in between you and me. One still downstairs."
"Go help Benny," Dean instructed. "I got the rest."
Alex, however, shook her head. "Benny says he wants to handle them himself," the angel reminded him. "If he needs me, he'll pray. I'll take the two by the door and the one downstairs. You pick up the rest if you can." Dean's nod was all the confirmation she needed, and she took off through the house.
She moved towards the basement first, wings curling and extending in graceful ease. Her wingtips brushed against the wooden walls with each stroke as she moved down the hall and dipped down the stairs. The vampire stood around the corner, and Alex let her weapon fall into her hand as she landed in front of him. She didn't miss the shock across his face, nor the exhilaration that followed because of it, and she lashed out, practice guiding the blade into the vampire's chest. It died instantly, and then she was on her way.
Her wings carried her up to the third floor. She felt the two vampires guarding the door just around the corner, but the angel held back; she didn't want to alert those in the room with Benny. Instead, she pursed her lips and let out a short whistle.
She felt the vampires perk up, and after a few seconds one started her way. Alex retreated down the hall, pausing only until the vampire had come into view before she turned the corner. Heavy footfalls signaled his pursuit. Alex led him further away from the door before she spun around, chin raised defiantly as the vampire prowled closer, something dark and malicious sparkling in his blue eyes. "Who do you think you are, girly?" he crowed, pleased at the prey he had cornered.
"I think you know," the angel quipped, undeterred by his chutzpah. "And doesn't the answer scare you?" Her angel blade glinted in the moonlight, drawing the vampire's attention down to it, fangs sliding into view at the threat. He stepped back, but Alex was faster, thrusting her weapon into the creature's chest. She reached up to grab his shoulder to stabilize her, and she held on for one long second, listening as the vampire convulsed and gasped for air. "I'm your worst nightmare."
Lucifer's grace swelled as the vampire grabbed onto her arm, desperately holding on for life, and Alex pushed it forward, burning away the vampire's last essence. It died with a bloodied scream, the power and force of the archangel's grace inflicting agony on the creature's last few moments of life.
Alex pulled away, wings fluttering as she prepared for the second vampire to come charging around the corner any second. It took a few moments, but then it was there. It was dead before it could lay eyes on the angel, its demise too sudden for even a gasp to leave its lips. The angel shook out her feathers, gaze daring over the black and gold feathers to confirm their unmarred condition before she turned and strolled down the hall in search of Dean.
She found him at the bottom of the staircase, bloodied machete gripped in his hand as he stepped over a fallen, headless body. The hunter's eyes flashed in surprise, and it took him a moment to regain his composure. "Your, uh, your eyes."
Alex turned to the small, round mirror that hung on the wall, blinking in surprise at the orange light that made her irises glow. "Sorry," she apologized as she reigned Lucifer's grace back in under control. The color faded back to their commonplace grey, and she turned back to Dean. "Better?"
"I guess." Dean blinked, clearly not happy about what he had seen, but more pressing matters were on his mind. "Where's Benny?"
"Still upstairs." Alex shrugged. "There was one dead one in there when I left; wasn't him, so I imagine things are going pretty well. Guess we'll have to wait and see, though." She paused. "One more vamp in the foyer. You take her, I'm going to do one more sweep of the island. See if I missed anything." She patted the Winchester on the shoulder as she stepped away. "You and Benny meet me outside."
...
Her search of the island proved to be unsuccessful, and she returned to the asphalt road that led up to the mansion just in time to see the two men step out of the house. She waited patiently for their arrival before asking, "Well? That everyone?"
"Yeah, that's all," came the vampire's quiet response. He led the way back down to the dinghy, Dean close at his heels and Alex following a little further back. She frowned, however, when Benny exchanged looks with Dean as he climbed into the boat.
"Hey, Pip?" Dean seemed to understand the look more than she did, and the angel tipped her head in confusion at his next words. "Meet us back on the shore. I need to talk to Benny for a bit. We'll be fine," he added quickly when the angel opened her mouth to protest. "Go."
Alex took off into the sky, wings slicing through the night air as she grumbled out a "fine." She spotted a pair of headlights at the dock, and she dropped down beside them, surprised to find Sam Winchester just getting out of the car, a scowl darkening his face as he stared at the Impala. "Hey, Sam."
The Winchester spun around at her presence, eyes widening just slightly in surprise. "Uh, hey. Where's Dean?"
"Dinghy." Alex waved to the water behind her. "They'll be here in a minute or so." Her eyes scanned the backseat of the car, and a relieved breath left her lips. "There you are, le micaelaz agi." She opened the back door and scooped Ashiel into her arms. The fledgling let out a squeal, his grey wings fluttering in excitement to see his mother once again. "I take it Sam took good care of you," she joked.
Sam rolled his eyes, and Ashiel pointed over at the tall hunter, grunting in agreement with his mother's statement. "Ab." He insisted.
"Sh sh sh." Alex lowered the child's hands; even though Sam couldn't understand, Alex knew Ashiel was trying to say Gabriel's name. "He didn't cause any trouble, right?"
"No, I, uh — not really. How'd the vampire nest go?"
"No problems on our end. Everything's taken care of."
"Okay." Sam seemed distracted by something in the water, and Alex turned to watch the dinghy pull up to the docks. The Winchester hurried down to greet him, but Alex hung back. She stayed up on the dock, holding her son in her arms as Dean and Benny dismounted the dinghy and approached Sam. The vampire must have noticed Sam's tense posture, but he held out a large, calloused hand all the same. "I'm Benny," he said as the taller Winchester shook his hand. "Heard a lot about you, Sam."
Something must have clicked with Sam, because Alex watched as his free hand went back, fingers tightening on the handle of his knife. She held Ashiel tighter, unsure of what Sam was going to do, until Dean gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head.
Sam loosened his grip only slightly, and then Benny withdrew his hand. "I can see the two of you have a lot to talk about." His words were accompanied with an amiable pat on Dean's arm, and then the vampire pushed past the two of them and made his way up the docks. Alex watched as the vampire hesitated a few steps beside her, sharp blue eyes flickering down to where Sam and Dean were still staring at each other before coming to rest back on her. "Appreciate the help, sister."
"Anytime, Benny." Alex rested one hand on Ashiel's head when the fledgling cooed in curiosity, and then Benny was gone, disappearing into the shadows.