"Were you born stupid, or are you really that screwed up?"
Allegra rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples. She was growing tired of this discussion.
"Bobby, for the last freakin' time, I am not going to see the Winchesters!"
She heard him huffing and mumbling something along the lines of "damn stubborn girl making my life miserable" as he walked into the kitchen to get the biggest bottle of whiskey he could find. Allegra knew he was only trying to help (after her little one-on-one with Balthazar, she finally decided to come clean to him, resulting in a one-sided yelling match), but he just kept insisting she dragged her ass over to Sam and Dean and begged them for help when she already made it plenty clear the Winchesters were a no-go. They had their own problems anyway. Allegra refused to throw her own seemingly unfixable problems on top of the never-ending pile of drama and misery.
Especially after Dean called Bobby with the news that the thing she and Dean had both feared so much but had never mentioned out loud was true. Sam's soul was still stuck in the Cage with Lucifer and Michael. Whoever brought him back left behind the most important part of him, the part that made Sam... Sam. It explained everything; the way he was acting, the emptiness inside him...
Now that Allegra knew where he was, she attempted to reach Sam's soul so she could pull him back, similar to what she'd done with Dean all those years ago. The Cage, however, proved too powerful for her. It threw her back every time she pounded on its walls.
But Allegra refused to give up. She tried and tried until she was completely drained. Every single night for almost three weeks now. The dark circles she bore under her eyes from sheer exhaustion were proof of that. That, and the added stress of not being able to translate that damn last line on the stupid papyrus scroll. She'd consulted each book Bobby had on the Aramaic language five times already, but for some reason, Allegra couldn't find the right symbols for that final sentence. It vexed her immensely. So Bobby breathing down her neck was the last thing she needed right now.
"Screw it. I'm going to see Crowley," said Allegra as she got up from her seat.
"Young lady, don't you dare!" warned Bobby in a serious tone as he re-entered the living room from the kitchen. "You sit your ass back down right now!"
"Bobby, I got no choice here! Everything I've translated confirms what he and Balthazar told me, but I refuse to believe that all this, the plagues, the lives lost, my own life is just so that I can be a freaking baby factory!"
"I get you want answers, kid. Believe me, I do. But the less you deal with that demon, the better. You're in way over your head already. I know you're an all-powerful hybrid who kicks ass, but it ain't gonna be easy to make a bastard like Crowley believe you can beat him. Not unless you pull some serious tricks out of your hat."
"If I can make Dean believe I want Lucifer out of the Cage, I can make Crowley believe he's right to fear me."
"Yeah, well, that boy's an idiot. Crowley isn't."
"Neither am I, Bobby. Don't forget who raised me."
"That's what worries me."
Allegra looked over at Bobby. He looked so concerned for her. Like a father should... She took a step toward the old Hunter so she could reassure him but then, all of a sudden, she was pulled back, and Allegra found herself lying in the dirt in the middle of a graveyard. She crawled up and searched for Bobby, but he wasn't there with her, so Allegra assumed that whatever or whoever Houdinied her away only needed her.
It was near dusk, so that meant she was in a different time zone. It'd been only a little past noon in Sioux Falls. Allegra walked past some of the graves. MacIntosh... Douglas... Drummond... MacLennan... Fraser... These were all Scottish names. She halted at a familiar name; Fergus MacLeod.
MacLeod... Isn't that...?
"Hello, love. Long time no see."
Son of a bitch!
Allegra turned to find a grinning King of Hell standing a few feet away from her.
"Sorry I bibbidi bobbidi'd you all the way out here, but desperate times and all that. I've got someone after me, so it's about that time you make good on your end of our little deal and protect me. Or rather, my bones, if you will."
She couldn't believe her luck. Crowley was asking her for help. He'd unwittingly handed her all the cards to play. This couldn't have worked out any better. She was determined to take full advantage of this unexpected twist.
"Yeah, not sure I'm willing to do that."
Crowley narrowed his eyes at her.
"You really wanna break a deal with a Crossroadsdemon and the King of Hell?"
"And what of your deal? With Gabriel?"
He recoiled. Excellent.
"Yeah, I know about that," she said. "Little birdie told me. But seeing how you neglected to tell me that piece of information, that bonus of me protecting your sorry ass just went down the drain."
Crowley's aghast expression made Allegra feel all-powerful inside. His shock slowly gave way to anger, and his eyes flared red. He raged like a mad bull.
"You dare! I gave you the scroll! I told you what I knew! You owe me!"
"I don't owe you a damn thing," said Allegra in her calmest voice. "You told me what you wanted me to know. You didn't tell me about your bargain with Gabriel because then you'd have to fess up you were already bound to protect me. You thought you could trade in one deal for the other, but really, all you did was close the net around yourself. Gabriel knew you would 'cause he saw you for the sniveling weasel you really are. You can't trick the Trickster, Crowley. And he taught me a couple of things. You want our own deal to stand, you're gonna keep the one you made with Gabriel as well."
The King of Hell looked like he was about to explode. Allegra had the bastard right where she wanted him. She enjoyed watching him squirm like a worm on a hook and decided to try and deal one more punch so that she would get what she wanted. It was a good thing Bobby wasn't here; he would throw a fit if he knew what she was about to do.
Allegra closed her eyes. She prayed with all her might that this would work. Her eyes opened when she heard a low his. At her feet, right on top of the grave, lay a black king cobra. Crowley sniggered at it.
"Is that little snake supposed to scare me? Since when do you control animals, by the way?"
"I figured you wouldn't recognize it. Usually, it's brown. And made of wood."
The little confidence Crowley had left went away.
"No... No, y-you can't. That thing will kill me. You can't kill me! The scroll for immunity, that was our deal!"
"Oh, I know... But just because I can't kill you doesn't mean I can't hurt you."
Crowley recoiled, terror written all over his face. Allegra stepped over the grave of Fergus MacLeod, the man Crowley used to be, and touched the serpent's head. It hissed again and then burrowed itself into the grave. There was an eery silence as the last rays of sun vanished into the horizon.
Suddenly, Crowley doubled over and fell to his knees. He started retching like he was choking on something. Something that was making its way up. But what came out weren't frogs. It was the king cobra, pushing its way out of Crowley's mouth to roll itself up in the grass, waiting for its mistress next command.
"Bringing me here was a mistake," said Allegra as she stalked to a writhing and coughing Crowley like a predator. "Keeping your deal with Gabriel from me? Mistake. Thinking you could control me? Big mistake. But hey, I'm willing to overlook all that. On several conditions. One; you help me stop the prophecy from coming true. Two; you stay away from the Winchesters. They are off-limits. That goes for your stooges too. And three; you keep the second part of the deal you made with Gabriel. I'm in danger, and you come running. And in return, I'll do the same for you, honoring the bonus in our own arrangement. Break any of the above, and I will have you on your knees for the rest of your miserable life."
Hatred flared in the demon's eyes. His fear, pain, and anger were all wrapped up in that one overpowering emotion. If looks could kill... Fortunately, he realized he had no choice. Crowley gave a curt nod, conceding to Allegra's demands.
"Oh, and one more thing," she said. "Gabriel's blood. Did you use it for anything?"
"Why do you care?" rasped Crowley.
"Did you use it?" repeated Allegra, raising her voice a little.
He shook his head reluctantly.
"Hand it over. Unless you want another go with my little pet."
The cobra hissed dangerously, prompting Crowley to conjure a vial of blood to his hand. Allegra took it from him and had a sensation sweep over her, one she hadn't felt in the longest of time - Gabriel's presence. Satisfied Crowley wasn't double-crossing her again, she put the vial in her inside pocket. She offered the demon a hand so he could get up, but he slapped it away, glaring viciously as he pushed himself up.
"You may not see it now, but our new arrangement will benefit us both," assured Allegra. "We depend on each other, so we'll both do everything in our power to keep the other safe. Think of it as insurance of investment. And so is this."
Allegra took her knife out and sliced the blade across her wrist. She gave a little wince, but it hardly hurt once the cut was made. Crowley stared at her with widened eyes.
"Pretty sure my blood is worth more than Gabriel's," said Allegra. "I would hurry if I were you; it's already healing."
The demon conjured an empty vial and held it under Allegra's wrist to catch the spilling blood. It was half full when the wound closed completely.
"This, you don't get back," stated Crowley as he put the vial in his inside pocket.
Allegra nodded. Suddenly, Crowley grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, smashing his lips on hers. She'd half-expected him to want to seal the deal traditionally, but he still caught her off guard. The King of Hell smirked as she pushed herself away and rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Just to make it official, love."
"Whatever... You said you brought me here to protect your bones. What exactly do you want me to do?"
***
Dean disagreed with the plan they had going on. Bad enough, he had to deal with Sam's wayward soul and his grandfather, who made a deal with Crowley to get their mother back to life in exchange for supernatural Alphas, but now he got stuck with Meg again. Lucifer-loving psycho-demon bitch was back to get a go at the King of Hell, thinking Dean and Sam were her tickets in. And his brother, in his messed up, emotionless loose-cannon mind, struck a deal with Meg. She would help torture Crowley in a raid on his monster prison, and they would get the info on Sam's soul from him and be on their merry way.
"I still think we should call Allegra." Dean huffed as he went over the plan one more time.
"Dean, not again. She's powerful, yes. And I'm sure she'll come if you call, but that still doesn't change what happened. Besides, you two just don't go together. You get awkward and emotional, and then you fight, and one of you leaves the other with a broken heart.'
"I don't have a... Screw it, not the point! I'm talking about the heat Allegra's packing. Demons are scared shitless of her."
"Yeah, but do you really want Allegra in the same room as Meg and Castiel?"
"Meg can go to hell. You know I don't wanna work with her. And Allegra made it clear she wasn't gonna take any more of Cas's crap, so he won't try anything. Not unless he has a death wish."
Sam crossed over his chest and tilted his head slightly as he gave Dean an intent look.
"Okay, let me ask you this then. You told me Allegra couldn't find my soul, right?"
"Where are you going with this, Sherlock?" asked Dean, frustrated.
"What if she lied? What if she knew all along and didn't tell you because she's planning something?"
"Dude, are you listening to yourself right now? It's Allegra we're talking about!"
"It's not like she hasn't lied to you before," said Sam with a shrug.
Dean had to remind himself it wasn't really his brother talking, or else he would've punched him bloody. Luckily for Sam, Castiel appeared then. The angel took in the tension and looked from one Winchester to the other.
"Is everything okay?" he asked hesitantly.
"Peachy," snapped Dean. "Let's just go. Demon bitch is waiting for us."
***
It went wrong fast. Crowley had Dean pinned tightly against the wall with his demon mojo. Sam was in the same position opposite of him, Castiel had been zapped out of the building, and Meg... well, she'd been useful for about 5 minutes, but now she was dead weight. Or soon would be, anyway.
Fighting off HellHounds, ghouls, demons... they'd taken all that and more into consideration. Their own grandfather selling them out to Crowley, not so much. And all for the uncertain possibility of getting his daughter, their mother, back from the dead - blood for blood. Dean understood Samuel's desire to get Mary Winchester back better than anyone. But not like this.
He knew first-hand what it was like to deal with a demon to save a loved one. It was the biggest mistake he'd made in his life. His father had made the same mistake to save his sorry ass, resulting in John Winchester's death. You make a deal with a demon; you better damn well make sure you have the upper hand.
Goddamn you, Samuel, cursed Dean silently. I swear I'll kill you next time I see your treacherous ass!
Crowley held the demon-killing blade that once belonged to Ruby in his hand. He glared at Meg, who tried to look as defiantly as she possibly could. All of a sudden, Castiel reappeared on the scene.
"Leave them alone."
The King of Hell faced the angel.
"Castiel, haven't seen you all season. You the cavalry now?"
"Put the knife down."
Crowley snickered at his order.
"You that bossy in Heaven? Hear you're losing out to Raphael. The whole affair makes Vietnam look like a roller derby. What's in the gift bag?"
"You are," answered Castiel, taking a skull out of the bag he was holding. "You didn't hide your bones as well as you should have."
Dean let out his breath in relief. If Cas held the demon's remains, he was toast. The angel put the skull back into the bag and dropped it on the floor. Crowley applauded mockingly.
"Cookie for you," he sneered.
"Can you restore Sam's soul or not?" demanded Castiel.
Crowley snapped his fingers, and Sam and Dean were released from their pin, their feet touching the ground once again. Dean looked at Crowley with bated breath. This was their only shot. He had to know something. He just had to.
"If I could help out in any other..."
"Answer him!" yelled Dean.
There was a brief moment of quiet, and then came the words that sealed Crowley's fate.
"I can't."
Castiel didn't waste a second. He incinerated the bones with his grace, and Crowley went up in flames with a howling scream. The fight was won, and the King of Hell was dead. But they were still no closer to getting Sam's soul. Back to square one.
***
Allegra waited patiently in Bobby's garage. She still hadn't seen the Hunter since her return from Scotland, but she assumed he was either inside manning the phones or out looking for her. Either way, this was as good a place as any to hide Crowley's bones. Maybe even the best place since no one would think of coming to look for them here.
She'd put the bones in a metal box, drawing several wards on each side before she hid it in a hole underground. The King of Hell had asked her to stay with the bones until he came to her after she told him it was done, just until he'd dealt with whoever was after him. It took several hours for him to show up. When he did, he bore a victorious grin that made Allegra want the punch him right in the face.
"You know, there was just the slightest moment I feared the bones that got torched really were mine. I think I sold it well enough. The whole spontaneous combustion act would've been worthy of Hollywood if I do say so myself. How'd you manage the switch without anyone noticing, by the way?"
"You forget who raised me," said Allegra, not going into detail.
Crowley smirked and glanced around the garage.
"Where are they?" he inquired.
"If you can't sense the bones, no one can. I'll put up more wards after you're gone. They're safe here, and so are you."
"Very well. I'm starting to think you were right after all. This new arrangement could be beneficial for both of us as long as we work together. Which reminds me; the prophecy?"
Allegra pointed at the papyrus scroll and her notes, lying on a table a bit further.
"Anything, in particular, you're looking for?" asked Crowley as he went to pick them up.
"I can't translate the last line. I don't think it's Aramaic. And according to the source I've consulted, there should also be something about a child, but he isn't exactly the most reliable of people."
"Ah yes, I've had trouble with that phrase myself. But not to worry, I know a guy or two. And if there is mention of a little bundle of joy?"
"You get me something that will prevent that from happening."
Crowley slowly turned his head to Allegra.
"You heard me," she Allegra when she saw his incredulous expression. "If this whole thing comes down to me being a breeding mill, you get me something to make sure that never happens."
"You do know what you're asking, right? There's no going back if you go down that road."
"Just get me what I need, Crowley."
"All right then... I'll be in touch."
Allegra took a deep breath as soon as Crowley zapped out of the garage. She didn't need a demon to tell her this was probably a very bad move on her behalf, but her mind was made up. If she couldn't be with the person she wanted to be, then she would make sure she'd be useless to Michael and Lucifer, just in case they did ever manage to break out of the Cage. It was about time the angels knew what it was like to get screwed over.