Fic: 9/10ths of the Law
Title: 9/10ths of the Law
Author: Aaeth Payne
Rating: PG-13
Genre and/or Pairing: slight Dean/Castiel
Spoilers: Up to 5.19 “Hammer of the Gods”
Word Count: ~2,700
Summary: He had no right to take that which was hers. And Gabriel was hers.
A/N Thanks to smartassmusicjunkie, for the beta. Without her this would be a mess. She did her best, so the mistakes are mine.
She felt it the moment it happened. It didn’t matter that she was sitting in the back of the old vehicle as it sped away; she still felt his death the moment it happened. Kali closed her eyes as fury washed over her.
“Woah woah!” The voice of the elder Winchester, Dean, broke her concentration. She opened her eyes, noting that the interior of the car glowed more brightly than it should- oh. Kali dampened the flames that curled around her body. The elder needn’t fuss; she hadn’t even singed the leather seats.
“What is it?” The younger Winchester, Samuel, asked hesitantly. Slowly, Kali leveled her gaze to him. This one held some measure of respect for her. Not nearly the amount she deserved, but it was certainly more than the elder felt.
Baldur, Odin, Ganesh… everyone had just been wiped out for this Christian apocalypse. They’d thought that not even the Christian’s Lucifer could withstand their combined might. Kali took a breath, mourning the old Gods. “Gabriel is dead.”
“Shit.” The elder hit his palm to the steering wheel of the car, but otherwise did nothing. It was the reaction of the younger, the pain she saw in his face that he tried to hide which surprised Kali. He finally closed his eyes and turned back around in his seat without saying anything.
“He was your ally?” She addressed it to the brothers, wondering just how they fell into such a relationship if they were avoiding all angels as they claimed. The elder especially seemed to hold all things nonhuman in contempt.
The elder snorted disdainfully. “No, he was a dick.” Then he looked over at the other- Samuel. “But I guess he decided to get involved in the end.”
Samuel continued. “He ran and hid to avoid his family- the angels.” The younger turned around in his seat, and Kali was once again stuck by the sincerity in his face. “He never wanted the apocalypse. He didn’t want to see his family tear itself apart, so he went into ‘witness protection’ as a Pagan.” It was almost laughable, but it seemed that he actually wanted her to understand.
“Fat lot of good it did him.” Dean Winchester shook his head, and though his words were harsh Kali could sense the regret in him. “Where do you want to be left off?”
As if she needed him to help her escape. Now that the shock had worn off, she could just leave. For the first time Kali wished that her power truly did extend to destroying the world. It would be a fitting farewell to destroy first what the Westerners sought to destroy. Kali shifted, feeling the vials of blood shift under her clothes. She could just destroy the Winchesters. It wouldn’t stop the apocalypse for long, but it would at least inconvenience the angels long enough for her to take Gabriel’s advice and abandon this rock.
Gabriel. Kali looked out of the window and watched the scenery rush by. She did not love Gabriel as she once had, but still she felt affection for him and it was hard to believe he was really gone. Gone like Baldur. Gone because that upstart angel thought he had the right to destroy that which had existed long before his creation.
He had no right to take that which was hers. And Gabriel was hers. She’d bound him to her, and no one had the right to take what was hers! Kali forced her anger down before it could manifest again. “Keep driving. Drive until you feel safe to stop.” Her tone left no room for argument.
“Hey lady, you don’t need to tell me twice to get out of Dodge, but that is going to take a while.” The human had a sense of self-preservation, it seemed. At least when it came to Lucifer. “You sure you want to stick around that long?”
“I am certain.” She would need them later.
It did take a while before the elder felt safe enough to pull over to the side of the road. State lines were crossed before he chose a nicely secluded spot to try to conclude business. The brothers twisted in their seats to view her, but remained silent. She watched them and considered if she should gain their cooperation or if she should give them no choice at all.
“All right, so this isn’t creepy.” Kali focused on Dean Winchester when he broke his silence. “I’m guessing you’re not looking to become our super best friend, so what gives?”
He didn’t back down, not even when her stare became a glare, and despite herself she felt some slight admiration for this creature. She could easily destroy him or make his life a living nightmare, but he still faced her with a grin that reminded her too much of Gabriel. And he was the one she needed. “I need your assistance.”
“Look lady,” The elder began, his tone harsh and accusatory, but the younger quickly shushed him.
Samuel Winchester effectively cut his brother off, “What do you need?” If it weren’t for the stink of Lucifer on this one, she might have liked him.
“I am going to retrieve what was stolen from me.” And it would be easier with their cooperation.
“Baldur?” She didn’t flinch at her lover’s name on Dean Winchester’s lips, but it did cause her spirit to ache. He had been a loving companion and she could have been happy with him for centuries more. She hadn’t thought their relationship to be so obvious, but then again the elder Winchester did seem surprisingly attuned to relationships and affairs of the heart.
Kali wished that she had the power to bring him back to her. “No, he was not bound to me.”
The brothers exchanged a look before the younger addressed her, “Gabriel?” His voice held so much reluctant hope that she knew his cooperation was not going to be a problem. “You can bring him back?”
“It may be possible.” If she were quick. If their connection was clear enough.
“Yeah, ok.” It wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, but she didn’t need enthusiasm from the elder Winchester, just his cooperation.
“Good. Let us begin.” The Goddess opened the door and slid out of the vehicle into the cool night. She heard the brothers follow her as she walked away from the car.
“So, how are you gonna do this?” Kali debated silencing Dean Winchester. Gabriel’s trick had been a useful one. She wished she’d paid closer attention to how it was done. “And why? Isn’t your thing destruction? Didn’t you want all the angels eighty-sixed?”
Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Kali turned and glared at Dean Winchester like the insect he was. “This is what is wrong with you Westerners. You think you know everything.”
But Dean Winchester did not quail under her gaze. “Yeah? Well why not educate us poor mortals, rather than eating us, hmm? Or maybe, just maybe, live up to your responsibilities. Because I gotta tell you, when you finally meet a god of good luck and benevolence and it turns out he eats eyeball stew- it’s kind of a let down!”
“Dean, cut it out!” The younger brother pulled the elder back before he could say any more. “She’s going to try to bring Gabriel back!” As if that explained all they needed to know. Though really, it did.
Kali turned again and continued walking, this time in blessed silence. Even the forest around them was completely silent. After a few minutes of walking they came to a clearing in the trees and the moon above provided sufficient light. “Stop.” Turning, Kali retrieved the vials of blood from beneath her shirt. It was a testament to the situation that the elder Winchester did not even pretend to leer.
“What can we do?” The younger asked politely. Kali could practically taste his excitement.
Kali examined the blood from the brothers and Gabriel. She needed their connection to his spirit to make her efforts stronger. To increase her chances. The blood sang with the connection, they had both been touched by Gabriel’s particular brand of trickery. And recently too. But both were tainted samples.
“Dean Winchester, stand to my right. Samuel Winchester, stand to my left.” They swiftly moved into place, though not without some grumbling from Dean Winchester.
Ignoring it, Kali transferred the vials of the brother’s blood to her lower left hand as she produced her sword in her upper left hand. There were some murmurs of surprise when they saw a portion of her true form, but she ignored them, holding the vial of Gabriel’s blood in her lower right hand. Finally prepared, Kali turned to the Winchesters.
“We have one opportunity to do this. If we do not succeed the first time, our hand will be tipped and we will not get a second chance.” Snatching Gabriel from Lucifer in the moment before he was killed would be risky, but Kali was not the transcendent power of time for nothing. And there were times when you just had to cheat. Gabriel had taught her that.
“So we just stand here looking pretty?” If this was an example of how the elder Winchester brother always behaved, it was no wonder that the Western God found him so tiresome.
“You stand there. I will use your connection to Gabriel to find him in time.” Explaining herself was tedious, but if it shut the insect up it would be worth it. “His proximity to the power of Lucifer will make it difficult for me to differentiate between the archangels, even with Gabriel’s blood.”
Dean Winchester frowned. “So there is a chance you could snatch the wrong one? Bring old Lucy here?”
“Not at all! By using you, there is no chance I will pull Lucifer to us. Your brother is the one that stinks of his influence, not you.” This was just getting ridiculous. “He will provide a small blood sacrifice, and you will be my guide.”
“What?!”
“Sacrifice?” Samuel Winchester’s question was quieter, but no less shocked.
She’d had enough. Kali drew the sword quickly over the younger Winchester’s forearm before he could pull back, spilling the small amount of blood needed. She grabbed the elder Winchester brother’s shoulder and felt for an angelic presence. The essence came to her easily and was nearly overwhelming. The connection to Dean Winchester was stronger than she’d anticipated, so she was easily able to follow the connection and pull the source of the angelic presence to them.
She vaguely heard Dean Winchester shout, “Close your eyes!” before there was a pure white light pulsing in front of them. Quickly it was shrouded in a physical body.
A physical body she did not recognize.
The body collapsed before her spoke only one word, “Dean.” The angel’s voice was lower and more grave than she’d expected. This was not the angel she’d anticipated.
“Cas!” Dean Winchester slipped from her grasp and ran to the figure that still lay collapsed on the forest floor.
Kali turned to the younger Winchester who looked shocked to see the other angel. She ran a finger over the small wound, healing it. “Who is that?” It was certainly not Gabriel.
“Castiel.” Samuel Winchester’s voice was quiet and awed; he finally turned his gaze to look upon her. “He is the angel that pulled Dean from hell.”
That explained the overwhelming connection then. Kali turned to look at the pair of men who still remained on the ground. She raised an eyebrow at the way Dean Winchester was kissing the angel. Then again, there could be other explanations for such a close connection.
“Does this…” Samuel Winchester spoke quietly, hesitantly obviously afraid of the answer. “Does this mean we can’t attempt to rescue Gabriel?”
She had said they had only one shot. But Kali shook her head. “No. This was completely unexpected.” She turned to watch the men who were still entangled in the dirt. One part of her was impressed they were keeping things relatively innocent. She’d seen the images in Dean Winchester’s mind. “We can try for Gabriel again.”
The angel broke away from the kiss, eyes finding hers. “Gabriel?” He frowned as if seeing her for the first time. Or maybe he was. “Kali?” He turned to the elder Winchester, “What are you doing with the Goddess Kali?”
“Long story, Cas. I’m glad to have you back.” It seemed that now that the rush of the angel being ‘back’ was over, there seemed to be an awkward air between Dean Winchester and the angel. “Cas, I’m-” Amusing as the reunion was, they could work out whatever problems they had on their own time.
“We are trying to keep Gabriel from being killed by Lucifer. Again.” The Goddess interrupted whatever Dean Winchester was planning on saying. “So, if you two are finished reuniting, Dean Winchester and Castiel come stand to my right.” Kali looked over to where Samuel stood his arm already bared and ready to be cut.
The elder Winchester and his angel finally made their way slowly to her side, the angel apparently needing to be supported. She did not want to know. “Touch each other. You shouldn’t have a problem with that.” She added with a small smirk, pleased with the red that touched Dean Winchester’s face. It almost made up for his clumsy flirting in the hotel’s dining room.
Again she placed her upper right hand on Dean Winchester’s arm, this time prepared to ignore the strong angelic presence that nearly overrode everything else. Below that baseline lay the influence of many other angels. But only one had touched Dean Winchester recently with power.
Kali memorized that spark of energy, learned its patterns and nuances until there was no way she could mistake another for Gabriel. Again she ran her sword over the younger Winchester’s arm, drawing the blood she needed to begin the ritual. She cast her power back through time to the moment before her connection to Gabriel was severed.
She reached through the blood connection and found his distinct energy in the meeting room of the Elysium Fields Hotel. She could feel the room was full of crackling power, but it was only the energy with the correct resonation that she enfolded in her influence.
Then she pulled.
Gabriel appeared before her just as he was the moment he’d been snatched forward in time, shock on his face and his own sword pointed at his heart. His focus snapped to her, his jaw slack from shock as he dropped the sword. “Kali?”
Nodding silently, Kali burned the vials of blood in her hands to ash and dematerialized her sword. The humans stood silently at her sides. “Gabriel.”
The archangel had yet to school his features to anything but shock. Then again, he always had been more emotional. He stood there in the clearing, eyes blinking. “Why?”
Truly, there was no answer. No good answer anyway. “Because I could.” Kali crossed her arms in front of her chest and regarded Gabriel solemnly. “You attempted to stop us. To save us.” Shifting, Kali looked off into the space above Gabriel’s shoulder. “You could have just run like you tried to convince me to run.”
“I’m sorry, Kali.” And he sounded sincere. She sniffed and shook her head. She never thought she’d see the day Gabriel would actually sound sincere.
“I’m leaving, Gabriel.” Tonight. “You were right. I’ll leave this rock and let it burn, or not burn,” she added with a glance at the Winchester brothers. “Will you join me?”
She could hear the swiftly indrawn breaths from the humans, but they wisely kept silent.
“You know I can’t.” His posture, his face, and his voice were all too serious for a Trickster, and it amused her that he’d been able to keep up the ruse for so long.
Still, she wasn’t surprised. Kali nodded and returned his small smile. Perhaps they would succeed and this world would be saved. Perhaps they would fail, and this world would burn. It was no longer her concern and she wished him well.
“Gabriel, Castiel, Winchesters,” She looked around the clearing meeting their gazes evenly and seeing the varying levels of determination and wondered if they could succeed. For their sakes she hoped they did. But this was not her fight. “Good luck.”
She was done here.