A Little Help From A Friend - xover Joan of Arcadia, Supernatural, Criminal Minds - Part 04
Title: A Little Help From A Friend
Rating: R/FRA
Summary: Everyone needs a little help from time to time. In this case the Winchester boys find help in their search for God the Winchesters find him in the most unusually normal place, Arcadia Maryland.
Crossover: Supernatural, Joan of Arcadia, Criminal Minds
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds belongs to Jeff Davis and The Mark Gordon Company. Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke and Wonderland Sound and Vision. Joan of Arcadia belongs to Barbara Hall. This is a work of fiction, done for fun, no money gained.
Word Count: 18,860
Spoilers: Both seasons of Joan of Arcadia. Up to the end of season 4 of Criminal Minds. All of Supernatural just to be safe.
Authors Notes: AU from Common Thread (2x21) with some information from Something Wicked This Way Comes (2x22) of Joan of Arcadia. Ryan Hunter still makes his appearance and still saves Adam but I’m regressing his age a bit so he’s closer in age everyone else making him 24 instead of however old he was in the show. AU from To Hell…And Back (4x25/26) for Criminal Minds, if you know what happens in the end of 26 basically for this story that never happen. AU from Lucifer Rising (4x22) for Supernatural but with Dark Side of the Moon (5x16) being thrown in because it works for this fic. These are in all honestly mostly arbitrary decisions on my part so don’t look to closely into them.
A side note any facts Reid sprouts are probably horribly incorrect as I made them up for the point of this story so don’t take any of them as value.
A special thanks to ficfinishing for prompting me through this because without them I totally would have dropped out. To Rebecca who doesn’t watch any of these shows but still beta’d for me anyway.
When Joan saw God next he was waiting for her at the bus stop. He was in his old lady form smiling at her when she sat down next to her.
"Is what they told me true? Are you hiding from them, here ignoring them letting the apocalypse come, happen," she asked turning on the bench too look at her.
She smiled at Joan kindly, "Joan, I've told you before everything I do I do for a reason, even if you can't see it now."
"Oh really, there's a reason for the apocalypse?" Joan asked frustrated, know that no matter what she asked she would get some vague non answer answer.
"Yes," God replied shortly.
"What what could possibly justify destroying the world!" Joan hissed leaning in closer to God so not to be over heard.
God tisked at Joan, "Action have consequences Joan, you know that."
"So what this is punishment, what about all the good people in the world, the people who didn't do anything wrong," Joan asked.
"I don't play favorites Joan," was God's reply.
Joan stared at God in shock shaking her head tears falling down her face.
"This isn't fair," she mumbled wiping her face embarrassed that she'd started to cry.
"I know," God replied kindly.
"Why won't you do anything," Joan asked.
"Joan, I am doing something, I've shown you the way now you just have to see it for yourself," she said taking her hand.
Joan looked down at their clasped hands, "I don't understand."
"Think of me as a parent whose time after time bailed out their child from bad situations and every time interfere I'm just justify/reconfirm to them that they're bad behave is okay, well this time I'm not this time I'm sitting it out, this time you all have to learn how to save yourself,"
"That's not fair," Joan repeated.
"Who said anything about fair? That's just another one of your silly human notions," God said with a shake of her head.
"So what do you want me to do, us to do," Joan asked
"I don't want you to do anything different from what I wanted you to do before," God said as she stood up.
"Hey wait, where are you going?" Joan called after God moving to chase after her but the bus pulled up to the light before the stop.
"To see a man about a garden," God said waving as he walked away.
~*~*~*~
This time Joan knows she's dreaming though it doesn't stop her panic from hitting. She's floating in the same place she was before looking down at the same Chapel she'd been in before. Below her is Sam Winchester his hand outstretched towards a blonde woman who lays on the ground in from of a stone Sarcophagus with a dark haired women behind him smiling. Though Joan doesn't understand she's knows there is something bad is happening. The blonde woman seems to be glowing from the inside out and though there is no sound Joan knows she's screaming. Joan in turn screams in fear, confused and frightened about what she's witnessing. Suddenly the glowing reaches a crest and Joan is blinded by the light. When Joan's vision comes back the scene below her has changed and Sam is standing behind the dark haired women as Dean strides towards her knife in hand. She chokes on a scream as Dean slams the knife into the women's gut causing her to glow similarly to the blond women. As they drop the body to the ground the pools of blood around them start to glow brightly. She watches as Dean grabs Sam trying to pull him out but Sam stares, eyes transfixed on the floor as he mouths the words “He's coming.“
Joan sits up straight in her bed stuffing her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming and having her parents come running again. Once she has her breathing under control she brings her knees up to her chest and rest her head on them.
"Who's coming, who's coming?" Joan whispers to herself as tries not to think about what she just saw.
~*~*~*~
"Chief the FBI team is here," Lieutenant Preston said sticking her head into his office.
"Thanks, Lucy show them to the conference room," Will said looking up from the paper work he'd been going over.
"Yes sir," she said pulled the door closed behind her.
Will went back to looking at the paper work
"Yes?" he asked looking back up at Lucy wondering why she was still standing there.
"Its just sir," she said looking slightly nervous.
"Yes?" Will asked impatient.
"You wouldn't happen to have a twin would you?" Lieutenant Preston asked looking uncomfortable.
Will blinked at her confused, "I do," he replied trailing off.
"Oh, okay then," she said shifting her weight from foot to foot, "I'll go see to the FBI team now."
Will watched, still confused by her questioning as she left closing the door behind her. Looking at the paper work on his desk he sighed before shuffling it into piles to be looked at later, whatever was going on with the FBI team he figured he'd better deal with it now. Pushing back in his chair he straighten his tie before giving himself a once over in the mirror in his office before walking out into the bullpen.
There was a silence as he walked by that broke into whispered which confirmed that something was going on. He weaved his way through the bullpen until he made his way to the back conference room. The door had been closed but he could still hear the murmur of voices inside one of which he recognized as Lieutenant Preston. Pushing open the door Will walked into the room looking around. Lieutenant Preston was standing next to a dour looking man in a suit who stopped speaking to Lieutenant Preston when Will came in. There were four other people in the room beside Lieutenant Preston and the man in the suit one of which Will was shocked to see. The man in the suit opened his mouth to speak but paused a look of confusing flashing over his face before vanishing.
"Chief Girardi," Hotchner said holding his hand for a hand shake, "Supervising Special Agent Aaron Hotchner."
Will however did not take his hand, his eyes firmly on a spot behind Hotchner. The room fell into a stilted silence as the two brothers looked at one another.
"Will," Rossi said looking at his brother.
"David," Will replied in turn.
"It's been a while," David said.
Will scowled at his brother before turning to Hotchner taking the still offered hand.
"Will Girardi," he said, "Wish I could say nice to meet you but its never a good thing when the FBI sends in the BAU."
Hotchner nodded about to reply when Rossi cut him off.
"You know normal families just pick up the phone and call when they want to talk," David said ignoring the fact that Will was ignoring him.
"I didn't call you, my lieutenant is in charge of this, it was her call," Will said.
"You didn't think that with a case like this that you should have a say in it?" David said.
"I'm personally involved in all the cases that come through my precinct," Will snapped glaring at David.
Hotchner seeing the fight brewing between the two brothers stepped in between the two of them hand gently on Rossi's chest pushing him away.
"What do you know about the Winchester brothers?" Hotchner asked.
"Not much, just that they rolled into town a few days ago," Will said, "No one's seen them except my daughter and a night clerk we haven't been able to track down."
"We'll need to talk to your daughter," Hotchner said looking over the board.
"I can do it," Morgan volunteered.
"No, JJ and I will do it, Morgan I want you and Prentiss to talk to local hotels the Winchesters are known for staying in out of the way places, Arcadia can't have too many hotels, get Garcia to get a list for you and talk to the desk people, Reid, Rossi, I want you to read through all the most recent police reports and newspaper, find out what the brothers are doing in Arcadia,"
"What do you think brought them to Arcadia, Agent Hotchner?" Lieutenant Preston asked looking between him and his team as they all started working on their assignments.
"I don't know Lieutenant Preston but that's why we're here," Hotchner replied.
~*~*~*~
"Joan," a voice called after her as she walked to work followed by a series of honks. Jumping startled Joan turn towards the noise pulling her headphones off so she could hear.
Lagging behind her were Sam and Dean Winchester, Sam's head out of the passenger side of their car as he called for her.
"Can we talk?" Sam asked as Dean pulled up closer to where she was standing.
Joan looked up and down the bloc very aware of all of the eyes on her knowing that this was probably going to get back to one of her parents before she got home. Sighing knowing the damage was done she nodded.
"I know a diner around here were we can talk," she said.
"Oh do they have pie?" she heard Dean ask.
Again she nodded, "Yeah, they have pie."
"Cool," Dean said.
"Parking spot," Sam said pointing a little ways forward.
Cutting off some poor man Dean swung the car into an empty spot giving the man the finger when he cursed at Dean. Joan watched the two of them as they got out of the car waiting until Dean had locked the car before turning and walking towards a diner near her job. The two boys followed behind her at a decent distance having a whispered conversation that involved looking at her then at each other several times before they reached the diner.
Opening the door to the diner Joan motioned them in with a wave of her hand. Walking into the diner they boys looked around and were motioned to a booth by one of the waitresses who waved to Joan and gave her a slight thumbs and raised eyebrows in the bothers direction. Blushing knowing what Hilde was thinking Joan shook her head and followed the boys to the booth.
Sliding in on the other side of them she fiddled with her menu not making eye contact. Joan only looked up when Hilde sauntered over to take their order.
"What can I get you guys?" Hilde asked looking down at the boys.
"Coffee, black," Sam said as he put the menu down.
"Nothing for me Hilde," Joan said putting the menu back.
"What kind of pie do you guys have?" Dean asked looking up at Hilde smiling charmingly at her.
"We have Rhubarb, Blackberry, Key Lime, Pecan and Apple," Hilde listed.
"Can I get one of each, except for Key Lime?" Dean asked still smiling at her.
"Sure can sweetie," Hilde replied blushing slightly under Dean's gaze.
"Thanks a lot darling," Dean smiled and waves a bit as Hilde walked off.
"So you really talk to God?" Sam asked looking up at Joan from beneath his fringes after he was sure their waitress was out of ear shot.
"Yeah, I do," Joan replied looking past Sam towards Hilde who was fanning herself our at the counter.
"Wow how'd that happen," Sam asked.
"I asked for something and he gave it," Joan said with a shrug.
"And just like that God started talk to you?"
"No, I mean not right away, my brother was in an accident and I asked God to save him I promised if he saves my brother I would do anything he wanted no matter what, a few months after we moved to Arcadia he came to collect," Joan explained.
"That must have been weird," Sam said.
"Look do we have to talk about this?" Joan asked shifting uncomfortably.
"No, I mean, it's just me and my brother have spent so long trying to find God and now we know he's here and," Sam trailed off unsure of how to finish the sentence.
"You know I'm not the only person God talks to?" Joan said.
"What? God talks to someone else?" Sam asked looking surprised.
"Gees, does he talk to everyone but us," Dean said glaring at nothing.
"I mean I don't know if they still talk but they did, he's, he's kinda mad at God right now though," Joan said stumbling over her words unsure of how to explain what she'd seen between God and Ryan.
"Did he tell you how God started talking to him?" Sam asked.
Joan shook her head, "All I know is when he was a teenager God started talking to him," Joan said, "Its was different for us, I mean I asked my brother and he said when I was a kid I had this imaginary friend that I'm pretty sure was God but I don't remember," Joan said becoming quite when Hilde came over with Sam's coffee and Dean's pies.
"Here you go boys," she said as she placed them on the table, "Do you need anything else?"
"No, thank you though," Sam said giving her a small smile.
"Call me if you guys need anything," Hilde said as she walked away, giving them a look over her shoulder to which Joan made a shooing motion to her.
"The thing is with Ryan," Joan continued when she was sure Hilde was once again out of hearing distance, "He claims that he's the reincarnation of an angel."
"What," Sam and Dean both hissed leaning forward.
"What do you mean that he's the reincarnation of an angel?" Dean asked mouth full of pie.
"That's what he told me, that he was an angel, that something happened and someone else killed him because he didn't agree with them, then God 'pulled some strings' and he got born," Joan explained.
"Damnit, damnit, damnit," Dean cursed wiping his mouth and throwing the napkin down into his empty plate, "Just what we need angels."
"I though that'd be a good thing?" Joan asked confused.
"No, angel's just make things more complicated," Sam said with a sigh pulling the plate of Pecan pie over to him. Poking at it with his fork before eating piece of it.
"Hey," Dean whined pulling the plate back over to him.
"I don't think Ryan is going to make anything complicated," Joan said looking between them.
Dean opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a low toned jiggle. Fumbling around in her bag Joan pulls out her cell phone.
"Crap," Joan cursed when she sees the name displayed on the screen.
"Who is it?" Sam asked leaning forward across the table.
"My boss," Joan mumbled pressing the call accept button, "Hi, Sam?" Joan said tentatively.
"Where the heck are you?" her boss yelled at her.
Flinching Joan pulled the phone away from her ear.
"Sorry, I'm coming, something came up," Joan said apologizing.
Turning to the brothers she mouthed 'I have to go' before quickly gathering her things.
"I'm on my way sorry," she apologized to her boss.
"Don't be sorry be here ten minutes ago," her boss yelled.
Giving the brothers a half wave she hurried out of the diner.