All Worlds Converge To Where You Are (6/8) SGA/Supernatural crossover

[gottalovev]

Chapter 5 :: Master Fic Post



Back on the street, John comes face to face with an angel and a young woman with round eyes, looking at him expectantly.

"So?" Dee asks. "I didn't hear any gunfire..."

John snorts.

"As family reunion goes, I've seen worse," John says, which seems to make Castiel relax. Obviously they couldn't hear what was going on inside.

"I am glad," Castiel says.

It takes a couple of minutes before Dean gets out himself and he's pulling Sam along with a strong grip on his brother's forearm. To be honest, Sam looks a bit disoriented while Dean is smiling with what seems like genuine happiness for once and he looks years younger by doing so. Upon seeing Sam, Castiel smiles at him, one of the rare ones where he shows teeth at all.

"Happy to see you, Sam," he says while stepping forward and Sam smiles back.

"Hey, Cas," he lets Castiel come in for a hug, then looks him over. "Wow, I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be out of that trench coat."

It doesn't make much sense to John but Dean laughs out loud.

"You have no idea how hard it was to make him give it up." Dean fakes being annoyed but his lips are twitching.

Castiel rolls his eyes.

"It was a comfortable and practical garment," he says, but then smiles again, winks at Sam. "I kept it."

Sam laughs, surprised and John is struck at how beautiful it makes him. It seems like a crime that it must be rare.

"This is all fine and dandy, blah blah, lovely reunion and all," Dee says, "but I think we should get away from here."

Sam frowns, looks around and now that John is paying attention, he realizes the sky that has been so clear just moments ago is covering up, fast, as the wind picks up. He doesn't know if all this talk about demons and devils are making him paranoid, but it's like they're being observed. John raises his gun and sees from the corner of his eye that Sam and Dean are doing the same. Castiel is not smiling anymore and he turns to the south of the alley.

"You must all go. Now," he declares. "I'll try to slow him down."

Dean doesn't seem to be really on board with that plan.

"No way, Cas. You're coming with us."

"I'm so going," Dee says, starting to walk backwards, ready to flee as soon as they decide to move. She looks terrified and John wonders how many times she outran the Devil since she's been hanging out with Sam.

"Dean, if we want any chance to get out, we need to..." Sam says but Dean is grabbing Castiel by this jacket.

"Cas, come on, man. A couple of minutes won't make a difference," Dean says.

It might and they are losing those precious minutes right now, John thinks, but he can't imagine leaving Cas behind either to be slaughtered, or whatever Lucifer has in store. Castiel clenches his jaw and he's about to shake the hand on him when Dean pleads.

"Please, Cas. I need you with me." That does get to Castiel, who scans Dean's face before relenting.

"All right," he says. "But if..."

Dean taps him on the shoulder, smiles.

"We'll see about it when we get there. Let's go children!" he barks and they all start to run.

"Where's your car Dee?" Sam shouts, as they weave through the small alley roughly in the direction they came from earlier.

"Just next to the place you asked me to check out, genius," she says, and it makes John smile. Girl's got spunk, that's for sure.

The streets are not as empty as they were, as people start their day, and at one point they are about to cut near a building when 3 people round the corner. Castiel hisses, much like a pissed off cat and he grabs Dean who's in the lead and was about to go that way to stop him.

"They found us."

Dean swears and makes them change course. John figures the 3 strangers are demons a moment before their eyes turn black, and then they grin and start to run towards them. John supposes they were sent to slow them down and if possible capture them. It's like the word got out and after two or three blocks running and seeing their escape routes being cut, John wonders if they'll have to fight their way out. Too bad John remembers that bullets didn't stop that demon in Crowley's house, so he doesn't see that particular idea going so well. When once more they have to turn around from the path Dean was trying to take and start sprinting towards the other side of yet another alley, John muses out loud.

"There's always clear path for us!" he shouts. That's not normal, they've turned around so many times, they'd have to be surrounded by now.

Dean doesn't pay him any attention but Sam throws John a quick look over his shoulder, frowning.

"Fuck, he's right, they're herding us like sheep," Sam says.

The problem is that with the little group of demons hot on their tail, they can't afford to stop and chat about the best way to lose them while not going exactly where Lucifer wants them to go.

"We have to go across!" John says gesturing perpendicularly to the alleyway they've been following, which is easier said then done. They all start looking up, trying to find any escape possible and Dean points to a busted window on the second floor of the next block over.

"Over there, hurry."

Without more explanation Dean hauls himself up on an overflowing dumpster and jumps on a metal emergency exit ladder. It unfolds jerkily, coming down, and Dean climbs it like a monkey, soon clearing the rest of glass off the window sill and peering in. Sam is next up on the ladder and John holds it in place as Castiel helps Dee to reach the bottom by boosting her up, then following suit. John keeps his gun trained on the entrance of the alley, expecting the demons any second. Maybe they are overconfident because he can hear them laughing and coming closer, as John finally makes his way up and into the empty apartment, Dean having opened what used to be a kitchen door. John hurries to close it behind him and he peers down, wondering if they've been seen entering. The demons appear, walking briskly and by the way they just head for the end of the alley and don't look up, John figures they are, for now, hidden. At the very least, if they can't get out on the other side, this will be a way better defensive position.

Dean's looking into the mostly unhinged cupboards, while Sam looks inside what must have been a pantry but they come out with nothing but matching scowls.

"No salt," Dean hisses.

"Same here," Sam replies.

"Maybe we just should, I don't know, get the fuck out?" Dee says, obviously not impressed by the lack of condiments.

"They won't be fooled for long," confirms Castiel.

"Okay, okay, let's go," Dean shushes and he makes clearing signs at Sam, who falls in step behind him. John makes Castiel and Dee follow as he takes their little party's six.

The apartment seems abandoned and no one came to investigate the glass breaking when they got in, but who knows who or what could be squatting here or next door. John looks at how Sam and Dean clear each room before they pass through, textbook procedure and maximal efficiency if he ever saw it. They don't even have to make eye contact, it's like they've done it a million times over, even if they haven't seen each other in what, three years? The ease of it is like pieces slotting into place and John understands that the little flaw he had noticed very few times in Dean in previous missions - not always checking his right - was in fact just because he was so used to have Sam there that he sometimes didn't immediately remember he had to cover that angle. John used to have that chemistry with Dex after a couple of months flying the Black Hawks in formation in Afghanistan; there's nothing quite the same as knowing a buddy's got your back.

They rapidly leave the apartment by its front door, run down the stairs to the ground level and regroup in the lobby, on the other side of the building now.

"Where now?" Dee asks.

"Is your car near?" Sam counters.

She shrugs, apologetic.

"Not sure, everything looks the same, we turned around so much."

"I think we should do it again, go through the warehouses over there." John points to the old factory on the other side of the street. "They'll check this street pretty soon, whichever way we try to go."

The brothers nod, both trying to sneak peeks outside almost in sync and it would be funny if they had the luxury to laugh at little things like that.

"Ok, on three, we cross and go to that garage door over there," Dean points where a door is opened but where no one is in sight, at least for the moment. Whoever stays or does business there must not be far away because no one ever leaves doors wide open, unless they want to invite trouble right in. "Ready?"

On three they run to the other side of the street, and John glances to each side but doesn't see anyone looking at them with intent. Of course they raise attention because five people running across a street does that, especially in a city like Detroit and a neighborhood like this, but it's early still and apart from a couple of teens and an old man smoking on his balcony, a rifle by his leg, they don't seem to care. If the demons ask, they'll tell though, so they need to get going. They're barely completely inside, in what used to be the loading section for merchandise that was ready to be shipped when they're hailed and come to a stop.

"Hey hey hey, where the fuck do you guys think you're going?" a guy closer to 7 feet than to 6 - and with the weight to back it up - yells at them, accompanying his question with a handgun steadily trained on Dean's head.

One guy, even a mammoth, wouldn't be so bad, but in the following seconds, John can hear the snick snick snick of several safeties being pulled off guns from all around. They are easily outnumbered and that's just the ones John can see. He doesn't quite know where to point his own gun until he follows Dean and Sam's example and raises it over his head, letting it dangle between thumb and index. He really doesn't want to drop it, though. John loves that gun.

"Sorry, we're just passing through," Sam says with a smile that's a little strained. "We didn't mean to bother."

The Big Guy snorts.

"I don't think so."

"Look, man..." Dean starts but the Big Guy's friends start to come out of the shadows and some look way too twitchy for John's taste.

"Shut up and put your fucking guns on the fucking floor, right the fuck now," their new friend says, with a slightly maniacal smile, eying them in a way John's not really comfortable with. They are in so much shit right now, John can't count the ways. The demons are surely bound to appear soon, on top.

"We don't have time for this," Castiel says, getting agitated.

"Cas..." Dean tries to shush him, making a sheepish smile at their audience.

"Dean, we can't let Lucifer catch Sam. We have to get away right now," Castiel says.
And yeah, that was a bit too loud and a bunch of eyebrows rise in response. Maybe a couple of lips twitch too but Dean really doesn't seem amused.

"What? Enough nonsense, boys and girl, the junk goes on the floor right the fuck now and it's the last fucking time I say it," Big Guy says, taking a couple of steps towards them and boy, John hands twitch with the need to take his gun properly and play all or nothing.

Castiel, who doesn't look impressed one bit, walks towards the Big Guy and straightens up.

"No. We're going to pass through this building, and get out on the other side. With no problems."

It takes balls of steel to do that, walk to a gun in the hand of an enemy and the Big Guy seems to respect it, if anything. Doesn't mean he won't put a hole in Castiel's forehead in the next minute though.

"Oh yeah? And who are you to say that, pretty boy?" he says with a menacing smile.

The neons in the joint start to flicker and then raise in intensity, something John has noticed when Castiel is about to demonstrate angel mojo, but what comes next literally takes his breath away. Cas looks at the Big Guy right in the eyes and declares:

"I am Castiel, an Angel of the Lord."

And with that comes the coolest thing John has ever seen. Enormous black wings, intangible as if made of smoke, open behind Castiel. They are still real enough to strike wonder, though, as they deploy in the bright artificial light for a handful of seconds before folding back again towards Castiel. On top of the wing effect, there's some weird bluish light that seems to aureole the angel and peer out of his eyes and mouth. When he stops glowing, Castiel tilts his head to the side and asks.

"Any other questions?"

As everyone else in the room save maybe for Dean and Sam, the Big Guy is gaping like a fish.

"We're going, now. May God protect you," Cas says, turning with a flounce and he starts to walk towards the back of the room.

Sam tugs on John's sleeve as they all get in motion behind him. No one moves to stop them, the place now alight with whispers and they soon manage to get trough the building and find a way out.

"Jesus Christ, Cas, what are you trying to do? Why not a fucking laser show pointing that we're here, while you're at it?" Dean says when they're relatively alone.

"It's the only way Sam will escape," Castiel says, unperturbed.

When they get out in the alley, that is even narrower than the ones they've been running through earlier, Cas takes a little flask out of his shirt pocket. John has seen the angel drink and even touch a bit of drugs, but now's not really the time... although now that he thinks of it, John would take a stiff drink right now too, 7 am or not. But it doesn't seem to be alcohol - too syrupy - when Cas pours it as he makes a circle on the pavement around himself that takes almost all the width of the alley, which makes Dean frown.

"The hell?" he mutters, then his face changes as he obviously gets what the heck Castiel is doing. "You knew Lucifer would sense that. You did it on purpose."

Castiel puts the flask back in his pocket and turns to them.

"Yes. And now you all get away," Cas says, pointing to one side of the alley.

"Not without you," Dean says, squaring his shoulders.

John can relate with the sentiment, although by the set of his jaw, Castiel doesn't seem to want to budge.

"Aww, how touching," someone says, making John jump in surprise. He could have sworn there was no one in the alley beside them, but now there is, a tall dude with a nice build, but once John reaches his face he has an involuntary recoil movement - every inch of the man's face is covered with bad burns, the skin peeling. John notices that Sam and Dee take a step back too, Sam especially who's eyes get round enough to see the white.

"Fuck," he breathes.

Dean and Castiel spin around to face the newcomer who's chuckling.

"Still trying to delay the inevitable, brother?" he asks Castiel.

The angel takes a half step to get slightly in front of Dean, protective.

"Lucifer," Castiel salutes stiffly.

John had a doubt but when it's confirmed, he winces. The big bad wolf in person, then. At least he doesn't have his demons with him, yet.

"Wow, you're one ugly son of a bitch," Dean says, always so fantastic with the PR. "And me who thought Lucifer was the most beautiful of the Angels."

It makes Lucifer grin, which looks frankly disgusting, teeth and gums showing through mangled flesh.

"Why do you think I will only settle for Sammy?" he jibes back, then looks at Sam intently. "Hey there."

"I won't say I'm happy to see you," Sam tells him, but that's it, he doesn't move or try to get away. In fact, he just looks defeated again.

Lucifer puts a hand that's more bone than anything on his chest.

"You hurt me, Sam," he mocks.

"Leave him alone," Castiel all but growls. "He won't be your vessel."

Sam seems rooted in place and John is not quite sure what to do, Dee on the other hand decides to act while Lucifer's attention is not on them anymore.

"I'm so not staying here. I know where my car is, now, I'll be at the burnt motel. Although if he comes close? I'm outta here," she whispers, then takes a couple of careful steps away before breaking into a run. Lucifer doesn't even deign acknowledging the escape.

When Lucifer steps forward, he gestures and Cas falls to his knees with a pained gasp.

"I'm tired of your guard dog routine, Castiel. You know you don't have what it takes to fight me. That you used all the power you had left for that little stunt just now," he says lightly.

The casual way Lucifer says it doesn't soften the blow: if Cas doesn't have mojo anymore, John figures they're pretty much screwed. He wonders if he should run like Dee, maybe save his sorry hide, especially when Sam looks at him and jerks his head towards the end of the alley, encouraging him to do so. But if here's the big showdown, it would be pretty pointless to delay death when the literal end of all things for humanity takes a step forward, so John shakes his head and takes a step forward himself, now in between the Devil and his prey. It doesn't seem to please Sam all that much, but it's how it's going to be. Where the action is really happening, though, Dean grabs Castiel by the upper arms and tries to make him stand up again.

"Shit, Cas!" he curses while Castiel is still hunched on himself. "You leave him alone," Dean all but spits at Lucifer who's reaching to Castiel, as if he'd want to caress his face but it would probably be the kiss of death.

With what seems to be an all or nothing move, Dean twists and shoves a stumbling Castiel behind himself and - for a reason John doesn't understand as it happens - lets himself fall to the ground using the momentum to roll away in one smooth motion. A second later Dean's standing back up and between him and Lucifer is a foot high wall of fire that rapidly closes a circle around his really ugly shape. It's the stuff that Castiel poured earlier, which he obviously just lit up and turn into a trap of some kind. John can't help but be impressed especially since Lucifer doesn't step right across it and actually looks astonished.

"Well I'll be damned," he says, putting his hands on his hips. "You surprise me, Castiel."

Straightening up, Cas shrugs.

"Everyone always underestimates me," he says but doesn't seem too bothered. He taps the shoulder of a grinning Dean and gives him a big smile before looking back at Lucifer and frowning. "Sadly this won't hold long."

Nodding, Dean agrees.

"Let's go."

As if it's a spell breaking signal, they all start to run towards the end of the alley, and the only thing they hear as they turn the corner is Lucifer yelling.

"You can't escape fate, Sam! I'll find you again, and again, and again!"

They don't look back.

***

After that it's surprisingly easy to get out of Detroit. They finally catch some kind of luck because they make it to the burnt motel without running into the demons, and Dee has found her car - surprisingly still in one piece, John thought it would be gone to be honest - and is waiting for them on idle. She refuses to give up her place at the wheel, which is pretty inconsiderate of her: fitting all in her Hyundai Accent would have been easier if she'd agreed to sit in the back. Bobby's in the Escalade when they get back at the Motel 8, with everything packed. His face in seeing all of them return unharmed, especially Sam, is something to see. Sam goes to wrap him up in a hug that lasts a long while. Figuring it's better to get out of town sooner rather than later, they split in the two cars and it feels natural to give Sam, Dean and Bobby their chance to regroup while John and Castiel climb in with Dee.

After Dee's couple of false starts at small talk that fizzle out pretty quickly, John dares to finally broach a question that's been nagging at him.

"Hey, Cas. Can I ask you something about Lucifer?" he asks.

"Yes, although I can't promise I'll have the answer," Castiel says while looking out of the window at the almost deserted suburbs they're driving through. Lawns get pretty wild relatively fast when no one takes care of them and most of this street seems to be in a savanna.

"Why did he look like that?"

It makes Dee snort.

"Of all the questions..." she muses.

Castiel sighs.

"I think... No, I am sure that he was too arrogant, and thought he'd break Sam sooner. In the meantime, he neglected to find another vessel. The one he's in right now isn't strong enough."

"But demons jump in anyone, right? Why didn't he do the same?" John says.

"Lucifer isn't a demon, he's an angel, or was one. He has to be let in willingly," Castiel explains.

The notion that Castiel is not really the personality that goes with the body in the back seat suddenly makes John uneasy. He had never considered that.

"That's what you did?" John forces himself to ask. Wonders if whoever is in there wants out.

Castiel finally looks at John then nods.

"Yes. Jimmy Novak prayed for it. Unfortunately, he was killed when Lucifer rose, torn to pieces. But somehow, someone brought me back in this human form again." Cas breaks eye contact to look out the window again and says, more softly. "He's gone now."

Oh, well that sucks, John thinks. There's a silence of a minute or two, but still, what was said doesn't answer John's question so he turns towards the back seat again.

"Wouldn't Lucifer be able to convince almost anyone to let him in?" he insists.
Castiel nods.

"Pretty much. But not everyone is strong enough to receive an angel, especially an Archangel or Lucifer. Dean and Sam are. You would be."

"What?" John blinks. "Why me?"

He's not so sure he likes that idea.

"Lucky you!" Dee snarks.

"The vessels have a special constitution, a heritage of long ago and it's rare and of variable intensity," Castiel looks back at him. "You're lucky Lucifer had to use so much energy keeping whole and was distracted by Sam, because you'd be an even better choice for him."

"Fuck," John breathes out. He then remembers how the blue light on McKay's pen shone bright for Dean when he had tried it, a while ago, although a bit less than for him. Curious, he pats his pants and finds it in a pocket. Could it be that the two are related? He nudges it against Dee's forearm, which makes her jump and swerve to the left with an outraged cry.

"Hey, what the fuck?" she says, glaring at him.

John grins. On the pen, the green light shines, but not the blue one.

"It's nothing. But you're officially not infected by the Croatoan virus, congratulations."

Dee looks at John with an expression that suggests she definitely challenges his sanity.

"Duh, you don't say. Well thank you, doctor," she says with an eye roll.

Turning towards the back, John twirls the pen in his fingers.

"Can I try something Cas? Give me your hand."

Without asking why, Castiel complies and when the pen touches his hand it glows blue so bright it seems white and totally drowns out the green one. Dee yelps again, distracted and John hurries to take it away and it shuts off.

"Okay, so there's something there, I'd say," John says taking a deep breath.

"Yes. This kind of technology reacts strongly to angels and to people who are descendants of those you might call the Ancestors, or the Ancients," Castiel says.

"Ancients were sort of angels?"

Castiel laughs at that.

"Oh no, definitely not. Humans of Earth were not the first... the first creatures with conscience created by our Father, only his latest and favorite project. Before, he created the Ancients who could aspire to a higher plane of existence if they worked enough on themselves. But they turned out to be a difficult bunch, arrogant and often immoral. They brought their own version of the apocalypse on themselves by creating the Wraith, then the remaining ones escaped and took refuge here on Earth for a while."

John winces.

"I guess Earth Humans disappointed too." Kids do that sometimes, John figures, thinking about his own father. "Those Ancients mixed with humans, here?"

"Yes, and their descendants can hold the conscience of angels. The closer to the Ancients they are, the better they are suited to be vessels," Castiel says.

So that means that he's got some sort of alien or inhumane ancestry, John thinks, a bit weirded out.

"And I'm close?" John asks.

Castiel tilts his head and considers him for a second.

"Yes. I thought the Winchesters were the strongest manifestation in generations, but you're even stronger. Something I haven't seen in centuries."

Centuries said as if it's years, and that's another thing that's hard to grasp.

"Is it considered rude to ask an angel how old he is?" Dee asks.

Castiel smiles.

"In my true form, time doesn't flow the same. But in human measure, it would be tens of thousands of years."

John whistles in surprise and Dee laughs.

"Well you have to give me the brand of your anti-aging cream," she says, winking at Castiel via the rear view mirror.

Bizarrely, Castiel's smile wavers, then. He has a big sigh.

"I'm afraid my days of eternal youth are gone, sorry."

Earlier, in the alley, Lucifer did mention something about Castiel using the last of his power.

"For what it's worth, I think what you did was awesome," John says, turning around in his seat to make sure he has eye contact. "You saved us all."

Cas shrugs, but there's a little smile playing at the corner of his lips again.

"You're just happy you got to see the wings," he teases.

Man, the wings. John shivers just thinking of them, and he decides he can file witnessing that into a religious experience. He grins at Castiel.

"Yep. You have no idea the things it made me want to do to you."

Okay so John maybe didn't want to say that last part out loud but he realizes he did when Dee laughs and Castiel gives him a goofy grin that makes his eyes crinkle. Sort of embarrassed, John turns around feeling the tip of his ears burn and notices that Dee is pulling off the road, following the Escalade into the parking lot of a little restaurant.

"And what, exactly, would you do to Castiel, John?" Dee asks with amusement and John opens his door to get out while the car is not entirely stopped, followed by their combined laughter. It attracts the attention of Dean, Sam and Bobby who are getting out of the SUV. Dean takes a good look at John, who's trying to look as unperturbed as possible, plastering on a smirk.

"Are you blushing, Sheppard?" Dean asks, with a little smile of his own.

Of course, John won't get a break, not right now.

"He just admitted having impure thoughts towards an angel," Dee ribs as she closes her door.

"Wing fetish," Castiel adds, tongue in cheek and that's it, John knows he's beet red. He puts on his aviators, grumbling.

"Thanks a lot, guys."

Sam seems to think it's funny, Bobby all but roll his eyes out of his skull as he settles in his wheelchair and Dean eyebrows raise up to his hairline.

"Is that so?" Dean asks, but there's a slight edge, there, if John's not imagining things. He'd like to think that it's because Dean doesn't like the idea of John having impure thoughts about anyone but him, but the way Dean glances at Castiel puts it in a different perspective. He doesn't like the idea of people having impure thoughts about Castiel.

"I never said anything of the sort, perverts," John says, turning towards the diner and he hopes that the food will at least be edible. No he's not fleeing.

The place looks decent enough, although what's on the plates all seems to be a variation of eggs and toast. John can live with that, no problem, but he goes to the bathroom first, hoping to get his composure back. He lost the manual of how to react when he's being teased, of feeling any kind of camaraderie and it rattles him more than he thought it would. At the same time, there's a deep feeling in his gut that he's totally in over his head with all of this literal Apocalypse business. John's not sure he wants to be dealing with the Devil and demons, no matter how cool angels are. Croats are to be put down to save the uninfected, but this is saving humanity from damnation big. John's not sure he's strong enough, that he's righteous enough to fight that war.

John's still musing about his place in the big scheme of things when he gets out of the bathroom and sees a man at the payphone. As usual, when faced with a phone, John thinks of McKay, and this time he has a thought for Anna, too, who if she's on another planet maybe will avoid it all. At least he saved her, even if he let her parents die. A hand on his forearm makes John startle and it's Castiel, looking at him with compassion.

"Hey. I can't see anymore..." He gestures towards John's head, indicating that his mind reading is gone. "But I know you used to think about it, if you should follow Doctor McKay."

"Should I?" John asks, and maybe it would be easier if someone would make the decision for him.

Castiel bites his lip, thinks about it.

"You're a fighter, John. A soldier. No matter where you choose to go, you'll help. Dean needs men like you, but McKay does too. The Wraiths are a formidable foe, and if they'd find Earth it would be as bad as Lucifer. On the other hand, if Lucifer destroys Earth, there's nothing left to protect from the Wraith."

True, but wow, way to make it look like the future of humanity is resting, in part, on his shoulders. John's not sure he likes it, strength of character once alluded to by McKay notwithstanding.

"Who's protecting the people from where the Wraiths are from?" John says, leaning on the wall. Life sucking space vampires surely feed in one way or another.

He's hit a nerve there, because Castiel sighs.

"They are predators, but still living creatures. We never got orders to get rid of them. The focus has been put on Earth for a while now."

"No one, then," John says, shaking his head. Seems pretty unfair. "When McKay says he needs people like me and others who can make the blue light shine, it has to do with the Ancients?"

"Yes. Maybe they found the Flying City," Castiel agrees. At John's raised eyebrow he precises. "Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Rodney did mention way back then that he was usually on Atlantis in Pegasus, tried to convince John to go there himself the time with Anna. "What's that?"

The smile Castiel has is wistful.

"It's a beautiful city, built by the Ancients and their greatest achievement," he pats John on the arm before going to their table. "She would sing for you."

John's left in the little hallway, with thoughts of cities that fly and fighting either demons or space vampires. Frankly, one doesn't seem better than the other, or less worthy. The man left the phone minutes ago and John fishes a couple of quarters from his pocket, decides it can't hurt to call. He's got barely time to think of what he's going to say when the line is picked up, after only a ring.

"Yes, what?" McKay says, as gracious as ever and it makes John relax instantly, that there are constants in life. He smiles.

"Hey Rodney," John drawls on purpose, knowing how it riles McKay up. "Wassup?"

***

Chapter 7

Master Fic Post