Part 3, Chapter 4
Chapter 4
On the Road
"Hey, guys."
Sam jumped, and slammed the laptop shut, guiltily.
Gabriel, half-carrying Judas, smirked at them. "I look good on camera, don't I?"
"I liked your mustache," Dean said. "You should wear it all the time."
"It was impressive, wasn't it?" Gabriel answered.
"You said you were dead," Sam interrupted.
"Buzzkill," Gabriel muttered. "Yeah, I kinda jumped the gun a bit there," he continued at a normal volume, then set Judas down to lean against one of the tires. "Lucky for me, Judas here is a self-destructive dumbass."
"Lucky for all of us," Sam said. "If you're still around--"
"Yeah, me killing Lucifer is still probably off the table, sorry," the Archangel interrupted, fiddling absently with a small hole in his shirt--one that Sam, at least, was fairly sure hadn't been there back at the hotel. "Look, I barely got away alive when he didn't know I was coming for him. Didn't even come close to laying a finger on him."
"So...what?" Dean asked. "After all that, you're bowing out?"
"Oh, I didn't say that," Gabriel said. "Just that I'm probably not gonna get close to him again. Not now that he knows whose side I'm on. So the rings--you got that far? Good--the rings are still your best option. We'll call me Plan B."
"Plan C."
Gabriel paused, smiled a little, then shook his head. "Go back to sleep, Judas."
"Plan C, Abba," Judas insisted, pushing himself up. "I'm Plan B."
"No. Hell no."
"Um, are we missing someth--?" Sam started, then Gabriel waved a hand and his voice gave out.
"Peanut gallery can shove it," Gabriel said. "Judas--"
"He was going to kill you, Abba! What was I supposed to do?"
"Not get yourself stabbed, for one thing," he shot back.
"I can't die, remember?" Judas replied. "And it's hard to kill you, Abba, yes, but not impossible."
"I had a plan!"
Judas glared up at him. "Yes, and it was a wonderful one until he saw right through it! He found the real you, Abba!"
"Yeah, I know, I was kind of there. My own freaking brother tried to stab me, I'm not gonna forget that in a hurry!"
"Abba--"
"What if he'd captured you again?" Gabriel asked.
"If it meant keeping you alive? I'd have borne it," Judas shot back. "I would have hated it, but I would have borne it, whatever he threw at me."
Gabriel laughed a little, trying to force a subject change. "Judas, you need to stop freaking punishing yourself."
"You think that's what this is about?" he said, refusing to play along. "Abba, it's--he could have killed you. He almost did. Do you have any idea what--" He glanced over at Sam and Dean, as if suddenly remembering he and Gabriel had an audience, then cut himself off. "I don't regret it. And you can't talk me into regretting it. Or going into hiding. I'm involved now, whether you like it or not, and I will see this through, as far as I can, and you can't stop me." He folded his arms, glaring right into the Archangel's eyes.
Sam and Dean looked at each other, than at Judas and Gabriel, then back to each other.
Okay, what the hell? Dean mouthed.
Sam shook his head, eyes wide. No idea, man. Your guess is as good as mine.
Gabriel stared back at Judas for a long moment, and blinked first. "Fine." He snapped his fingers, and Sam and Dean got their voices back. "The self-destructive dumbass is Plan B. He can sub in for the rings, if we can't get them all."
For a moment, no one said anything. Dean looked like he still wasn't quite sure how he should react to what they'd just seen, but there was something about the way the Weapon and the Archangel were still not-quite-glaring at each other that stuck out to Sam, reminding him of something Dean had said, months ago, when they'd first outed Gabriel.
And Judas had warned them, right when they'd first met, that screwing with him meant pissing off a heavyweight. And he'd told them he'd been sired by an angel, back in Carthage. And Gabriel had broken out of his sulky neutrality to rescue him. And Judas had, after running away from Bobby's house, put himself on the line again to return the favor.
Suddenly, the whole thing made perfect sense.
"Wait a minute, you're his father?" Sam finally blurted out.
Dean blinked, and Sam could see the exact moment when his brother put the pieces together.
"...you just figured that out?" Gabriel said, incredulous.
"Abba..." Judas said.
"How does that even--nevermind," Dean said. "Guess that explains why you tapped us to rescue him."
"No shit," Gabriel snapped. "I thought you two were smart, I figured you would put it together no matter how hard I tried to--you know what, forget it. Screw you." He disappeared.
The three of them left behind stood in silence for another moment, then Judas shook his head again and muttered something probably not very complimentary under his breath in Aramaic.
"...well, he looked happy," Dean said.
"I thought he was going to help us now," Sam said, glancing over at Judas for confirmation.
He shook his head. "Don't worry, he is. He'll be back. He doesn't usually stay angry with me for long."
"Seemed like he was angry at all of us," Sam said.
He shook his head again. "Not really. Well, I mean, he is, a little. Or, at least, I'm pretty sure he's pissed at my uncles, and himself, and maybe you...really, the world in general, I think. But mostly just me."
"I guess you would know."
"We have been in touch at least once a week for two thousand years." He sighed. "He just...he's pissed that I got involved, and he couldn't protect me. Especially since I think he thinks I was trying to..." He trailed off, one hand drifting up to the scar on his neck.
Sam shifted awkwardly. "Were you?" he asked. If Judas was still trying to...well, they needed to know, before he did something stupidly reckless.
...something else stupidly reckless. Getting between Lucifer and Gabriel didn't exactly indicate a strong sense of self-preservation. And given that there had been that new hole in Gabriel's shirt, too, the blade must have gone all the way through Judas and at least wounded the Archangel, even if it didn't kill him.
Sam could see why Gabriel had been so upset, especially with his son's history.
But Judas just smiled faintly, and shook his head. "Not this time, no. I just...I couldn't let him die."
"It was really that close?" Dean asked.
Judas eyed the bloodstain on his shirt, and nodded. "It was really that close."
"Well, um, thanks," Dean said.
Judas glared at him. "I didn't do it for you. Or for your campaign. I did it because I couldn't watch him die. I'm glad he finally got off the bench, especially to join your camp. Believe me, I am. But that's not why I got between them."
"I know that," Dean said.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just...I don't like it when he's angry with me."
The three of them stood there awkwardly for a minute, then Sam cleared his throat and asked, "So, um, should we wait here, or...?"
Judas shook his head. "Not worth it. He might sulk for days. I don't think he'll hold out that long, not with this much at stake, but..."
"So we should move on, and hope he finds us eventually."
He nodded. "He'll probably dreamwalk someone and get a location that way when he's ready."
"Might as well head back to Bobby's, then," Dean said. "Figure out how to find Pestilence and Death."
Judas blinked. "You already have the other rings?" He sounded impressed.
Dean nodded. "War we've had for ages. Famine's...more recent."
Judas glanced from one of them to the other, and apparently read something about that utter disaster on their faces. "Sounds like I should be glad I missed that one."
Sam nodded. "Yeah. Definitely." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing back the memories of how it had felt, drinking demon blood again.
And how it had felt after, strapped down alone in the panic room.
Judas nodded and fortunately didn't ask for details. He wobbled a little and caught himself on the Impala's trunk. "Whoa..."
"You okay?" Sam said, as much grateful for the distraction as actually concerned.
"Just dizzy. It's been a long couple of days."
"Yeah, no kidding," Dean said.
"I might pass out again once I sit down," Judas warned.
"Just don't drool on the upholstery, and we're good," Dean said.
"Hey," Sam said, "we still have a coin of yours, back at Bobby's. You want it back, or...?"
Judas considered for a minute, then shook his head. "You should probably hold on to it until this is over," he said. "In case I need rescue again."
"Okay."
"We should get going," Dean said. "We've still got some daylight left."
"Yeah," Sam agreed, and helped Judas get into the car without falling down.
Moments later, they were on the road.
Previous: Part 3, Chapter 3 Next: Part 3, Chapter 5
On the Road
"Hey, guys."
Sam jumped, and slammed the laptop shut, guiltily.
Gabriel, half-carrying Judas, smirked at them. "I look good on camera, don't I?"
"I liked your mustache," Dean said. "You should wear it all the time."
"It was impressive, wasn't it?" Gabriel answered.
"You said you were dead," Sam interrupted.
"Buzzkill," Gabriel muttered. "Yeah, I kinda jumped the gun a bit there," he continued at a normal volume, then set Judas down to lean against one of the tires. "Lucky for me, Judas here is a self-destructive dumbass."
"Lucky for all of us," Sam said. "If you're still around--"
"Yeah, me killing Lucifer is still probably off the table, sorry," the Archangel interrupted, fiddling absently with a small hole in his shirt--one that Sam, at least, was fairly sure hadn't been there back at the hotel. "Look, I barely got away alive when he didn't know I was coming for him. Didn't even come close to laying a finger on him."
"So...what?" Dean asked. "After all that, you're bowing out?"
"Oh, I didn't say that," Gabriel said. "Just that I'm probably not gonna get close to him again. Not now that he knows whose side I'm on. So the rings--you got that far? Good--the rings are still your best option. We'll call me Plan B."
"Plan C."
Gabriel paused, smiled a little, then shook his head. "Go back to sleep, Judas."
"Plan C, Abba," Judas insisted, pushing himself up. "I'm Plan B."
"No. Hell no."
"Um, are we missing someth--?" Sam started, then Gabriel waved a hand and his voice gave out.
"Peanut gallery can shove it," Gabriel said. "Judas--"
"He was going to kill you, Abba! What was I supposed to do?"
"Not get yourself stabbed, for one thing," he shot back.
"I can't die, remember?" Judas replied. "And it's hard to kill you, Abba, yes, but not impossible."
"I had a plan!"
Judas glared up at him. "Yes, and it was a wonderful one until he saw right through it! He found the real you, Abba!"
"Yeah, I know, I was kind of there. My own freaking brother tried to stab me, I'm not gonna forget that in a hurry!"
"Abba--"
"What if he'd captured you again?" Gabriel asked.
"If it meant keeping you alive? I'd have borne it," Judas shot back. "I would have hated it, but I would have borne it, whatever he threw at me."
Gabriel laughed a little, trying to force a subject change. "Judas, you need to stop freaking punishing yourself."
"You think that's what this is about?" he said, refusing to play along. "Abba, it's--he could have killed you. He almost did. Do you have any idea what--" He glanced over at Sam and Dean, as if suddenly remembering he and Gabriel had an audience, then cut himself off. "I don't regret it. And you can't talk me into regretting it. Or going into hiding. I'm involved now, whether you like it or not, and I will see this through, as far as I can, and you can't stop me." He folded his arms, glaring right into the Archangel's eyes.
Sam and Dean looked at each other, than at Judas and Gabriel, then back to each other.
Okay, what the hell? Dean mouthed.
Sam shook his head, eyes wide. No idea, man. Your guess is as good as mine.
Gabriel stared back at Judas for a long moment, and blinked first. "Fine." He snapped his fingers, and Sam and Dean got their voices back. "The self-destructive dumbass is Plan B. He can sub in for the rings, if we can't get them all."
For a moment, no one said anything. Dean looked like he still wasn't quite sure how he should react to what they'd just seen, but there was something about the way the Weapon and the Archangel were still not-quite-glaring at each other that stuck out to Sam, reminding him of something Dean had said, months ago, when they'd first outed Gabriel.
And Judas had warned them, right when they'd first met, that screwing with him meant pissing off a heavyweight. And he'd told them he'd been sired by an angel, back in Carthage. And Gabriel had broken out of his sulky neutrality to rescue him. And Judas had, after running away from Bobby's house, put himself on the line again to return the favor.
Suddenly, the whole thing made perfect sense.
"Wait a minute, you're his father?" Sam finally blurted out.
Dean blinked, and Sam could see the exact moment when his brother put the pieces together.
"...you just figured that out?" Gabriel said, incredulous.
"Abba..." Judas said.
"How does that even--nevermind," Dean said. "Guess that explains why you tapped us to rescue him."
"No shit," Gabriel snapped. "I thought you two were smart, I figured you would put it together no matter how hard I tried to--you know what, forget it. Screw you." He disappeared.
The three of them left behind stood in silence for another moment, then Judas shook his head again and muttered something probably not very complimentary under his breath in Aramaic.
"...well, he looked happy," Dean said.
"I thought he was going to help us now," Sam said, glancing over at Judas for confirmation.
He shook his head. "Don't worry, he is. He'll be back. He doesn't usually stay angry with me for long."
"Seemed like he was angry at all of us," Sam said.
He shook his head again. "Not really. Well, I mean, he is, a little. Or, at least, I'm pretty sure he's pissed at my uncles, and himself, and maybe you...really, the world in general, I think. But mostly just me."
"I guess you would know."
"We have been in touch at least once a week for two thousand years." He sighed. "He just...he's pissed that I got involved, and he couldn't protect me. Especially since I think he thinks I was trying to..." He trailed off, one hand drifting up to the scar on his neck.
Sam shifted awkwardly. "Were you?" he asked. If Judas was still trying to...well, they needed to know, before he did something stupidly reckless.
...something else stupidly reckless. Getting between Lucifer and Gabriel didn't exactly indicate a strong sense of self-preservation. And given that there had been that new hole in Gabriel's shirt, too, the blade must have gone all the way through Judas and at least wounded the Archangel, even if it didn't kill him.
Sam could see why Gabriel had been so upset, especially with his son's history.
But Judas just smiled faintly, and shook his head. "Not this time, no. I just...I couldn't let him die."
"It was really that close?" Dean asked.
Judas eyed the bloodstain on his shirt, and nodded. "It was really that close."
"Well, um, thanks," Dean said.
Judas glared at him. "I didn't do it for you. Or for your campaign. I did it because I couldn't watch him die. I'm glad he finally got off the bench, especially to join your camp. Believe me, I am. But that's not why I got between them."
"I know that," Dean said.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just...I don't like it when he's angry with me."
The three of them stood there awkwardly for a minute, then Sam cleared his throat and asked, "So, um, should we wait here, or...?"
Judas shook his head. "Not worth it. He might sulk for days. I don't think he'll hold out that long, not with this much at stake, but..."
"So we should move on, and hope he finds us eventually."
He nodded. "He'll probably dreamwalk someone and get a location that way when he's ready."
"Might as well head back to Bobby's, then," Dean said. "Figure out how to find Pestilence and Death."
Judas blinked. "You already have the other rings?" He sounded impressed.
Dean nodded. "War we've had for ages. Famine's...more recent."
Judas glanced from one of them to the other, and apparently read something about that utter disaster on their faces. "Sounds like I should be glad I missed that one."
Sam nodded. "Yeah. Definitely." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing back the memories of how it had felt, drinking demon blood again.
And how it had felt after, strapped down alone in the panic room.
Judas nodded and fortunately didn't ask for details. He wobbled a little and caught himself on the Impala's trunk. "Whoa..."
"You okay?" Sam said, as much grateful for the distraction as actually concerned.
"Just dizzy. It's been a long couple of days."
"Yeah, no kidding," Dean said.
"I might pass out again once I sit down," Judas warned.
"Just don't drool on the upholstery, and we're good," Dean said.
"Hey," Sam said, "we still have a coin of yours, back at Bobby's. You want it back, or...?"
Judas considered for a minute, then shook his head. "You should probably hold on to it until this is over," he said. "In case I need rescue again."
"Okay."
"We should get going," Dean said. "We've still got some daylight left."
"Yeah," Sam agreed, and helped Judas get into the car without falling down.
Moments later, they were on the road.
Previous: Part 3, Chapter 3 Next: Part 3, Chapter 5