Fic: Uncharted Territories (8/14) (SPN, Gen)
Chapter Eight: The Most Dangerous Thing
Chapter Word Count: 2,793
Total Fic Word Count: 16,905/?
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six || Chapter Seven ||
The next morning, the small group of hunters and angels gathered in the untouched room that Lee had paid for when she had arrived the previous day; it was rather crowded with ten people in the small room, but they all managed to squeeze in regardless. Once everyone had arrived-- Sasha still munching on a chocolate-glazed donut she'd gotten at the diner --Becky looked around at the assembled group and then smiled.
“Okay, so, did everyone read through the stuff I gave you last night?” she asked. Her face fell when she saw the general blank looks shared amongst the group. “Aw, come on, guys, I gave those to you for a reason!”
“I looked through it, but it didn't say anything about what happens after we first met in the diner,” Sam said. “Sorry, Becky.”
Becky sighed dramatically, sitting down in one of the few free chairs available. “That's okay,” she said, waving a hand in an idle gesture. “It was to provide backstory more than anything, I guess.”
“You said you had six of those things, though,” Sam continued on. “What happened to them?”
Becky grimaced. “Um, I was only able to get the first two opened?” she said. “The others were password-protected. It was kinda weird, actually; they needed answers to questions I didn't know. I guess we'll find out what they are as we go along.”
“Is anyone going to explain what's going on?” Sasha asked dryly. “You know, fill the rest of us in and everything?”
“Her ex-boyfriend is a prophet,” Sam explained succinctly. “It's kind of a long story, but he chronicles what happens to my brother and me. We haven't heard anything from him in a while, actually.” He turned to Becky once more. “Did Chuck say why he sent those manuscripts to you? Knowing him, he'd probably be able to see our phone numbers if he needed to contact Dean or me.”
Becky shrugged. “Nope,” she said. “He just said they might help in the long run. He sent them via e-mail, so all I've got is an e-mail address and six word documents, four of which I can't actually open yet.”
“Well, now that that's cleared up, can you explain why we've got two angels here?” Quentin asked, pointing at Inias and Lee, who were standing next to Garth and Missouri. “Or at least, two beings who say that they're angels?”
“Oh, they're angels all right,” Missouri said. “Trust me on this one.”
“How would you know?”
“Because I'm not goin' to lie about people who've offered to help us, that's why.”
Lee sighed and then stepped away from the wall she had been leaning against. “Would it help if I could prove it?” she asked.
“Well, then, I'd have to change my tune, now wouldn't I?” Quentin countered, crossing his arms over his chest. Lee shrugged, only the rolling motion didn't stop at her shoulders. There was the sudden rumble of thunder overhead, and the lights flickered and dimmed as the shadows of two elegant wings unfurled against the nearest wall, stretching at least fifteen feet wide, if not larger. At that moment, Sam thought Lee looked sharp and dangerous, not at all like the affable and easy-going woman he'd gotten to know over the past eighteen hours. The shadows faded as the lights returned to normal, and silence reigned as the hunters who had never encountered an angel before stared at Lee in shock.
Lee stifled her urge to roll her eyes and looked at Quentin, one eyebrow arched. “Now do you believe me?”
Quentin nodded mutely; Lee smiled tersely at him before turning her attention to Becky.
“So, now what?” she inquired. “Now that you've got what's probably the largest concentration of hunters in North America at the moment, what's the plan from here?”
Becky shrugged. “I don't know. I mean, I'm not exactly a hunter; I only followed the directions Chuck gave me.”
“True,” Sam said, looking thoughtful, “but you did manage to get all of us here. Given that most hunters tend to work alone on most things, getting six of us together in one place voluntarily is a pretty big achievement. Someone with that ability is really useful, and with Bobby--” He paused and then shook his head. “Well, with Bobby gone, we're going to need someone to step into his role.”
“Wait, Singer's dead?” Jake asked, looking startled. “When? How?”
“About a month ago, and Leviathans,” Jody said, speaking up for the first time. “Sam's right, though; we need to organize ourselves, especially since we've got a common enemy in the Leviathans. Now, I'm not saying you need to stop hunting the other evils that have decided to make this world their home, but the Leviathans are the main problem at the moment.”
“Agreed,” Garth said. “We need someone to be our official contact for our covers, and maybe some sort of database for all the lore we've come across over the years. Having a way to track Levis would be useful, too, not to mention a place to crash or meet up if necessary, since the Roadhouse isn't around and Bobby's out of the picture.”
Becky pondered this for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, I could do that,” she said after a moment. “I don't know if I have enough space for people to stay over in my apartment, though. It's not very big.”
Lee shifted a little in place at Becky's words, enough for one of her shoulders to brush against her brother's. Inias glanced over at her while the others began throwing out different possibilities of places that might work and totally ignoring the two angels in the process.
“Something wrong, sister?” he asked in murmured Enochian. Lee shrugged half-heartedly, trying to make the motion look like she was simply adjusting her coat.
“No,” she replied quietly in the same language, “not at all.”
“Really? Then why are you fidgeting so much? You always were a terrible liar, Alinarael,” Inias said with fond amusement. Lee sighed softly.
“Oh, very well. I might have somewhere in Nebraska that they can go to if needed.”
“So why not offer them the use of it if it's already prepared?”
“Because it's my sanctuary and home, Inias,” Lee said shortly. “It has been for the past one hundred and fifty years; before that, my charges lived in Europe. None of them have ever been in one of my homes before, not even Becky.”
“Maybe it's time, then,” Inias suggested softly. “If it helps them survive longer, so much the better for everyone involved.”
Lee frowned at this but then let out a slow stream of air. “Fine, but you're helping me move this lot there if they don't want to drive,” she told him, and then turned to the others, who were still talking. She cleared her throat and, once she'd managed to get most everyone's attention, spoke to them in English.
“I've got a place you can use if you like,” she announced. “It's in Nebraska, so relatively close by. I've got about twenty acres of land that are as well-warded as I can make them without it being obvious to others. You're welcome to use it as a central base if you want; it's wired for wi-fi and satellite, so you've got the internet and all that.”
“Cool!” Becky enthused. “Can we go there now?”
“I'll give you the address if you want to drive there yourselves, but Inias and I are willing to transport you, your vehicles, and your belongings there ourselves if you'd prefer.”
“No offense, but I'd rather drive,” Quentin said.
“Same here,” Jake chimed in. There was a general consensus amongst the others that they felt more comfortable driving to the farm themselves, though Sam and Becky were willing to take the angels up on their offer; Sam mostly didn't want any further harm to come to the Impala, and Becky-- well, Becky wasn't one to pass up something she hastily dubbed 'totally epic'. Once Lee had given out the address to the farm, those not traveling via angelic flight filed out of the motel room, with Missouri surprising both angels by giving them quick hugs before she left.
Sam and Becky got their belongings packed up quickly and then put into their respective cars before Inias and Lee joined them in the parking lot. Lee noticed Sam's melancholy glance at the Impala's heavily dented front end and looked at him, her head tilting to one side in brief curiosity.
“We can fix that for you when we get to the house,” she told the tall hunter, who gave her a surprised look.
“You've got parts for the car?” Sam asked, surprised. Lee shook her head.
“No,” she replied, setting one hand on the Impala's hood, “but from what I can tell, it's mainly cosmetic damage, something that will be easy enough to fix once we're away from prying eyes.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, I'm ready to go whenever you are.” Sam looked over at Becky. “What about you?”
“Yep!”
“Good,” Inias said, putting one hand on Becky's car and laying the other on the young woman's shoulder. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Lee reached out and pressed two fingers against Sam's forehead. With a rush of wings, the two angels transported the humans and their vehicles to the farm that had served as Lee's home for the past century and a half. They landed in the middle of a large dirt yard, the mid-morning sun shining down on them. A rambling two-story farmhouse stood in front of them; it was painted a dusty blue with neat white trim. Several outbuildings, including a large barn painted the traditional red-and-white, ringed the yard. A large chicken coop stood next to the barn, and several chickens were scratching around the yard, pecking here and there at the dirt in an effort to find bugs to eat.
Sam looked around, noticing that the cars weren't anywhere to be seen. He frowned, not wanting to lose the Impala. No matter where Dean was, Sam was sure as hell that, when the elder Winchester returned, he'd want his Baby around, even if she wasn't working. He could always fix her if it came to that. Becky caught Sam's look of confusion and tapped Inias on the hand where he was still holding on to her shoulder.
“Where are our cars?” she asked. Inias shrugged as he removed his hand from Becky's shoulder and then looked at Lee.
“Alinarael?”
“Hmm? Oh, they're in that building,” Lee replied, pointing at a squat building to the right of the barn. “Your belongings are in two of the bedrooms on the second floor.” She frowned slightly as she suddenly stared off into the distance, her gaze going unfocused. “I'll be right back; something's up with the wards,” she told them, and then disappeared into thin air with a rush of feathers. Sam and Becky looked at Inias, who shrugged.
“I don't sense anything wrong,” he said, “but Alinarael is far more attuned to the wards of this place than I ever will be. Why don't we go inside while she figures out what's going on?”
Becky grinned widely and then hurried into the house, scattering a few bantams as she went. Inias and Sam followed after her at a more sedate pace, skirting around the chickens; several of the hens eyed the two of them warily before turning back to their pecking. The inside of the house was decorated very simply, with warm colors primarily dominating in the rooms on the main floor. Knickknacks from around the world were displayed in elegantly hand-carved curio cabinets scattered around the various rooms in the main level.
There was an open-plan kitchen/dining room towards the back of the house; the kitchen had dark granite counter tops, a large gas stove in an isolated counter island in the center of the room, and stained oak cabinetry. An oval dining table with enough space to fit ten people comfortably around it was the centerpiece of the dining area; the wood that peeked out from under a pristine white tablecloth matched the cabinetry.
Lee returned as Inias was investigating the moderately sized library, manifesting in the center of the room-- Sam had gone upstairs to check out his bedroom and to see what Becky was doing --and looking mildly annoyed. Inias turned his attention from the first edition of Great Expectations he'd been examining when Lee appeared, setting the book carefully back in its place.
“Is everything all right?” he asked. Lee nodded absently.
“Yeah,” she replied, idly running a hand through her hair. “I needed to restrengthen some of the runes on the northwest ward-stone. It was about time to do it anyways, I just wasn't expecting to have to do it with guests around.”
“Don't worry about it,” Inias said. “Sam and Becky are upstairs. How long do you think it will take for the others to get here?”
“Somewhere around five hours or so if they drive straight, more with rest stops. They should get here just in time for an early dinner. I'll have to go out to get food, though, since I don't usually keep fresh supplies around, and--”
Lee broke off when Becky hurried into the library, a broad grin on her face. The blonde hugged her friend tightly.
“Your house is awesome, Lee!” Becky enthused. Lee carefully returned Becky's hug, habitually reining in her preternatural strength so she wouldn't harm her friend.
“Thanks, Beck,” Lee replied, releasing Becky with a small smile. “I'm glad you like it. It can be your home as well if you want; I know you've been talking about moving from your apartment for a while now.”
Becky blinked and then looked like she was about to burst into tears. “Really?” she breathed, her eyes bright.
“Yeah,” Lee said with a slight shrug. “I mean, it's just me here, and if we're going to be using this as a base, it'd make more sense to have you permanently here rather than moving back and forth. Besides, if I'm going to be off on hunts-- and ten to one, I probably will --I'll need someone to look after everything here. I'd rather it be someone I know than someone I've just met.”
“I'd love to,” Becky said, her smile returning in megawatt force. “I'll have to talk with my landlord, but I think he'll be okay with me moving out relatively soon.”
“Then it's settled,” Lee said firmly. “Good. Okay, so, let's figure out where we can put the phone lines. Come on; you're the one who's going to be using it the most, so you get to choose.”
Lee and Becky left the library, Inias staying behind to peruse the books some more. The two women chatted as they walked, laughter following after them. Inias settled in a chair with a book, content in waiting until he was needed. That was a life of a soldier, after all: short periods of intense battle followed by long periods of waiting. And Inias? Well, he was very good at waiting. It was a necessary skill to have when one was an angel of the Lord.
The rest of the group showed up in fits and starts over the next five hours, with Garth arriving last. Becky was helping Lee and Sam finish up the large batch of spaghetti and meat sauce that would serve as that night's dinner; Sam was just pulling out the last loaf of garlic bread when Garth took his seat at the table, dropping into a chair between Missouri and Quentin. Sam took one of the free seats after putting the bread on a tray, while Becky set a large bowl of spaghetti down in the center of the table. Lee put the spaghetti sauce down on a hot pad and then sat down in the last empty chair.
Sam looked around at the gathered hunters and couldn't help but smile to himself. An almost foreign feeling began to grow in his chest at the sight; it was hope, he realized after a moment. And hope-- well, hope was one of the most dangerous things a human being could possess, especially in a fight against the forces of darkness. Sam sat back and let the quiet chatter of his companions wash over him, finally feeling like the world was getting back on the right track.
Chapter Word Count: 2,793
Total Fic Word Count: 16,905/?
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six || Chapter Seven ||
The next morning, the small group of hunters and angels gathered in the untouched room that Lee had paid for when she had arrived the previous day; it was rather crowded with ten people in the small room, but they all managed to squeeze in regardless. Once everyone had arrived-- Sasha still munching on a chocolate-glazed donut she'd gotten at the diner --Becky looked around at the assembled group and then smiled.
“Okay, so, did everyone read through the stuff I gave you last night?” she asked. Her face fell when she saw the general blank looks shared amongst the group. “Aw, come on, guys, I gave those to you for a reason!”
“I looked through it, but it didn't say anything about what happens after we first met in the diner,” Sam said. “Sorry, Becky.”
Becky sighed dramatically, sitting down in one of the few free chairs available. “That's okay,” she said, waving a hand in an idle gesture. “It was to provide backstory more than anything, I guess.”
“You said you had six of those things, though,” Sam continued on. “What happened to them?”
Becky grimaced. “Um, I was only able to get the first two opened?” she said. “The others were password-protected. It was kinda weird, actually; they needed answers to questions I didn't know. I guess we'll find out what they are as we go along.”
“Is anyone going to explain what's going on?” Sasha asked dryly. “You know, fill the rest of us in and everything?”
“Her ex-boyfriend is a prophet,” Sam explained succinctly. “It's kind of a long story, but he chronicles what happens to my brother and me. We haven't heard anything from him in a while, actually.” He turned to Becky once more. “Did Chuck say why he sent those manuscripts to you? Knowing him, he'd probably be able to see our phone numbers if he needed to contact Dean or me.”
Becky shrugged. “Nope,” she said. “He just said they might help in the long run. He sent them via e-mail, so all I've got is an e-mail address and six word documents, four of which I can't actually open yet.”
“Well, now that that's cleared up, can you explain why we've got two angels here?” Quentin asked, pointing at Inias and Lee, who were standing next to Garth and Missouri. “Or at least, two beings who say that they're angels?”
“Oh, they're angels all right,” Missouri said. “Trust me on this one.”
“How would you know?”
“Because I'm not goin' to lie about people who've offered to help us, that's why.”
Lee sighed and then stepped away from the wall she had been leaning against. “Would it help if I could prove it?” she asked.
“Well, then, I'd have to change my tune, now wouldn't I?” Quentin countered, crossing his arms over his chest. Lee shrugged, only the rolling motion didn't stop at her shoulders. There was the sudden rumble of thunder overhead, and the lights flickered and dimmed as the shadows of two elegant wings unfurled against the nearest wall, stretching at least fifteen feet wide, if not larger. At that moment, Sam thought Lee looked sharp and dangerous, not at all like the affable and easy-going woman he'd gotten to know over the past eighteen hours. The shadows faded as the lights returned to normal, and silence reigned as the hunters who had never encountered an angel before stared at Lee in shock.
Lee stifled her urge to roll her eyes and looked at Quentin, one eyebrow arched. “Now do you believe me?”
Quentin nodded mutely; Lee smiled tersely at him before turning her attention to Becky.
“So, now what?” she inquired. “Now that you've got what's probably the largest concentration of hunters in North America at the moment, what's the plan from here?”
Becky shrugged. “I don't know. I mean, I'm not exactly a hunter; I only followed the directions Chuck gave me.”
“True,” Sam said, looking thoughtful, “but you did manage to get all of us here. Given that most hunters tend to work alone on most things, getting six of us together in one place voluntarily is a pretty big achievement. Someone with that ability is really useful, and with Bobby--” He paused and then shook his head. “Well, with Bobby gone, we're going to need someone to step into his role.”
“Wait, Singer's dead?” Jake asked, looking startled. “When? How?”
“About a month ago, and Leviathans,” Jody said, speaking up for the first time. “Sam's right, though; we need to organize ourselves, especially since we've got a common enemy in the Leviathans. Now, I'm not saying you need to stop hunting the other evils that have decided to make this world their home, but the Leviathans are the main problem at the moment.”
“Agreed,” Garth said. “We need someone to be our official contact for our covers, and maybe some sort of database for all the lore we've come across over the years. Having a way to track Levis would be useful, too, not to mention a place to crash or meet up if necessary, since the Roadhouse isn't around and Bobby's out of the picture.”
Becky pondered this for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, I could do that,” she said after a moment. “I don't know if I have enough space for people to stay over in my apartment, though. It's not very big.”
Lee shifted a little in place at Becky's words, enough for one of her shoulders to brush against her brother's. Inias glanced over at her while the others began throwing out different possibilities of places that might work and totally ignoring the two angels in the process.
“Something wrong, sister?” he asked in murmured Enochian. Lee shrugged half-heartedly, trying to make the motion look like she was simply adjusting her coat.
“No,” she replied quietly in the same language, “not at all.”
“Really? Then why are you fidgeting so much? You always were a terrible liar, Alinarael,” Inias said with fond amusement. Lee sighed softly.
“Oh, very well. I might have somewhere in Nebraska that they can go to if needed.”
“So why not offer them the use of it if it's already prepared?”
“Because it's my sanctuary and home, Inias,” Lee said shortly. “It has been for the past one hundred and fifty years; before that, my charges lived in Europe. None of them have ever been in one of my homes before, not even Becky.”
“Maybe it's time, then,” Inias suggested softly. “If it helps them survive longer, so much the better for everyone involved.”
Lee frowned at this but then let out a slow stream of air. “Fine, but you're helping me move this lot there if they don't want to drive,” she told him, and then turned to the others, who were still talking. She cleared her throat and, once she'd managed to get most everyone's attention, spoke to them in English.
“I've got a place you can use if you like,” she announced. “It's in Nebraska, so relatively close by. I've got about twenty acres of land that are as well-warded as I can make them without it being obvious to others. You're welcome to use it as a central base if you want; it's wired for wi-fi and satellite, so you've got the internet and all that.”
“Cool!” Becky enthused. “Can we go there now?”
“I'll give you the address if you want to drive there yourselves, but Inias and I are willing to transport you, your vehicles, and your belongings there ourselves if you'd prefer.”
“No offense, but I'd rather drive,” Quentin said.
“Same here,” Jake chimed in. There was a general consensus amongst the others that they felt more comfortable driving to the farm themselves, though Sam and Becky were willing to take the angels up on their offer; Sam mostly didn't want any further harm to come to the Impala, and Becky-- well, Becky wasn't one to pass up something she hastily dubbed 'totally epic'. Once Lee had given out the address to the farm, those not traveling via angelic flight filed out of the motel room, with Missouri surprising both angels by giving them quick hugs before she left.
Sam and Becky got their belongings packed up quickly and then put into their respective cars before Inias and Lee joined them in the parking lot. Lee noticed Sam's melancholy glance at the Impala's heavily dented front end and looked at him, her head tilting to one side in brief curiosity.
“We can fix that for you when we get to the house,” she told the tall hunter, who gave her a surprised look.
“You've got parts for the car?” Sam asked, surprised. Lee shook her head.
“No,” she replied, setting one hand on the Impala's hood, “but from what I can tell, it's mainly cosmetic damage, something that will be easy enough to fix once we're away from prying eyes.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, I'm ready to go whenever you are.” Sam looked over at Becky. “What about you?”
“Yep!”
“Good,” Inias said, putting one hand on Becky's car and laying the other on the young woman's shoulder. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Lee reached out and pressed two fingers against Sam's forehead. With a rush of wings, the two angels transported the humans and their vehicles to the farm that had served as Lee's home for the past century and a half. They landed in the middle of a large dirt yard, the mid-morning sun shining down on them. A rambling two-story farmhouse stood in front of them; it was painted a dusty blue with neat white trim. Several outbuildings, including a large barn painted the traditional red-and-white, ringed the yard. A large chicken coop stood next to the barn, and several chickens were scratching around the yard, pecking here and there at the dirt in an effort to find bugs to eat.
Sam looked around, noticing that the cars weren't anywhere to be seen. He frowned, not wanting to lose the Impala. No matter where Dean was, Sam was sure as hell that, when the elder Winchester returned, he'd want his Baby around, even if she wasn't working. He could always fix her if it came to that. Becky caught Sam's look of confusion and tapped Inias on the hand where he was still holding on to her shoulder.
“Where are our cars?” she asked. Inias shrugged as he removed his hand from Becky's shoulder and then looked at Lee.
“Alinarael?”
“Hmm? Oh, they're in that building,” Lee replied, pointing at a squat building to the right of the barn. “Your belongings are in two of the bedrooms on the second floor.” She frowned slightly as she suddenly stared off into the distance, her gaze going unfocused. “I'll be right back; something's up with the wards,” she told them, and then disappeared into thin air with a rush of feathers. Sam and Becky looked at Inias, who shrugged.
“I don't sense anything wrong,” he said, “but Alinarael is far more attuned to the wards of this place than I ever will be. Why don't we go inside while she figures out what's going on?”
Becky grinned widely and then hurried into the house, scattering a few bantams as she went. Inias and Sam followed after her at a more sedate pace, skirting around the chickens; several of the hens eyed the two of them warily before turning back to their pecking. The inside of the house was decorated very simply, with warm colors primarily dominating in the rooms on the main floor. Knickknacks from around the world were displayed in elegantly hand-carved curio cabinets scattered around the various rooms in the main level.
There was an open-plan kitchen/dining room towards the back of the house; the kitchen had dark granite counter tops, a large gas stove in an isolated counter island in the center of the room, and stained oak cabinetry. An oval dining table with enough space to fit ten people comfortably around it was the centerpiece of the dining area; the wood that peeked out from under a pristine white tablecloth matched the cabinetry.
Lee returned as Inias was investigating the moderately sized library, manifesting in the center of the room-- Sam had gone upstairs to check out his bedroom and to see what Becky was doing --and looking mildly annoyed. Inias turned his attention from the first edition of Great Expectations he'd been examining when Lee appeared, setting the book carefully back in its place.
“Is everything all right?” he asked. Lee nodded absently.
“Yeah,” she replied, idly running a hand through her hair. “I needed to restrengthen some of the runes on the northwest ward-stone. It was about time to do it anyways, I just wasn't expecting to have to do it with guests around.”
“Don't worry about it,” Inias said. “Sam and Becky are upstairs. How long do you think it will take for the others to get here?”
“Somewhere around five hours or so if they drive straight, more with rest stops. They should get here just in time for an early dinner. I'll have to go out to get food, though, since I don't usually keep fresh supplies around, and--”
Lee broke off when Becky hurried into the library, a broad grin on her face. The blonde hugged her friend tightly.
“Your house is awesome, Lee!” Becky enthused. Lee carefully returned Becky's hug, habitually reining in her preternatural strength so she wouldn't harm her friend.
“Thanks, Beck,” Lee replied, releasing Becky with a small smile. “I'm glad you like it. It can be your home as well if you want; I know you've been talking about moving from your apartment for a while now.”
Becky blinked and then looked like she was about to burst into tears. “Really?” she breathed, her eyes bright.
“Yeah,” Lee said with a slight shrug. “I mean, it's just me here, and if we're going to be using this as a base, it'd make more sense to have you permanently here rather than moving back and forth. Besides, if I'm going to be off on hunts-- and ten to one, I probably will --I'll need someone to look after everything here. I'd rather it be someone I know than someone I've just met.”
“I'd love to,” Becky said, her smile returning in megawatt force. “I'll have to talk with my landlord, but I think he'll be okay with me moving out relatively soon.”
“Then it's settled,” Lee said firmly. “Good. Okay, so, let's figure out where we can put the phone lines. Come on; you're the one who's going to be using it the most, so you get to choose.”
Lee and Becky left the library, Inias staying behind to peruse the books some more. The two women chatted as they walked, laughter following after them. Inias settled in a chair with a book, content in waiting until he was needed. That was a life of a soldier, after all: short periods of intense battle followed by long periods of waiting. And Inias? Well, he was very good at waiting. It was a necessary skill to have when one was an angel of the Lord.
The rest of the group showed up in fits and starts over the next five hours, with Garth arriving last. Becky was helping Lee and Sam finish up the large batch of spaghetti and meat sauce that would serve as that night's dinner; Sam was just pulling out the last loaf of garlic bread when Garth took his seat at the table, dropping into a chair between Missouri and Quentin. Sam took one of the free seats after putting the bread on a tray, while Becky set a large bowl of spaghetti down in the center of the table. Lee put the spaghetti sauce down on a hot pad and then sat down in the last empty chair.
Sam looked around at the gathered hunters and couldn't help but smile to himself. An almost foreign feeling began to grow in his chest at the sight; it was hope, he realized after a moment. And hope-- well, hope was one of the most dangerous things a human being could possess, especially in a fight against the forces of darkness. Sam sat back and let the quiet chatter of his companions wash over him, finally feeling like the world was getting back on the right track.