Searching Purgatory [COMPLETED]

Chapter Six

The group of misfits flew down into a large garden filled with yellow and purple flowers that Zoe didn't recognize. Large hedges towered over them and there was a fountain just five feet from where they were standing.

"Woah," Zoe breathed. Just from where they stood she could tell the estate would be ginormous and beautiful. The cobblestone walk under her feet was cracked and ivy was peeking through the stone.

"It sure is impressive," Meg said, stalking around the fountain where a concrete cherub was spitting water from it's mouth as it stood on a high pedestal.

"Wait 'till you see the inside," Gabriel bragged. "Not that I've seen it," he pouted now, spinning ever so slowly to look at Zoe. "Crowley's not stupid; he put up plenty of angel warding sigils around this place."

Zoe raised an eyebrow, not having any idea what that meant. "He did what?"

"Angel warding sigils," Dean explained. "They keep angels out off buildings, off of property."

Zoe nodded. Of course there was a way to keep angels away and of course the king of hell had to use them. Because their lives weren't already difficult enough. They were in Scotland, for Pete's sake.

"So what's the plan?" Sam asked, very anxious to get inside. "We can't very well go with the head on charge with just the two of us."

"Two of you?" Meg frowned, putting her hands on her hips and jutting out her bottom lip in a pout. "And what am I? Chopped liver?"

Sam sighed and shook his head. "You're not really on Crowley's list of favorite demons. He killed you once before and I doubt he'd hesitate to do it again. Besides, if what Gabriel said is true and it's crawling with demons, I'm assuming that they're not your friends either."

A smile found it's way on Meg's face. "Aw, is whittle Sammy worried about little ol' me?"

Sam frowned. "If you have a death wish, by all means..." He waved a hand towards a pathway that might have led to the manor.

Meg sighed. "As much as I like you guys, I'm not too excited about the prospect of going up against Crowley again any time soon."

"Okay, well what about me?" Zoe asked. "I'm still here. Lauren's my friend too and I'm not just going to sit this out while you guys do something stupid."

"No offense, but you're not really as skilled as the rest of us," Dean said.

Zoe raised a questioning eyebrow.

Dean shook his head. "I just don't want you getting hurt, okay?"

Zoe tried to mimic Meg's teasing smile as she put a fist on her hip. "You worried about little ol' me, Dean?"

He swallowed. "I just don't wanna have to babysit while I'm fighting for my life, okay?"

Zoe's smile vanished. "Babysit? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. In case you forgot, when we were rescuing Meg, I was babysitting you. I think you need me around." She shook her head. "Honestly, I don't care what you say, I'm going in there at one point or another and saving my friend. Got it?"

Dean frowned but nodded.

Zoe didn't understand him. At all. One second, they were arguing about what kind of monster she was and the next they were up at two in the morning making cookies. She was beginning to think he was bipolar. It was starting to give her whiplash, how fast he changed. She knew how she felt about him--although she'd tried for so long to change her feelings--but until he stopped being so...well, Dean Winchester, she would just have to keep up with his change in feelings.

"We still have to get rid of those sigils before the angels can go inside," Gabriel said. He was smiling like a dork, obviously enjoying the little banter between Zoe and Dean. He looked purposefully at Zoe for the hundredth time that day. "Who volunteers as tribute?"

If it had been any other situation and Gabriel had been insinuating any thing other than what he was insinuating, Zoe might've cracked a smile at his reference to Hunger Games. As it was, all she could do was glare at him and hope he got the message that if he didn't stop it with the suggestive looks, she would have to find a horrible way to get back to him.

"Sam and I can take care of the sigils," Dean volunteered. "Once those are taken care of, the angels can come inside. With Zoe," Dean added when Zoe shot him a glare. "We can split up then, one group looking for Crowley and the other looking for Lauren." He did some mental calculations before continuing. "Sam, you can take Cas and Meg to find Lauren. I'll take Zoe, Gabriel, and Sage to hunt down Crowley."

Nobody had any objections to Dean's plan and so Zoe made herself comfortable on the edge of the fountain while Dean and Sam collected an array of weapons and left the hedge filled garden. Zoe preoccupied herself with staring at the many varieties of flowers around the garden. Zoe had always admired flowers and that was partly because she was an artist. As an artist, she admired those things that added beauty to the earth and that included flowers. These flowers weren't like any flowers she's seen before and she assumed that was because she'd never been outside of the United States before. 

Meg sat on the stone next to her, slumping down and putting her chin into her palm. "Doesn't it suck being left behind?" 

Zoe shrugged. "It's only for a little while. We'll be in there and kicking butt in no time."

Meg sighed. "You know, you think that until they're leaving you behind to spray paint a wall with the tall one. Next thing you know, you end up dead?"

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "You know, you confuse me. Whose side are you on with all of this? I mean, you still seem so bitter about the fact Crowley killed you and you seem to blame Sam and Dean for what happened in that situation. But you're still willing to help them out with saving Lauren. What's going on in your head?"

Meg looked at her, the corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. "I don't blame them necessarily but I am a little bitter about the whole thing. They did just get in their car and drive away while Crowley stabbed me through. But I do owe them. They rescued me from Crowley the first time--although that was mostly by accident--and they saved me this time. That doesn't mean I like it or that I'm not going to make as many snide comments about it as I can."

Sage made her way over then. "The sigils are gone. We're going in now."