Unfinished Gems

Trick Hunt - 2

Sam had underestimated the sheer pain he was about to go through. However he had agreed to it, as he had been completely unaware of how addictive demon's blood was to humans.

So when Dean left the safe room on the second day (he would need four to get through the worst of it), he thought nothing of it. Sam had been pretty out of it while suffering the worst of the withdrawal symptoms and had been rather nasty towards Dean and Bobby.

Unknown to Sam, Dean had filed away some of the things his brother said...but rather than focus that against San, he decided to take it out on the bitch who got him hooked in the first place.

Loki was nothing if not patient. Ruby would not have a quick death, and she would learn not to cross the Asgardian god of mischief a second time if she lived through what Loki had in mind. He knew Hel hated demons and would gladly take out her frustrations on any that had the misfortune to land in her realm.

His...Loki's...daughter would probably be thrilled for her father delivering a brand new punting toy.

So while he claimed a food and booze run, stating a need to leave before he strangled Sam, even if his brother didn't really mean it, Bobby didn't even blink.

Loki didn't feel an iota of guilt for more or less sneaking into Asgard while banished, let alone grabbing some books on real magic, not the paltry crap the mortals used.

Sam wanted to become stronger, wanted to avoid being labeled as just the researcher. Loki could relate. So he would teach his brother magic and see if the idiot could figure out the truth himself.

It took everything in his power to keep on walking as if nothing was wrong when he passed Frigga. The emotions and impulses of Dean, combined with the memories of Loki, meant that every time he thought the word 'Mother' he immediately associated it with Frigga.

Just like Dean associated with word 'Father' to Bobby...and Loki tentatively did the same to Odin, but he was more inclined to look at Bobby that way.

Frigga did pause, as if she sensed Loki. But since he kept walking past the guards and the ever-watchful Heimdall, she had no idea he had been there.

At least, not immediately anyway.

~

Sam looked at the books with some surprise. He didn't honestly expect his brother to find and buy actual books with magic in them. Hell, he had no idea where Dean got them.

Bobby was thrilled having copies of his own that he could use. Dean had found some that he would want for his personal library, and had been deliberately vague on where he had gotten them. Even if most were written in Old Norse.

All they knew was that they had a series of long nights and translations ahead of them.

Sam said nothing when Ruby showed up, trying to weasel her way back into his good graces. He kept his mouth shut when Dean snuck up behind her and knocked her out cold.

He deliberately adopted a 'see nothing, hear nothing' approach when Dean dragged the demon witch away and drove off. If Sam had seen Ruby being tortured, he might have been inclined to help her. And he didn't want Dean to become upset by seeing how Sam reacted to him disposing of Ruby. Instead, he dove into what Dean had said was a 'beginners book'...which Sam believed considering it was the easiest one to translate.

Dean came back three hours later, with some smudges of red on his hands. Sam didn't ask, and Dean wouldn't say what he had done.

Sometimes ignorance was a better stance.

~

"Dean, do you have any idea how to pronounce this?" asked Sam.

Dean, in a show of solidarity and to avoid listening to Sam and Bobby complain about him doing nothing, had hunkered down to 'learn' Old Norse with them. For reasons they weren't going to ask, Dean seemed to have an easier time learning it, and could be counted on to translate.