Welcome To The Winchester Family Business

Chapter Three

"Angel Express," I joke quietly at Sam as I fall face first onto the bed in the hotel room. I paid for half of the three day rental on my credit card while Sam and Dean paid for the rest in cash. Two rooms, interconnected, with two beds each and a pretty sweet mini-bar for three nights. "This is like a vacation. Even though I paid for half of it..."

"Yeah," Sam looks around cheerfully. "it's a hell of a lot nicer than our typical dives."

"I know! And at least we didn't have to drive all the way here."

"Yeah, it is a little weird that Cas zapped all of us here, Baby too." Sam's puppy face forms a pout and I shrug.

"I guess so."

"Well," He exhales and runs his hands through his hair. "I know that takes a lot of his angel battery. So, I just find it odd."

"Ugh, you think too much." I face plant into my feather pillow happily.

Dean's voice sounds in my room. "So, guys, who's with who?"

"I don't care!" I mumble from within a feather pillow.

"What did she say?" Castiel asks in that gravelly voice of his.

"I think she said she doesn't care." I hear Sam's answer him and I give a thumbs up to him. "Yup. She doesn't care. I guess I'll stay here."

"Ugh, fine. Stick me with Castiel." Dean grumbles and Sam laughs.

"I don't sleep so I don't see why there's a problem..." I listen as Castiel's voice follows Dean to the other room, and Sam locking the interconnecting door. Once I hear his frame hitting his bed, I roll over onto my stomach.

"So, Sam, what do we do now?" I yawn deeply and rub my eyes.

"Sleep. You're going to need to rest before tonight." Sam is field stripping and cleaning his handgun. Ah, the smell of CLP. "Just sleep."

I don't question it and allow my eyes to fall shut.

(Castiel's POV)

"So, we'll go at night. I think that's the best time for our ambush." Dean says, uncapping a beer from the mini bar and drinking it straight from the bottle.

"I agree."

I run my hand down my jaw and feel stubble.

My hand...

My jaw...

It still feels strange to be the only one in a vessel. After Lucifer liquified Jimmy Novak's original body, I was brought back in the same body, but, with no one but myself in here. I still refer to it, my body, as a host though. But, it isn't a host. It's where I live now.

It's very lonely.

I grab a beer from the mini-bar and turn on the television, perching on the edge of my bed.

I drink it slowly, and though my eyes stare at the television, my mind is elsewhere...

"Here." Sam takes my hand and places a bone handled knife in it. The blade is sharp and jagged. "This knife kills demons. You might want it."

I swallow hard and take out my Dad's old knife. "Here, then. Let's swap."

Sam Winchester takes the knife and turns it over in his hands, tracing the initials A.S.B on it. "A.S.B?"

"Yeah," I smile, but, I know that it doesn't show in my eyes. "Alexander Seth Ballard. My Dad's name. He had it with him everywhere he went."

He lightly runs his thumb along the edge and I see a tiny nick appear on his finger. "Wow. That's sharp." Sam frowns a bit and squints at the bottom of the handle. "What the..?"