The Last Goodbye

6

The boys were chugging bottles of water, still trying to regain their bearings, as they drove down the empty highway.

Elle was still giddy with her accomplishment leaning forward in the middle of the back seat. "I can't believe I did that! And I actually got us ON the road. I was afraid we'd end up in a pond or a playground or something..." she said through a smile so wide and gummy her nose crinkled.

Dean was still dizzy, and he should have been concentrating more intently on the road, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her reflection in the mirror. She's an angel. He repeated silently to himself as he forced his attention back to the 10 miles of highway between them and the bunker.

Sam gulped down the last of his water and cleared his throat, "So...Elle. How do you know about the bunker? How did you get us so close to where we needed to go?" He turned in his seat to watch her face grow suddenly serious.

"I told you, we are friends."

Sam turned back to face forwards in his seat, clearly exasperated, but not aggressively so like Dean was. Sam pondered to himself in the silence of the last few miles home. I know I know her. He looked up at the rear view mirror to study her reflection once more. She was sitting so...properly. Typical angelic awkwardness. Her face was forward, head toward the road in front of them, but Sam could see her gaze was to her left- to Dean. The way she stared at him felt familiar. Sam anxiously searched every memory in his mind, knowing that the ones he needed just hadn't happened yet. A small notion trickled into his thoughts but Sam quickly pushed it aside. Impossible. He tried to remember something, to find a clue in Elle's words but he was distracted by that nagging thought... No way.

Sam refocused to his surroundings as the Impala lurched to a stop in the dimly lit Men of Letters' garage. Dean was the first out of the car and looked around nervously.

"The hoopty's gone. You think Cas left without saying anything?" Dean rushed towards the door into the bunker as he pulled out his phone. Sam assumed he was checking for any missed messages from the angel.

Sam cursed to himself, "Shit... I forgot to let him know Dean was safe."

Elle looked up at Sam perceptively. They were both leaning over the trunk of the Impala. Sam retrieved his and Dean's bags and Elle pulled out an unfamiliar canvas backpack.

"When did that get in there?" Sam inquired.

Elle swung one strap over her shoulder and chuckled, "Sam. I have had Baby in my possession for days... I needed to keep my stuff somewhere."

Sam stood frozen in the garage and he watched her going inside. When she stepped over the threshold into the bunker, Sam heard the recognizable sounds of Dean calling for Cas escape through the doorway. Elle was an angel. That Sam knew, but he also knew angels didn't typically keep extra clothes on them.

Sam snapped back once again and hurried inside. Dean was upstairs somewhere, pacing around, opening doors. Obviously the angel wasn't here. But Dean kept looking. Sam threw his bags onto the kitchen table and watched Elle walk down the bedroom corridor and step confidently into the 2nd door on the left- the empty room across the hall from Dean's.

Sam saw his brother come into view on the second story and start downstairs. He assumed by his tone he was leaving Cas a voicemail.

"Cas, man, where are you? Sam and I are back at the bunker, I'll explain how we got here later, but you gotta get back. It's not safe. You were right...about an angel bringing us to Tacoma. She's here now, and she has other angels on her ass so it's not safe out there...Call me back, dammit." Dean slammed his phone down onto the desk as Sam approached him. The older hunter clasped his hand around his lower jaw, then ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly.

"I'm sure he's okay, Dean," Sam reassured as he reached out and gave his big brother's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Dean looked down at his phone and exhaled, "Yeah..."

"Elle's already made herself at home," Sam said, both trying distract his worried brother but also to address their other problem. "I think she really is an ally. Maybe a future ally, but still. I think we can trust her...for the most part, at least."

Dean took a deep breath and looked up and around the bunker, "Where'd she head off to? To take another unnecessary shower?" The second question he mumbled sarcastically.

"Huh?" Sam stared curiously at Dean, waiting for him to repeat himself.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Oh, nothing. When I got to the warehouse, she'd just taken a shower. She was in a towel..." Dean's mind filled with the image of the glistening angel standing before him.

Sam watched his brother's face focused on empty air beside him. "Oh...huh."

Dean didn't respond.

"She's pretty weird, you know. Not just, angel weird. But weird for an angel?" Sam pried, attempting to draw Dean's attention back. "She showers, keeps a change of clothes, and her mojo is intense, right? She's gotta be pretty powerful to mo-"

"What do you mean keeps a change of clothes?" Dean refocused on their conversation by cutting his brother off.

"Oh, I guess she had a pack of clothes in the Impala."

"Huh. Yeah. She is pretty weird."

A delicate voice echoed from across the room, "You know, I am a celestial being. We tend to have excellent hearing abilities... You guys could be a little more accepting of your guest's eccentricities. I am here to help you." She grinned at the boys forgivingly as she walked into the room.

Sam relaxed his posture into something more welcoming, "Hey, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to be rude."

Dean flinched as she stepped behind him. A few feet remained between them, but he could feel her energy radiating. It was odd; Dean sometimes sensed a similar aura from Castiel, but only when he tapped into his grace during a fight or to heal Dean after a fight. She did seem to be more powerful an angel than Cas. Than any angel he'd met, probably. This revelation knotted his stomach.

"I am afraid it is my turn to be rude... While we are waiting for Castiel to return, could I... raid... your kitchen? I am famished," the petite angel asked Sam over Dean's shoulder.

Neither Winchester said anything. Dean didn't want her to see his face. And he was afraid he wouldn't be able to think clearly with her in his line of vision. He caught his brother's gaze and cocked his eyebrows.

Dean mouthed the words at his brother, "She eats?"

Sam just gritted his teeth and very slightly shrugged his shoulders. At a loss.

"I know... it's... weird. I have this thing," Elle stated, very aware of the hunters' confusion.

Dean's blood started to boil. She was the most powerful angel he had ever met and the most cryptic one, as well. He wanted to turn around and shake her until she told him everything.

Sam could read Dean's face and presumed he was about to lose it. Right before Dean could whip around to tear into Elle, Sam threw a firm punch into his big brother's shoulder, forcing Dean to refocus his attention (and his anger) to their silent exchange. Sam shook his head, a silent relax, jerk.

"Okay then..." Sam said as he stepped passed his brother, "Let's see what we got." The tall hunter held his arm towards the kitchen, a gesture to Elle. She smiled and preceded him, Sam looked back to Dean and jerked his head in the direction of the bedrooms.

Dean nodded and walked quietly down the hall to the door of the room across from his. Sam had her distracted, hopefully long enough for him to search through her stuff.

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