Winchester In Wonderland

Chapter 9

Dean found a billiard table and Meg joined him. Other guests were arriving now, and Dean could see Gabriel with his crew, as well as Benny and his demon trio. Everyone eyed each other with the greatest suspicion, but they all found places at different billiard tables to compete. "I've gone crazy, haven't I?" Dean asked Meg and she looked at him with such forlorn.

"I'm afraid so," she said, then leaned in close to Dean. "But let me tell you something, hunter, the best people usually are."

"Let the tournament begin!" Gadreel announced solemnly and Dean was startled at the lack of warning. He went to the rack to pick up a cue and discovered the wood to be horribly warped. It was useless for the game. He tried another and found it to be in the same situation. Glancing around, Dean stopped to gape at the other participants. Everyone was shooting at once. Some were not even using the scratch ball and just lined the cues up against the colored balls. All the sticks were horribly misshapen and any type of competition was lost to ludicrous way the contestants played.

"This is bullshit," Dean announced, and he dropped the stick he was holding to the ground. He decided this was the perfect opportunity to exit stage left.

"Wait!" Metatron shouted, and all games fell silent. He strode across the gardens and peered up at Dean with a frown. "I think you shall play against me, hunter," he sneered and Dean sighed. Like this was going to be fair. He grabbed a stick and approached the table, and Metatron followed suit.

As soon as they reached the billiard table, angels swarmed in all around them frantically racking the balls and chalking Metatron's cue.

"I'll go first!" Metatron declared and Dean was not the least bit surprised. He stepped back to watch but was distracted by a rustle from a nearby bush. Dean glanced over to see Castiel stepping onto the green.

"Cas!" Dean exclaimed and felt he was genuinely glad to see his friend. He missed Sam more than anything but Cas would do.

"How are you liking Metatron?" Castiel asked and his arms faded out of sight.

"I think he's trying to cut off my head," Dean said and Castiel nodded as though this were a matter of course.

"How do you like the game?" He asked and Dean looked to see the angels standing around the table moving the balls so Metatron would hit them.

"He is cheating. Again, in hopes to cut off my head." Castiel's body disappeared so that just his head bobbed when he nodded.

"I suspect you will look a bit like me if he is successful," he remarked casually.

"Hunter, who are you talking to?" A voice calls and Dean turned to see Gadreel approaching.

"Gadreel this is my friend, Castiel," Dean said and turned to see that only Castiel's arms had returned so that his head seemed to float about them.

"I don't like the look of him," Gadreel says suspiciously, then he called to Castiel "will you ally with me? I'll allow you to shake my hand."

"I'd rather not," Castiel remarked and Gadreel hissed his distaste.

"You cannot speak to me this way! I'll have you removed from this garden!"

"Don't bother, Gadreel," Metatron chimed in without looking up from his one-man billiard game, "just chop off his head."

Off with his head!" Gadreel declares.

"But, your excellence," Eve offers from a few feet away, "his head is already removed." Dean turns to look, and it does appear that Castiel's head is not firmly attached to the rest of his fading body.

"Then cut off his wings!" Gadreel announces and Castiel frowned.

"Metatron already did that to me once, you are not allowed to do it again."

"Then I will cut off the head of your owner, cat!" Gadreel roared in frustration, and looked to Dean. "Is it you?"

"Oh no, I definitely do not own Cas," Dean said with his hands up defensively.

"Who is it then?" Gadreel asked and Dean glanced over at Eve.

"Cas doesn't belong to anyone. And if he knows what's the better choice, he'll make himself gone." Cas did not hesitate to oblige him, and winked out of existence in an instant.

"Where did he go!" Gadreel roared.

"Stop worrying about him and come watch the game," Metatron whined. Dean checked and saw that he had managed to get all but one of his balls off of the table. Wonder of wonders with all the help he was getting. When Gadreel reluctantly went to the table to watch, Dean thought it a good time to get the hell out of there. He moved away and Eve approached him.

"It's nice to have a moment to talk," she says with a smile and fell in beside Dean as though they were having a casual stroll. "I appreciate you defending me back there."

"What?" Dean asked looking down at her.

"By not telling Gadreel that the Castiel cat was mine. I appreciate you coming to my defense."

"Look lady, I'm not defending anyone," Dean said, thinking it a bad idea to be paired up with the Mother of purgatory, "I'm just trying to mind my own business."

"Oh I completely agree," Eve said with a smile, "if everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does."

"Dean! Hunter!" Metatron's voice was jarring and Dean groaned.

"Thank you for talking to me," Eve said and patted his shoulder, "try not to die before the trial." And then she turned and fluttered away.