The Good Life (Book 11, The Life Series, Supernatural)

First Blood

Castiel had come home to tell me and Amara that while he had called us to tell us that they had successfully exorcized Lucifer, Kelly had gotten away, and that Sam and Dean had been taken.

I had to call Mary.

"Ness?"

"Mary, where are you?"

"I--I, uh… Lawrence, Kansas. Ness, what’s wrong?"

"Uh, well, I--I need you to meet us at the bunker."

I hung up, sighing worriedly, running a hand through my hair in anxiety.

***********

Mary had come to the bunker to talk to Amara, Castiel and me in the war room.

Mary looked at Castiel. "You left them."

Castiel sighed. "No, I… Dean told me to go. The woman--"

"The one you lost?" Mary asked.

"I didn’t," Castiel told her. "I was calling Ness and Amara to tell them about what happened with Lucifer, during which time, I… I thought that Kelly--"

"Stop making excuses," Mary told him.

Castiel looked down.

Amara sighed. "It's not his fault. Dad and Sam should have been out of there by the time they were taken, but they had to make sure the President was gonna be okay. So..."

"It's no one's fault," I finished sadly.

Mary sighed heavily. "I understand why you two were kept out of this. Why… if they needed help, why didn’t they call me?"

"You were out," I answered. I sighed, worried and anxious. "How did we let this happen?"

***********

While Cas and Mary were looking and Amara was watching Aiden at home, I was working at the Milton bar for some extra cash, wiping down the bar, talking to Crowley about finding Sam and Dean.

Crowley had a fancy drink with an umbrella, fruit slices and a pitchfork, picking it up, drinking. "Can’t help you."

"Come on, Crowley," I told him in annoyance. "The police took them. You have people in the government. You have spies."

Crowley nodded in agreement. "I do. But whatever’s happened to Moose and Squirrel, apparently, it’s above their pay grade."

"Do you even care that they’re gone?" I asked.

"No," Crowley answered. I glared at him. "Do you know how many all-powerful beings have tried to kill them?"

"Yes, because most of them have tried to kill me, too," I answered. "You were one of them."

Crowley smirked. "Well, what can I say? The Winchesters are survivors. Sam and Dean? They’re like herpes. Just when you think they’re gone… Hello! The boys are back, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. So wherever they are, whoever has Sam and Dean, well… In the immortal words of Lawrence Tureaud..." He imitated Mr. T. "'I pity the fool.'"

Crowley stood, patting me on the shoulder in a strangely reassuring fashion, walking away, leaving me glaring after him.

I sighed, returning to work when my phone rang. I pulled it out, seeing that Alicia was calling, answering. "Alicia?"

"Yeah. Hey, Ness."

"Hey. How are you and Max dealing with Asa's passing and the crossroads demon thing?"