Tainted Wings (Forever Book 2)

Chapter 13

SCARLETT DESTINY WINCHESTER

I paced the room that I was held captive in, going over everything that I had just remembered in vivid detail right up until the faint rays of the morning sun crept in. I listened intently as people started to wake up and move about. Voices echoed through the air ducts. Soft and separate at first, but soon came to converge in one area.

"Should we go check on her?" A voice echoed through the vents, smooth and warm, and familiar.  I walked to the door and waited, listening to the creaking floorboards of the house. A step in the basement creaked and I stood back from the door, waiting. The door opened and Sam's face was the first I saw to peek through the crack. He looked at me for a good minute before creaking open the door further. 

Dad was the next face I saw. He titled his head and looked me up and down. "She was just waiting?" He scratched his head. "I thought she would have tried to get out. Y'know Angel mindset and all."

"She can't leave the room," Cas chimed in from behind him, looking around at the room before looking at me."I made sure of that." The way he looked at me was filled with sadness. My heart ached to see those puppy-dog eyes.

"Why would I want to leave when there's pie in the oven upstairs." I crossed my arms and smirked. "Specifically, apple pie, dad's favorite." I chuckled.

Sam smiled and chuckled, "Welcome back Princess." He greets me. He stands aside as I walk out and up the steps. I put my hand out and the door opens to a room full of worried faces.

"My baby girl," Mom stands and takes a step towards me, unsure if I was myself or the OTHER Scar.

"Hi, Mom." I smile at him before my gaze slides over to Cas, who just walked up the stairs behind me. "Hey, Cas."

Cas's face melts to a look of relief and he takes two long strides towards me. I smile and wrap my arms around him. Our arms wrap around each other in a tight embrace, he pulls me close like he's never going to let me go. "I missed you." He speaks softly near my ear. In his embrace, I no longer felt cold. I felt like I was in the gate, surrounded by love and warmth.

"I missed you too." I pull back and smile before pulling my hair up into a ponytail. "Now. I'm ready to kick some Angel ass." I punch my fists together and look around "Who wants to join me?" I ask.

SAM WINCHESTER

I wondered how much Scar remembered about her time as an angel as we prepared to hunt down Gabriel. I ran a hand through my hair as Castiel stood and explained how heaven works on a whiteboard. It all seemed complicated, yet it completely made sense. Before Dean took his trip down to hell, I thought that it was all of these different rooms where people got tortured, and it seems that I had it in reverse.

"Cas, how is any of this going to help us?" Dean asked sitting on the couch.

"Well, there are many people in heaven who are very... religious. Some even may say a little obsessive over the Angels from the Bible." Cas explained and looked around the room. "One of which, is very obsessed with Gabriel and me, along with a couple other of my angel brothers and sisters."

"Did this individual happen to display paintings of these angels and hang them up in a sort of mansion before they died?" Scar asked looking at Castiel, the look in her eyes suggesting that she knew something.

"Yes, but there's-"

"I know where he is. Or at least a place to start." Scar smiled and put a hand on Castiel's shoulder. His left hand crossed his chest to meet hers. It was a touching moment. I looked over at Dean and Alex, who looked amused and concerned at the same time. After Scar's disappearance, their marriage took a dark turn. Both restless, both anxious. Little things would set them off in a rage or a downward spiral. I was just hoping that with Scarlett's memories returning and everything settling into some resemblance of normalcy, everything would be okay.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see who it was. Jess stood there and smiled at me. I felt warmth radiate through my body and hope flooded my senses. She was watching over us. She was cheering us on. I turned my attention back to the conversation with a renewed sense of purpose. 

SCARLETT DESTINY WINCHESTER

I saw Sam look over his shoulder, I knew he'd seen ghosts from his past before but I had never actually witnessed him seeing one. I wondered who it was. His mom? His dad? Jessica? Whoever it was made him happy, and that made me crack a smile.  I looked over at my mom, she had a distant look in her eyes. 

"So, are we going to try and lure this guy out or are we going to try and go in?" Dad asks, looking at the whiteboard. Trying to make sense of it I'm sure. He looks at Cas for an answer, who in turn looks at me.

"Well, if what Scarlett says is true, he won't come out easily," Cas states, before turning back to Dad with his ever-so straight face. "So my guess is that we'll have to have a huge playing card in order to bring him out. Which considering that he's obsessed with Gabriel, me, and a couple of others I propose we use my-"

"I'll be bait," I say, cutting Cas off. I move my gaze from my mother to Castiel, who gives a look of surprise. 

"Princess I'm not sure if that's smart..." Sam says, worry written all over his face.

"It's the only way. He was training me to be his perfect weapon. A way to control Castiel and force the others to accept him as the one true lord. He believes he is god reincarnated." I inform them. "He is trying to take over heaven and rule the world from the other side." 

"That's impossible." Cas states.

"It's not if all of the angels of the lord are being forced to carry out his bidding because of his superweapon and the threat of death looming over their heads." They all went silent and looked at me. 

"So, what's the plan?" Mom asks after a long moment of silence. Her eyes finally returned to the present and she looked up at me.

"Glad you asked," I smirked and erased the diagram on the whiteboard. I drew out my elaborate plan and turned to them.

"Now, this can only work if everything goes PERFECTLY."