I Can't Go Back Now (Supernatural- Alexis Hammel)

Free Drinks

We drove to an abandoned church, which, if you thought about it, was kind of ironic. We chained Crowley to one of the old chairs in the room and he shook them a little. "You really think this'll hold me?"

I finished spraying a devil's trap around him and threw the can in one of the dark corners, giving him a tight smile. I walked away to the trunk of the car, where Sam and Dean were sitting. Thunder rumbled in the distance and I looked up to the sky, slightly nervous. I haven't liked thunderstorms since I was a little kid, but even more so now especially since I'd walked through one for God knows how long. Sam was pouring holy oil into a jar, preparing for the next trial.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"For the first time in a long time, I feel like we're gonna win. It feels good," Sam answered.

"Okay, no dancing in the end zone until we're finished," Dean said. "What's God's playbook say now?"

"Now that we're on consecrated ground, I slip Crowley a dose every hour for eight hours and seal the deal with a bloody fist sandwich."

"Your blood's supposed to be purified, right?" I asked. "You ever done the 'forgive me, father' before?"

"Well, once when we were kids," Sam said. "Which is why I have no clue what to say now."

"I could give you suggestions," Dean said.

"Okay, yeah."

"Well, I'm just spit balling here but... maybe Ruby, killing Lilith, letting Lucifer out, losing your soul, not looking for me after I went to purgatory-"

"Wait, purgatory?" I asked. "That's a thing?"

"There's too many things that are things," Dean answered.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Thanks." He turned to walk into the church.

"Or, hey, how about that time with Penny Markle in sixth grade? Huh? Why don't you lead with that?" Dean smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.

Sam turned around. "That was you."

Dean thought for a second. "Carry on."

As Sam walked inside, me and Dean sat on the trunk of the car, looking up at the sky. The thunder was slowly getting louder. I heard the sound of wings and turned to look at Cas. "I need your help."

"Kind of busy, Cas. Take a number," Dean said.

"I'm afraid this can't wait," he said, moving to stand in front of us. "Naomi has taken Metatron."

"And you know Metatron how?"

"I've been working with him on the angel trials."

"The what?" I asked.

"We're gonna shut it all down, heaven, hell."

"Metatron wants to save heaven? Are we talking about the same person?" Dean asked.

"Yes, he wants to save heaven. But I'm the only one who can. I can't fail, guys, not on this one. I need your help."

"Look, Cas, that's well and good but you're asking us to leave Sam," I said. "We have Crowley tied up in there-"

"You should go," Sam said, and I looked over at him. "Seriously."

"Oh, what, and leave you here with the King of Hell?" Dean asked.

"I got this, and if you can lock up the angels too... that's a win in my book."

"Start the injections now," I said. "If we're not back in eight hours, don't hesitate."

Sam nodded, and me and Dean grabbed our bags. Once we got them, Cas put a hand on each of our shoulders, and we were gone. 

***

"Is this a joke?" Kevin asked as we sat at the map table.

"No, it's the word of God," Cas replied.

Kevin laughed. "What?"

"It's a tablet," Dean said. "Do what you do, translate."

"Okay, well, it's an angel tablet, which I've never laid eyes on in my life. You want a translation in six hours when it took my six months and a dead mom to translate a piece of the demon tablet." Kevin sat down and poured a glass of whiskey. "You said I was out, Dean. That my job was done."

"Yeah, well-" Dean started.

"If this is gonna be another 'guys like us are never out' speech, then I don't wanna hear it."

Cas stood up and moved to grab Kevin by the collar, pulling him up and out of the chair. The glass fell out of his hand and shattered on the ground.

"Dean's right," Cas said.

"Cas!" I yelled, grabbing the arm of his jacket. He flung me off in one fluid motion, causing me to fly back into the table, my head smacking against one of the legs. Dean helped me up slowly, using the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the blood off of my cheekbone, where there was now a cut.

"There is no out," Cas growled, close to Kevin's face.

"Get the hell off of me," Kevin said.

"You are the Prophet of the Lord, and you will do his work, do you understand?"

Kevin nodded his head, and Cas let go of him. The sound of wings fluttered around us and Cas dropped me and Dean off at a bar. We waited for Cas to get back.

Cas walked in and sat next to Dean as I swirled the drink in my glass. "Anything?" Dean asked. "You've been gone long enough."

"No. There was one female, but..."

"But what?" I asked, looking at him.

"I don't think she was female. Anything here?"

"Free drinks," I said. 

"Let me-" Cas reached out to heal me, but I moved away, Dean pulling Cas' hand back. He sighed. "Do you really think it's wise to be drinking on the job?"

"Are you sure about this?" Dean asked, avoiding the question. "I mean, it's one thing to slam the gates of hell, but heaven, too?"

"I know."

"You did a lot of damage up there, man," I said. "You think they're gonna let that slide?"

"Do you mean do I think they'll kill me?" He asked. "Yeah, they might."

"So this is it?" Dean asked.

"I know that angel," Cas said, nodding to a woman who was walking out of the bar. "Come on."

The three of us follow her to a beer plant and wait for her to walk out of it. When she does, she looks at Cas first. "Hello, brother."

Castiel immediately pulls out his angel blade and moves toward her, but she steps back, seemingly surprised. "Give me your bow," He demands.

"What?"

"Woah, woah," Dean said. "Hang on, a minute." Dean stepped in front of Cas, stopping him. "Talk first, stab later."

"I've been afraid to come home for some time, now," Gail said. Dean motioned me to come closer as he stepped out of the way of Cas. "Orders used to come once a day, but now it's chaos. You think you can fix this?"

"With time, yes," Cas said.

"Take it, then."