The Price of Freedom

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sam paced up and down the hall. Where was Farrah? Why hadn't she called? Had someone kidnapped her?

Finally he got annoyed at doing nothing and called Dean. "Find anything?"

"If I had, don't you think I would've called you?" he snarked.

"Geez, just asking. Look, I think it's time we call Cas. He might be able to find her."

"How? He did the angel-juju stuff on her; no angel can find her."

"No, but she might, I dunno, I'm just trying to think of something!"

Dean was silent.

"Dean? You still there?"

"I've got a theory, but I don't know if it'll work."

"For what?"

"Contacting Farrah."

"Dean, she's been gone a week! Don't you think you could've mentioned this sooner?"

Sam plopped down on a chair and rubbed his face with his free hand. "What's the theory?"

Dean waited for a second, thinking it sounded ludicrous. "She's part angel, right? So maybe we can pray to her like we do Cas."

Sam froze. "Dean, it took you a week to say that? That makes sense! And since she wasn't dead, we could've used that while she was in purgatory too!"

"Calm down. I just thought of it yesterday."

"Alright. You keep looking. I'll try praying."

Farrah took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders, breathing in the intoxicating scent of hell. Having figured out how to mentally change her hair and eye color, she did so to make her hair black with a streak of pink, as she had before, and forced her bright eyes to brown.

Crowley looked her up and down. "Remember your cover story?"

She nodded. "I'm Tabitha, your assistant." After she had told her story, Crowley had decided she wasn't confident enough and declared that a trip to hell would fix that. So here they were.

"Very good. Let's go." He walked out and groaned. "Owen! Philip! Get out here now!"

Farrah observed the scene carefully. The two demons had destroyed the bar and accompanying tables. Demon servants, which she assumed were humans who had served their terms, were busy cleaning it up and building a new one.

Carly grasped Farrah's arm and asked if she was on duty. "Nope."

She smiled. "Great. Come with me."

They left together, and Carly began asking were she'd been when Farrah stopped. There was a...voice. In her head. And it sounded a lot like Sam.

"Farrah, I'm hoping this works because you won't answer your phone. Please come home, or at least let us know if you're safe. Thanks."

Suddenly Farrah blinked, and something foreign overcame her. Well, not quite foreign, but old. A feeling she thought would never come to her again. Confidence. Confidence bordering on arrogance.

"Tabitha?"

Farrah looked sharply at her. "Don't make a sound. Don't move. I'm going to tell you something very personal. I am not Tabitha. I am not Crowley's assistant. I am the lycan. My name is Farrah Winchester. You will tell me who wants to kill me and keep me away from them without raising suspicion. Am I clear? You can move your head."

Carly's eyes widened and she nodded.

"Do not run away, do not shout, and do not tell anyone what I just said to you. And I don't need to threaten." Then she raised her voice. "That goes for every eavesdropper as well!"

She grinned. "You are released. Please tell Crowley that I am going home."

After giving a small curtsey, Farrah angel flew away. Usually she used the demon version of flying, but this was much more fun and more precise.

"You called?" she said to Sam.

He jumped. "Farrah! Where have you been?"

"Where do you think? Castiel hasn't found me, you haven't found me, and there's no shucking way I'm ever going to purgatory again."

"You were in hell?"

"Only for a couple minutes. Most of the time I was in my room at Crowley's alone. He found me earlier and we had a heart-to-heart, which was just me spilling my guts about purgatory."

"You told him and not us?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.

Her expression softened. "I was feeling vulnerable, I guess. I don't know. Uncle Sam, can I ask you to do a favor for me?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"When I have bad days, will you get Dad to let me leave?"

"Bad days?"

"When the memories hurt, and I can't handle them. Bad days. Times when I need to be alone."

He nodded. "Yeah. Just tell me. But where will you go? Not to Crowley, I hope."

"No. If I wanna be alone, that isn't the best place. I was thinking of taking some money out of my account and getting a house."

"A house? Farrah, that's extremely dangerous!"

"No, it won't be. I'll make the contractor to put my name down as something else. Maybe put it in Thomas' name. I don't know. But I'd just want a small place."

After a while he nodded. "Okay. Does Dean know you're back?"

"No." She jumped. "I forgot to tell him! Hang on, I'll be right back!"