Angelica Lilith Winchester

FOUR

Dean, Bobby and I sat on tables in the warehouse, swinging our legs.

"You sure you did the ritual right?"

Bobby glared at Dean.

"Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?"

I giggled, but stopped as a loud rattling started shaking the roof. Dean and Bobby each grabbed a pistol and ushered me behind them, handing me a silver blade, just in case.

"Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind," Dean said.

Just then a disheveled looking man in a worn out suit and ragged tan trench coat walked through the door, sparks raining down on his head from the ceiling as the lights exploded. Dean and Bobby opened fire on him, but he remained unaffected. Dean took the knife from me and hefted it in his hand.

"Who are you?" he asked the new comer.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

------

I sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. While I was thankful I was no longer reliving the day Sam and Dean ditched me at Jody's every time I closed my eyes, being bombarded by other memories was getting rather draining. It had been a week since my last encounter with Michael. Jo had called Sam and told him about Michael's location.

I dressed quickly before heading out to the War Room where everyone was planning the visit.

"So I've been searching through police reports in Duluth," Sam was saying, "Cops just turned up a pile of corpses that was dumped near some train tracks just north of town and their eyes were burnt out."

"So Michael. We should go now," Cass nodded.

"No," Sam stopped him. "This isn't just Michael we're talking about."

"It's Dean," Bobby continued.

"Yeah. Cass, you know why you can't come with us, right?"

Cass sighed, looking down at his feet. "My angelic presence would be sensed by Michael, thereby nullifying your hopes of a sneak attack."

Sam clapped a hand to his shoulder sympathetically.

"Yeah, sorry."

"And, you need me to stay here and babysit Nick and Jack."

"Hey, I'm going to be here too," I cut in.

Cass looked over at me, cocking his head and studying my face. I shifted my feet, suddenly reminded of the way Michael had studied me in a similar fashion the last time we met.

"Besides, it's not babysitting, Cass," Sam continued.

"Only in the sense that they're not infants, but they still need to be supervised. Jack is lost without his grace, Nick is... he's just a mess."

"Well, it--- it's not his fault. Cass, Nick was housing, you know. He--- he deserves a shot at rebuilding his life."

"And yet every time I look at him, all I can see is the supreme agent of evil."

Just then, Jack came in and stood beside me.

"You talking about my dad again? Look, I understand. Being around Nick--- it's hard for me, too."

"Uh, Jack, we're going to need you to sit this mission out," Mary said. "Not a permanent thing."

"I know last time, I sucked when it mattered, and I need to improve. So... that's what I'm going to do."

"Alright. Okay," Sam nodded, cocking his gun. "Let's move."

XxX

"So, why'd you stay behind?"

I looked up from my journal to see Jack leaning in the doorway.

"I guess I just felt more comfortable sitting out," I shrugged, shutting and tying the journal with the leather strap.

"I'd much rather be out there fighting," Jack mumbled.

"You'll get there again. Want to go train together?"

"Why not?"

We made our way into the makeshift gym space we used for training. After some stretches and tying our hands, we took our stances.

"Ready? Go!"

We immediately began throwing punches and attempting to gain the upper hand. For someone who hadn't had much practice doing so, Jack could hold his own. It wasn't long before he had me pinned on my back.

"G-good. That was good," I managed to get out, my breathing ragged from having the wind knocked out of me.

"Thanks," he smiled, helping me up.

"Call it for the day?"

"Sure."

We headed to the kitchen and grabbed drinks. Jack opted for water while I grabbed a beer.

"You drink?"

"A bad habit I picked up from my adoptive family before I went off by myself," I explained.

"Adoptive family?"

"I never really knew my parents. Some hunters took me in when I was little and raised me for a few years."

"Ah... yeah, I guess family doesn't end in blood," Jack nodded.

"It doesn't start there either," I agreed.

XxX

When I came to, I was sitting on a couch in a foreign room. As my surroundings became more focused, I realized Michael was straightening a tie while staring into a shattered mirror.

"And the little one is awake," he purred.

"Don't call me that," I snapped.

Michael chuckled, turning to face me. I noticed the knuckles on one of his hands were bloody, and when he realized I had seen, he quickly healed himself.

"So, I have a very important meeting soon, but you'll know why I summoned you soon enough."

"I'm not some play thing you can boss around and summon whenever you feel like it," I spat at him.

"You've got some fire in you. I like that. But we'll have to pick this conversation up later. Don't go anywhere."

And just like that he was gone. I tried to stand and leave, but found I couldn't get up from the couch. Whatever Michael had done, it was forcing me to obey his commands.