Title: That Old Illusion of Free Will

Chapter: Three

~~~~~~~~~~

He’d given them a week. That should be enough of a prelude, Gabriel decided. How much time would those two need to get to know each other anyway? He’d seen many long marriages based on far less knowledge than they had of each other. He’d also left them alone so they could get to know each other without him right there. It was good that they’d had time alone. They should have learned a lot about each other in a week.

Gabriel invited them to his favorite bar, the one that also happened to be Jo’s favorite due to proximity to her apartment. He’d left actual written invitations on their kitchen counters, hoping it’d put both of them in a curious mood. ‘Whatever could Gabriel want that he’d actually written invitations?’

They walked in together, nicely at ease with each other and came to the table, sitting across from him.

He crossed his arms on the tabletop. “Had dinner yet? We could --”

“Yes.” Jo didn’t waste any time. “What do you want,” she asked with an almost genial smile. “And where’ve you been the past week?”

“What’s this about?” Jimmy was more relaxed than Castiel ever was, slouching in his chair a little, stretching his legs out. “Castiel left without telling me anything except ‘see you later’. I’m a little curious what I’m supposed to be doing here, because, frankly, I don’t believe I’m out save when Castiel needs a human body. That’s one thing I’ve learned pretty well. Once this life gets hold of you, you can’t leave it completely. It’ll pull you back in somehow.”

Which seemed as good an opening as any. He made drinks appear for all of them and assumed what he’d observed was called an open pose, one that gave the impression that he was approachable. He’d used it before. “That’s what I’m here to discuss with both of you.” He’d keep his tone business yet casual.

Jimmy and Jo exchanged a long glance and Jo licked her lips. “Both of us?” Caution gleamed in her eyes.

“Yes, the both of you. This does concern both of you. Jimmy, you’re a vessel.” Gabriel pointed at him. “Your family has decided not to join you down here, which means you have no offspring at present.”

His brows raised. “Uh…accurate, if odd observation.”

Now, Gabriel pointed at Jo. “Jo.”

“Gabriel.” Her polite smile turned almost saccharine sweet. “Less build-up, more of what the hell’s going on.”

“Here’s the thing. The world has become distressingly short of angelic vessels. Not the archangel lines, but the general lines. It’s going to be difficult for Castiel to do his job properly in the future without more vessels.”

“That’s nice. What’s that got to do with me?” Raising her beer, she took a drink.

He glanced at Jimmy, who was watching him with narrowed eyes, attempting to puzzle out what Gabriel was leading towards, and continued. “There are certain individuals in this world who have a special genetic quality that, when combined with a vessel’s own genetic qualities, produce hardy, prospective vessels. Vessels can have children with others, they just won’t be potential vessels unless those genetic qualities meet. It’s a delicate process. That special quality has to be there in the vessel’s mate.”

She blinked, that polite smile disappearing. “Are you….” Jo looked at Jimmy, then back at him. “Are you saying I’m….”

“Genetic jackpot.”

“I’m sorry, but…what? I’m what?”

“You’re special. You’re very fertile for just the right vessel. You and Jimmy here could have some pretty cute kids that can keep the line going.”

“Oh.” Jo leaned forward. “Let me see if I’m understanding you correctly? You want me,” she gestured to herself, “to have sex with Jimmy,” then gestured at Jimmy, “and deliberately get pregnant so you can have vessels.”

“It sounds rather self-serving when you put it like that, but that’s the gist.”

She pursed her lips. “No.”

“Why not?” Gabriel leaned forward. “Jimmy’s quite a catch. I could list the ways for you.”

“You don’t need to list the ways.”

“I’m thinking I might need to. Your reaction here isn’t encouraging. He is a catch. Takes care of himself, dresses okay, likes a lot of the things you do, and he’s got a terrific 401K. Set it up myself since his previous one was under a different social. Come on, Jo, he’s at a good age -- ”

Her lips parted. “I don’t need a list.”

“Would it help if I mentioned that he once memorized an entire section of the Kama Sutra?”

“Not really something I’m proud of, Gabriel,” Jimmy said, crossing his arms.

“You should be. It’s an informative text.”

Jimmy shook his head. “How short of vessels are you anyway?”

“Not important,” Jo told him. “Did you hear the rest of it? We just met like a week ago. I take a bit more time than a week to get that friendly with a man. And did you not hear him pimping you out?” She didn’t let him answer, turning back to Gabriel. “Find another woman, Gabriel.”

“Easier said than done. I’m afraid there’s a slight catch.”

“There always is,” Jimmy and Jo responded in unison, with surprisingly identical expressions of annoyance.

“You’re the only genetic match available that would produce vessels with Jimmy.”

“Out of the entire world, I’m it? No. No, I don’t accept that. Check again.”

“Are we talking hundreds of vessels left or less?” Jimmy at least appeared to be focusing on the point and staying on topic.

“Less.”

“Less? How much less? Can you be any more specific, Gabriel?”

“I’m not having sex with Jimmy and I’m not having babies, so you can unlock the gates and let me out of this town.”

Gabriel sighed. This wasn’t going quite the way he’d envisioned it would. Maybe he’d lost his touch for this job. “There’s something of a problem with that as well….”

~~~~~~~~~~

Jimmy had no trouble believing what he was hearing, though Jo appeared to be having trouble with it. He’d told her the angels thought of them as pawns and she obviously hadn’t internalized that completely. She and Gabriel had been exchanging words for nearly an hour and not getting anywhere. They paced back and forth while Jimmy remained at the table, occasionally interjecting a comment here and there.

Jo shook her head. “No. No, no, no, no, no, no. No. I’m not having sex with Jimmy. I’m not popping out a bunch of potential vessel babies, and,” she ticked each one off on her fingers, “my entire purpose for being brought back can’t be to have babies. Gabriel, I’m a strong, modern woman --”

“You don’t like Jimmy?”

“I’m sure Jimmy is a very nice man.” Her glance slid to Jimmy then back to Gabriel, as though she was afraid to take her eyes from him for longer than a couple seconds. A valid concern. Angels could be slippery. They liked to leave if they weren’t getting their way, disappearing while you were refusing whatever they wanted. Then they’d return at an inopportune moment and try to blind-side you.

Jimmy finished crunching the last ice cube in his glass, swallowed, and interjected, “I am a nice man, Jo. I’m a very nice man.” He didn’t need to say it. Jo’d already told him she thought he was nice.

“Do you not like nice men, Jo,” Gabriel asked, crossing his arms.

“No, I like nice men. But --”

“You don’t like babies.” The pronouncement was made in a knowing tone.

Raising a hand, Jimmy caught the attention of a server and ordered a Long Island Iced Tea. He hadn’t had one of those in a long time and suspected he’d have plenty of time to metabolize the alcohol while the two argued. Though did it matter? Not like he was driving anywhere. Maybe he’d even order some of those jalapeño popper things. He’d developed a taste for them after months of Dean shoving them at Castiel and Cas finally eating them.

“I like babies just fine. I just --”

“Are you not attracted to Jimmy?”

Jo shot another glance his way, this one lingering a moment. “I think Jimmy’s very attractive.”

He hadn’t missed her quick interested glances when she thought he wasn’t looking. Jimmy did still remember what it was like when a woman was interested. “Thank you, Jo. I find you attractive as well.” He reached for the drink set before him. When Gabriel was here, the service was so quick it was inhuman. Jo’d mentioned that sometime during the week. She’d said it was the only good thing about Gabriel hanging out there. He took a hearty swig of his drink. The proportions of alcohol were perfect and he made a noise of appreciation.

“Then what’s the problem?” Gabriel didn’t appear to understand Jo’s stance, his frown puzzled.

“Well, for one thing, I barely know him. I don’t have sex with men I barely know and I certainly don’t have their babies.”

Now, Jimmy raised a hand to get Gabriel’s attention. “And I don’t have sex with women who aren’t my wife. It’s a personal choice I made a long time ago.” He’d made that decision when he’d been reborn into the Christian life. It was a decision based on careful scrutiny of scripture and much prayer, a decision he still took very seriously.

Jo’s smile was bright and pleased. “See? Jimmy and I agree. No sex, no babies. We’re done here.”

Gabriel sighed. “I should have known you’d be difficult. Both of you,” he clarified, fingers gesturing at them both.

“Oh, I haven’t even begun to be difficult yet,” she informed him.

“Do you really think it’s wise to get into a battle of wills with an archangel?”

Her shrug was nonchalant. “Bring it.”

“I’m a holy messenger, Jo.”

“So?”

“Do you understand what that means?”

Jimmy understood what it meant, but as the question wasn’t directed to him, he didn’t answer it, working instead on drinking his Long Island Iced Tea. He was aware that he was steadily heading towards intoxication and decided to just enjoy the journey, suspecting he was going to need a little altered consciousness soon if the talk those two were having continued.

“I could snap my fingers and give you a fresh new outlook on things.”

“You won’t.”

He laughed, a sound that had no humor to it. “After everything else I’ve done, do you really think it’d bother me to do that? I’ve sent men into space, Jo.”

She took a deliberate step closer, one brow raising. “You won’t do it.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because you would have already if you could.”

How many women would actually have called his bluff like that? Jimmy watched Jo’s expression become triumphant when the archangel didn’t have a comeback, her lips curving up, but then Gabriel leaned over nose to nose with her.

“What makes you think I didn’t already,” he hissed.

The dislike between them was simmering nicely now.

She froze, eyes widening and that triumphant smirk fading into uncertainty. “You didn’t.”

“You’d never know, would you? A snap of my fingers and both the memories and physical evidence would be gone…mostly. Wake up all hot and bothered recently, Jo? Feel like you had a great night, only no one was there with you? Everything all tingly and moist?”

Jimmy knew he’d sure felt like he’d had a great night recently, like the morning he’d woken in that apartment. He suspected Gabriel was telling the truth, but as far as he was concerned, ignorance was bliss. Her cheeks flushed. Gabriel had scored a hit and Jimmy studied her a bit closer. He hadn’t been saying he found her attractive to be saying it. He really did think she was attractive. And sexy. When she had her hair a little curled and loose along the side of her face it gave her a sultry air. Not to mention that little sauntering walk she had.

“I’d know if you had.”

“Not unless I let you remember and sweetheart, I didn’t. I had you both --”

“Uh…leave me out of this.” Jimmy took a long gulp of his drink.

“--rolling around in passionate abandon, but then Castiel told me I had to put you back, let it happen the old-fashioned, boring way.”

She was shaking her head. “No, no, you’re messing with me. It’s what you do. You mess with me.”

Raising a hand, he touched two fingers to her forehead.

Jo gasped, the mortification in her eyes lending truth to the claim, her gaze darting to Jimmy and back. A dull flush spread across her face, down her neck and along her chest. She crossed her arms, shifting uncomfortably.

“Am I messing with you, Jo?”

Her reply was slow in coming. She licked her lips. “No.” Her shoulders hunched. “I feel violated. Gabriel, how could you do that to us? You know how I feel about casual sex.”

Join the club, Jimmy thought, nodding in agreement. He’d been feeling violated for a long time. This revelation of Gabriel’s was just another stepping stone on that path for him. It was no use getting angry. Angels didn’t care if you got angry with them. They’d just ponder the strangeness of the emotion while never understanding that they were infuriating.

In a voice less than steady, Jo asked, “Jimmy, how can you just sit there all calm?”

He shrugged. “I told you the other day, angels pretty much do to us what they want. I’m trying to ignore it all while I can.”

“You can ignore this?”

She wouldn’t look at him and he wondered just what Gabriel had had them doing together besides the main event. “I can try. Not like I have much choice in the matter. Like he said, ‘snap’.”

Gabriel touched her again. This time she sagged to the ground.

“That was a little mean, Gabriel.” Jimmy drank the last of his cocktail and slid the glass aside.

“She won’t remember that part later. She’ll remember arguing.”

“Still mean.”

“You realize I need to wipe your mind of this too?”

With a sigh, Jimmy nodded. “Out of curiosity, how many times can you do that to us before brain damage or something?”

“Forever if I have to.”

He looked over at Jo. “You really got us to climb in bed together?” She was likely, therefore, the woman he’d been dreaming about.

“You act like it would be difficult. Human memories can be easily manipulated, especially by the right power level of angel.”

Jimmy tipped his head back to stare up at Gabriel. “Don’t do it again.”

“You both enjoyed it.”

He had to laugh a little at that. “That’s not the point. Jo and I have reasons we don’t do that. Could you please respect them?”

“Everything boring and slow from here on out.”

He shoved his chair back and stood. “Whenever you’re ready.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“This seat taken?”

Jo looked to her left. “Hi Chuck. No, it’s not taken.” Chuck was one of the friends she’d made over the time she’d been in town. She didn’t know much about him, but he always listened when she talked and while he gave suggestions, he never tried to tell her what to do.

“Something’s wrong,” he guessed, setting his shot glass down and sitting on the stool.

He seemed to know all about the weirdness that had happened all over the world, so she’d given up even trying to shock him. Chuck was unshockable. She’d tell him stories about killing vampires and he’d counter with werewolves and shapeshifters. He wasn’t a hunter, that much she’d determined. Nor was he some guy with an active imagination. He simply…knew things. She didn’t hesitate to lay it out for him.

“You could say that. You know, I met an angel once. He was really sweet and kind of gawky adorable. Something had happened to him and he’d started losing his powers. He was well on his way to becoming human.”

“Did he?” His brows rose. “Mmm. That’s different.”

“He had this vessel --”

“Like a pitcher or vase?”

Jo paused. “No, more like a special person type of vessel. I mean, they’re sort of the same, I guess. All of those get filled up, the person vessel by angel. ”

“I see. He was in the vessel then?”

“Yeah. Anyway, the vessel had a family once, but the family was murdered. This angel made a promise to the vessel that he’d be fully compensated for the life he’d lost. He felt terrible about the guy’s family because he’d promised they’d have a guard to protect them and it all fell apart.”

Chuck pointed to his glass, then held up two fingers. A moment later, he had a refill on his whiskey and was sliding the second glass in front of her. “On me.”

“Thanks.” She tossed it back and was a little surprised to find that it was the expensive good stuff. “To make a long story short, the vessel is here, minus his angel, and now I’ve got this pesky, arrogant archangel telling me my whole purpose in being brought back and corralled here is to pop out vessel babies with this vessel I barely know.”

“You object to the idea?” He drank his shot, then got the bartender’s attention again and tossed down a handful of bills. “Leave the bottle.”

“Can you see me as a soccer mom?”

Chuck smiled. “You’ll never be that cliché, Jo. It’s not who you are to begin with.”

“I know. It’s absurd. Me, doing the rugrat thing.”

“On the other hand, all men have a mother. Why not you?”

“Me? Out of all the women in the world? I don’t get it. I’m no one special.”

He looked wounded, brows drawing together as he turned to face her. “How can you say that, Jo? You’re very special.”

“I don’t feel like I am.”

“Feelings can lie. Feelings don’t always match up with the truth. You are special.”

Her shoulders slumped. “You’re sweet.”

“Thanks. Have you considered that you were chosen because you’re who you are, not because of genetics?”

She stared down into her drink. “Genetics?” She didn’t recall mentioning that part. Gabriel had stressed that her genetic make-up was a rolling boil of everything perfect for vessel creation, needing only the right unfilled vessel to kick-start a baby. According to him, Jimmy was that unfilled vessel. She’d been trying to refute that for a good three weeks now.

“Genetics always plays a part. Intricate strands of DNA handed down in various combinations from person and person to their child or children. Consider that maybe you were chosen because of the woman you are, not simply because of the DNA that makes you up.”

“Was,” she corrected. “The woman I was. I’m actually supposed to be dead right now.” She mentioned it before in an attempt to shock him. That attempt hadn’t worked. “Hellhound ripped open my side. I had guts spilling out and everything. Very painful and not pretty.”

“What happened?”

“Hellhound,” she repeated.

“After that.”

Jo sighed. “I came up with a plan and it gave Sam and Dean time to escape. My mom stayed with me and I guess she must have been the one to actually blow up the store, because I don’t remember doing it.”

“You selflessly gave yourself, taking that responsibility upon yourself. That’s admirable.”

“I was dying, Chuck. What else could I do?”

“All in the line of duty?”

“Something like that.” She sipped her drink. “What would make me better than Amelia? That was her name. Jimmy’s wife.”

“Jimmy’s the man who’s sometimes in here with you?”

“Yeah.” Had Chuck been in here when Jimmy was with her? She didn’t remember because she’d have introduced them and Jo knew she hadn’t introduced them. She and Jimmy had banded together, eating most meals together, seeing movies, shopping, talking until all hours. It was nice to do those things with him. He had a surprisingly dry sense of humor and liked many of the things she did. Jo enjoyed spending time with him. She felt comfortable with Jimmy. He really was a nice guy and had the bonus appeal of knowing about the hunting life. “And Claire, his daughter. Why did she have to die?”

He put a hand on her shoulder. “If you could see all of time and how everything plays out, you’d be God. You’re not meant to know the why. Humans were never meant to see all, Jo.”

“It’d be easier.”

“No, it wouldn’t.” He poured another drink. It was the seventh shot that she’d seen him do and he wasn’t even slurring his words yet. “Time is fluid.”

“Are you going to make my head hurt?”

“Not intentionally. If everyone could see their future, what would happen if they didn’t like what they saw? One choice by one person can start a chain reaction that affects every person around that person and so forth, over and over. There’s a reason God is God. No one should know the whole of future history.”

“God knows. God knows everything.”

“God is God.” He nodded. “He tests who he tests and everything works to his purpose -- even a young woman who feels herself unimportant in the grand scheme of things and unworthy of the second chance at life she was given.”

“You sound like the pastor of the church I went to as a kid.”

“Do I?”

“Sure do.” She glanced at him. “I know I’ve asked before, but are you a shrink or something?”

“Why?”

Jo shrugged. “Because you’re always so patient listening to me bitch and moan.”

“Good point. No, I’m no shrink. I’m just a very good listener. You’ve looked like you’ve needed one since you got here.”

“Thanks for that.”

“I’m always here.”

With a sigh, she slipped from the stool. “You have been. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go round thousand and something with Gabriel. Either I’m wearing him down or he’s wearing me down. I’d like to think it’s the former, but I think it’s the latter. I’m running out of ways to argue the same point over and over. He’s actually starting to make perfect sense.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Jimmy found her in the bookstore, sitting on one overstuffed loveseat with a stack of books on the floor beside her. She had one open on her lap, a book on local ghost stories. A glance at the titles of the rest confirmed that she was doing preliminary research for another file. It was an activity she turned to when feeling particularly stressed by Gabriel’s arguments.

Some days, she’d give Jimmy pointers on how to put together a file and others, she’d go through a few files she’d already put together with him, explaining how she’d actually go about a proper investigation. It was more than obvious that she wanted to get back to hunting. Maybe some day she’d be able to.

“Done arguing for the day?” He slid his hands in his pockets.

She slammed the book shut and set it aside. “For now. He ran off. Went poof in the middle of a sentence.”

“They do that. You have dinner yet?”

“No, not yet. Why? You want to get something?”

“I’m headed out to a diner on Franklin that serves some pretty decent food. Cheap prices and big portions.” He raised his brows at that, knowing it was enough to get her interest. “There’s an outdoor market in the park just down from it. Should be open for a few hours yet. We can look if you like. I glanced at the booths the other day and they’ve got food, clothes, and a bunch of other things.”

They had dinner, then did a small amount of shopping at that market. Jo picked up some food items and a few t-shirts before they strolling back to their building. By the time they returned, the air-conditioned coolness was greatly appreciated by both. Jimmy carried the bags for her, setting the one with her shirts on the floor and the others on the kitchen counter.

Jo stepped beside him, helping remove the items from the bags.

He folded one bag and laid it aside, turning, looking down at her. She was flushed from the walk back, one thin strap of her tank slipping down the smooth curve of her shoulder. At that moment, Jimmy wanted to kiss her so badly that he could already feel her lips parting beneath his, her tongue tangling with his, and her body warm and firm against him.

Without thinking about it, he cupped her jaw, turned her face towards him, leaned over and kissed her. There wasn’t a single hesitation about it. She moved into his embrace as though she’d done so many times, her hands first on his sides, then sliding around so that she embraced him in return. How long they stood there, kissing over and over, he didn’t know, but when they parted, both were breathless.

A soft smile played at the corners of her mouth and she indicated the bag he’d set on the floor. “Take that into the bedroom for me while I put the rest of this away?”

“Sure.”

He took the bags to Jo’s bedroom, never expecting the jolt of recognition that took hold of him when he stepped through the doorway. While he’d swear he’d never been in there before, he’d been in there. He had to have been. How else could he dream it as it was?

Setting the bag on her bed, and recalling the heated images of her from his dreams, Jimmy tried to find some differences. There had to be at least one or two.

There were none.

He saw the glow in the dark star stickers above the bed, the arrangement of the furniture and knew before he twitched the comforter on the bed back that the bottom sheet was solid dark green, while the top sheet was dark and light green stripes with little white flowers super-imposed over those stripes. He knew he’d seen Jo with that sheet twisted about her bare legs.

Everywhere Jimmy looked was some detail that cemented in his mind that Gabriel had played with their memories. Why? To what purpose?

He was still standing there, staring at her bed and thinking about Gabriel’s possible motives, when Jo appeared in the doorway.

“Jimmy? Something wrong? You didn’t come back out….”

“I’m going to pass on a movie tonight, Jo. I need to talk to Gabriel about something.”

Her brows rose. “Something important?”

“I…maybe? I’m not sure.”

“Oh. Okay. Breakfast tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

He called for the archangel in a no-nonsense tone and waited on his couch for Gabriel to appear. He stretched his arms out to the sides along the back, put his feet up and crossed his ankles on the coffee table.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” Gabriel made all the lights go on. “Jimmy?”

“You’ve erased some of our memories. I walked into her bedroom and it….” He took a deep breath. “I remember, Gabriel. I remember being with her in her bedroom and doing things I never did with Amelia. Not unusual, kinky things, just things she was uncomfortable considering. Amelia wasn’t adventurous, had a difficult time saying what she wanted, but I know I was with Jo and she wasn’t shy. It did happen. Don’t try to tell me it didn’t happen and don’t try to deny you messed with our memories. I’m so sick of all you angels --”

“Yeah, it did happen.”

The quiet admission stunned him. Jimmy looked over at Gabriel. “What’s the bottom line? Just lay it on me. No more games, no hedging, just lay it out.”

He came across the room, made a chair appear and sat down. “This here between you and Jo? It’s a free will agreement. You both have to agree in specific language to join together and make more vessels.”

“Explain.” There was more to it. There had to be.

“You’re a vessel, from a long line of potential vessels, able to father them. While Jo isn’t a vessel and couldn’t be one, she’s one of the genetic lottery jackpots thanks to Bill and Ellen. Amelia was too. Following me?”

“You already mentioned that.”

“Lucifer had the vessel lines destroyed with help from, regrettably, some of my brethren. He killed them and the genetic firepower that makes it all happen. Jo was snatched away at her death and kept safe. It was a gamble. She was supposed to be dead, which meant they wouldn’t look for her. It took a lot to keep her hidden from him. Arcane symbols, moving her around while keeping the appearance of the same location…. Exhausting. I admit I was a bit vague to you both on the numbers before, but I’ll tell you if you really want me to.”

“I do.”

“You’re it. You’re the only regular line vessel left, Jimmy. And Jo’s the only match remaining that can produce vessels with you. You’re the Adam and Eve of vessels.”

“What about Dean --”

“Archangel lines are different. In that lottery, Jo’s just another woman. Not fair, I know. It’s her or nothing since Amelia didn’t want to come back and we can’t afford you to choose nothing, Jimmy. We can’t afford Jo to say no.”

He thought about that while Gabriel stood waiting. He’d suspected there was more to it than Gabriel had mentioned before, but this? This was overwhelming. It was akin to telling Dean Winchester that he was the only hope for the world -- which the angels had also done, so Jimmy knew he shouldn’t feel singled out by this. It was sort of their m.o..

He’d like to tell them to jump off a cliff, or something quite a bit more forceful, but could he forget that they honestly needed him and Jo? It wasn’t like there were more vessels they could harass about it. He was it. Jimmy sighed and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. Jo was a beautiful woman. Would it be a bad thing to be with her? To have children with her? Could he finish setting Amelia aside and focus on a new woman?

His thoughts went round and round in tortured circles until he gave a last sigh and sat up. “I’ll do it, but she has to marry me. I have a moral stance on premarital sex, Gabriel. I won’t ignore it just to create future vessels for a bunch of angels who, for the most part, have been dicks to everyone on the planet.”

“You didn’t used to care about being married for sex.”

“I care now and that’s how it is. Take it or leave it.”

“You know we’ll take it.”

“So…. Are you telling Jo the full truth or am I?”

He told her not an hour later, explaining that last bit Gabriel had neglected to share: they were it. Without them, the angels would have no vessels ever again. The news seemed to take most of the fight from her, even shocking her into silence.

To his surprise, she started to cry.

Jimmy went to her, pulling her into his arms, ignoring her initial resistance. It took only a moment before she was embracing him in return, arms tightening around him and face pressing to his chest.

“I can’t do this,” she sobbed. “I can’t have the weight of this on me. I can’t. Jimmy, it’s too much!”

He slid one hand along her back in comforting swoops and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I know.”

“They can’t ask me to do this. I don’t want it. I never asked for that. All I wanted was to hunt and be taken seriously, but this is too much!”

He didn’t point out that there’d been no asking involved on Gabriel’s part, merely an assumption of eventual consent.

“The last of the vessel line? Why did they even let that happen? What’s wrong with them? Do they have no ability to project possible consequences of their actions? Couldn’t they have thought that might happen?”

Her crying continued, words veering from frightened to angry on the subject. Jimmy held her the entire time. When she wound down, he told her he’d consented to the planned union, but with the condition that she married him. He still had beliefs and wouldn’t compromise on them knowingly.

She drew back. “Marriage? Jimmy….” Jo shook her head. “I don’t know if I can --”

“Think about it. You have all the time in the world, remember? Gabriel can manipulate time and us both. Take some time and --”

Jo turned away, arms wrapping about herself. She sniffled, then nodded, looking over her shoulder at him. “Okay, Jimmy. I’ll marry you. I’ll have a couple babies.” She swallowed hard. “But you tell Gabriel that I want mobility. I want to leave this town and go back to hunting. Files aren’t enough. I want to do my job. If he can guarantee me that…we’re good to go as soon as arrangements can be made.”

He knew there’d be no promise that she could leave and start hunting again. Not if this was as important as Gabriel made it seem, but he’d relay the message. “I’ll tell him.”

She’d said yes. Hope flared inside him. She’d agreed, not only to the angels need, but to his terms. It seemed too good to be true that he’d have a tiny bit of normal in his life.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meg had survived far more than most demons.

She’d lived through continued run-ins with the Winchesters; through being seared by holy fire -- albeit with some scarring to her host --; through Lucifer’s wrath at failing to keep Castiel contained, and come out on top in the end. She was still on earth while many of those who’d been loyal to the cause had fallen back into the pit.

She decided that the reason she’d survived had been her own great sense of self-preservation. After all, she liked being on earth and when the depths of Lucifer’s anger with her had become apparent, she’d fled. She hadn’t really thought that keeping the cloud hopper contained was any huge deal, but he’d behaved like it was, his rage almost…childish. It had been an eye-opener. He’d made it clear that she was expendable; she and every other demon. What a let-down, to realize that her creator was just as petulant as her fellow demons!

While it was humiliating to compare herself to others like Crowley, who’d spent the last months of Lucifer’s time on earth on the run, it was the truth. Meg had run, and when the battle came and Dean Winchester was the one left standing, she’d lived. She’d lived and she’d changed hosts.

It had been prudent to change hosts as soon as she left Lucifer’s company. Her current host was a pretty petite blond. Meg was partial to blonds, but any host would do. For awhile, she’d changed them frequently, keeping on the move.

Without an endgame, she was at loose ends. She needed a challenge to keep herself busy, so Meg kept her ear to the ground. Gradually, she began to hear things.

Dean Winchester holed up in some unknown location licking his wounds from that fight.

Crowley once more rising to the top as sales increased.

And whispers of an empty angelic vessel running around the U.S. somewhere. Three guesses which interested her the most? Dean could easily wait for another day and she’d rather not tangle with Crowley, so that left the vessel. She was good at finding the unfindable. Maybe she’d track down that vessel. It’d be a hoot to use it herself and deprive some dick angel of his vessel. She’d find the vessel, learn how it worked.

It was a good plan.

She smiled and began her search.