Title: That Old Illusion of Free Will
Chapter: Five
~~~~~~~~~~
Gabriel didn’t panic often, but when he did, he tended to do stupid things -- like alter Jo’s memory again of both their conversation and the fact that she’d skipped her period. He was courting disaster now, plain and simple. Here he’d been so focused on getting them together that he’d neglected to notice she’d already conceived.
Already. Great. He thought this was supposed to be a free will thing and she just had to get knocked up during the bit where he’d ‘tweaked’ things. Could she be any more of a pain in the ass?
He’d hoped the clothing switch would entice them into more than watching tv, but no, Jimmy’d slept on the couch. The couch. What man in his right mind would sleep on the couch when there was a nearly naked woman on the huge bed in his bedroom?
Jimmy Novak would, apparently. He claimed they weren’t emotionally ready.
Gabriel paced in the park, considering his dilemma as days passed. It seemed unreal to Gabriel that Jimmy didn’t even try to cop a feel. Surely they didn’t have to be emotionally ready for that? At least the two showed no hesitation about kissing.
He kicked a rock and watched it bounce along the sidewalk and into the grass. The more he tried to fix his mistake, the more he messed things up. At this rate, maybe it’d be best if he just gave Jo those memories back.
I’m supposed to be an archangel, he told himself. Fierce, powerful. What’s wrong with me that I can’t do this simple job? What am I doing?
Actually, it was obvious what he was doing, he simply had to admit it.
He was trying to avoid the inevitable headache of a confrontation with Jo when she realized the truth. While he enjoyed those verbal spats with her, he had to admit that his conduct of late wasn’t exactly up to his previous sterling example of service. He’d admit that to himself, but wasn’t sure he could admit it to a human.
It was almost as if there was a divine influence on events making everything he did go awry.
He looked around, studying the trees, the playground, and the parking lot, hoping to hear God’s voice again telling him what to do here. It didn’t happen and he sat on the nearest bench. He supposed this was a lesson to him to do what he’d been told and not to take matters into his own hands.
Still….
There were ways to fix his actions. He could turn time back and not alter her memory.
But he’d told Castiel he wouldn’t mess with time and Castiel was technically an acting superior even if he wasn’t superior in the powers department. They hadn’t had much interaction thus far, though Gabriel suspected he probably didn’t want to make Castiel mad. It was always the quiet ones who could bite you on the ass. He crossed his arms. Besides, he was due the receiving end of some payback after what he’d done to Castiel while the Winchesters were in tv land. No need to remind Castiel of that, was there?
Not to mention all of the progress between Jimmy and Jo thus far would be lost. They’d be starting all over were he to take them back to a different point.
Or, he could just tell her.
No, that wasn’t an option. She and Jimmy needed to get it on a few times before she knew the truth. It’d be safer for the creation of future vessels if they made that physical and emotional connection.
However, whatever option he ended up going with to fix his (repeated) mistakes, it needed to be made clear to her that Jimmy had been manipulated as much as, if not more than, she’d been. She couldn’t believe Jimmy had gone along with it. That’d really be bad.
He decided to wait until they’d gotten physical, then tell the truth. How long could it possibly take for them to know each other well enough? A couple more days? A week, tops?
~~~~~~~~~~
All of the computer work and phone calls they made brought nothing. As far as the world was concerned, Jo Harvelle no longer existed. With each dead-end, Bobby watched Ellen’s calm slip a fraction. She was frustrated that she couldn’t run all across the U.S. physically tracking down leads.
Well, she could, but she didn’t think she could. Bobby could relate. He’d had his moments of feeling useless and wallowing in self pity.
Ellen was crying again.
Bobby stood in his kitchen preparing dinner for them and ignored the sounds of her sobs. He knew she didn’t want him to acknowledge her tears; that she hated for anyone to see her cry.
He drained pasta, stirred the sauce, then got out two bowls and silverware.
They’d been unable to locate Jo, even using her known aliases. Either that man had lied to Ellen, which was cruel, or Jo had a whole new identity. Bobby didn’t know which was worse for Ellen’s morale right now. She was up and down so many times in a day she was like a yo-yo constantly moving.
Not like he hadn’t expected that. He’d been through it himself. He decided to try to get her involved in a hunt. It was about time he got back out there anyway and she’d be a good help if he could get her interested.
Getting her interested was going to be the problem. She wanted to find Jo and make sure she was okay before rushing headlong back into the fight. Bobby could understand that. He understood emotional pain in ways most people didn’t and Ellen was in a lot of emotional pain.
He wished he had some way to get that information for her.
~~~~~~~~~~
She couldn’t find Jo.
And it about broke Ellen’s heart.
She thought about the last time she’d searched for Jo. It had felt hopeless then and she’d found her through hard work. She recalled all of the favors she’d called in and the dead-ends she’d pursued with single-minded determination. It had worked then.
Well, this time it was hopeless. What skills Ellen lacked, Bobby had, so together they should have found some sign of her. There were none. Jo was well hidden from her and Ellen just had to accept the fact. She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to acknowledge that she was no closer to finding Jo than she’d been when she’d told Bobby that Jo was alive.
She pretended she wasn’t crying while Bobby pretended he couldn’t hear her. It was an activity they did daily.
Ellen wiped at her tears and gave the wheelchair a glare. There was nothing wrong with her legs. She went to physical therapy like she was supposed to, did well while there, but when she tried the exercises at Bobby’s or outside the therapy center her legs wouldn’t function. It was like her brain disconnected at a critical moment.
The doctor had a nice psychological diagnosis for that. She wondered if he was right. He said it was connected to the trauma of what had happened to her; that if she used her legs it might happen again.
Well hell yeah she’d hunt again! Her first hunt would be to find Jo and then….
What?
Did she want to be a part of whatever heaven’s plan for Jo was?
Ellen rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Bobby was going to try to distract her soon. She knew what he was going to do. He’d do the same thing everyone had done with him. He’d try to involve her in his hunts. He’d dangle something before her, hoping it’d be shiny enough to grab her attention.
But Ellen wasn’t ready to let Jo go. As long as she knew her daughter was out there, she had to look for her.
~~~~~~~~~~
The earth needed hunters.
Castiel looked down upon it and saw that Lucifer had let more things free than he’d initially thought. There were more demons out and about than there had ever been, more magical creatures with mischief and murder on their minds. While the physical pangs upon the earth had nearly stopped, the evil beings looked to be growing in number.
He got as close as he dared without a body, gleaning what information he could. It’d be easier if he had Jimmy full-time, but as that wasn’t possible, he made do. He listened, eavesdropped and what he heard disturbed him.
The demons were aware of an empty vessel in the U.S. and they were all searching for it, which meant he needed to tell Gabriel to be vigilant. They couldn’t let Jimmy be killed.
It was rumored that Sam Winchester had slipped free of the prison before it closed and was back hunting, cutting a swathe through demons and creatures alike. Sam had been human. How could he have escaped? If he’d escaped, it was through a higher power, the same one that had been behind Castiel’s own rise. Only God could have pulled Sam free. Castiel wasn’t sure if he should take that rumor as truth. He decided to consider it and look for evidence supporting it.
If Sam was free, what was the reason?
It was rumored that Dean Winchester was holed up somewhere, out of commission. That one he knew was true. He’d gone to live with the woman Lisa and her son Ben. Was he still there, though? Castiel hadn’t been back to check. He’d been too occupied to see Dean. Maybe he should remedy that. He’d called Dean a friend, yet by Dean’s definition, Castiel had to admit that he hadn’t been a very good one of late. He should have gone to see him.
He wondered, if the world needed Dean Winchester to hunt, would Dean go back? Or had he come to the point in his life where he was willing to turn a blind eye?
It was rumored that many dead hunters had miraculously been brought back to life. Well, it really depended on what one considered many, didn’t it? Still, one name on the list of names he’d heard gave him pause.
Ellen Harvelle.
For Jo’s sake, perhaps he should go see if Bobby had heard anything, since human heaven was still a disorganized, chaotic mess. If he attempted to ascertain if Ellen was up there, he’d never find her. If anyone had heard about Ellen, he thought it would probably be Bobby.
Castiel headed for Jo and Jimmy’s house. It was time for use of his vessel.
He arrived over the town, searching a bit to glean Gabriel’s whereabouts. Gabriel was occupied with a young woman and Castiel didn’t see any need to interrupt him. He turned instead to Jimmy’s house, waiting patiently until the sun began to creep up over the horizon, signaling what humans considered the acceptable start of a new day. Castiel noticed several of Jimmy and Jo’s neighbors up and about, one already leaving a house with a briefcase and coffee cup in hand.
He waited because Dean had sometimes complained about Castiel keeping weird hours, informing him that waking him in the middle of the night wasn’t appreciated. He waited so Jimmy wouldn’t make the same complaint and when the sun was fully above the horizon, he set about waking him.
~~~~~~~~~~
I need temporary use of you.
Jimmy rolled over in bed and shook Jo until she roused. “Castiel’s waiting,” he told her. “I’ve got to go.”
She raised a hand, slid her fingers along his cheek, and pressed a light kiss to his lips. “Tell him not to keep you out too long,” she murmured, then snuggled back down under the covers again. She was back asleep before he’d gotten untangled from the covers.
He took a quick shower, but when he pulled casual clothes from the closet, Castiel piped up again.
Where’s the suit?
“I threw it out. Goodwill didn’t want it and the Salvation Army refused to take it even to make rags.”
Why? It was still serviceable.
“I want to wear something else.”
But the suit shows respect. All angels wear such clothing when we’re in our vessels. His voice sounded strangely petulant.
“The suit was a suit, Castiel. It was initially put on without a full understanding on my part of what was really going on. I’d been raised to believe you had to dress up to do anything involving faith. Now I know better.” He drew on the clothes, ignoring Castiel’s protests. The only concession he made was switching the t-shirt he’d planned on wearing with the dark blue button-down Jo had given him. He liked the shirt and didn’t bother tucking it in. “It’s a new day, with new rules. Suck it up.”
You’re being difficult.
“No, I just wised up. You plan to gallivant all over the earth wearing me, I’m going to wear something comfortable.”
This is Jo’s influence. He sighed. Gabriel was right about her.
“She’s my wife now, Castiel. Cool it. And Gabriel wears jeans, too. He’s an archangel. So I don’t know what you’re grousing about. Jeans are perfectly acceptable.”
They won’t know me in those clothes.
That was the real heart of the matter. Castiel was afraid he wouldn’t be recognized. Jimmy’s lips twitched. It was a human worry. “Somehow, I doubt whoever we’re going to see won’t recognize you without the suit. They’ll know it’s you, believe me.”
You’ve become obstinate.
“Oh, I’ve always been this way.”
Not like this. You’re…vocal.
Jimmy rolled his eyes and stepped from the bedroom, snagging his jogging shoes on the way out.
Too casual.
“It’s the middle of the night. You’ll take whatever I put on.”
It’s not the middle of the night. I waited until dawn to wake you. This time his voice was indignant.
“Like I said. Jo and I didn’t get to bed until late.”
There was silence and then, You went to bed at your usual hour, Jimmy. You simply talked in the dark until nearly two.
“Which still makes dawn the middle of the night. We’re arguing this why?” Sitting down, he put on socks and shoes. “All right. Whenever you’re ready.”
Light and heat encased him.
~~~~~~~~~
The clothes felt different.
Castiel sat for a moment in Jimmy and Jo’s living room, adjusting once more to having a vessel. He let the weight of Jimmy’s body anchor him to the earth, took deep breaths to feel the physical connection, and let Jimmy’s recent memories wash over him. He was curious as to how Jimmy and Jo were getting along.
They appeared to like each other and Jimmy….
Jimmy felt younger with Jo. She didn’t take some things as seriously as Amelia had. Castiel supposed when one faced life and death situations regularly, things like making a mortgage payment weren’t a big deal. Jo didn’t worry about paying bills. She was different from Amelia.
Different was good for Jimmy at this juncture. Change was good.
Castiel stood. He had much to accomplish and a short while to do it.
Going to the closet by the front door, he opened it. Inside were several jackets and coats, most of them Jo’s. He found the coat he was looking for, smiling a little as he took it out. Castiel held it up, noting that it had been cleaned and had the faint scent of chemicals. He put it on.
There. Better. Familiar. Comfortable.
He left the house.
~~~~~~~~~~
The file Bobby had brought out was relatively easy compared to some of the things Ellen had hunted. It was a simple haunting, though she knew better than to label anything as simple. Sometimes the simple ones turned out to be the hardest ones. She sighed and flipped the page over to study the photographs, her mind wandering a little.
She wondered how Dean was coping without Sam. It didn’t seem right that Sam was gone and Dean no longer hunted. It made the world feel strange to her.
“I thought the demons were trying to frighten each other by making up stories of hunters rising from the dead to stalk them.”
Ellen looked up. Castiel was standing in the wide doorway, his arms crossed, expression unreadable. “Cas.”
He wasn’t in a suit, though he did have that tan coat on. Beneath that coat was a blue shirt, open at the collar and worn untucked over jeans. Ellen almost smiled in amusement to see jogging shoes on his feet.
She gestured at him with one hand. “Casual Friday?”
“Something like that,” he replied and was suddenly there beside her, reaching for her hand, grasping it. His grip was warm and strong. His other hand raised, fingers brushing her forehead a second before he drew back in a hurry, expression shifting to one of surprise. Castiel’s eyes widened, lips parting. With a tiny frown, he tried again and again drew back. “Interesting,” he remarked, crouching down and releasing her hand.
She had the feeling she’d just become an intriguing puzzle for him. “Interesting? Interesting how?”
“Well,” Bobby’s voice drawled from behind her. “You heal her?”
“I can’t.”
“That sounds familiar.” Bobby snorted. “Why not? You pulled me from death and healed the hurt Lucifer put on Dean. Why not her too? You got something against her?”
His gaze turned to Bobby. “Of course not. I’d heal this if I could, the same as I would have healed you if I’d been able. I’m being prevented from doing so. I have the ability, it’s simply not…working. Someone above me has already touched her body to facilitate healing. I can’t interfere.”
“You’re full strength again?” Bobby’d told her as little as possible, seeming to think she didn’t need details, which drove her nuts. If it was one thing she wanted it was details.
“And then some. I’ve been promoted though the ranks and have been working to put heaven back in order.”
There were so many things she wanted to ask him, starting with --
He shook his head. “Don’t ask what I can’t answer, Ellen.”
“Come on, Cas. I just need to know she’s okay. Have you seen her? Is she really alive?”
“Ellen.” He ducked his head.
“Just tell her,” Bobby said, stepping up beside her.
Castiel let out a long sigh and raised his head. “I can give you confirmation of her being alive on earth.”
“Is she okay? Happy, safe, what?”
He stood. “Jo is going through a…difficult time of adjustment, but it’s one she must endure.”
She could see in his eyes that he knew far more than he was telling. He’d seen Jo, interacted with her. No, not just interacted. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t quite decipher, but her motherly gut told her Castiel knew exactly where Jo was. “Is she safe?”
“As safe as any hunter ever is.”
“That’s hardly comforting.”
“But true.”
“You know more than you’re telling.”
For a second, amusement rippled across his features. “Ellen, I know things that could deeply embarrass you and Jo both were I to speak them aloud. I’ve given you what you need. What you want is irrelevant.”
“Would you have some damn compassion?” Bobby snorted. “It’s been tearing Ellen up inside that we can’t find her and all you can say is that she’s alive?”
Castiel took a step back, gaze turning to the ceiling, roaming across it before he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them and spoke, his voice was hushed. “She’s not Jo Harvelle anymore.”
Ellen smacked her hand against Bobby’s leg. “I told you. New identity. Probably a new social, too.”
“Not completely new,” Cas said. “Only her last name is different and she’s healthy. She’s not lonely. She’s in a good place. You should stop searching for her, Ellen. Help Bobby with his hunts and heal.”
“She’s my little girl, Cas. I can’t forget her.”
“Try.”
He was gone in a blink, leaving Ellen only slightly comforted.
~~~~~~~~~~
As the days passed, it became apparent to Jimmy that Jo was depressed. She’d wander around the house picking things up and putting them down, turning on the tv and turning it off again. She’d stand at the front window and stare outside, like she was doing now.
He went to her, putting his arms around her waist. “What’s wrong?”
“I want to hunt.”
“Okay.” He should have guessed that was what was on her mind. It had been her life for a long time. “Got one in mind?”
She turned in his embrace. “What do you mean, do I have one in mind?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. You’ve obviously been thinking about it, which means you’ve got something in mind. Tell me.”
Jo slid her hands across his chest. “I do, actually. It’s about four hours away, so it’s not far. It’d be a weekend job at most. I’d be back by Monday.”
He supposed now was as good a time as any to see if Gabriel really had restricted her. “Okay. Go.”
“Really? Are you serious, Jimmy? Don’t you want to know anything else about it?”
“Tell me while you pack.”
Her eyes lit up with pleasure. “Come on then. Let’s get me packed.”
She explained about the file she’d chosen, brought it out for him to look at. Jimmy read through it while she threw a couple changes of clothes into a bag and found her hunting kit, asking questions, assuring himself it wasn’t one of the more dangerous ones she’d been working on. It didn’t look dangerous. It looked like a plain ghost problem.
He carried her bags out to the garage for her and put them on the passenger seat of the truck. “You sure you want to do this?”
“Yeah.” Jo nodded. “It’s an easy job, a cakewalk. I’ve done a hundred of them by myself and with my mom.”
“If you’re sure….” He placed his hands on her hips, drawing her close. “Call me when you get there.”
“Of course.” She kissed him goodbye and in minutes, was gone.
He spent the morning on the internet looking at car sites and avoiding thinking about the yard work he needed to do. The lawn didn’t mow itself, unfortunately. Still, he dawdled, glancing at the clock, waiting to do anything until he heard from Jo. He promised himself he wouldn’t worry until over four hours had gone by. Two passed, then three and just as the clock was approaching the four hour marker, Jimmy heard the garage door rumble open and then the door into the utility room. Jo came into view, setting down her bags.
“Jo, what happened?” Getting up, he went into the kitchen.
She took a glass from the cupboard, filled it with water, and drank it all. “Nothing. Nothing happened. That’s the problem.”
When she turned, he could see she’d been crying. Her face was blotchy and her eyes red and swollen. Jimmy stepped close, putting a hand on her arm and slowly chafing it. “Tell me.”
Tears slipped free and she wiped them away. “I drove to the edge of town and was suddenly in the parking lot of that video place downtown. I tried five times to leave and I couldn’t. I yelled for Gabriel, but he’s ignoring me. The bastard. He agreed. He said --”
“Calm down. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”
“Are you, Jimmy? Do you really think it’s a misunderstanding? Because I think he lied to me. I can’t hunt. I can’t leave.”
No, he thought, but I can. It wasn’t fair to her that Gabriel had made a promise and was reneging, no matter the reason. It was wrong and if Jimmy could fix it for her, he would. He held her a moment, then left her looking through the fridge for something to eat. When he returned awhile later, he was carrying a bag.
“What’s that?” She ate a spoonful of yogurt and granola, pointing her empty spoon at the bag.
Jimmy set it by the garage door next to hers. “I’m going with you.”
“Why?”
“To see if it happens when I’m with you and if it does, then I’ll try driving and see what happens.”
She looked unenthusiastic about the idea, staring at the garage door with a tiny frown before nodding. “Okay.” Jo finished her yogurt, tossed the container in the trash, and put the spoon in the dishwasher. “I’ll bet we’re both screwed, but we can try.”
As an experiment, it was a success. He learned that she didn’t just go poof and end up somewhere else. She went into a trance state and drove herself there. When he took over driving, they successfully passed the town border. Jo however, fell asleep at the town sign. He drove them two hours in the direction she’d planned, deciding that if he couldn’t wake her up, they’d turn around and go back. She remained asleep until he woke her in the parking lot of the motel he’d chosen. While difficult to wake, it wasn’t the feat he’d feared.
She blinked sleepily, yawned, and stretched. “Where are we,” she asked.
“We’re about halfway there.”
“Seriously?” She looked around the parking lot. “I’m out of that town? I’m really out of that town?”
“Yes.”
Jo laughed, unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over, pressing a warm kiss to his mouth. “You’re a good man, Jimmy Novak. Have I said that today?”
“No, you haven’t. Feel free to repeat it.”
“You’re a good man.” Her mouth pressed to his again, lingering. “Now let’s go check-in and grab some dinner.”
She was more animated than he’d ever seen her, going through the file with him again after dinner. Her eyes shone with excitement as she explained the situation and how she wanted to handle it. Jimmy was perfectly content to let her lead. He had no desire to be a hunter, he just wanted to be there if she needed him.
Leaning over, he kissed her, hands cupping her face. She was in a good mood, relaxed, letting him lay her back on the bed. He thought she was enjoying herself, but then she stiffened, hand grasping his, removing it from her breast.
“Stop, Jimmy, stop. I want to go home.”
Jimmy went very still, trying to figure out what he’d done to cause that reaction. “Home.”
“Yes. I want to go home. Now.” She began to scoot away from him.
He sighed and sat up. “Why not wait until morning?”
“I want to go home.”
“Right. Did I do something, because I thought --?”
“No, that’s not…. I was liking it…a lot, but….” Sitting, she tugged her bra back into place and fastened it. “I don’t feel right about being here anymore. Something’s wrong, I feel it. I’ve learned to trust my gut and it’s telling me to head for home ASAP.”
He placed his forefinger under her chin, tipping it up a fraction, staring into her eyes. She was serious. Slowly, he nodded. “Okay. We’ll head for home.” He reached for his shirt and pulled it back on, watching her first button her blouse, then put the few things she’d taken out of her bags back into them.
Jimmy took their bags to the truck, slinging them in with a bit more force than necessary. He paused, braced his hands on the door and frame and bent a little, taking a calming breath. It felt like a slap that she’d pushed him away. Maybe later, though, at home, they could pick up where they’d stopped. Maybe then she wouldn’t freak out.
When he returned, he saw that Gabriel had joined them. “I thought you were trapped there like Jo was.”
“Hey, her boundaries expand, mine expand. I’m playing guardian angel, I get to go where she does. Which one of you figured out the trick to getting her out of town?”
Jo pointed at him. “That would be Jimmy.”
“It was logical. She can’t walk or drive herself out, but there’s no restriction on me.”
“Right. You two realize every demon’s radar in a two hundred mile radius lit up when you, Jimmy, crossed the town limits?”
The blood seemed to drain from his body, leaving him chilled. He’d forgotten what he was to them. “Son of a bitch,” he whispered, then sucked in a breath.
“Why?” Jo sat on the bed.
“Empty vessel,” Jimmy answered and shook his head. “I’m sorry Gabriel, I didn’t think about that.” It hadn’t occurred to him that the demons even knew he wasn’t playing vessel at present.
“Obviously. You really want to repeat your last demon encounter? Was it that much fun? Let’s get you both out of here before one of the more enterprising ones figures out you’re here.”
“I just wanted to make a hunt happen for Jo," he tried to explain.
“I applaud the husbandly sentiment, really I do, but this doesn’t rank as one of your smartest days. You were something tasty for them then, but if they get hold of you and find out you’re the last vessel….” He shrugged.
They’d kill him for sure, leaving the angels with no vessels. They’d kill him with glee, unable to believe their good fortune.
~~~~~~~~~~
When he kissed her, Jo responded, fully willing to let him do whatever he wanted. It was a special day, so why not make it more so? She didn’t object when he undid the buttons of her blouse, thoroughly enjoying his hands and mouth moving over her skin, her own hands tugging at his shirt until he removed it and tossed it aside.
His skin was hot against her fingertips and she dragged a hand around to his back, a subtle hint for him to move closer. He obliged, undoing the front clasp of her bra and brushing the fabric aside. His lips caressed a trail down her neck and lower, tongue flicking, swirling.
It felt right.
It felt perfect…
…until she opened her eyes and the room seemed to snap into too sharp a focus. It was a feeling she’d had only a few times in her hunting life, a sense that danger was close and if she didn’t act, something very bad was going to happen.
In the past, she’d reached for her kit and her guns and braced herself to meet whatever it was head-on.
It troubled her then, that this time her initial reaction was to run for home. At this second, with the terrible sense of danger approaching, Jo wanted nothing more than to be at home with Jimmy, safe behind Gabriel’s restrictions.
Her announcement that she wanted to leave confused Jimmy, maybe even angered him a little. He agreed though, and when he opened the door to take their bags back to the truck, Jo shivered. Malice seemed to pour in through the opening.
It was already too late to leave.
She knew it, could feel it and squeezed her eyes shut, hands pressing to her side where she should bear scars, yet didn’t. Her lower lip trembled. Jo recalled the pain….
“You’re lucky, you know,” came Gabriel’s voice from in front of her.
She opened her eyes, relieved to see him in front of her. “Gabriel.” Did he hear that relief in her voice?
“Were you expecting someone else?”
Jimmy returned.
~~~~~~~~~
Meg stalked along the sidewalk. She could practically smell angel in the area. It was an odorous whiff of righteousness that lingered. She had to be getting close to the source by now.
She paused as a door in the motel across the street opened, a man stepping out. Meg focused on him, watching him cross to a truck and put three bags into it. The light from the streetlight caressed his features and she smiled.
Castiel’s vessel. Where was the cloud hopper and why had he left his vessel all alone?
She crossed the street, catching a glimpse of a woman in the room when he went inside. Interesting. The vessel was seeing a woman. Or was Castiel seeing her?
Meg strode to the door of the room, hearing muffled voices, smelling the scent of angel, and then…. They were all gone. She glanced over her shoulder. Even the truck was gone. “No,” she said. “No way did I just lose the vessel.”
Heart of her host pounding, she grasped the doorknob and turned it. The door opened easily, showing an empty room.
She screamed in rage.
~~~~~~~~~~
With a snap, they were back at the house and in their bedroom. Gabriel continued. “That’s it. You’re both confined here. Jimmy, you can leave with Castiel and that’s it.”
“That’s not fair. I know now not to leave.”
“I don’t care if you think it’s fair. You’re both special --”
“Being trapped really emphasizes the special part.” Jo said, still sitting, hands gripping the edge of the bed. “You lied to me.”
“No. I told you we’d work something out. Never said when. You’re both special --”
“I’m really starting to hate that word.” Jimmy sat beside Jo. ‘Special’ was what had started him on this path to begin with. ‘Special’ had lost him his family and his life -- literally and figuratively both.
“Deal with it,” Gabriel snapped. “I can’t have you running around out there while…before she’s knocked up.” He jabbed a finger at Jo. “You’re both starting to rank right up there with the Winchesters on my annoyance scale.”
“At least we’re in good company,” Jo returned, standing. “And I’ll get knocked up, as you so charmingly put it, when I’m damn good and ready to be knocked up and not a second before.”
“You think you have some control over that?”
They stepped forward, toe to toe, nose to nose, and Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Okay, enough! We won’t do it again.”
“I know you won’t. You’re physically incapable as of this second.”
“I promise I won’t leave town or help Jo to.”
“Not good enough.”
Jo crossed her arms. “Jerk.”
“Does calling names help,” Gabriel asked, “because I have a few choice names for you, sweetheart.”
She moved back, away from Gabriel, holding her hands up beside her shoulders. “Forget it. I’m gonna take a bath.” The bathroom door slammed behind her.
Jimmy swallowed his frustration when Gabriel disappeared at the same time. “Nice. It’s not boring around here,” he said, reaching for his pajama pants and t-shirt.
Jo spent the evening in their bedroom, huddled beneath the covers of their bed. He suspected she’d been crying, but when he went to bed, she was already asleep.
