Wallis' Place - Our Worlds Become One

THIS BLOG AND THE PAGE IT WAS ON WAS HACKED AND DELETED.  BUT DIANNA HAD EVERYTHING BACKED UP, SO HERE ARE THE FIRST 6,450 WORDS OF THE STORY

Sam Winchester

Sam had suggested to Dianna that Wallis' Place should serve food.  Burgers and fries, at a minimum. Sam didn't know anything about restaurant management, but he did know there was a small grill in the back that could churn out some hot meals, if Dianna wanted to do that.  Instead of taking his advice, and firing up that grill, she had bought more snacks - bags of chips, candy bars, cookies, and all manner of pickled stuff in big gallon or five-gallon jars.  Lined up on a shelf to the side of the liquor bottles were jars of pickled sausages, pigs feet, eggs, okra, and...even several varieties of pickles.  Next to Sam's longneck Budweiser on the bar counter was a small paper plate that contained two of those shriveled sausages, a pickled egg, and a two big dill pickles.  He'd also bought a bag of baked potato chips.  All of her chips were low calorie or reduced fat.  Most without salt.  In fact, Sam could see that the cookies were mostly sugar-free, multi-grain or things like granola bars. None of it looked very appetizing.  Except for the beer, which he tilted back and glugged several ounces down his throat.  Now that tasted good. 

Activity on the monster front had been slow of late.  Nonexistent, really, since the affair with the goblins here in Kansas City, which was just fine and dandy with Sam.  He kind of needed a break, some downtime.  He frowned as his phone started vibrating in his pocket.  He withdrew it and looked at the call information.  It was Bobby.  His frown deepened, because he suspected his little vacation was about to come to an end.

"Bobby.  Dude.  Good to hear from you.  What's up?"  Sam listened as Bobby outlined what would become the Winchester's next case.  There was trouble down in Cajun country.  The magical Geiger counter was off the charts in a little, backwoods place in northwestern Louisiana called Bon Temps.  The name was familiar to Sammy, but he couldn't quite place it.  A rumor was spinning around down there that someone had concocted an antidote for vampirism.  An antidote or the opposite - something that could easily be administered to a human to make a vampire.  Put it in the water system and either the whole population becomes bloodsucking night owls, or the community suddenly is bloodsucker free.  Either way, its going to be like an earthquake, tectonic plates grinding against each other, in the battle against good and evil.  The monsters are going to be shivering in their boots if its really an antidote.  On the other hand, if it's an easy way to make vampires, the balance between the good guys and the black hats just slipped into the dark, gaping abyss.

"Ok, Bobby.  I'll round up the gang and we'll be in Bon Temps in two days."            

OOC: Written by Dianna and Dean

Dianna hadn't seen Dean in nearly a week. His brother, Sam, had stayed in KC. Dianna suspected he missed Sami, and since Dianna was his only connection to her, Sam stayed for a while. He was trying desperately to let go, and Dianna was the one person who understood how he felt. She didn't ask Sammy about Dean. The way she saw it she and Dean had something comforting but not necessarily forever. Deep in her soul she wanted nothing more than to have Dean around permanently, but she was completely empathetic with his reasoning. She feared that anyone she learned to care about was destined to die. She knew Dean felt the same way. And still she missed him to the point that she felt a literal ache when she thought about him.

Sammy had been pestering her to open up the grill since she had done the burgers for them while they strategized on the goblin hoard they had been faced with. She had bought more snack stuff instead. She knew Sammy was right. It would be good for business, and she would implement it eventually. But she was exhausted right now. She had lost her husband for the second time when Jack had possessed Dean for a short time. Then Lilith had murdered her sister, Sami. Everyone was licking their own personal wounds.

Dianna had felt restless for the last couple of days. Things in her city had never been this quiet. Lilith had been forced to withdraw with her demon entourage after they had defeated the goblins. There had been few other monsters active as well. It was as if the collective bravado had been at least temporarily drained from all the unsavory creatures. Dianna had offered Sam the use of her childhood home while he was in the city. She felt better having someone there, and it was an economic boon for Sam. The home was still awash in her sister's essence though, and as a consequence Sam had taken to spending the daylight hours here in the club. They had developed a warm companionship, though it was completely tacit.

Sammy had been good naturedly teasing her about her choices in snack foods versus her choices in coffee when his cell phone went off. She handed him a fresh beer and opened one for herself. It was Bobby Singer. He had apparently caught wind of a new case in the cajun south. Sam promised to round everyone up and hung up.

"If you want a burger and fries, Sammy, I will fire up the grill. And when I find a good fry cook I'll open it up to the public. Ok?"

A voice rang out behind her and she froze. "That sounds fair to me, Sammy. I don't suppose you would make that two burgers, Dianna?" The rich baritone of the person who had been occupying her mind the most washed over her. She whirled and for just a moment stood grinning foolishly. Dean grinned back and held out his arms. She flew into them plastering her lips against his. She thought she heard Sammy chuckle but she ignored it.

"I'm sorry for disappearing on you." Dean murmured in her ear. "I needed to think."

"I know. So what did you come up with?"

"We might as well paint targets on our backs." His grin faded. "Everyone I love dies. I'm not very safe to hang around."

Dianna stroked his cheek with one finger. "It's too late. The targets are there whether you and I care abut each other or not. I think we both know that. If we're together at least we can watch each other's backs." She kissed him again this time lightly and sweetly."Did you just tell me that you love me?"

"Are you one of those women that needs to hear it twice?"

"Oh, I'm one of those women who needs to hear it every day. But only if you mean it. And I love you too."

Dianna glanced over at Sam who was openly watching their exchange and grinning broadly his arms folded across his chest.

"Hey, Bro." Dean finally greeted his brother. "Bobby just called me. Said something about vamps in Louisiana." He tossed Sam the keys to the Impala. "We can leave first thing in the morning. I'll drive Dianna's car. Have you called everyone else?"

"I heard that!" Dianna called from the small kitchen where she had gone to fire up the grill. "You had better be prepared to convince me." She laughed and slapped three patties on the hot grill.

Dean poked his head into the kitchen. "I can be very persuasive when I need to be."

Dianna shook her head and handed him two plates with bacon avocado cheeseburgers and fresh hot fries. She grabbed the third and followed him out to the club where she grabbed three bottles of beer. When their meal was done Dianna took Dean's hand and pulled him from his seat. "Sorry Sammy. We have a bit of catching up to do." She took Dean upstairs where they played and rested throughout the night until morming caught them exhausted and still sleeping.

Sara

Sara watched Sam get off the phone. He looked like he had the entire world on his shoulder these days. She poured a couple of beers and headed over his way. She nudged him, "you ought to take a lesson from your brother take a night off once in a while." She handed him a beer and sat down across from him. "So what's up," she twirled her glass around playing with it before taking a sip. Nate was still working behind the bar, but the last customer had already gotten a fresh drink. She motioned for him to grab a beer and come over to join them. He was more experienced in these matters he might be able to cheer the guy up.

She reached back pulling an ink pen out of her hair allowing it to tumble down on her shoulders. "You can't keep going like this," he looked at her as if he didn't understand what she was talking about. "You know beating yourself up," she leaned back taking a few more sips of her drink. "How about just for tonight you humor me. Hang with me and Nate for a bit relax," she sat the glass down on the table.

Sam Winchester

Sammy did his best to beam a smile Sara's way.  The girl had proved herself as a brave and skillful hunter in the just-finished Goblin case.  She had earned Sam's respect, as had her boyfriend, Nate.  The bacon-avocado cheeseburgers that Dianna had cooked up certainly beat those shriveled and dead sausages Sam had fished out of the big pickle jar.  One of those sausages sat on a paper plate, forlorn and discarded, pushed off to the side.  As a way to customize the burger, Sam had added several dollops of mustard and mayonnaise.  The burger combined with a big pile of fries looked like about 1200 calories and four times the recommended daily allowance of saturated fats.  It's a good thing hunters stay active, otherwise, they'd all weigh 400 pounds and have arteries in need of a major Roto-Rooter clean out.  Sam unscrewed the lid to that pickle jar and plopped the remaining sausage from his plate back into the turbid, vinegar soup.  May it Rest in Peace.

Through a mouthful of delicious cheeseburger, Sam responded to Sara, "I'm ok.  I'll be alright."  Although he said that, in reality he was still seriously brooding over the loss of Sami Remington.  Everyone else seemed to have gotten past it, but it was going to take a while for Sam.  He nodded towards where Dean had disappeared with Dianna, "Dean pretty much gave you the clip notes.  Bobby has a beam on our next case.  We're headed to Cajun country tomorrow.  A little town called Bon Temps near Shreveport.  The vampires down there are all as nervous as long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs.  Someone has cooked up some sort of potion.  Bobby wasn't sure, but its either an antidote for vampirism, or if a person drinks it, it turns them into a vampire.  Either way, its big news, and its going to shake things up.  If it's an antidote, lots of non-vamps are going to be trying to devamp the night shift.  If it's the opposite, some paleface with fangs might put it in the water system, turning whole towns into the Night of the Not-so-Living Undead." 

He chased the last of his cheeseburger with a good slug of Budweiser.  "Louisiana vampires are a different breed than what we're used to.  When you stake them, they turn into a steaming pile of blood/entrails stew.  A warning here, don't stake one in your living room.  You'll never get vampire out of the carpet.  And they're organized down there, too.  They have kingdoms.  There's a king of Louisiana and he's got like deputies that rule areas.  Bon Temps is in Area 5, which is ruled by a 1000-year old vamp named Eric Northman.  There are other things that live out there in bayou and the back woods, too.  Shape shifters, werewolves, witches, and other things that wouldn't hesitate to disembowel you just for the fun of it, or eat you whole with gusto, just like I relish Dianna's bacon-avocado cheeseburgers."

"Has anyone seen Rachel?  We need to point her south and get her on the road tomorrow with the rest of us."

Rachel Winchester

The events of the last seven days had taken it's toll on Rachel Winchester, which was slowly becoming very visible within her facial features. She was feeling constantly tired and drained of energy, and her stress levels were almost through the roof. Not even a fortnight ago, the twenty-two year old blonde had discovered her pregnancy during the goblin case. The white-eyed demon known as Lilith had managed to get her grubby hands on her unborn child from her womb and fast-forwarded the growing process. At the end of the case, Lilith had no choice but to give Rachel and Castiel their daughter back. The unborn foetus was handed back in the form of a month-old baby. The new parents quickly found themselves unprepared for their daughter, who they named Mari Winchester. Dianna Remington had been kind enough to give Rachel a couple of bottles and a few blankets, but Rachel had no choice but to take up hussling hunters at pool for a few extra dollars to buy diapers and baby-grows. However, since the youngest Winchester sibling had not actually given birth to Mari, she felt a little detached from the child. She did not feel the connection that she had hoped to feel towards her daughter. Castiel, on the other hand, had taken to fatherhood like a duck took to water. He doted on Mari, and she seemed to take comfort in his presence. The fallen Angel seemed to be the only person who could soothe the baby girl when she cried at night. Rachel had often walked into their room at the clinic to find her partner lying on the bed with the baby sound asleep on his chest. Rachel did feel a little jealous of their connection, considering that Castiel had once thought of getting rid of the baby to save her life. It didn't exactly seem fair.

Rachel could not say a bad word against Castiel, not since the ending of their previous case. He had proven himself to be a hands-on father, especially when it came to the night feeds. Their relationship had grown stronger since Mari had come back to them. They had stopped their arguing and fighting, and were starting to take time out of their days to spend together as a family. The tension in the air that had surrounded them during the goblin case had completely disappeared over night. Now, instead of sending each other glares from across the room, they shared smiles. Rachel just could not help but feel sorry for her older brother, Sam. Since Sammi Remington's death, Sam had been a little withdrawn. It couldn't be easy for him to watch his siblings getting on with their lives and their relationships only a week after he had lost the blonde haired hunter. Even Nate and Sarah seemed to have gotten together. Rachel had seen the look of longing in her older brother's eyes, and her heart went out to him. With her brother's obvious heartache in mind, the blonde Winchester gave her sleeping daughter one last look before she pulled the clinic room door to. Wearing a pair of jogging bottoms and a vest, Rachel made her way through the clinic and into Wallis' Place main bar area. She had heard both Dianna and Dean running up the stairs to Dianna's private apartment in a fit of giggles of excitement.

"So, big brothers back." Rachel muttered under her breath as she folded her arms. She made her way across the bar area to where Sam and Sarah were sat. "Did I hear that we're heading south?" The blonde perked a thin eyebrow as she sat down next to her brother, pinching his burger from his plate before she took a bite.

Nate

Nate came out from behind the bar. He had suffered a flash of de ja vu as he watched Dianna and Dean ascend the stairs to her private living space. This time he smiled broadly though. He thought they made a good couple. They were so alike in temperament. He sat down next to the beautiful brunette that he had decided mirrored himself. He still didn't know how he would have been able to cope with Sami's death if it hadn't been for Sarah's warmth and concern. He hadn't said so out loud, but if someone were to ask him out right how he felt about Sarah, he would be forced to admit that he had fallen crazy in love with her. So despite the profound sorrow they had endured, still endured, some happiness had also been the result of their last case.

He understood Sarah's compassion for Sam. He had watched Dianna wage this same struggle when her husband, Jack, had died. While Sam and Sami hadn't reached a permanency in their relationship, Nate knew it had been evolving in that very direction. He looked at Sam. "I think Dianna might be willing to close the bar for a few days for this one. I intend to go along anyway, and she'd never fire me." He chuckled lightly. "You are welcome to join Sarah and I at my place later though if you like." He glanced at his girlfriend affectionately. "She's right in thinking you shouldn't be alone. I'm a decent cook. We can throw in a movie, drink some beer and just chill."

He rose when one of the three waitresses approached the bar. A bot followed on her heels, so Nate knew she was about to go take another order while the bot waited patiently to serve the one she had dropped on the bar counter. "Back to work. Just give it some thought, Sam." He kissed Sarah and winked at her then resumed mixing drinks.

Sarah lit up as Nate sat down beside her draping an arm around him. He had become the center of her world.  Most of the girl's focus was on the man as he spoke.  He was simply amazing. It didn't surprise her too much that he offered not only to help on the case but a place to for Sam to stay for the night. She smiled warmly reluctantly letting him go as he had to tend to matters back at the bar. "I guess that is settled then your bunking at our place tonight," she took a swig of her beer as Rachel sat down and joined them.

"Hey Rach how are you?" the girl appeared notable tired, but she didn't want to call attention to it. It was to be expected after all.  "Yeah apparently there is this crazy little town in Louisiana teaming with weird things. They are brewing up some sorta nasty brew down there," she addressed Rachel's question. She wasn't sure though that the young woman would be up for a hunt. How could she with the baby? "We're heading that way in the morning," she took another drink of her beer.  "You guys wanna crash at our place too tonight? I could watch after the baby for a bit let you catch up on your rest?" she was pretty sure that Nate wouldn't mind.

Rachel Winchester

The blonde Winchester smiled brightly at the brunette hunter as she thought about Sarah's offer.  To catch up on her rest would be amazing, but to let someone babysit Mari was something else. Rachel trusted Sarah and Nate with her life, but she didn't know how she felt about letting them watch her daughter for a night. After all, it had only been a week since the white-eyed demon, Lilith, had taken Mari from her. What if there was something else after her baby? Correction; there would always be something or someone after her daughter. Mari was one of a kind, a Human-Angel hybrid. There was no force on Earth, good or evil, that couldn't deny that they desired the child's powers. No, Rachel and Cas would take care of her, watch over her. Besides, the young blonde woman hadn't even stepped into the parking lot since the goblin case, still a little too afraid that those foul creatures were lying in wait. "Thanks, but no thanks. We've got it covered." Rachel took another bite out of Sam's burger, before she shot her brother another cheeky grin.

Her once signature grin was slowly but surely becoming the mask that she wore daily to hide her true feelings and thoughts. Only Castiel knew why she had not left the sanctuary of Wallis' Place. The others would probably think that something was wrong with her if she confessed to them. A hunter who was afraid of what was out there in the shadows was entirely unheard of. There was no doubt her brothers would force her to hang up her weapons and become a stay at home mom to Mari. But, she couldn't deal with the constant crying and feeding, not to mention the hourly diaper changes. To have someone so small and helpless completely depend on her was terrifying. Rachel did want to hunt, she wanted it badly. She needed to prove to herself and the group of hunters that she was still capable of doing her job, that she was still Rachel Winchester, the hunter that demons loved to hate.

"So, what have we got? Vamps? Demons? Werewolves? All of the above?" The blonde perked a thin eyebrow at Sam and Sarah, as she set the partially eaten burger onto a napkin so she could wipe the bun-seeds from her joggers. "Please tell me its not goblins. I've had enough of those buggers to last me the rest of my life."

Sam Winchester

Sam snatched the burger back from Rachel and shot her a possessive, but victorious look. He ruminated a little over her turning down Sara's offer.  He was pretty sure Rachel hadn't left Wallis' Place in over a week.  But everything had changed radically for his little sister.  Welcome to the strange new world of getting up five times a night to feed or change little Mari.  But it was a lot more than just caring for the little girl. Mari was riveting, and not just for Rachel and Cas, but for everyone.  It was fun just to look at her, and watch each and every little expression, giggle, and burp.  Those impossibly small, chubby little fingers were always on the move, and it was wondrous to let all five of Mari's fingers on a hand wrap themselves around one of Sammy's index fingers.  And then there was the love and wonderment reflected in the blue of the little girl's eyes - like she was constantly grateful and amazed to be alive here in this world.  The little girl was a joy and had become the center of attention around here, but it also meant Rachel's entire life and all her priorities had spun around the dial a few times.  Maybe she and Cas were just waiting here in Wallis' Place for that compass dial to find a direction.  And then there had been the betrayal that Sam had wrought on Rachel.  That was going to be awkward for a long, long time to come.  In fact, Sam considered it a sea change between himself and Rachel.  Never would anything be quite the same between them.  That unquestioning trust that Rachel had for Sam was gone, dashed on the rocks.  He was going to have to do what he could to rebuild that trust, but she would always harbor some doubt where Sam was concerned.  How could she not?  It was the life of her baby that Sam had jeopardized.   

Sam managed a grin for Sarah.  "If Rachel's going to stay here, maybe I will too.  Maybe I can help with Mari if help is needed."  He smiled genuinely for his sister before turning his thoughts to their new case.  "Well, like Sarah was saying, we need to get on the road south.  I was thinking we could start the road trip tomorrow."  He tried to read the reaction in Rachel's eyes, but her poker face was unreadable.  Would she be able to leave the security blanket of Wallis' Place?  Sam finished off the cheeseburger, but pushed his plate, which was still half full of fries towards Rachel.  "We'll take Highway 71 south through Fayetteville.  If we leave mid-day, we might get to Fort Smith or Mena by nightfall.  We can hold up in our usual Bed Bug Motel and then get into Shreveport by early afternoon the next day."  It was about a nine or ten hour drive from Kansas City to Shreveport, which normally they would just pound out with an occasional stop for gasoline, cheese puffs, and soda pop, but having a baby along changed everything.  They'd need to take it a little slower.

"There's a vampire bar just outside Shreveport called Fangtasia."  The responding aghast look from Rachel warranted an explanation.  "They do things differently down there, Rach.  Louisianans sort of accept vampires.  Like alligators, mosquitos, and hurricanes.  Its just something you learn to live with, I guess." He shrugged.  "We'll get to Fangtasia in time, but Bobbie wants to first meet up with us in a small town about 20 miles away, a place called Bon Temps.  We're supposed to meet him at 5:30 pm, two days from now at a bar and grill on the outskirts of town.  Something big is going down -  either an antidote to vampirism or some potion that makes people into vampires.  Bobbie wasn't exactly sure, but he'll have more information for us when we get to Bon Temps."  Now that he'd relinquished the fries to her, they suddenly looked tastier.  So he stole three of them from her and jammed all of them into his mouth.  Talking through the fries, he inquired, "Are you up for this, sis?  And what about Cas?"

{{Written by Rachel Winchester and Castiel}}

Vampires. The blonde Winchester could remember her first Vampire hunt well; considering that it had been her first. Dean and their father had taught her well, well enough to make sure that she survived the hunt and lived to hunt another day. Rachel had proven to her small family that night that she was not the vulnerable girl they had often thought her to be. She was just as strong and just as capable as her older brothers. After that hunt, there had been no more staying behind in the car or back at the motel to wait for them. Rachel stood proudly beside her family and watched their backs as they watched hers. After their father's death, the young blonde trusted in both of her older brothers even more to make sure that she was kept alive. She trusted in Dean to lead the way. She trusted in Sam that he would always do right by her. However, the strong and almost unbreakable trust that she and Sam shared, the trust that had taken twenty-two years to build and develop was long gone. It was dead, thanks to a portion of big brotherly betrayal. There had been every chance that they would have lost Mari forever, thanks to Sam and his decision to give into the goblin's demands and simply hand over Rachel's unborn baby to Lilith. It was Sam's fault that Rachel did not feel a motherly connection to her daughter. If only the middle Winchester sibling had just allowed nature to take its course, allowed Rachel to give birth naturally, then maybe she would feel like a proper mom instead of just a stand-in. Maybe, she wouldn't feel as compelled to take on the case.

"I'm in." Rachel announced, before she popped a chip into her mouth. She couldn't bring herself to really smile at her older brother. Instead, she simply offered him a small and forced one. Sam's betrayal had completely destroyed her trust in him, but he was still her brother and one of the third that made up the deadly force that was the Winchester siblings. Rachel still wanted to smash her fist into his face for putting her daughter in that kind of danger, but that would possibly destroy the very thin connection that kept the two of them together. "But, Mari is staying with me." She couldn't trust Sam to watch over her daughter, not yet. Not even for two minutes whilst she jumped in the shower. That responsibility lay with either Cas or Dianna.

The main wooden door that was the entrance to Wallis' Place swung open as the Angel known as Castiel struggled to make his way into the main bar area, a look of stress was etched into the fine details of his face. He did not care for the rather odds looks that he had received from drivers as he had made his way down the dirt track. He desired nothing more than to return to the bar, return to Rachel and their daughter.  Mari's entrance into the world may not have been the most traditional, but that did not prevent the fallen Angel from falling in love with his baby daughter the very instant he watched her open those big, beautiful eyes - her mother's eyes. The moment he first cradled Mari in his arms, Castiel could have happily returned to Heaven an ecstatic Angel. His brothers and sisters had kindly lifted the bounty that they had placed upon his head, and he was no longer a condemned Angel for impregnating a human female; however, he was no longer welcome in Heaven. Not that he cared much for the place he once called home. To Castiel, as long as he was with Rachel and Mari, he was home. It did not bother the Angel that his angelic abilities were quickly diminishing, that he was slowly becoming human. Rocking his daughter to sleep at night, falling asleep and waking up next to Rachel put everything into perspective. But, to know that Rachel struggled with her feelings towards Mari upset him. Castiel had believed that the bond between a mother and her daughter was so strong it was practically unbreakable, but Rachel's bond with their daughter seemed to be hanging on a piece of very thin string in great danger of snapping. True, the Angel knew that his beloved would never let any harm befall Mari, and that Rachel would protect the baby girl with her very life, but he still could not help but worry. The young Winchester woman was not as tuned to Mari as Castiel found himself to be. She would not awaken when their daughter cried during the dark hours of the night, nor did she understand that Mari needed almost all of their attention.

Other than his worries, Castiel felt as if his new human life could not be any better. The fallen Angel was starting to feel normal and accepted within the hunting society. Even sitting down at the bar and eating with Sam, Dianna, Nate and Sarah was such a joy. There was still much for Castiel to learn, such as driving a car. What if Mari or Rachel needed medical attention? With his angelic abilities diminishing, he could no longer heal humans, or his daughter. They could not solely rely on Dianna for her medical expertise, or Dean and Sam to drive them to the nearest hospital. With his new fatherhood, Castiel understood that he now held new responsibilities to his family, and that his friends held high expectations for him. The Angel wanted to make sure that he did not disappoint. Until he learnt to drive a car, Castiel had no choice but to take the public bus. The twenty-minute ride in the metal vehicle, occupied by around thirty people was not the highlight of his day. However, Mari needed a constant supply of diapers and milk formula, and with Rachel still too scared to take their daughter from the safety of Wallis' Place after the episode with Lilith and her goblin entourage, the fallen Angel felt obligated to take the daily journey into the city centre. The bus driver kindly allowed Castiel to alight from the vehicle just a few moments walk from the parking lot of his destination. With a bargain bag of newborn diapers in one hand, and a paper-bag with two tins of milk formula in the other, he walked down the dusty road with a smile upon his face and a light skip in his step. He was only moments away from being reunited with his small family again.

Making sure that he did not disturb the salt line that ran along the bottom of the main door, Castiel stepped into the familiar bar area of Wallis' Place. The smell of Dianna's famous avocado burgers filled the air, as did the sound obvious giggling of two lovers having been reunited after a week apart. Dean was back. Everyone would start to feel rather safe with the eldest Winchester sibling's strong presence around them once more. The sight of the small group of hunters at the bar brought a wider smile to Castiel's lips. Nate and Sarah both held utter happiness and contentment in their eyes. Rachel's face held the spark of cheekiness as she consumed what was obviously her brother's burger, and Sam's features held a slight disappointment. The fallen Angel immediately understood that the group's small and well needed break had come to an abrupt end. His thoughts immediately went to his daughter, who was obviously asleep in their borrowed clinic room. What would happen to her? Mari was far too young to start travelling and living the life of a hunter.

"Vampire case down south." Rachel couldn't help the smile that crossed her face the moment she laid eyes upon Castiel. Their relationship was finally back to how it should have been, and for that, she was glad. But, she knew the look that now rested on his features, his worry for their daughter. She knew how her Angel felt regarding their lifestyle now that they had a small sprog in tow. However, that did not stop the blonde-haired Winchester from feeling as if it were her duty to accompany her brothers and the rest of the gang. "You in?"

Castiel placed his shopping down on top of the bar as he turned to gaze upon his beloved. He made his way over to the group, and wrapped an arm across Rachel's shoulder before he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. He was happy to be back, to see that everything was how it should be. The memories of Rachel lying bloodied and beaten, propped up against the bar as a goblin cowered over her remained etched within his memories. That was a day the Angel wished he could erase and start over again. He never should have let Rachel travel back to the bar alone. He should have gone with her. His blue orbs settled upon Sam Winchester, and almost immediately, the fallen Angel felt the urge to smite the man for his actions towards his younger sister and his niece. However, if Rachel felt just the tiniest spark of forgiveness within her, Castiel knew that he would do nothing to harm the middle sibling. "Wherever you go, I shall follow." He smiled down at Rachel, momentarily forgetting about Sam's betrayal.

Sam Winchester

Cas' entrance on the scene in Wallis' Place completed the old gang.  Everybody was here now, everyone who was still alive, that is.  Rachel and Cas were smiling and saying nothing derogatory or accusatory towards Sam, but hidden behind a veil of lighthearted hunter banter, he was detecting an icyness towards him, hints of which could be seen in their eyes.  Of course he deserved it.  And more.  Sam couldn't really comprehend what it would be like to be a parent, but he suspected that if he did ever have a kid, anyone or anything that threatened his child would quickly be enshrined on his permanent shit list, and at or near the top of said list.  He stopped jacking fries from what was now Rachel's plate and turned his thoughts toward the vampire case in which they'd all be neck deep in a few days.

"We'll need supplies.  Vampire stuff, like Holy water, crucifixes, wooden stakes, and crossbows.  I've got a box of shotgun shells loaded with wooden pellets, but it would be good to load another box or three.  Don't wanna run out."  Shotgun shells with wooden pellets were not the sort of thing you could just go down to your nearest Sportsmen's Warehouse of Walmart and purchase.  They'd have to make their own.  "As a matter of fact, I'll work on that before hitting the hay tonight."  He looked to his brother, "Dean, I think we have at least one crossbow and a few stakes in the trunk of the Impala.  Maybe on our way out of town we can make a stop at that Hunting and Fishing Outlet store that's just down the road.  We can pick up some wooden arrows.  We can probably buy crucifixes at a truck stop."  They were in the Bible Belt, and the closer they got to Louisiana, the more likely they were to find religious icons of all kinds just about anywhere.  But then there was the matter of Holy water.  Like shotgun shells with wooden pellets, Holy water was a specialty item not readily available.  "Then we'll have to find a church."  They would enter and pretend to make penance or to pray at the altar.  But in reality, they'd be there for the express purpose of filling their vials from the Holy Aspersory, hopefully beyond the watchful eye of any priests.  Sam glanced towards Cas.  He didn't really know how Castiel, the Angel, would react to stealing Holy water from a church.  But he suspected he'd find out soon enough.

"So do we have a plan?"  No one seemed to object, so Sam shrugged a mutual agreement for his friends and family.  "Then I'll start loading some shotgun shells."  Sam reached over the bar counter and used the tap to fill up a 16 ounce glass with Miller Genuine Draft, then he was off to the back room to gather the Cabela's shotgun shell reloader, wooden pellets, and wads.