The Hard Sell
“Hi.” Alex smiles as Michael appears in the apartment. He does not look happy. “Everything okay?” He doesn’t respond. “Hey,” she walks over and touches his arm, it’s so hot she’s not entirely sure she doesn’t burn herself.
“How long has this been going on?” He demands.
“How long has what been going on?” She blows on her fingers.
“How long have my sister and that…” He clenches his jaw and can’t even finish. Alex looks at him trying to think of what he could possibly know about that would upset him this much? There’s no way he could have found out about Sam and.. oh shit, he did.
“How did you find out?” She asks hoping she’s wrong.
“I went to speak to Gabriel about visiting the fledglings together and saw them embracing on the grassy knoll.”
“Deely Plaza?” Alex briefly nonsensically thinks he’s referring to the kennedy assassination before reminding herself that grassy knolls exist outside Dallas Texas in 1963.
“I’m not familiar with the current labeling but it was hardly a plaza.”
“Sorry, just… the phrase… Um, embracing?” She winces. Crap, crap, crap, she is so not ready to tackle this particular shit storm. “You should really talk to Gabriel about this.”
“I’m talking to you.” Michael demands. “How long has that abomination been seducing my sister?”
“Hey,” Alex snaps, straightening up. “Don’t… look.” She takes a breath trying to swallow her indignation and reminds herself that Michael has ever reason not to have favorable feelings towards the man who pulled him into the cage. “Whatever you think or saw or want, it’s not my place to tell you anything. There are things you haven’t been told of course, but it’s for a reason and quite frankly I don’t think you have any right to demand answers this way.”
“I have spoken some of my deepest thoughts and fears and concerns to you, woman. Trusting you. And you expect me to keep trusting you when you work with others to deceive me?” He challenges, Alex just crosses her arms, and looks him right in the eye.
“You expect me to prove myself trustworthy by betraying the trust of others? It’s a complicated situation and you are not really at a receptive place right now. Do you really want to react to a partial truth learned massively out of context and estrange your siblings again? Because if not you need to calm down and talk to your sister.”
“I want them to stop lying to me!” He raises his voice, the heat in the room starting to make Alex sweat a little. “And trying to deceive and manipulate me… Why can’t they just behave as they’re supposed to?”
“And how are they supposed to behave, Michael?” Alex moves in front of the air conditioner and sends a quick prayer to Gabriel to come and help calm her sibling. “They’re not robots you can say do this and they’ll just do it without question. They are thinking feeling, unique individuals with their own likes and dislikes and desires and experiences. And you’re not all going to agree on how things should be. Neither are you all going to be right all the time, either.”
“What exactly do you know about angels, you infant.” Michael steps closer to her. “I have known and trained them from the very beginning and you, in your short, insignificant existence think you know better? I expect them to embrace and embody the virtues they were trained to hold dear. Humility, kindness, diligence, chastity, patience, temperence, charity. What exactly do you consider wrong about that?”
“Expecting them to embody all of them perfectly with no room for error. Your standards are too high, Michael, for yourself, for everyone. You’re not perfect, nobody’s perfect and nobody will ever be perfect! Everyone is going to make mistakes and do the wrong thing and think the wrong thing and says the wrong thing. That is what somehow, in my short insignificant existence, I do know better than you do. And even if that’s the only thing, I think it’s a pretty damn vital thing to know! The real question here is why the fuck don’t you know it?”
“What’s going on? Why are you yelling at Michael?” Raphael appears in his usual unreasonable mood just to make the day complete. Alex bites her tongue so as not to give an honest yet entirely unhelpful reply and just ignores him.
“You need to talk to Gabriel about her personal life, not me. And if you think I don’t have anything to offer, then you don’t have to come back. Nobody makes you talk to me, and nobody is going to make me listen, especially if you’re going to just dismiss everything I have to say or think just because, like everything else in existence, I’m younger than you are.” Alex turns and grabs her purse and several tootsie rolls. ‘Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m leaving.”
Raphael resists the urge to take her to task for speaking to his sister in such a manner and force her to apologize, as it would only prolong her presence here. He also resists the urge to just send her as far as possible. Michael is just standing in stony angry silence, so the best thing to do is just stand silently as well and wait for him to speak.
“Did you know about this?” Michael demands quietly then turns to look at his brother. “Don’t lie to me, Raphael” The order takes Raphael aback just as he’s about to ask for clarification.
“I have never lied to you, Michael.” He can’t help but feel extremely hurt at this. Michael has never even suggested that she questioned his honesty.
“Haven’t you? Weren’t you lying to me throughout the entire apocalypse?” Michael accuses hotly.
“No.” Raphael hesitates slightly though. “I never… I never told you a lie or a half truth. Everything you asked of me I did, every question I answered honestly...Not that you asked me much.”
“I never asked you? I never asked you if you were encouraging and spurring on the apocalypse, helping the demons release him? That’s your excuse that I never asked you that? How would I possibly have known I had to? I trusted you to do what was right, Raphael. Yes what you said was true but a lie of omission is still a lie and you know it. You went behind my back to do things you knew were wrong and actively deceived me, but no, you never lied to me.” The biting sarcasm makes Raphael wince.
“You said you forgave me.” Raphael says quietly, looking down at his feet, unable to meet his sister’s angry accusing eyes.
“I did. I do forgive you. But that doesn’t mean I can just forget what you’ve done and trust you like I did.” Michael’s voice is gentler, softening slightly at the shame and remorse so obvious in her little brother. But the words cut Raphael more deeply than anything Michael has ever said. It’s probably the harshest cruelest things she’s said to him and the fact that it’s completely and utterly deserved just makes it worse. “Now, I’m asking you, Did you know about Gabriel and Sam Winchester.”
“Yes.” Raphael swallows his pain and replies, afraid to expound and reveal yet more deception to his already angry elder sibling.
“How long?”
“Since I first woke. The second I saw them interact, I knew she was infatuated with him. I didn’t learn the full extent of it until later.”
“Tell me.” So Raphael tells him everything from when he woke up to the prank they only just played together on her. Try as he might he can’t avoid seeing the hurt and dismay on Michael’s face, the pain of betrayal so clearly in his siblings eyes as he speaks. He was focused so hard on trying to keep things right with Gabriel, to keep her in their lives again, he didn’t even think of the implications of trying to have a cordial relationship with the man who toppled everything down and pulled Michael into the cage with their brother. “Go.” Is all Michael says when Raphael finishes.
“Michael?” He’s afraid to ask for clarification.
“Go else where, Raphael.” Michael doesn’t say it’s because she doesn’t want him near her but she doesn’t have to.
“Yes, sir.”
“Is everything alright, Kjaerlighet?” Hel asks as Claire just lays in bed, half asleep as she has been since she returned.
“I don’t know.”Claire mumbles. “I’m just… tired. So very, very tired. My partners’s pregnant, my sister’s counceling angels and I know I should be out there hunting or at least helping Dean fix my car but I just feel like my entire body is made of lead, and all I want to do is sleep and hold you like a teddy bear and I don’t know why.”
“Mon Claire.” Hel kisses her cheek. “You’re just... burnt out, that’s all. There’s been so much going on and now there’s not and you just need to take a break, take care of yourself for a little while. You can stay as long as you need to regain your strength.”
“Thanks honey.” Claire smiles weakly, though she can’t help feeling guilty. She doesn’t have to have a partner to hunt and it’s not as if there’s a shortage of monsters and demons preying on mankind.“You have cell service here now, right?” She turns over.
“Yes, we have everything you could want or need.” Hel lays down next to her. “Claire, you know, there ae other options for you. You don’t have to be a hunter.”
“No, I suppose I could flip burgers. Become an office worker.” Claire rolls her eyes.
“Look at your resume, wars, hunts, you were the angel of death, the demigod of karaoke.” she teases getting a smile out of her lover. “You are a leader, a warrior…” Hel takes a breath, “A valkyrie.” Claire laughs slightly but stops when Hel doesn’t. “You could be. A valkyrie,and not just a valkyrie, a leader. Hjorprimul is invaluable to me now that my duties are expanded, but to be both my right hand and lead the valkyrie is too much. She needs a good strong second. One the girls know and respect and have fought along side. One I can trust without question.”
“Are you serious?” Claire slowly sits up. Hel nods. “You… want to make me a valkyrie? So, what I’d leave everything and everyone and just move into the barracks with the others?”
“Actually.” Hel starts to trace a pattern on the pillowcase with her finger. “I was thinking you would share my quarters. I don’t just want you to become a valkyrie for the jobs sake, though I would never offer if I didn’t think you more than fit for it. I want you to stay with me, to be mine. As a valkyrie, as long as you were one, you would never grow older. You could stay by my side until the very end.”
“W-what happened to ‘I’m not asking for a commitment?’ “ Claire teases her, quoting back her words at their first meeting.
“I fell in love with you.” She responds simply.
“I love you too, but that’s a hell of a decision. I don’t… I just don’t know.”
“Take as long as you need to think it over. I know It’s a lot to ask of you,but I’ve missed you so much and I want you to be a part of my life. A bigger one. These stolen hours, rare days. It’s not enough, Claire.”
“No, I know.” Claire admits brushing her hair back. “I’ll think about it. I really will. It’s just, you know, kind of a lot.”
“Hela!” the door bursts open to reveal Yuri holding a small potbellied pig. “ I have had it. You need to make him turn our father back this instant.”
“Really? He still won’t promise to accept you into the aesir and not give you shit about sleeping with your uncle? And you want him back anyway?” Claire pushes herself up, raising an eyebrow at him.
“What’s Bild Lilli doing here?” He shoots her a withering glare.
“Shove it, Sir Hiss. I’ll see what I can do though honestly, I’m more inclined to have a pig roast.” Claire scowls at the piglet in his arms that squeals his displeasure. “Now get lost. Your sister and I are talking.”
“Was I talking to you? You have to do something about this, Hela.” He holds the piglet out.
“I’ll try. Now, will you please leave us be? We’re having a very important discussion.” Hel says cooly.
“This is important. This man is our father and he was tricked out of our lives and now this. The least you can do for…” Yuri falters slightly as Hel just glares at him, dropping her illusion. “Hel, please.”
“I said I would.” Her voice is positively venomous. “Now get out of my room before I make new boots for my valkyrie.” the world snake quickly complies. “You’re lucky you’re an only child.” she snaps her fingers, barring the door several times over and removing Claire’s bulky outerwear. “That keeps happening. What is that? I just don’t understand.” She declares innocently, shaking her head. Claire just smiles and returns the favor.
“Okay, I think I want a baby angel.” Aiden confesses to Krissy and Jo as several babies play with their hair, braiding weaving grasses into it. “think you can work on that next, Kris?” he teases. She just shoots him a look.
“Humans can make angels, too?” One looks up.
“No. He was making a joke.” Josephine says quickly.
“I don’t suppose we could adopt one of these too.” He grins. Jo just gives him a look that says to stop it.
“They’re really the size of a small house right now.” Krissy informs him. “And blindingly bright. They’d burn out your eyes just looking at them. The abyss is weird. Like, major Alice in Wonderland style weird.”
“Gabriel made it right? Maybe this is her ideal version of heaven.” Jo suggests wincing slightly as one pulls a little too much. They quickly apologize and kiss her head until she makes them stop.
“Weird heaven.” Aiden comments looking at the eggs.
“She’s a weird angel.”
“Gabriel is very strange and very fun.” A lavender one with bright yellow accents looks at Aiden. “Why don’t you have long hair?”
“Because I’m a boy.” he replies.
“Boy hair can’t grow long?” She asks with a sympathetic look dripping with pity.
“No, it can, it’s just not the fashion for boys to have long hair.”
“Can… can I make it long and play with it?” She asks hopefully.
“I don’t know. Can you do that?”The question surprises him.
“I think so. Can I try?”
“Okay, I guess.” Aiden replies hesitantly. She touches his head and siden suddenly finds his entire face and head a great deal more hairier than he anticipated. Jo and Krissy start laughing their heads off at his long waist length wavy hair, enormous bushy beard and mustache the same length and ridiculously hairy eyebrows.
“It’s like The Monarch joined ZZ Top.” Jo laughs. Krissy takes out her phone and takes a picture. “Oh send me that.”
“Ariel!” they hear a woman snap and look back to see a stern looking black woman in a tailored suit. “What have I told you about altering others bodies without supervision or permission?”
“Not to.” the angel looks down at her feet, her hands behind her back. “But… he said it was okay and they’re here supervising...”
“Ari, they are not capable of preventing or fixing any mistakes you might make.” She walks over to the small angel and kneels down in front of her. “You need the supervision and permission of myself or another angel who is so capable. You could seriously harm someone unintentionally. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Raphael.” She nods. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s no harm done.” He kisses her forehead. “I will try to make time to teach you. But for now you just have to wait.”
“What are you doing now?”
“I have to label the eggs so that their favorite songs can come and help them wake up. If you need me to heal an injury, you know how to call for me.” he stand up.
“Yes, Raphael.” they all sound disappointed. He just pats the nearest fledglings head and snaps Aiden’s hair to a trim, clean shaven cut, which is actually much more flattering than the last style. He simultaneously causes the grass to sprout into a field of large purple clovers that grow back in moments when the angels pick them.
“Are you okay?” Aiden asks as the archangel walks about out into the nests. There’s no response. “Is she okay?”
“I thinks she’s always like that.”Krissy shrugs.
“Hey, you want to see something cool?” Jo starts picking flowers and teaches the fledglings to braid wreaths and flower chains.
“How long can you stay and play with us?” Toasted marshmallow tugs on Krissy’s sleeve.
“I dunno. I have to eat eventually and I’m kind of hungry now to be honest.”
”Look in my bag.” Jo says without a pause.
“Oh, okay.” Krissy goes in and pulls out a lunchable. “Alright! Best mom ever.” she opens it.
“What’s that? What plant is that from?” One looks at the round turkey slices.
“Um, it’s not a plant. It’s a turkey meat… it’s from an animal.” She tries to explain without mentioning how.
“That’s nice of that turkey animal to give you pieces of it’s meat.” another says innocently making Krissy seriously consider becoming vegetarian just to avoid further explanations.
“Yeah, I guess.” Krissy looks at ti and puts the meat and cheese on the cracker then takes a bite.
“Oh, you broke it!” The angel cries.
“It was so pretty…”
“She’s eating it, honey.” Jo informs them as Krissy’s not quite sure how to respond.”She has to take it in her mouth and break it down into tiny pieces and then send it down her throat and to her stomach where it gets broken down into even tinier pieces. “ Jo reaches over to trace the digestive pathway down Krissy’s body, much to her friends annoyance. “And those tiny pieces go into the intestines and get separated into stuff we can use and stuff we can’t and the stuff she can use goes into her blood and is taken all over her body to give it energy and fix what’s broken and build new things and now it also goes into feed the baby and help it grow bigger and bigger until it’s ready to come out.”
“What happens to the stuff that she can’t use.” Krissy decides that the one asking this question is a boy, mostly because he actually asked that question.
“It turns into brown clumpy stuff that comes out her butt.” Aiden volunteers with a grin, slightly confused by their lack of disgust at this news.
“Can we see?”
“No!” Krissy exclaims. “That’s.. that’s private.”
“Where does the baby come out?” One lifts krissy’s shirt a little to look at her stomach. “Does this open up?” he pokes her belly button.
“No, there’s another hole that opens and lets the baby out.” Another shoves him. “Remember the picture?”
“But she doesn’t look anything like the picture.”
“That’s a belly button. That’s where the cord that used to attach the baby to it’s food used to be. It’s how the bits and pieces get from the mother to the baby to help it grow.”
“Ohhhh….”
“How big does it have to be before it’s ready to come out?”
“I can answer this one.” Krissy takes off her jacket and bundles it up into a baby sized lump. “This big. Give or take a pound.” There’s a worried murmuring among them. “What?”
“You… you don’t have any holes that big.” Ariel looks extremely worried, her feathers trembling and frazzled.
“It.. stretches… It’s..we do it all the time.” Jo reassures them but they still look worried. Krissy is starting to look a little uneasy as well. “Repeat after me, Kris. Epidural.” she reaches over and pats Krissy’s knee.
“Epidural, epidural.” She takes slow breaths.
“What if it doesn’t stretch big enough and it gets stuck?”
“It’ll be fine, really!” Krissy exclaims before they can ask any more frightening questions. “I’ll tell you what. As soon as I can after the birth, I’ll come by and bring the baby so you can see that we’re both okay. Okay?”
“How long will that me?”
“I dunno nine months or so. I have to go see the obstetrician to get a more exact date.” She shrugs.
“That’s a human who knows everything about what it means to be a pregnant human and helps other humans give birth” Jo explains.
“Could… could you have the baby here? We could have Raphael take care of you. He knows everything about everything and then you can be okay and we can see you have the baby and see the baby and touch it and give it flowers and kisses.” The tiniest one asks clearly asking for all of them due to the expectant look in their eyes.
“Oh God no!” Krissy exclaims in horror. “I mean, no. I need to be with my friends and family in a hospital, back home.”
“We should get home actually.” Jo picks up her bag. “We have work soon and you need to make those prenatal appointments.”
“ Alright. Just click your heels three times and say there’s no place like home.” Krissy stretches. Jo just stares at her. “No, really. Honest. Hara. I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?” She stands up and gives the angel a hug that neither of them wants to end.
“I’ll keep trying to find a vessel.” Hara says. “Though you know, giving birth to the baby here would be…”
“Absolutely not!”