#i just needed a smiling Crowley for my dash today ok?

[aduckwithears]

"Oh, she absolutely did."

Good Omens S2/Ep3

[pathetic-has-been-rockstar]

The bonfire surprise

Pairing: Crowley x reader

Written for: @spnchristmasbingo​

Square/s filled: Chestnuts; Sitting by the fire

Warnings: none

Summary: still set to enjoy every bit of winter and holiday traditions, you decide to bring Jack to pick up chestnuts. Crowley joins you on the most innocuous hunt of the year, bringing Juliet along to spice things up. Roasting chestnuts on Hellfire never looked so good.

Words: 3091

Beta: @raspberrymama​ (I’ll never say this enough: check out her works!)

this piece can be found on AO3, here! If you’re interested in the whole series, you just have to click here!

“So... are you coming or not?”

Crowley tilts his head a bit, then nods, looking at you. “You know... yes. Since we've been consistently saving this world, it would be nice to take a walk in it.”

You were surprised when he decided to stick around for Christmas, or at least until the brothers don't actively start to try and kill him. He declared he enjoys the mayhem he can create frustrating Christmas' plans, but you suspect that he's probably just bored by his temporary lack of employment. You give him a small nod.

“Precisely what I was thinking.”

“Great. Now... aren't you forgetting something?”

You run a quick mind inventory, but nothing seems to be missing. “... like what?”

“Like the kid?” Crowley suggests, falsely helpful.

“... oh, no. Jack's in the car from like ten minutes. He can't wait to go.”

Crowley sighs dramatically. “Oh, to be young and eager again. Is it far?”

“About twenty minutes from here... why don't you come with us? You can try and crush Jack's optimism while we go.”

“I can do it on site. I've got someone to pick up, if it's all the same to you.”

“Oh... sure. Of course.” You are slightly curious and, even if you would never admit it, slightly disappointed. You were hoping for some time with Crowley, but he seems to have framed the occasion like a good chance to do... well, anything else.

“Fantastic. I'll see you there.”

“Hey, Y/N?”

“Yes, Jack?”, you answer after a second, emerging from your thoughts.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Why?”

“You are just very quiet.”

“I'm just... a bit tired, you know.” Of course you were quiet. You're dying to see who was so important that had to be picked up and brought to what feels like a family thing.

“Sure. So... how's it gonna be?”

Surprised, you throw a side glance at Jack. The kid is smart. “As it's always been, I guess. Why?”

“I've never picked up chestnuts.”

Of course. Of course it was about the chestnuts. You stammer a moment, trying to collect yourself. “Oh, it's fun, actually. You just have to watch out for the shells, actually. They're spikey, y'know. You put on your gloves, then we pick them up from the ground,and  check if there are holes in them. If they're whole we can put them in the baskets.”

“What if there's a hole?”

“Well, that means there's a worm inside. It's not a problem if you accidentally eat it, since it's basically lived inside the thing its whole life and it tastes like that, but... let's just try and avoid it, ok?”

“Sure. No point in killing it just because it's in the wrong place at the right moment.”

You smile, surprised by the tenderness of his heart. The whole argument about his nature before he was born it feels incredibly stupid, now. The kid doesn't even want to kill a worm.

“Precisely. Besides, it might mean that the thing is rotting, and we don't want to deal with the consequences of eating spoilt food. Why don't you put on some music?”

Jack literally beams at the idea. “Can I connect my phone?”

“Sure thing, kid. We have about half an hour to go, connect the Bluetooth and jam away.”

The rest of the ride consists mainly in Jack humming Christmas songs and weird covers of them, while you keep your eyes on the road and occasionally sing along with him.

Once you get there, you immediately spot Crowley. Seeing that he's alone, you tilt your head.

“Weren't you supposed to pick up someone?”

“I did.”

He whistles, and a second later two hellhounds appear next to him, wagging their tails. He smiles at you, clearly satisfied by your surprised expression.

“I'm confident you remember Juliet and Banquo.”

“I do. How... how can I see them?”

“Because I let you.”

“... oh. Thanks, I guess.”

Crowley hints at them with a swift nod. “Go ahead, touch them. I know you'd like to.”

Trying to play it cool, you kneel down and pat the head of Juliet. A second later, Banquo is rubbing his head against your arm, almost throwing you off balance. Crowley immediately notices.

“Banquo. Settle down, boy.”

The hound whimpers and draws back, immediately obeying Crowley, who gives you a satisfied look.

“I trained them myself.”

“I figured that much.” you fire back. Like anyone else could train those hounds to act like that.

You're distracted by Jack calling you. You turn and you see the bundle of scarf, hat and oversized sport coat wandering among the trees and picking up the burrs, only to let them fall again as soon as they sting him. Crowley raises an eyebrow, amused.

“Looks like the most powerful being in existence needs help with picking up some fruit from the ground.”

“... he's three years old.”

“They grow so fast, don't they?”

You turn your back to Crowley and walk to Jack. Juliet and Banquo run around, sniffing the leaves and acting mostly like normal dogs. You notice that, and turn to Crowley, who's been casually waddling around, following you and Jack.

“Why are they like these?”

“What do you mean?”

“They act like normal dogs.”

“They like topside.”

“Don't they have souls to collect, today?”

“They always do.” Crowley replies with a casual scroll of his shoulders.

“Then why are they here?”

“There are other hounds, you know. These two were just the most affectionate to me. In short, useless to dear mother, and very useful for my personal security.”

Of course, you don't know why they're there. You're not a hunter, after all, not in the truest meaning of the word. You've been dragged in there when you ran into Bobby, years earlier, trying to nick a book from your shop. You gave him the book in exchange for some explanations, and it turned out your years of eccentric reading made you pretty useful.

Bobby then started to call you for lore-related things, and it was only a matter of time before the hunters started to use your shop as a sort of base. You started to store magical items, too, and even faced a few monsters on your own. Not exactly your cup of tea, but fun. Crowley knows about this all, obviously. Everyone knows about it. His dogs are there because you are there. The idea of a human dear both to the king of Hell and the future God might inspire some unpleasant thoughts in rogue demons and monsters, so he doesn't want to take any unnecessary risk.

You only see the hounds sprinting away, running after a very lucky squirrel. The little rodent manages to climb up the bark of the chestnut tree just in time, escaping the fangs of the hellish beasts for a split hair. Crowley giggles happily next to you, apparently delighted.

“The dislike for squirrels must run in the family.”

“Yeah... Jack, honey, wait, no.”

Jack has started to climb on the tree, trying to reach the lowest branches, that are still a good seven feet above the ground. He really is a three years old sometimes, but you keep forgetting that. When he falls back on you, you are painfully reminded that he is a three years old in a fully adult body.

Before Jack can do it, Crowley helps you up, smirking.

“Everything fine, love?”

“Yeah, peachy.”

He chuckles and takes a dried leaf off your hair, then gives you an amused smile.

“Looks like you're enjoying yourselves, at least.”

Jack enthusiastically answers for you, then dashes away to inspect a new patch of dried leaves and fallen burrs. When climbing up the trees is finally off the table, you three keep walking in the woods and picking up chestnuts here and there until the baskets are full. You look at your clock, starting to feel the cold seeping through your clothes.

“We still have a couple of hours of good light left. Let's go back to the car, we'll make a fire there.”

“... a fire? What for?”

“Well, we... you know what? It's a surprise. Come on, let's go back.”

Jack smiles in excitement, then slows down, looking at you and Crowley. You walk closer than you did earlier, and you don't even seem to notice how the back of your hands touch while you walk. He's seen Dean and Castiel subconsciously trying to get closer just like that. He might be young, but he's learnt quite a lot about love and longing, and he's quite sure that he has a fine example of both lying right in front of him. He also has an idea about how to make that happen, even if he will have to wait until you return to the bunker.

When the three of you make it back to the clearing where you parked the car, you start looking around for some logs and branches to set the fire. You have some water and a couple of old newspapers in the car, so safety and the ignition are accounted for. You're still scouring the clearing through the growing darkness when Crowley clears his throat. You turn to him, expecting him to mock you for not having figured it before.

“... what?”

“I assume you're looking for something to start the fire.”

“Well, duh.”

He scoffs, not taking seriously your remark, and raises his hand, “Perhaps I could be of assistance. You know... hellfire and all that.”

“Oh, I... I didn't think of it.”

“I figured that much”, he echoes the words you spat at him earlier in a much gentler tone. You almost feel bad for treating him harshly, but you just can't help it. There's something about him and the way he treats you that makes you feel... uneasy, for some reason.

Crowley knows you well, by now, but he still hasn't found a way to unravel you completely. He was content when you sought him out in your sleep. You slipped through the sheets and held him, just like you did a few years ago, and you seemed pretty happy about it. You wanted to be close to him... and yet you seem very bothered by his presence, at times. Of course, this only makes him all the more curious to find out the key to decipher your weirdness. He doesn't like pending business, and you certainly are acting like one.

With a snap of his fingers, a bright fire starts burning a few yards away from the car, complete with a few logs to sit around it, and you look at it, fascinated like a child. Juliet and Banquo immediately recognize the nature of the flames, and go to quietly lie down next to them.

You start laughing and walk to the car, taking the castiron skillet and a couple of knives.

“What, no knife for me?”

You jump, surprised. He's definitely closer than where you left him, and you didn't hear him approach.

“Stop moving so quietly! I'll tie a bell around your neck.”

“Oooh, my own collar? Kinky. I might like that.”

You thank the darkness and the dancing lights cast by the open flames for hiding the redness creeping up your cheeks. You grab a third knife, flip it and offer the handle to Crowley.

“You know how to do it, right?”

“Love, I am a demon, not a moron.”

“Eh. Sometimes you can be both.”

He rolls his eyes, only mildly annoyed. “Care to make an example or do I have to take your insults at face value?”

You would like to answer, but your throat closes. The thought of that day in the Apocalypse world is etched in your mind, and you don't like to think about it. Luckily, you catch Jack getting close to the hounds with the clear intention of petting them, so you're spared from answering. You dash to him, worried.

“Jack, don't!”

Jack immediately takes a step back and looks at you, confused. “But they look so cute!”

“Yeah, but those are not fluffy animals. Those are killing machines, and...”

“And they're trained to behave around people who mean no harm to me. Go ahead, boy. They like scratches on their heads.” Crowley encourages Jack.

You survey carefully the scene, ready to spring into action, but Crowley was telling the truth. A minute later, Jack is sitting on the ground, scratching Juliet's head with a hand, and patting Banquo with the other, looking happier than ever.

“You think Dean will let us keep on in the bunker?”

You think about it for a second. There's not a strong enough word in any human language to express the way Dean would refuse the idea of a hellhound loose in the bunker. Hearing Crowley chuckle next to you, you're sure that he's thinking the exact same thing.

“I... I don't think so, Jack.” Jack nods, trusting your judgement, and looks at you.

“Right. So... what do I do with the knife?”

You sit down on the log next to his one and teach him how to lightly carve the smooth shell of the fruit with a X, so that it doesn't swell and bash while it cooks. When you prepare enough for the three of you, you pour them in the pan and set it on the fire, shaking it from time to time to ensure an even cooking.

Jack notices that your movements are steady, and studies you for a moment. “So... is it a Christmas tradition?”

“It’s more of a winter thing, not just Christmas,” you answer, “I used to go picking chestnuts with my grandfather, from November through December. Then we would cook them on this big open fire in the backyard of his country house. Not a fancy one, though. He was a farmer, so it was one of those old houses full of tools and handmade stuff. I really liked that place.”

“I bet it was amazing.”

You think about it for a moment. “You know what? It really was. And they kept loads of animals, too. He and my grandma would do everything at home, from scratch.”

You start telling Jack things you've never told anyone since you moved and started your new life. Meanwhile, you keep your eyes on the chestnuts, taking them out of fire when they're done.

You pick some pages from the old newspapers and roll three cones, then pour the hot roasted fruit in them. You offer one to Jack, and one to Crowley, who looks surprised.

“... for me?”

“Yes. I know you don't eat, but...”

He takes the cone from your hands, smiling.

“I still like the taste. Thanks, love. Very thoughtful of you.”

“Shut up”, you mutter, but you're smiling.

Jack encourages you to tell more stories about your family, and you hear the crunching noises coming from him slowing down progressively. When you look at him again, on the other side of the flames, you see him dozing off, still nestled between Juliet and Banquo.

You smile and throw your paper cone filled with discarded skins in the fire, watching it crackle, then reach out, trying to warm your hands. The air is cold, and it's totally dark around you, despite being only four p.m. You think about what you just told Jack, and a sting of nostalgia catches you by surprise.

You quickly blink a couple of times, hoping to chase those unexpected tears away, but you feel a hand on your shoulder.

“Are you alright, kitten?”

You almost forgot about Crowley. Surprisingly, he didn’t say anything while you were telling your stories to Jack, but you don’t suspect he listened to every word you said. “I... yes. Just... I haven't thought about those things for a very long time. I... I'm just being stupid.”

“Oh, love. Don't. Actually, you made me remember a few things about my winters as a human.”

“... really?” You think you couldn't be more surprised, but you're wrong. Your amazement hits its peak when Crowley starts telling you about old Scottish traditions, and his experiences with them.

After a few minutes of chatting, you shiver, and inch closer to him. He doesn't move away, instead he wraps an arm around your shoulders.

“I suspect you like me just as a heather, love” he purrs right beside your ear.

“Who says I like you?”

You both laugh and stay quiet, enjoying the cold air, the warmth of the fire and the smell of smoke and roasted chestnuts filling the air for a while. You close your eyes for a moment, laying your head back on his shoulder. His cologne and the hint of sulphur hidden behind it always made you feel safe, and now that things are so different from what they were, you aren't even plagued by the question anymore. The ever-present question of what was going to come next, what was going to happen... how you’d lose him.

You sigh and open your eyes, looking at Jack, then move away from Crowley.

“You know... we should go back. It's dark, and I'm sure they're wondering where we are.”

“... I'll bring back the puppies and see you there, if it's fine with you.”

“It... it is. More than fine, actually.”

He brushes your hand, and you feel his warmth through your glove, then look at him while he speaks.

“Thanks for sharing those memories, love. I know they were for the kid, but... it was nice to hear them.”

“Actually… I'm glad you were here.”

For a moment, both of you stay still. You feel your heart beating faster when you look at him. The way the fire underlines his features, the sheer intensity of his gaze force you to shiver, despite being comfortable and warm. Crowley looks at you and can’t hold back a smile. It might be the moment he was waiting for.

Instead, suddenly panicking, you stand up quickly, feeling your usual shield going up again. You can't be too vulnerable around him, after all. And Jack… you must bring him back. You didn’t come all that way just to get all lovey-dovey with the former king of Hell. “Well, I'll see you back at the bunker.”

“Right. See you there.” Crowley mutters through his teeth and notices the sudden shift in your behaviour. He wonders if his efforts still make sense. Then, he watches you waking up Jack and talking softly to him, petting the hounds and making sure everything is fine, and he knows he just has to be a bit more patient.

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Thank you for reading! 

I truly hope you enjoyed this little story. Every kind of feedback is very much appreciated, just as much as likes and reblogs!

Please, do not repost or copy my works or part/s of it, not even if you give credits.

[buckyscrystalqueen]

The Ring and The Cure: Part 8

Pairings: Crowley x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, angst, threats, mention of past Drowley

Word Count: 1,199

A/N: Repost to spread it out the way it should be.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where we goin’ mommy?” Candice asked as you strapped her into her car seat and you smiled at her.

“We are going to the park for just a little bit and then we are going to go Christmas shopping for daddy.” She giggled as she kicked her feet in front of her.

“I thought Santa brought the presents?” She asked innocently and you laughed and nodded while you snapped the last snap.

“Santa brings presents to good little boys and girls not mommies and daddies so WE get to go pick out some things for daddy!” You bopped her on the nose the same way your mother-in-law always did and closed the car door. You felt your phone vibrate in your back pocket and a wave of nausea crashed over you. You knew what you were doing was so very wrong but to hurt Crowley again all these years later with revealing the truth just seemed too cruel no matter what he had done to you. You got in the car, quickly glanced at Sam’s ‘I’m here’ message and took a big gulp of water to wash down the taste of bile in your throat.

As you drove the few minute drive, every fiber of your being told you to turn around and not have this conversation with Sam. Doing so could only end up in disaster but you had a small amount of fear that if you didn’t meet him, he would go to Crowley and say something to him himself. You didn’t know Sam from Adam but you knew Crowley had known Sam a lot longer than he had known you and you feared the worse in that situation. 

As you pulled into the park, you could see Sam parked in the middle of the gravel parking lot, leaning against the hood of his car with an air of casual nervousness around him. You parked on his driver side door, fought desperately against the nervous nauseous feeling in your stomach and got out of the car to let Candice go off and play.

“We aren’t staying long Candi Cane.” You called out after as she tore across the playground toward the slides. With a heavy sigh you walked over and stood next to him so you could keep an eye on your baby girl. “So talk, Sam.” You said as the two of you watched her giggle as she climbed up the steps only to peel into fits of laughter as she slid down. When she hit the bottom, she always did a little bounce before she would dash around to the stairs giggling away to do it all over again.

“I want to be a part of this.” He said as he gestured toward the playground. “Even if it’s just once in a while.” 

“Sam. We had a deal. We both knew I was most likely going back to Crowley at some point and you knew that we were a one time, never gunna happen again thing. If you wanted to be a part of this then why didn’t you say something the day you found out? All four of us could have put this to bed then?”

“I was scared, (Y/N).” He said as he glanced over at you while you shook your head slowly, not taking your eyes off your daughter and he continued. “I’m a hunter, I live a dangerous life. I know I can’t raise a kid in that lifestyle. At that time what we did was fine for her but now that she’s older…” You whipped your head over to glare at him as anger raged through you.

“Now that she’s older what, Sam? You think you can just step in and say ‘Hey, real daddy wants to come play tea party since mommy did such a good job raising you and keeping you safe with your fake daddy?’ Who the hell do you think you are?”

“That’s… ugh… that’s not what I meant to say…” you nodded sarcastically and looked back at the playground to watch Candice play with the spinning blocks to make sure she wasn’t paying attention.

“Sam, we had an agreement. Point blank; simple, and at the end of the day that agreement has had me lying by omission to my husband for the past 5 years. You think it’s hard on you to not be in her life because you saw her once at a diner a few weeks ago? Try wondering how long it’s gunna take the King of Hell to realize that his little princess is most definitely not Dean’s and that his wife has been lying to him since the day they got back together. Do you know how many times I have wanted to tell him the truth but didn’t because I was terrified what he would do to me much less what he could do to my daughter? Do you know how hard it is to look into the eyes of the man you love and tell him that you love him when you have a life changing secret about his daughter that would break his heart if he found out? Sam, if I could tell him today with a guarantee that nothing would happen to me or Candice, I would, but…”

“I always wondered how long it would take you to crack.” The sound of Crowley’s voice behind you at that moment made your stomach turn and your knees buckled nearly sending you to the ground. You stumbled and spun around to look at him as tears instantly burst from your eyes.

“Baby…” Crowley stepped toward you and shook his head.

“I’ve known. I’ve always known.” A sobbed apology escaped your throat as he wrapped you in a hug. 

“How did you know?” Sam asked as he stood awkwardly in front of his car a little farther away from where he had been a few seconds before.

“Well like I told your brother, I am not stupid. She has those bloody puppy eyes of yours; royal pain in the ass, too. I knew within a few weeks of her birth and I left it alone.”

“Why?” You and Sam asked at the same time as you leaned back to look at your husband. He used his thumb to wipe away your tears and gave you a partial shrug.

“You had your reasons on why you found it necessary to make this choice. Neither of the brothers stepped up to take responsibility and I refused to lose you from my life. So I made the choice to let sleeping dogs lie, accepted that this was somehow your way of punishing me for how I treated you for years and moved on.” He whipped his head up suddenly and scowled.

“Candice! Absolutely not, get down!” He demanded and you turned around to see what your child was getting into just as she was slinking back over the thick plastic ring of the tunnel she was trying to climb on top of. “Swear that child will be the death of me.” He grumbled. You shook your head and laughed as you pulled out of his arms.

“You've been doing that shit for like 8 years and it still weirds me out every time.” You said.

“King of Hell has its perks.” He looked over at Sam, tilted his head and you could see he was slightly annoyed. “Moose, I have had five years and ample opportunities to murder you for this. Obviously I am not going to so will you quit being a nervous prat and join the conversation so I am not shouting across a playground.” Sam slinked over and leaned against the driver side door of his car as the two of you leaned against yours. The three of you stood silently before Crowley became really annoyed. 

“Ok well I have much better things to do than stand around all day so let’s get on with it. Now I had this discussion with Squirrel already so here is what I propose.” He pointed at Candice who was pushing herself on the swing and he looked back at Sam. “That is my daughter. Under no bloody circumstances are you to say otherwise because she does not need to be dragged into our dysfunctional family issues. 

Now, I know this little gathering today was because you wanted to see her and my wife was scared that I would find out because I always find out…” He said as he pulled out Candice’s hex bag out of his pocket and held it in front of you. You turned bright red in embarrassment as he gathered the bag in his hand and put it back in his pocket.  “That is why you two for some bloody reason felt the need to hide this from me. Now, as long as my wife agrees to it we will come up with an arrangement where ‘Uncle Moose and Uncle Squirrel’ can see their ‘niece’.” He punctuated the new titles to Sam pointedly and Sam slowly nodded and looked over at Candice who you could tell was starting to get bored with no one to play with. 

“Lastly, I will say the same thing to you that I said to Squirrel; Sam, look at me.” Crowley said his tone suddenly much harsher than it had been a moment before. Sam’s head whipped toward Crowley who pointed at him. “If you so much as THINK about trying to take my little girl from us and you will find your ass on a rack finding out exactly what Dean went through at Alistair's hands. You think your soul was mangled when you left Lucifer's cage; try to take our daughter and you will know what bloody mangled really looks like. Do we have an understanding?” Sam nodded rapidly and you could only begin to imagine the images that were flashing in his mind. 

Crowley looked at you pointedly and you knew to stay where you were. He looked back at Sam and gave him the “come here” gesture as he headed toward the playground. You and Sam exchanged a slightly worried glance before he darted after the King of Hell. With a small smile, you watched Crowley introduce Uncle Sam (“or Uncle Moose whichever you prefer, Candi Cane”) before he simply turned and walked back to you. Your eyebrows shot to your hairline as Candice grabbed her new friend's hand and dragged his 6’4” frame toward the slide. 

“You're being shockingly calm about this.” you said hesitantly and Crowley shrugged as he leaned against the car next to you; both of you watching Sam play with his daughter. 

“Honestly darling I look at it this way. When we first got together I treated you horrendously and you found it in yourself to forgive and forget. Yes, you had to leave for a year or so but you still forgave without question. Now, I do not like that you lied to me at all however, you had your reasons whatever they may be. And as you did for me, I will give you the same courtesy. 

Now that being said, you lie to me like this again and I will not be so generous. The same way you wouldn't be if I had the audacity to cheat on you. I shouldn't have to threaten you for that give and take, my love. We don't have the most conventional relationship kitten. We have both, pardon the pun, been to hell and back and we are still standing here in love. I consider that a positive thing at the end of the day.” 

“You’re doing a good thing here.” you said as you pointed to the playground to where Sam was pushing Candice on the swing. “Who knew you had a soft spot for the Winchesters?” He chuckled and put his arm around your waist.

“Tell a soul and I will give our daughter sugar before bed for a month.”

Part 9

[solign0501]

La Morte D’Winchester

Part 3

Summary - Sam and Dean Winchester are looking desperately for ways to stop the apocalypse and the inevitable choice between being themselves or being a vessel for Michael and Lucifer. One day, potential new ally Crowley pops up with info on a young witch who might be able to help - problem is, they have to travel back… to a land of myth and a time of magic

A/N: This is a fic that my best friend and I started writing a couple of years ago, set around Season 5 of Supernatural -  thought we’d upload it here and see how y’all like it!

Warning - it’s long…. like 30+ chapters long and we’re not finished yet! Also present day chapters in the present tense, historic in the past - see what we did there? :) (as an aside, we know the French in the title is incorrect)

"Your exits are located here, here, and here. If the cabin pressure drops oxygen masks will fall in front of you. Make sure you put your own mask on before helping anyone else". The safety presenter says over the speakers.

"Cabin pressure, exits, oxygen mask? Sammy I need to get off this damn plane" Dean says rubbing his palms on his knees.

"Dude calm down, the chances of anything happening is about as likely as Cas without a trench coat" Sam says trying to lighten the mood.

"…a whistle is located on the life jacket if needed. Have a pleasant flight" The safety presentation ends and the air stewards take their seats.

"Breathe Dean, Breathe" Dean tries to reassure himself.

The plane engines roar to signal its take off. Dean starts to hum AC/DC's Back in Black, Sam joins him to relax his brother.

When the fasten seatbelt sign is switched off, Dean jumps up.

"Dude I need a drink," he says to Sam.

An air stewardess looks at Sam. "Is he ok?" she asks him. Sam nods, smiling reassuringly.

"It's gonna be a long flight" Sam says getting comfy for the next 8 hours.

*****************************************************************************

"Merlin!" Merlin grumbled as Gaius' voice brought him round.

"Merlin!" The door opened and Gaius walked in.

"You'd better hurry up or you'll be late" He looked around Merlin's room and sighed. "And get this room sorted, WITHOUT magic"

Merlin grumbled again and threw the covers back.

"I'll make breakfast, Hurry up"

A few moments later, Merlin fell down the stairs into Gaius' main chamber, earning a tut and an eye roll from his mentor.

Grabbing the bread from the plate, Merlin dashed out of the room, mumbling a goodbye at Gaius through a mouth full of bread whilst he tied his scarf in place.

"You're late…" Arthur snapped as Merlin burst through the door.

"And you're dressed…" Merlin stammered, catching his breath.

"Observant, as always" He put down the papers he was reading and scowled at Merlin "Where is my breakfast?"

"I thought you could diet today Sire" Merlin said, ducking as a well-aimed candle sailed past his head.

He stood back up and grinned widely at Arthur. The Prince softened slightly. He was fond of his friend, but he kept his face level.

"Forget it. You're such a useless servant you'd only give me food poisoning anyway. What you can do is get my boots polished, my horse groomed and ready and bring my sword and crossbow. I've decided to go hunting".

"That explains why you're dressed. Will it be okay for you to leave the castle?" Merlin inquired.

"We haven't seen Morgana for months. It will be safe for us to go out" Arthur said matter-of-factly.

"Us?" Merlin said, dreading Arthur's response.

"Yes, us" He clapped Merlin on the back. "You're coming too; though try not to let the deer scare you too much".

Merlin laughed sarcastically as Arthur walked away into his bed area.

Cursing Arthur in his head, he went down to the armoury to collect Arthur's weapons before telling Gaius where they were going.

Gaius was in Uther's chambers when Merlin went to find him. He held the cup to the king's lips as Merlin walked in.

"How is he?" Merlin asked, walking up to Uther's chair.

"There's been no change. His mind is broken by what happened." Gaius straightened up and looked at Merlin. "I honestly don't know what more I can do for him"

They both stood and looked at Uther for a moment. "Does Arthur need me?" Gaius asked eventually.

"No" Merlin said, stirring from his thoughts. "He wants to go hunting"

"And you're going with him?" Gaius said, more as a statement rather than a question. Merlin nodded, still looking at Uther.

"Do you want me to try something again?" Gaius shook his head.

"I don't think it will work Merlin, and we should not risk Arthur finding out, or Uther remembering."

Merlin nodded again, feeling sorry for the man in front of him. He may not be the fairest of kings, but nobody deserved to be brought low like this.

"You could light a fire," Gaius said, checking Uther's temperature. "The warmth will do him good"

Merlin turned to the fire and held out his right hand. "Forburnan" his eyes glowed gold and a fire sprang to life in the hearth.

"MERLIN!" Gaius exclaimed, slapping him round the head with the back of his hand.

"Ow!" Merlin said, whilst rubbing his head and looked wounded.

"Don't use your magic, you fool" he scolded, turning back to Uther. "You had better go and get the horses ready before Arthur finds you and gives you more work to do"

"Right, see you in a while" Merlin turned to go.

"Merlin" Gaius called to him. "Be careful. Morgana may still be out there, hiding. Watch Arthur, but keep yourself safe too" He looked at Merlin over the top of his glasses,

"I will Gaius, I promise." Merlin flashed him his famous goofy grin, before turning and hurrying out of the room, nearly bumping into Arthur as he walked in.

"Where are you going?" Arthur asked side-stepping Merlin and glaring at the warlock.

"The get the horses ready," Merlin said, speeding off.

Arthur shook his head, allowing himself to slightly grin before becoming serious again as he turned to face his farther, and a weight fell on his shoulders as he saw him.

"Your highness," Gaius said, bowing.

"How is he, Gaius?"

"The same sire. I am giving him every combination of teas and tinctures I can think of, but his heart and mind are broken".

"Morgana" Uther murmured. "Why Morgana?" Arthur choked back a lump in his throat.

"Leave us please, Gaius" Arthur commanded, trying to keep his voice level. Gaius gathered his things and made to the door to leave. "Thank you" he said quietly.

Gaius paused, bowing to Arthur, "Sire," he said affectionately before leaving.

"Father?" Arthur said gently, walking over to Uther's chair. "How are you father?" Uther didn't acknowledge his son. Instead he stared out of the window at some distant point.

Arthur sighed and took the seat opposite his father, "Our scouting parties came back this morning. The borders are safe, the outlying villages will be bringing in the harvests soon," He took a breath as he recalled the standard reports given to him that morning. "The store rooms are well stocked and the city's water supply was cleaned out. Gaius says that illness levels are down in the upper and lower cities." He steeled himself as he came to his main point.

"There has been no sighting of Morgana for three months." Uther's head snapped round and he seemed to look at Arthur for the first time.

"Morgana" he reached out and took Arthur's hand in his, gripping tight. "Why Morgana?"

"Father, it's me, its Arthur."

"Morgana, What have you done? I love you, my daughter. Why would you do this?" He broke and started to sob. Arthur leaned forward, hugging his father tight, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"It will be fine Father," he whispered.

"Find her. And tell my son I need him. Bring Arthur to me. Arthur!" he shouted "Arthur!"

Gaius came running in and helped to pull Uther back.

"Help me get him into his bed, before he raises an alarm," Arthur commanded as Uther continued to shout his name.

Together they half carried him over to his bed and lay him down, pulling the quilt over his father. Uther's cries died down to mumbling and then to silence as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"I'm so sorry Sire," Gaius said, putting his hand on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur reached up and grasped his hand, trying to stop the tears falling freely.

"Just take care of him Gaius." He gave Gaius's hand an affectionate squeeze before turning and walking out.