#samoc

A/N: so here is another piece I’ve been working on for a while. It’s Supernatural based and is a companion piece to one I wrote....years ago. It’s obviously AU and takes place during the 9-ish season. It’s an OC piece about an Angel named Nel. I hope you like it, I think I’m going to write more when I can.

Warnings: Graphic violence. torture. Season 9 spoilers. cursing. 

Nel and her boys couldn't stop laughing at the unknowing joke Castiel had made. "Cas, dude, you can't just tell a lady her dress makes her look fat," Dean sighed, laughing into his beer. "But she asked me if she looked fat, to tell her otherwise would be a lie. I should not lie to someone, especially when they ask me for the truth."

Nel cackled at that. Her brother had a lot to learn about humans and women.

"It…its like this Cas, women, and men, sometimes they like to be flattered." Sam was struggling with his explanation. He never thought he'd have to explain a white lie to anyone, especially an angel.

"But that flattery would have been a lie…" "Yes, its a white lie," "A white lie?" "yeah, it's a lie you tell so you don't hurt someone's feelings, something you do to make someone else happy." Cas looked thoughtful for a moment, "But then all lies could be considered white lies, and all white lies could be bad.'

Sam sighed loudly as Dean and Nel laughed even harder. "Look, Castiel, she knew she looked fat, you knew she looked fat, she knew you knew she looked fat, but she wanted to be lied to. Human's sometimes want to be lied to. Simple as that." "Well, humans are confusing, sister.'

"That they are." Nel looked at Dean and smiled lovingly before taking another sip of her beer, it was times like this she was glad she had her family, as crazy as it was. No matter what happened, she had her boys and her brother. As long as they were together, they could face the world.

"WAKE UP!" Nel shot up, jarred from her sleep. "Time to start another round of questioning. Hopefully this time, you will give me the answers I want. Otherwise, I may just slip up…" Metatron. Nel remembered where she was, locked away in a cell in Hell. No one knew she was there, not Crowley, not Castiel, not Gadreel, not her Boys, not even Lucifer. No, no one knew she was there because they all thought she was dead.

They thought she died long ago, in the war in Heaven, but here she was, locked away, subjected to torture and questioning. Day in and day out, or was it night in and night out? She didn't know. She didn't know how long she had been in Hell, she didn't know how long she had been on the floor, trying to heal herself. But she had to hold on, God trusted her with information that no one else should ever know. He trusted her. She could not fail him.

Besides, she'd been tortured before, by Lucifer, by demons, hell even by humans when she was still one. Yes, she had endured much worse. She could endure much more.

Metatron opened up her cell door all the way, knowing she wouldn't run. She couldn't, not with the iron collar covered in enochian charms. He grabbed by her hair and dragged her out, all while talking about her daily torture as if they were talking about the weather.

"Oh, what should we do today, rip out your nails? How about waterboarding? You like that one!" "How about the one where you realize I'm never going to tell you anything and just let me go?" She hissed out, clawing at his hand in her hair. "Now, now, you know that's never going to happen, besides you love our little pow-wows. I know, I saw it in your head. Reminds you of when you were human. What did you call it? Penance?"

He turned down a few more hallways, still dragging her behind him. Nel had learned not to be dead weight, to try and slow him down. The few times she had, he just tortured her more. "Love, love," She choked, "is just a camouflage for what resembles rage…" Metatron laughed at that, "Oh sister, that is clever!" He waggled his finger back at her, "But remember, I control you. I control everything. I can make the very air around you feel like a cage." He said, his eyes growing dark. But, before she could retort, they had reached the torture room, and he immediately flung her to a rack.

"You know what to do, sister. Get on, and get strapped down. If you're good, I'll tell you a little secret!" Nel eyed him from the floor, but slowly got on the rack. "Good girl," he eyed her, making sure she buckled herself in as tightly as she could. "I have a surprise for you! I have guests! They will hopefully take part in your torture! I'm sure you already know one of them!" Metatron waved his hand in the air, and two figures shimmered in, completely unaware of what was happening.

"What in the bloody hell!?" a gravely British voice yelled out, perturbed to taken away from where ever he was. "Cr...Crowley?"

Crowley's eyes shot to the table and he stared at Nel, mouth opening and closing like a fish. "You bring me out of the cage for a torture session, really Metatron? This is beneath you." Lucifer rolled his shoulders, completely unaware of what was happening. "Brother.…" Lucifer looked around the room and spotted Nel, bloody and broken, trying to reach out to him. "Sister?" He tried to take a step forward, but was stopped short. Suddenly he realized her couldn't move. Neither of them could. Crowley looked up at the ceiling, and sure enough, there was a devil trap etched on it.

"Bollocks, well this is unfortunate."

"Clever Metty, very clever. Devil trap above, Angel trap below. It's like you planned this." "I can't take all the credit, I did learn some of my techniques from you both" he smiled and shrugged, waving his hand to Nel. "Why am I even here? This seems to be a family problem, not that I mind watching, I do enjoy a good torture that boarders on incestual." Crowley knew why he was there. Nel was the only angel he could barely call friend. Hell, if they were both still human, he probably could have loved her. Probably. But he didn’t need to let Metatron know that. So he shrugged in his suit and looked around,

"I like what you did with the place, Cozy." Crowley snickered.

"Crowley, Lucifer, can I call you that? Or would you prefer CO….Kings of Hell?"

Metatron laughed at his little dig at the two men. He was the one calling the shots and he wanted them to know that. "Look, like I said, why am I even here? Angel business, is…angel business. I have my own little…tiff…I need attend too. Moose and Squirrel will be wondering where I've been off too. Don't want to upset the children."

If he could get out of there, he could let the boys know where Nel was…with the right price of course, maybe he could get Dean to let him have that obnoxious car he so vehemently drives…

"Now Crowley, don't you want to know why I brought you here? I'm sure you do!"

Uncharacteristically, Lucifer has remained stoic, since realizing he was in an angel trap, keeping eye contact with Nel. How was she still alive? The last time he saw her…

'oh no..'

"You want us to torture her." Lucifer stated, never breaking eye contact. Nel's eyes went big as she pulled against her restraints,

"Metatron, no. Please don't do this. Please."

"BINGO! Our favorite fallen son gets a prize! You get the first torture session! If you want it of course.." Metatron moved to Nel's head was and picked it up, forcing her to look at Crowley and Lucifer. He squeezed her cheeks together, making her lips pucker. "And I know just how much you love torturing her. Hellfire on her wings," He dropped her head with a loud thud, "Now that! That was a classic"

Metatron moved back to them, wagging his finger the whole time, "But you, my dear Crowley, you….like her, could even say you love her! But you want to know a secret?? She doesn't love you! She can't!" He laughed at that, he laughed and laughed and laughed.

"I looked into her head and saw her truths. I saw every little nook and cranny in there. And let me tell you, she killed a LOT of humans in her day. She was vicious. Honestly, I'm just as surprised as she is that she isn't a demon." Nel turned her head in shame, her conquests during her time as a human brought her nothing but nightmares and self-loathing. No, her past life as Elizabeth was best left at that, the past. "Does your little errand boy, Gadreel, know you have her locked away? Hmmm? Does he know you're torturing helpless angels?"

Crowley bit back, his posture just barely stiffening.

"Metatron, I'm going to kill you. Mark my words." Lucifer growled. "Why the sudden protectiveness for her? You were oh so ready to kill her when you wanted your true vessel…"

Lucifer gave her a pained look. He never wanted to torture her. He never wanted to hurt any of his siblings. Just their Father. A Father she so blindly followed as a human. But now? Now she was just his little sister, another in the long line he failed to protect. "Careful Lucifer, you're feeling! Very human of you." Metatron sat down in a chair that wasn’t there before, lounging back with his arms crossed and his feet up.

"Now look, here's the thing. Aranel, our favorite baby sister, has some valuable information regarding our Father locked away in her little head. But! For the life of her, she won't tell me what it is, or where it is. And trust me," He laughs, "I have looked just about everywhere. So, I'm going to give you two options. Either you do as I saw and do what you both do best,"

He lifted his hands and shook them around his face, making light of the situation,

"Oooor, you both stand there helpless as I take that big cleaver and hack off her wings." His voice dropped an octave and he became deadly serious. "It's up to you. Either you do it, or I do."

"Now, let’s take a step back for just a moment. We're all business men here, rulers of our own realms, I'm sure…" Crowley began

"Fine. We'll do it." Lucifer cut him off, turning his eyes to steel and his heart to stone.

"Oh very good, brother! I knew you wouldn't pass up the opportunity to finish what you started those 5 years ago." Metatron got up and walked towards them again.

"But, on one condition," Lucifer stopped him.

"I don't think you're in the position to be making demands, you little Devil, you." "You will leave us to our work. I don't like to have an audience, makes me…gun-shy." he joked, shrugging at Metatron.

"Oh-ho ho, I see, you want me to flit away so you two can save your skins and leave? No, no I don't think so." "Don't you trust me brother? Do I look like someone who really wants to help our Father? Especially his little pet?"

"No, you look like someone who would just kill her to make the Winchester's angry. And I can't have that, I need the information she has so irritatingly squirreled away in her head!"

Crowley was getting fidgety. He had do get out. He had to move. He had to tell Dean where Nel was. He had to…'Christ these traps are annoying,' he thought.

"Look, I'm the King of Hell as well as the King of Deals. So I'll make you one. You let us go, or more specifically me, and I won't sick all the hellhounds in the world after your scent." He had to stall, had to wait, had to get out. If he could just get out…

"Wait, I know what you're doing! You're stalling! You're stalling so I get bored and leave you to rescue our poor little sister!" Metatron stood up, cracked his back, and sauntered over to the gurney covered in different instruments and tools. Lucifer swallowed hard, it was just like those 5 years ago when he hurt her. When he did this to her. When he did this to his little sister. "See, here's the thing. I'm the Scribe of God. I'm not just some chump who was born, oh 10 centuries ago. Isn't that right Nel?" He fiddled with a few knives as he jabbed at her age. Nel was such a young Angel. A fact that made her a lot of enemies in her siblings. "So I know a bullshitter when I hear one."

Nel was tired, she was so tired. She just wanted peace. But, mostly what she wanted at this moment was for them to stop bickering. "Fuck you three are long winded," she wheezed. Nel's breathing turned into a hacking cough which subsided after a few moments. "Metatron, I'll never tell you anything," she inhaled weakly, "So just kill me and get it over with."

Metatron stormed over to the gurney and slapped Nel across the face with such force, she could feel her teeth loosen.

"YOU DON'T GET TO TALK!" He grabbed her face and pulled it towards his, "You don't get to talk, you don't get to do anything other than scream!" From nowhere, Metatron revealed a syringe filled a red goo. "You remember this, Lucifer?! Remember when you took such joy in this!?" Metatron shoved the syringe into Nel's neck and stuck the plunger. "Scream for him Aranel! Scream for you brother! Scream for your piece of shit demon lackey! Scream for those Winchesters! Scream for our Father who has abandoned you!"

Nel bit her lip and whimpered out, her body convulsing. But, she wouldn't scream. Tears stained her filthy cheeks and blood oozed from her swollen lips, but still she wouldn't scream. "Metatron Stop!" Lucifer demanded. "OH!? You want me to stop?! Why!? Why should I stop?! You did this once before! I'm just perfecting it! Isn't that right, SISTER?!" Metatron yanked the syringe from her neck and whipped around to the table. He grabbed the cleaver. "I'm just finishing what you started! She's not one of us! How could she be?! She was just a human those stupid, selfish, Arch Angels decided to turn! Why should I care about her!? You never did! You didn't care about any of us! Or them!"

He stalked towards the two men, head low, shoulders slumped, eyes wild. He pointed the knife at them. "All I wanted was for our Father to love me. Just like you. I wanted to be the favorite. You were, and you threw it away. Now they are!" He pointed it back towards Nel, still facing Lucifer and Crowley.

"All I want is to be equal. All I want is to save everyone the pain of knowing no matter what you do, you will never be anything to our Father."

"You're absolutely mad." Crowley muttered in a bitter awe. "You think what you're doing is to save humanity. Christ you're stupid." "Metatron, stop this." "No, Satan. You don't get to tell me what to do. You had your chance. You could have done this yourself, But you made me do this! You!" Metatron turned back to Nel and slowly made his way over. "Such pretty things, her wings. Not snow white, like yours, brother, "he drew that last word out, "but still, they have their unique qualities. Like a sunset, wouldn't you say? The oranges, and red, and pinks, mixed together…so beautiful." He picked on up gingerly, smoothing out the ruffled feathers. "Probably her most beautiful quality. You know, you two were made for each other. The Morning Star and the girl with Sunset wings." Nel started breathing erratically, taking deep quick breaths. Her eyes widened and her head swiveled between Lucifer and Crowley and Metatron. "Please, please no! Please!" She whimpered "Brother?" She locked eyes with Lucifer, noting the sorrow his face.

Metatron raised his hand, the cleaver catching the glint of the light. "NO!" "NO!" The sound was deafening. Nel screamed and screamed and screamed. She cried out, whimpered, convulsed. But nothing could over power the sound of bone and flesh cracking. Blood and feathers littered the floor at Metatron's feet. He kept hacking away, pulling and yanking at the wing, twisting it as the tendons and sinews cracked and broke.

"There one down," Metatron chuckled, throwing the once beautiful creation at Crowley and Lucifer's feet. Nel heaved, slack jawed, sobbing in pain.

Metatron shook out his arms and leaned down to Nel's ear. "Now, Sister…Where is our Father?!"

Suddenly the ground began to quake. Dust from the ceiling and walls made clouds in the air. There was a deep rumble, like nothing ever heard before. Crowley's head whipped around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. "Be prepared to grab her and get out of here. Once these traps break, I'll be flung back into the cage." His eyes landed on Lucifer. He stood there, eyes burning red. He just stared at his sister. "I'm so sorry, Aranel. My sweet sister." "Wh..what's going on?! What's happening!" Metatron looked around, confused at the commotion. "I would run if I were you." Crowley smirked, "Ever heard of 'The Devil at your back'?"

Metatron blinked out, running away before the seals broke. First the ceiling broke, releasing Crowley from the Devil's trap. He rushed to Nel's side. "Hello dove. Let's get you out of this." Nel couldn't hear him, she was too far gone in the pain. He pulled the straps from her arms and legs, and gently lifted her from the gurney. Her head slumped to his chest as he held her tight. "Br...brother.." she muttered. Crowley turned to Lucifer. "It's okay, turtledove. You'll see me again. And we can do our whole song and dance once more."

He smiled weakly at her. Nel tried to reach out for him. "Get her out of here."

The floor shattered, breaking the Angel's trap. Lucifer gave her a sad smile before being flung back into the cage.

Crowley blinked out of Hell and into a clearing, somewhere. "I've got you." He shuffled towards some sort of door, shifting her in his arms. "You're going to owe me a new suit, love."

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There was sharp banging coming from the bunker door. "The hell is that?" Dean said, head snapping up from the book he was reading. Sam looked at him confused. The banging continued.

Both brothers grabbed their guns and moved silently to the bunker door. Dean stood behind his brother, gun raised, as Sam counted out with his fingers down from three. "Oh would you two just open the damned door?!"

Sam looked at his brother confused, "Crowley?" he called out.

"Yes it's me Moose! Now open the god damned door!" Sam made a face at his brother and holstered his gun. Dean did the same, straightening up.

Sam opened the door while making a snarky comment, "What, can't do it for you…" He was caught off guard by the bloody and limp body in Crowley's arms. "Move!" Crowley pushed his way into the bunker and down the stairs. Both brothers were stunned. That couldn't have been who they thought it was. Dean snapped out of it first, running towards Crowley, who had started to make his way to the barracks.

"It can't be."

Crowley kicked open a door to an empty room and made his way to the bed. He placed her down gently, minding the mangled nub that was once her wing.

Dean ran to the other side of the bed and fell to his knees. "Nel?" He gently moved some hair from her face and caressed her cheek. "I thought.…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. His eyes became glassy as Sam fell next to him. "We all did, Squirrel. We all did."

"Who…how?" Sam held his guardian angel's hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the caked blood. "Metatron."

"What?" Crowley looked at Nel's broken figure, "Angel's lie to keep control"

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Lucifer dropped his head to the bars of his cage, breathing deeply.

He was back inside. He was stuck and he was never getting out. "That was quite…human of you, brother." Michael smirked from his side of the cage. Lucifer turned around and punched him right in the nose. Michael dropped and cowered back to the corner he had been sitting. Lucifer turned back around and placed his head back on the bars. He thought for a moment, then gently put his hands in his pocket and pulled out a colored feather. It was orange and red and pink, like a Sunset. It was one of Nel's feathers from her destroyed wing. He rolled his back and opened his impressive wing span. It was magnificent. He ruffled them slightly, blinding white glinting with the movement. Lucifer Morningstar had the most beautiful wings of all God's angels. Gently, in the curve on his left wing, he placed the colored feather. Now the only imperfection to his perfect wing. The feather hung there, like it was a part of him. Fuck Metatron, Fuck Crowley, Fuck the Winchesters, and Fuck God. His only hope was to one day right the wrongs he had caused that witty, snarky, stupid sister of his.

AN: Hey readers! We spent months working on this first book and yes it is a completed piece. Each season is going to have at least one book, (we obviously started at the beginning) We did our best to keep Dean, Sam, Bobby, and John as close as possible to their actual characters, but beware there is some slight issues that will happen were they might seem slightly OOC, but fear not! There are reasons for this. Which will be explained throughout the originally a one-shot but alas it got a bit out of hand so every book will officially be posted in chapters. Thank you Klu for being our Beta and for helping us break this into manageable chapters.  We really hope those of you on Tumblr really enjoy this! SPN4Life! 

On that note: Neither Dark nor I own Supernatural or any of the characters mentioned that belong to the series. We do however claim Lilly and Mae as our own original characters. If you have any questions please message us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Yes this is a collaboration piece so there are 2 main OC's not sure if anything is going to occur romantically yet; we are letting our characters take the wheel on that end. But it's us and we enjoy persuading our characters to try new things.

Trigger warnings; Abuse, Slight OOC, and oodles of Expletives (We all know that our boys would swear if they weren't on network television)

Bakers, Hunters, and Pies, Oh My…

Book 1 Witch Pie

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

September 13, 2005

7 AM

The morning brought a crispness to the air, the cool breeze whispering promises of an early fall. Unanticipated storm clouds gathered above the town, a slight inconvenience to its citizens. Cold rain mixed with the heat shimmering from the ground created a light, rolling fog. The streets teemed with early risers. Parents waved as their children boarded the school bus. Men and women rushed down the sidewalks, quickly trying to avoid the brunt of the storm; many grabbing a hot coffee before carpooling to work.

In a little apartment just down the road, a man is his mid-40s is stepping out of the shower when the lights in the bathroom begin flickering.

"Shit." He curses as he reaches for a towel. Before he can react, a cloud of smoke twists and jerks down his throat. His eyes roll to the back of his head and he falls unconscious to the ground. It's not long before he regains his feet and braces himself on the bathroom sink. He smiles slightly, his eyes open. Glaring obsidian stares back in his reflection.

"Fucking Hunters." he sneers, shaking his head.

Stark naked, he walks over to a seemingly unkempt bookshelf and runs a finger across several of the volumes. He picks up some and tosses others behind him, scanning through pages as a wicked smirk plays on his features. He finds one that may be of interest, laying it out just as a phone starts to vibrate somewhere in the mess. Grunting the man pulls it out from under loose ammo, looking at the J. Winch flashing at him on the screen. "Perfect." He murmurs as he flips the phone open.

"Craft? I was hunting a demon last night. I think it was searching for you. Are you safe? You have the devil's trap up right?" A man asks on the phone, tone tinged with worry.

"Well if it isn't John Winchester." The man answers smoothly. "Seems you're a bit late, as usual." Craft sits in the desk chair, leaning back as he continues "Your friend's body isn't one of the best I've resided in but it does nicely enough. Thanks by the way for getting rid of my last meat-suit. I really liked it…" he taunts.

"You evil son-of-a-" John roars over the line before the demon cuts him off.

"Hey now, none of that John, you dumb hunters know the risks. Like possession for one. I do have to say I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly; so, how about this… You and I should play a game." The demon says playfully over the phone but the threat of the challenge was almost repugnantly clear. "We wouldn't want another Harvelle case on our hands would we?" The demon says with a smirk. Wait for it….

Soft breathing can be heard from the other end of the line. "You evil bastard…"

Hook... Line...

The line is quiet for several moments more, before a deep sigh is heard. "What are the terms?"

Sucker…

One Week Later

"She's my cherry pie, Cool drink of water such a sweet surprise, Tastes so good makes a grown man cry. Sweet Cherry Pie"

A dusty black Impala drives down Main Street. It pulls into a parking spot in front of a small bakery. Music blares as doors swing open, cutting out as two men in black suits emerge from the car. They don't even take note of the shops around them as they turn down the sidewalk towards their destination. If anyone had been close enough they would have heard them arguing quietly under their breath as they hurried towards the entrance of the library.

Inside the near by bakery, two young women are in the process of opening their shop. The seating area of their cafe is comfortable. Mix-matched tables and chairs of different colors, sizes, and comfort are set up seemingly at random. Very overstuffed loveseats and chairs hug the walls nearest to the windows. The soft lighting illuminating the cafe seems to inexplicably cast away all shadows. The walls are covered in an eclectic style one wouldn't typically find in a bakery. With strong undertones of urban hippy, accents of pagan, apothecary bottles, dried herbs, and even a few posters of the girls' favorite music bands and movies. The bottom half of the walls are lined with shelves filled with all kinds of books for people to read at their leisure. Each table has a bookmark holder attached to the napkin dispenser. Even the knick-knacks in the store ranged from fairies to flowers, to Egyptian pieces here and Celtic paraphernalia there; that was what made the cafe come off as homey and comfortable. Nothing too expensive; but everything gives the customers a quick glimpse into the unlikely friends-turned-business-partners' lives.

"So Mae, do you even think anyone will show up before 3 today?" The shorter of the two girls asks, breaking the comfortable silence with a tilted head as she arranges the freshly baked pies. Strands of her raven hair fall into her honey eyes as she leans down to arrange the bottom of the display shelf.

Mae rolls her eyes before smiling at her friend. "We have plenty of loyal regulars Lilly. Don't get your corset in a knot." She turns to scoop up a tray of cupcakes meant for the display near the register.

"You're the one that laced it, should I be concerned about your ability to do so?" Lilly asks wryly as she moves over to their electric kettle to brew hot water. "Besides you know we are always slow in the morning. People prefer going to the new Dunkin's. We need a freaking drive thru." She says blowing a strand of hair out of her eye impatiently as she prepares cups for her and Mae.

"But drive thrus are so impersonal. Besides, where the heck would we have it? What this town really needs is a place for people to relax, and enjoy themselves. Lately it just seems to be all 'live fast and move on.'" Mae gestures before turning to stare out the front windows, noticing an old looking black car parked in front.

"What this town really needs is more people. Besides I like impersonal. Unlike someone else who runs this shop, I'd rather not be everyone's therapist, thank you very much. I don't care about what Suzy did with Tommy last Thursday night by the quarry. I don't care that Ms. Carter might be keeping some little shit after class because she 'really believes in them'; I cannot express in enough words how little I care about that community drama crap."

Mae sticks her tongue out at Lilly as she drops the till into the register. "I'm not a therapist, but I like helping people out when I can. I like feeling like I'm part of a community. Like I make a difference, if only in a small way."

"Well I for one could use some new faces. Like some eye candy. Eye candy is almost as good as the edible kind. It's boring growing up with every Dick, Tom, and Rob in this stupid town. They all want the whole nine yards. Big house. White fence. 2.5 kids and Fido. Blegh." Lilly says as she discards her jewelry from her scarred wrists and fingers, and washes her hands methodically. After several moments of scrubbing she dries them thoroughly and puts her jewelry back on, recovering the ugly scars. When the kettle finally whistles she sighs with contentment. She lifts the kettle from the base, filling both cups and a tea pot. She takes all three over to their regular table.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting a family and a dog… but please, punch me in the shoulder if I ever succumb to the name Fido." Mae giggles, her eyes darting back to the car sitting out front; why does it look so familiar?

"Dude. No, there is so much wrong with that, and trust me I will. Wait…" Lilly pauses, making her way over to the bookshelf. She scoops up their latest reads and returns to the table. Sweeping her skirt underneath her, she falls into her favorite chair, and continues with a smile. "Does this mean you and I are close to living the dream? I mean we already have a sweet ass house. It's huge as fuck. So, that makes us lezzy lovers right?"

"Feel better?" Mae inquires, watching her friend's shocked face as she takes a sip of tea. She giggles as Lilly instantly begins scooping sugar into the cups, and then the pot. Tapping her fingers on the still open till Mae's attention returns to the distraction of the car outside.

Lilly grunts what Mae can only interpret as confirmation. She opens up her book, ignoring her friend in favor of what might be one of her new favorites.

"Hey Lil… have you ever seen that car before?" Mae shakes her head as if clearing it, and closes the register. She absentmindedly begins to play with the end of her braid in frustration, a few chestnut colored wisps escaping the weave.

Lilly takes another deep sip of tea as she mumbles a noncommittal "Sure?" her honey brown eyes, never actually lifting from the pages, as she pulls her pin straight raven hair on top of her head in frustration, clipping it, her elbow keeping the book open, as she continues to read. When her hair is up and out of her face again she begins tapping Mae's spot at the table expectantly, where the other book and her friend's cup resides.

"You're not here, and you should be…" Lilly whines, still reading. "Plant it."

Mae just shakes her head, smiling, as she takes her seat. She sips the tea, adds honey and cream and tries again. Knowing that Wednesdays never pick up until around two, she opens her own book and also begins reading. The strange car out front is completely forgotten.

Mae alerts to the jingle of the door opening. "Welcome to Cakes, Cookies and Pies… Oh, oh good morning Todd." She smiles, getting up "The usual?"

Todd smiles pleasantly in return. "Good morning Miss Elizabeth, Miss Samara."

Lilly snarls, looking up from her book... "God Todd, just call me Lilly, and she's Mae. I'm about done telling you that." She takes a sip of tea, glares at the mailman, and goes back to her book.

"Sorry Mis-... umm… Lilly." Todd's cheeks darken slightly. He awkwardly pulls his bag forward and fishes through it while walking towards the register. "Here you go Miss Elizabeth, you guys got a lot of mail today."

"MAE! Her name is Mae! Todd, no one is that formal anymore, Jesus, keep up with the times, you're so awkward."

Mae finishes pouring a mug of coffee and fishes a Muffin out from the display. "Thank you Todd, and here you go. Blueberry-cherry muffin; baked fresh this morning, coffee and milk, 2 sugars."

The young man smiles wide in appreciation. He takes a seat at the counter, attempting to engage Lilly in small talk.

Mae smiles at his attempt, I wish she would notice how much he cares takes her time going through the mail, sorting bills from junk, when she finds an envelope that makes her stomach tighten.

Finally giving up on talking to Lilly, Todd finishes up his breakfast, pays Mae and takes his leave with the promise to see them the same time tomorrow.

After several moments Lilly looks up from her book "God that kid is so weird! Who talks to people while they are reading? Rude much! God that kid needs etiquette classes, or something."

Mae rolls her eyes and resumes her seat next to Lilly, deciding that now wasn't the time to point out all of the wrong that just came pouring out of her friend's mouth. "Well, anyway… Ummm…" Mae pulls a white envelope from her pocket. "We are going to have to keep the shop in top shape. I have a letter from the USDA about our quarterly health inspection."

"Oh?" Lilly asks nonchalantly as she turns a page in her book. "We'll be fine Mae, Jim loves us and our goods, we have nothing to worry about. Our shop is always in A-plus shape."

Mae just rolls her eyes "Lilly, I told you that Jim was retiring last month, do you ever listen?"

"Uh-huh… See. I told you we'll be…. wait, what?" She says pausing mid-sentence as she face palms "Oh yeah, well shit. I wonder who they picked up for that position."

"I'm not sure… But I want to make sure we make a good first impression on them. Okay Lilly? You can't ever undo a first impression, that's why it's vital we stay on top of things."

"Alright Mae, I get it. I will be on top of it. Trust me." Lilly says with a smile "Now calm yourself and drink your tea, we just did a deep cleaning last weekend and the only products out are currently in the oven, are waiting to go in the oven, or in the display case. So breathe and read. We've got this."

They sit in a comfortable silence for about two hours, broken only by the sound of the oven timer, before Lilly starts chuckling. "This book is so great, where did you pick it up from again? The used book store?"

"Which one?" Mae reluctantly stops reading her book to look up at Lilly. "Oh, that one. You remember Andy? He works for some publishing company now, editor or mail room or something. Anyway, he saw it and thought I'd like to read it. So he sent me a copy"

"Andy...Andy… Andy… oh that pussy you dated back in junior year? The one that was always spouting that romance shit at you and all 'my feelings this, my feelings that'? That kid seriously needed to grow a pair. I said one little thing to him about it and he flipped his shit. What a pansy." Lilly said shaking her head. Reflexively she covered her small smile with one hand as she continued reading. She enjoyed running that one off, and remembered it quite well. Mae deserved someone with testosterone, not some sniveling little shit obsessed with romance, and some notion of them getting married after senior year. He was pathetic.

Mae nearly spit her tea out "He was sweet. I really liked him. He used to call me just to read me poetry from books he found at the library. It was a nice change. When he was offered a scholarship in another state, we knew it wouldn't work out. But it was nice to hear from him."

Lilly just rolls her eyes. "Oh yeah, you're just making it so much worse right now. But I'm shocked... Andy! Reading something like this? Isn't it a bit dark for him? I mean ghosts, demons, murders most foul, and all that junk? I mean it's about two men and what-not, and that's probably his thing but no way…" Pausing mid-rant as her face colors with disgust "Hey you don't think Andy was so twisted he would ship brothers right? Cause like, ew….Then again that wouldn't surprise me if that's what that poof was into, the quiet ones are always the freakiest…" her once disgusted tone shifting to one of dry amusement.

"Oh, come on Lilly. I can see how it might sound like too much love to you, but I like that the brothers look out for each other and care so deeply for one another. It's not romance, just emotion. And Andy has a girlfriend, so shush."

Lilly looks horrified for a moment. "I am not shipping the brothers. Ew. Gross. That would be like shipping us. Sick dude, just sick. Men shouldn't have… what does Dean call it? Oh yeah, 'chick-flick moments'. And let me tell you Mae, Andy's life was one long chick-flick, besides his girl probably pegs him." Lilly says with a wink.

I don't even want to know what that is..."Dean's your favorite isn't he…" Mae asks, pointedly ignoring her friend's vulgar words.

"Well duh. I mean, a bit of a pig though, isn't he? But then again, I also think Sam might be um, batting for the other team. So let me guess, you prefer him?" Lilly says looking to Mae grinning mischievously as she sticks out her tongue. "Besides, I admire a man who cares for his family but doesn't pout and go all mopey about it. Shows he has his shit together. Plus, I bet he's rocking in bed." Lilly says with another wink this one more serious than the last.

Mae saves her place with a bookmark, placing it on the table, and takes a slow sip of her tea. "You are afraid of your own feelings, and that's why you can't appreciate Sam. Sam does care about his family, but he feels at odds with them as well. I think it's just because he's a lot like his father. I was always fighting with my mother. And everyone tells me I act just like her. So that's something. And I like the depth of devotion Sam has for his brother. Sometimes, Dean treats Sam like a son though, and that's never comfortable."

"Tch! As if. I'm like a hundred percent in touch with that shit." Lilly says rolling her eyes and making a disgusted face.

"With what now?" Mae asks, seeing through the ruse.

"That shit, you know..."

"You mean the touchy?"

"Like stuff, that...'

"Feely?"

"That. You uh, well… What ever, you know what I mean..."

"Warm tingle in your soul?"

"Stop being such a cunt, Mae…."

"Things called emotions?"

"Shut your face, don't you have some inventory to count or some shit?"

"Oh yeah, you are so in touch with "that shit"." Mae remarks sarcastically. She stands, taking their cups to the sink to rinse, listening to Lilly rant about 'evil' feelings.

"Bleh, normal people don't talk about that shit, dude. They just don't. Maybe you should see a therapist… Seriously. You need some good old shock therapy. That will fix you right up." Lilly says with a smile. "I, on the other hand, am so well adjusted. Obviously."

"Obviously. By the way Lilly, it's actually your turn to count bags." Mae pulls out a binder box and resumes her seat at their table. With a calculator in hand, she starts the task of balancing the books.

"Shit." Lilly mutters as she sluggishly gets up to start the count when the doorbell finally chimes. "Fuck yeah. Saved by the bell, literally." she mumbles to herself before turning to the customers with a smile, dog earing the book in her hand as she places it on the counter.

"Welcome to Cakes, Cookies, and Pies..." Lilly falters at the men entering the doorway

and whispers "Oh my…" with a cough to clear her throat.

Mae looks up, startled by the quiet whisper, and takes a calming breath before her admiring 'oh' can escape her lips.

All parties pause momentarily, the energy in the room shifting just slightly. The two good looking men entering the cafe were definitely new in town, and certainly didn't look as though they belonged in the quaint little shop.