Title: Saints & Sinners

Rated for: T

Genre: Family / Friends

Fandom/Universe: Good Omens / Supernatural

Characters: Aziraphael, Crowley, Emma, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel

Pairings: None

Spoilers/Warning: No actual spoilers.

Disclaimer: Good Omens and all related characters belong to Neil Gainmann and Terry Prachett. No infringement intended.

Supernatural and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended.

Summary: Certain angels feel like maybe a certain human needs a little bit of good news. So one of them is sent off to make it happen.

Status: Complete

Author's Note: I was always curious about Emma and what could have been. She was probably meant to be written out of the show since its always been about the brothers so one of them suddenly having a teenage daughter to look after (even if she's an Amazon) kinda puts a kink in the way the show continues. And really, why mess with a good thing, right? But Emma deserved to get a chance at being a 'real girl' so I figured she should get to live on in some form or another. Here it is.

G.O.

The angels are having tea, both sitting in comfortably cushioned chairs. Amongst dusty shelves of books, a collection curated over centuries with care. Which made it difficult to part with any particular piece, and that made no sense considering the angel ran a book shop. It was the pride of the angel, whose sole purpose at one time, had been to guard the entrance to The Garden.

Beside him sat a smartly dressed version of his brother, the tempter. He wore the same black suit, shiny black shoes and coat. Both drank their tea, the conversation, the same as it had always been, lapsed into silence since neither would concede.

Every time they met, their conversations were usually interspersed with anecdotes of their daily routines and annoyances.

"I still don't understand." He really didn't. "It's a book store. You're supposed to sell the books."

The blond head turned; "These are my books." He's just slightly annoyed because its not the first time he's had to explain this.

"How do you expect the humans to know your books aren't for sale?" because there's been more than one complaint of humans walking into the shop and trying to buy a book.

The annoyed angels expression doesn't change and his companion smiles amicably which in turn has the other one thinking its all been on purpose, just to annoy. And … eventually, they'd get around to The Ineffable Plan, how angels would always do as they were ordered, how it wasn't their place to interfere, etc, etc, etc.

It really came down to good vs evil. They just couldn't agree which was worse.

"Oh what?" he's annoyed by the expression on the blond angel. Because the other subject of conversation lately has been about the humans in play this time around.

"Its just …" he sighs and stares into his tea.

"Zira…!" he rolls his eyes and scowls. "If you feel so bad-."

"NO." Aziraphale looks up, shakes his head. "You know we can't interfere."

"Of course." And his annoyance is obvious. The angel has been feeling 'bad' for the humans but Crowley's had a different experience entirely.

"The poor boy…" Aziraphale sadly shakes his head and sighs again.

"Yes, yes," Crowley nods but he doesn't feel bad for either of them. "He's a pain in the ass." And seeing the look Aziraphale gives him, waves his hand. "And yes, he's had a rather bad time of it as well."

A run of bad luck, only these angels know its not luck at all.

Its Heaven.

And Hell.

Both sides pulling on their strings, each one with a list of horrible losses. At age four his Mother is murdered and his Father becomes obsessed with finding a reason to what he saw. Years of instability, a few weeks or maybe a month or two in any given town, a car the only stable roof over their head. Betrayed by the little brother he raised, dying for the little bugger and suffering decades of torture in Hell for it. Only to be pulled from the depths of Hell by an angel an finding out the little brother he'd protected was now doing exactly as he'd promised not to do. And there'd be so much more pain…

It doesn't matter what the angels would like to do. Aziraphale knows he can not interfere and he will obey. That is not his job. But…

Crowley…

Well, his purpose is to temp. In a way, that's like interfering. Right?

Crowley notices that sidelong glance and shakes his head 'No'. He's already gotten in enough trouble for allowing the brothers to live. No one even remembers that Crowley was the one who corrupted Castiel.

"I didn't think the fool would follow through!" it had been a surprise, to say the least.

"Our brother," Aziraphale shakes his head. "He only did as he believed was the right thing to do. At the time."

Aziraphale had been listening, he'd heard his brother praying, asking for guidance and he'd wanted to answer… But it wasn't his place to do so.

"Well, he wasn't supposed to." Crowley snaps. Even though it did get everyone off his back for a little bit. It hadn't done anything to lessen expectations.

"Now they're expecting something bigger." Crowley leans back in his chair tiredly, his shiny black shoes reflecting his image. "The Ineffable Plan sucks balls."

"Language, brother." Aziraphale tisks. He's noticed, this time around, Crowley's picked up some… slang.

Crowley just waves him off.

Their silence stretches and Aziraphale knows the time for tea is done. He sets his cup down and stands. Crowley watches those pale hands smooth down the suit jacket and waits patiently for what he knows is coming.

"We should get started."

SPN

The bone blade is stuck, but she pulls it from the vampire's skull and the head rolls.

Her eyes land on the figure standing just a few feet away. He's out of place; his black suit, coat and shiny black shoes are pristinely clean; something like that doesn't belong where she is. His posture is completely at ease. She can tell he's not afraid of his surroundings, he doesn't look like or behave like a native. She wonders where he's come from and then wonders why.

He can already see she's got her guard up. And she's utterly filthy; caked in dirt, blood and who knows what else. Her hair resembles a bird's nest and there's not a clean patch of skin on her face that he can see. She looks nothing like the girl that tried to kill her father. But this, yes, this is the girl that could have killed him.

"Morning, luv." He smiles and allows his eyes to flash red.

Her eyes dart around, obviously looking for more dangers. For the moment, its just the two of them.

"You're lacking manners too." His sigh is slightly amused too. "Take after your father, then."

That's when she steps forward, the bone blade in her hand slightly raised. He chuckles, still just a bit amused to see the girl behave as her father would. He finds that reassuring. "Easy, luv. I'm not here for a fight."

Her brow furrows. "What do you want?" she turns her head just slightly, hearing the sound of her voice. She hasn't had need to use it and the sound of it now is not pleasant. One could suppose its suitable, the harsh tone of her unused voice could be intimidating. Though she's already noticed he's not the least concerned by the weapon in her hand.

"To make a deal." After all, that's what this Crowley is supposed to do. So to prove he's not a danger, he gives her a smile and stays right where he is.

"Cross Road Demon." There's disgust in every syllable.

"Biased, are we?" he clucks his tongue but doesn't say anything else. He's getting what he wants, that's certain. Why he wants this is not worth thinking about too much. And never speaking of this moment is in his best interest. He wouldn't like being questioned…

"I'm not human." She practically spits the denial at him. "I don't have a soul for you." She's had the time to think about that; not having a soul… She's a monster.

She hadn't known anything else in the short time she had been allowed to live. But she understood there was no place for her kind, not in the world she'd been born to.

"Now, that's not entirely true." He can see her attention sharpen on him, suspicion shining in her pretty eyes. "Your Father is human." He gives her a moment to mull that over and sees the slight change in her expression. There's just a hint of hope in her eyes. "You… do have a soul."

Its just a little bit of one, but a soul all the same. "And I don't want that."

Nope, he really doesn't. Which is why she's confused and suspicious.

"I don't understand." She knows a soul is the currency for his kind. Cross Road Demons don't make deals without getting paid. And if he doesn't want her soul then what else could she have of any value to one of them?

"Of course you don't." he sounds almost tired, and he's just a bit disappointed the girl hasn't figured it out. But then, Crowley is always doing all the work. He points them to what's right in front of them. "Do you like it here?"

They look around, at the corpse by her feet and the head just a few paces further. She surveys their immediate area, the knobby trees and bare twig-like branches. There's a gray cast to the light, its not exactly day but its neither night. Its just… gray. Not to mention the stench of the place; a moldy, suffocating air and cold. Not exactly a winter type of cold, just… cold.

"I've a … friend." He's not exactly lying. Aziraphael and he have been friends since The Garden. One could even say they are more like family. "Now, this 'friend' has a… soft spot. For your Dad." He smiles again to cover his lie, though Aziraphael might actually care, really deep down. Maybe…

Mention of her father brings a miniscule reaction from the girl. It's the barest twitch she can't hide.

"You're getting a second chance, luv." He sounds very smug.

"To do what?" she did as she was told. The same as the Amazon's before her, same as her Mother, and those that came before them.

"To learn your lesson." And he picks up on that too. She knows exactly what he means, and what he's offering… but she's still not accepting. "Unless you like it here…? No." he grins, kinda looks like the cat who ate the cream.

"What do you get?" because there has to be something he wants for this. She doesn't believe the demon can just show up in Purgatory, offer her a way out and not want something for it. Demons don't just go to Purgatory on a whim.

"The possibility."

"Of what?" her grip on the blade tightens. "What do you care? If I'm here or there?" she wants out, bad enough to make a deal… its all about what he wants as payment and she doesn't know what this possibility could be. She's afraid of that too. Purgatory is familiar, its been home a lot longer and the rules are simple enough, she kills to survive, this is what she knows. She can survive Purgatory, its what she knows.

"Every one of those gets a choice?" he's looking at the vampire. "Did you?"

She frowns.

They told her to kill. So she did. But they never said she could choose…

'Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future'

He smiles, eyebrows raised when she just stares at him. "It's a quote. Oscar Wilde…" he shrugs, it really doesn't matter anyway.

She has no idea what he's talking about. All she knows is she did as she was told and she's been in Purgatory ever since. Its now her turn to decide… the bone blade lowers and her stance changes. She's no longer poised to attack.

He accepts. "Follow the bloody bones, luv." He points her to the path with bloody corpses. Each one is in a different stage of decomposition.

…Someone should have taught her right from wrong…

That's what parents are for.

SPN

She's been a shadow, following at a distance. This is her second chance… This is it, but she's afraid to take it. She's afraid to fail, that she'll end up back where she was… that place had been her home. Its what she knows…

But here, with him…

It has to be different.

And she's afraid it's the kind of different she can't handle.

Castiel's noticed her, the figure on the bike. He has seen her before, but hadn't paid much attention the first time.

The second time, he'd taken a closer look. He knew immediately who she was but there'd been no danger, no reason to mention it and even less reason to interfere.

Now…

Well.

He popped in, invading personal space, just as Dean would accuse him of. He didn't allow her much time for anything, just grabbed her shoulder and appeared back in the hotel room.

She felt trapped the moment she saw the room. After her time in Purgatory, running wild … being inside was not something she could get used to. She knew what he was, an angel and she knew he'd be more likely to kill her, that's what angels do. They smite.

She struck first.

Castiel tried not to hurt her. He shoved an open palm to her chest and sent her flying into the wall opposite them. She fell face first right onto the bed and bounced back up. That's when she noticed the surprised faces in the room. She saw them reacting, thinking she was there to hurt…anyone of them, maybe.

They were reaching for weapons.

The last thing she wanted … this was all wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this! Her second chance…

Panic.

She ran at the angel, trying to get past him even though she knew that would pretty much be impossible. And that's why she ended up losing the helmet and hitting the floor hard enough to knock the breath from her.

"Cas!"

She doesn't move.

And they see her.

Sam's surprise gives way to anger and he's quick to aim his gun at her head.

She still doesn't move. 'I shouldn't be here.' She shouldn't have accepted. She should've stayed in Purgatory. Should've stayed exactly where she belonged…

"What is this? What is she doing here?" Sam is asking all the questions because Dean wont. He can see the look on his brothers face, there's hurt and sorrow and a longing… its that longing that's making Sam angry.

"Cas!" Sam demands and the angel just stares at them, at Dean.

"Emma…" Dean finally moves when Sam is ready to pull the trigger. "Wait."

"What? No!" Sam pushes Dean's hand away. "Don't you remember what she was going to do? She tried to kill you!"

Dean glances at him, so many things in those green eyes staring back at his brother. Hadn't Sam done worse?

Castiel holds out a hand to her and waits for her to accept his help. After a moment of hesitation she takes it and stands, shifting anxiously beside the angel. They could kill her, Sam or the angel, and she'd let them too.

"How?" Dean asks when he looks at her again.

"Who cares 'how', Dean. She tried to kill you." Sam is glaring at her.

"Thanks for that." She almost regrets the sarcasm. Instead she looks at Dean. She hesitates, this second chance is getting screwed and so far she's only spoken three words. "I was in Purgatory."

There's a slight exhale of breath from Dean. He spent a year there, he saw what it was like, the things he did, how it changed him… He'd only been there a year. Just a year… a year that Sam was comfortably shacked up with some chic.

"You didn't see me." She kept away from him. She kept others from him too. Those she could catch, anyway. "I was busy…"

"Right." Dean nods, because why wouldn't she have been busy? Fighting everyday just to survive a little longer…

"How did you get here?" Sam gets a glare for his trouble from Dean but he ignores his brother. "Why? What do you want this time?"

She's nervous, worse than she had been the night she tried to kill him.

"I got a second chance." She looks at Dean and hopes.

"To kill him?" Sam demands.

"Because I'm in a big hurry to get back." Emma glares at him, her uncle.

"Second chance for what, Emma?" he takes a step towards her, the gun in his hand slowly tucked into his waistband at his back.

"To learn… right from wrong?" she feels her throat close up and has to force the next part out. "To choose…? You're… my Dad…"

He wants to believe her. He doesn't know who got her out, how she's there when he'd believed her dead.

"You're not buying this, Dean." Sam turns his glare from her to his brother but the expression on his brothers face reminds him of that night... "Dean!"

What would she do? If she stayed … she'd be another target. Someone gave her a second chance…

His daughter…

"You wouldn't… be safe with us…" its one of the harder things he's had to do. Dean wants her to stay, he wants a second chance too.

But everyone he loves ends up dead…

So, no… He wants for her, that second chance.

"Right." Emma feels it like a punch in the gut. "Okay…" she's disappointed but then again she'd known there was the chance he wouldn't want her around. And its not like she's fragile and needs him to protect her. And then she's a little angry because really, what did she expect? She tried to kill him… and he would've allowed it.

"She stays." Castiel stands in her way when she tries walking past.

"What?" Sam is incredulous. "No!" after what she tried to do? He can't even begin to understand what the hell his brother was thinking but he can't have the girl around screwing things up.

Castiel just waits for Dean to decide. He allows Emma to walk past him and reach the door. Dean is torn; he wants to keep her- she's his, after all… But everyone around them dies and she's already died once.

"Her place is with Dean." Castiel places his palm on the door and wont let her open it. "He is her Father." He glares at Sam, though he understands the reticence. "A second chance for her… its not given lightly." He looks at her, the Amazon girl. "Emma has a purpose." He looks at Dean. "You will guide her. As her Father, its your responsibility."

"Cas!" Sam glares at the spot the angel had been standing in. Emma walks out, and Sam has to grab at Dean's arm. "No, Dean."

How many times has Sam let him down? How many times did Dean get screwed because his brother was being selfish or just an ass?

How many times did Sam save his ass?

It didn't even out, that's for sure. But they are family…

"Dean!"

The door slams shut on his face and Sam kicks it. There's nothing stopping him from opening the door and following his brother… and yet he doesn't.

Outside, Dean calls her name. She hesitates to stop but she does. At least he knows she wants this second chance too.

He thinks about this daughter that never got a childhood. She's like him in that, because Dean didn't really get to be a child, not in a traditional sense. There was always a monster, always a lie to keep Sam in the dark and innocent…

"So," he drags in a breath and sighs. "Ground rules."

She kinda wants to laugh because he's making this sort of a joke, only she thinks he may be serious too.

"No killing, either one of us, in our sleep. Or awake." Dean adds.

He feels relief when Emma cracks a smile.

After all, they have to start somewhere.

SPN

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