Chapter 11

Dean's head popped up over the back of the couch and he looked around bleary eyed for the source of the sudden ringing. His inspection revealed one extra large little brother lying in front of the fireplace, curled up around an enormous grey cat and with a dog at his back. Grumbling drew his attention to the wizard shuffling across the room in boxers and a loose robe.

"Dresden," the man answered gruffly, handling the phone as if it had done him a personal offense.

Dean was wondering what kind of person called this early in the morning when he notices light streaming through the window. Why couldn't morning hold off for a few more hours?

"Oh, hey Ivy." Harry cheered considerably. "How are you?" There was a pause as the person at the other end of the line spoke.

"Not bad. How's the kitten?" Ivy was the Archive, a living repository of knowledge, privy to all that had ever been written. With that knowledge came a truckload of power, power that the Denarians had tried to appropriate by kidnapping Ivy. The experience had not been pleasant, and as the current Archive happened to be a young girl who liked animals, Harry had suggested to Kincaid, her bodyguard/father-figure that something cute and furry might be beneficial.

"Really? Cats get into the strangest places." The wizard shared a look with Dean then they both looked at the now waking Sam and his pet entourage.

Harry turned serious. "I know, and I'm not asking you to take a side, I just want to know if there was ever mention of a fallen angel of the order of the blackened denarius being destroyed."

The wait was surprisingly brief.

"You sure? Right, of course you're sure. One more question, and bear in mind that I'm not asking you to tell me what it is, I just want to know if it exists. Is there any text that says how to force Lucifer back to Hell?"

This time, the answer took longer, Harry 'un huh'ing from time to time.

"Thanks Ivy. Don't forget, you can call me If you ever need anything. The kitten too. Kincaid can take care of himself."

"What was that about?" asked Sam once Harry had hung up.

"That was Ivy. I called her last night about what happened with the coin."

"She a historian or something?" Dean yawned and stretched his stiff neck.

"She's the Archive. Anything that's ever been documented in human history, she knows."

"How's that even possible?" Sam was trying to disentangle himself from his blanket without waking Mister or Mouse.

"Magic." Harry smiled.

"So, what's the word?"

"No. No, a Denarian has never been killed before, and no, there isn't any reliable information written anywhere about caging Lucifer."

"So we're basically screwed?"

"Not necessarily. Like Sam demonstrated yesterday, just because something has never been done before doesn't mean it can't be done."

"We just gotta go out there and try something new," Dean finished.

"Anybody have an idea?"

"I might have a few suggestions," said Harry.

Half an hour later, Dean was sliding Amoracchius in the spot he'd made for it in the trunk of the Impala.

"You understand this is temporary right? I'm taking the sword to stop the Apocalypse, once that's done, you're getting it back. No way am I carrying this thing around for the rest of my active life."

"I believed you the first time Dean, and the second time, and the third time, and the-"

"Okay! I get it."

Sam had refused Fidelacchius, claiming he had enough going on that he didn't need the extra weapon, or the extra pressure. However, he did accept the amulets Harry provided, as well as the number for the para-net, an organisation a friend of the wizard had started, linking small-time practitioners so they could band together against big-time trouble. In exchange, Sam gave the other man Bobby's number and extra information on angel and demon proofing his place.

Sam caught Harry alone and asked for one last thing before they drove off.

The Winchesters were five hundred miles away by the time they stopped. Bobby had called about a series of unexplained deaths in Tennessee. Dropping his duffle at his feet, Dean crashed on the Willow Inn's green comforter.

"You hungry?" asked Sam. "I saw a sign for a fish and chips joint near by."

"Sure, pick us up something."

"You don't want to eat there?"

"Dude, I've been driving all day. Before that I chased your ass all over town, and before that you made us go through about fifty thousand books, which turned out to be useless. I'm getting some rest. Get takeout." He kicked off his boots and settled more comfortably on the bed.

"Fine. I'll pick you out a nice salad."

"Hey!" Dean shouted at his grinning brother's retreating back.

Once he was safely out of the room, Sam pulled out his cell phone and dialled he'd asked of Harry.

"Hello mister Carpenter? It's Sam Winchester. I was wondering if I would be all right for me to speak to Molly… Thank you." A few seconds later, a new speaker came on the line.

"Hi Molly. It's Sam. I wanted to, well… How are you doing?" Her reply made him smile. "What? Can't a guy check on his little sister?" He started laughing outright when she decided to introduce him to all his other 'siblings'.

Yesterday had been a hard day, and there were more difficulties ahead, but he was going to enjoy the good things while he could.

The End, for now.