A new hunter - DiNozzo323 (2024)

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Chapter Text

A new hunter

Chapter 1

-Sam, I'm going to the nightclub where thevictim waslast seen. See if you can find any other information on the threevictims.-Dean said taking the car keys.

-All right. Be careful.-

-As usual.- Dean commented as he left the motelandrode his ''baby'' to the Flywings nightclub.

The two brothers had just burned the body of awomanwhose ghost kept killing everyone who lived in her house when theyreceived acall from Bobby.

He told them that 3 girls had died in a smalltown inTexas in the last week alone. They had been dismissed as suicides but,sincethere had been electrical storms in the area, it would have been betterif theyhad gone to check.

The two got into the car and arrived inAmarillo thenext day, where they immediately got to work.

Dean easily found a spot in the parking lotnext to alocal restaurant. Luckily it was weekday so there wouldn't be too manypeople.He smirked at the sight of two girls who seemed to be biting theirfaces offfor the emphasis they put on kissing, and went in.

It was a place like he had seen many in hislife.Psychedelic white lights, drunk people and loud music.

He immediately identified the bar area andbeganasking the bartender a few questions about the blonde girl, Jesse, thelatestvictim, but he didn't remember her. It was quite understandable, thereweredozens of similar girls every evening, let alone on the weekend.

When he finished drawing a blank, he noticed agirlsitting at the counter watching him shamelessly. He followed hisinstincts andapproached her.

-Can I offer you another drink?- he asked,nodding tothe bartender to get his attention again.

-With pleasure.-

-Two more of this, one for me and one for theyounglady.-

-Thank you...- the girl began, interruptingherselfwaiting to be told his name.

-Dean. And you are?-

-Alex.-

-Why are you here alone?- he asked, tasting thetransparent drink. Vodka.

-Who tells you that I'm alone? Maybe I'mwaiting forsomeone...-

-Are you waiting for someone?-

-Perhaps. Maybe I was waiting for you.-

Dean gave her a better look. She had jet blackhair,long, left loose. Her eyes, lightened by a white spotlight, were asblue as thesea and she wore tight jeans and a blood red vest.

There was something, however, that warned himaboutthe girl. Maybe it was the fact that she was too confident and carelessaboutthe fact that anyone could hurt her. Maybe because he noticed that hisaccentwasn't local, but from the other side of the country. Georgia probably.

-Well, I think you're done waiting.-

-Do you want to go somewhere else?- she asked,surprising him.

-I'd love that.-

-Let's go to my motel. Do you have a car? -

-Sure.-

The two left the room and got into the blackChevyImpala. The girl explained to him which motel she was staying in (onehalfwaybetween the nightclub and the one where he and Sam were staying) and herelaxed.

Alex stared at him shamelessly and every nowand thenhe glanced over all that goodness.

-You're a really handsome boy.- she said in asensualtone, licking her upper lip as she ran a hand through Dean's hair.

-You are also very... sexy.-

In just a few minutes they arrived at themotel. Thegirl got out of the car and, without Dean expecting it, kissed his neckandwhispered in his ear.

-I have some pretty good games in mind to dowithyou.-

-I like it.- Dean replied before Alex kissedhimhungrily. He shouldn't have let himself be distracted so easily butwhen thegirl jumped on him, continuing to kiss him, crushing her breastsagainst hischest, barely contained by the corset, he swayed and complied with herwith greatpleasure.

Holding her in his arms, his hands resting onher ass(which he didn't fail to grope), they arrived at the girl's room.

She, at the first blow and continuing to kisshim,opened the door.

They walked in without even turning on thelight and Deanimmediately dropped her on the bed.

-Close the door.- Alex said starting tounbutton herred corset.

Dean obeyed but the moment he finished lockingup hefelt a sharp pain in his head. He lost consciousness, falling to theground.

-Far too easy.- commented the girl, turning onthelight.

She took him up and, with some difficulty,placed himon a chair. She then took some ropes, tied him and gagged him. Caution,firstof all.

Once the ropes were secured, she opened the bagandtook out a small bottle of holy water then threw some at him but sawnothinghappened.

At that point she took an iron knife with aplastic-coveredhandle and placed it on his arm. Still nothing.

-f*ck. It's not you then.-

While, just in case, she was tracing a circlewithsalt around the boy, so as to keep him stuck inside, she heard a cellphoneringing.

Since it wasn't hers, she searched his pocketsandfound it. It was a certain 'Sammy'. She picked up.

-Dean, where are you? Found anything?- askedthe voiceon the other end of the phone.

-Your friend is fine.- Al began.

-Who are you? What did you do to my brother?-

-My name's Alex. Your brother is fine, I justknockedhim out. He's here in front of me. I don't want any problems, I thoughthe wassomeone else. Come and get him.-

-Where?- Sam asked, worried but calmer.

-Motel Azure. Room 157.-

-On my way.-

As soon as they hung up the phone, Alex changedhershirt, wearing a more comfortable Lordi's t-shirt and did the same withtheshoes. She took a knife which got secured to her trousers and loaded agun.

Once finished, seen that she had to wait for"Sammy", she checked the Dean's head and, verified the absence of anywound, she placed some ice on it so that the bump due to the blowshouldn'thave been too big.

After just ten minutes she heard a knock on thedoor.

-Sam?- she asked, leaning against the side ofthe doorto make sure he wouldn't catch her, in case he decided to shootimmediately.

-Alex?- asked the guy.

-Here. Do me the favour of placing both handson thewall next to the door.-

-How is my brother?-

-He's fine. Now obey, please.-

When she heard the boy lean against the wall,sheopened the door.

Alex leaned her back against the doorframe,holdingthe gun at Sammy while she held out a small bottle with holy water.

-Drink it, wet yourself, as you please.-

The tall guy stared at it for a few momentsbeforepouring it onto his arm. Once he proved he wasn't a demon, he handed itback toher.

-Now you, if you don't mind.-

-It seems reasonable to me.- Alex said beforecopyinghim, showing that nothing would happen. -You can come in.-

Sam entered the room and saw the girl closingthe doorbehind them after making sure no one else was out there.

-I'm sorry about Dean, your brother. Wrongplace,wrong time. If I had known I wouldn't have hurt him.-

Sam looked at his brother, then noticed the bagof iceplaced on the table next to the chair, picked it up and gave anindecipherablelook at Alex. Finally, he started untying his brother.

-Hunter!?-

-Like you. Is it not true?-

-Touché.-

-I was looking for the demon who killed 3 girlsinrecent days. I thought it was your brother, sorry. Here, take these.-saidhanding him some salts.

-Looks like we are looking for the same demon.-Samreplied as he passed the salts under Dean's nose who slowly regainedconsciousness.

-How do you feel?- asked the younger brother.

-I have got a headache. You! - he shoutedangrily,pointing to Alex. He tried to get up but she stopped him, making himfall backinto the chair.

-Stop. You'll end up on the ground again if youcontinue like this.-

-Who knows whose fault it is!-

-Look, I'm sorry, really. I thought you werethe demonthat killed those girls. I had to check.- she said looking at him inthe eyesgiving her back to Sam. Both brothers noticed this and were impressed,althoughfor different reasons. One saw it as a sign of extreme trust towards'colleagues', the other as a symptom of the fact that the girl musthave been abadass to behave like that.

-Well, I thought the same about you.-

-Perfect then, peace made.- Al said smiling athim.

-Do you hunt alone?- Sam asked, curious that agirltheir age was doing such a dangerous job apparently alone.

-Yes, for 4 years now. Now I'll check that Deanisokay.- said to the two, looking for a flashlight in a drawer. Afterfinding it,she pointed it at Dean.

-What are you doing?- he asked perplexed.

-I told you. I'll check you're okay. Look totheright. Now to the left.- said checking the reaction of the pupils.

Once this was finished, she placed her indexand middlefingers on the guy's neck to take his pulse.

-Now please, get up and walk in a straightline, thentry to stand still on one foot, first one and then the other andfinally repeatthe alphabet backwards.-

Dean decided to humor her. Despite feeling likeanidiot, he did what she asked.

-Did you study medicine?- Sam asked.

-No. However, my mother was a nurse and Ilearnedsomething doing this job. When you are alone you must be particularlycareful.Take a look at him for tonight, Sam.-

-Sure.-

-Well, what do we want to do now?- Al asked.

-What do you mean?-

-We are looking for the same demon. I'm notgoing tolet it go and I bet neither are you. Do you want to cooperate? -

-It could be done.- Sam said.

-Come on, Sam! She hit me!- Dean exclaimed,stillresentful.

-Yes, and she also put ice on your head whileyou werepassed out, as well as checking on you now.- Sam said making the girlblush.

-Come on Dean! What do I have to do to make itup toyou? -

-Well... we could start "talking" again!-

-Pervert!-

-As if you didn't like it!- said the hunter,aware ofthe fact that he was right.

-Touché, but that was work.-

-When you two are done, I'd say it's time totakestock of the situation.- Sam said.

-You did research I imagine. Do we want tocoordinateat our place? -

-Okay, let's go.- Dean said approaching thefrontdoor.

-I'll follow you.- Al retrieved a bag, helmetandjacket from the closet and followed the guys.

The 3 left the room heading towards theirvehicles.Alex loaded the bag onto her Davidson and secured it with a strapbeforeclimbing into the saddle and starting the bike.

-I gotta go with her.- Dean said, excited.

-Dean, please...- Sam replied as his brotherstartedthe car heading towards their motel.

Once they arrived Sam sat down at the tablewith thePC still on. Dean sat on his bed and Al sat on Sam's.

-Summary?- Al proposed.

-In the last week 3 girls have died: SkylerGoodman,Marie Fring and Jesse White. All three were found in their homes,apparentsuicides, but in the homes of the last two there were evident traces ofsulphur. Apart from this I didn't find anything else in common.- saidSam.

-I discovered something else. All 3 girls hadbeen toFlywings and all 3 had red dresses. That's why I was there, dressedlike that andthat's why I thought you were the demon.- she said, finally turningtowardsDean.

-How did you find out about these things?- Samaskedcuriously.

-Well, first of all, not all teenagers telltheirparents where they go, especially if it's to a nightclub. This is why Ialwayscheck with friends as well as relatives.- she explained, lying on Sam'sbed,staring at the ceiling.

-Second, being a girl has its advantages. Iconvinceda nightclub employee to show me the videos from the entrance camerasand Inoticed that all 3 were dressed in red and that, upon exit, they wereaccompanied by the same person, a tall figure with short hair. Hey!These bedsare much more comfortable than the ones in the motel where I'm staying.-

-You convinced him...-

-Yes, a bit like I convinced you to follow me.-shesaid turning towards Dean, sticking her tongue out at him.

-Do you think red had anything to do with it?-Samasked.

-I have no idea. I don't know any demonsconnected tothe colour red, but it's better not to consider it a coincidence.-

The two had nothing to complain about.

-Well guys, since it's getting very late Iwould saywe could postpone any other discussion until tomorrow. I've been up for24hours and I need to sleep.-

-All right. Let's meet here tomorrow morning.-Samsaid.

-Perfect. See you tomorrow.- Alex repliedyawning. Sheopened the door and closed it behind her. After a while they heard theroar ofthe motorbike and then nothing more.

-What do you think of her, Sammy?-

-She's peculiar, but there's something thattells mewe can trust her. How're you feeling? -

-Tired. My head doesn't hurt much though. Ihope Iwon't have any permanent damage.-

-You can't get worse than that.- Sam joked,getting apunch on the arm from his brother. Then they both undressed and went tosleep.

The next morning Al woke up early, too earlyactually.It was indeed 11am but having fallen asleep at dawn she had slept forbarely 5hours. She checked out from the motel she was staying at to get a roomin thesame one as the two brothers. It was definitely more functional thanhaving togo back and forth, plus she hadn't forgotten how comfort Sam's bed was.

-Excuse me, have the two boys from room 16 goneout? -asked at the entrance after leaving her stuff in room 12.

-No, I haven't seen them yet this morning.- themanreplied after thinking things through.

-Thank you.- Alex left the motel and headed toa cafe2-3 minutes away. She decided to get breakfast for the two guys toobut, notknowing their tastes, she picked up a few things, paid and headedtowards room16. At that point it was midday, she wouldn't feel too guilty aboutwaking themup.

She knocked on the door with her foot whilebalancingthe bag with the food and drinks and soon a half-asleep Dean opened thedoor.

-Hmmm... Sexy.- Alex said to the guy who waswearing onlya pair of pants. -Can I come in? I brought breakfast, even though it'salmostlunch time.- asked showing him the bags.

Dean, yawning, stepped aside and moved for herto comein, then closed the door behind the girl.

-Not knowing what you like, I bought differentthings:cappuccino, coffee and tea, which I happily drink unless you want it,then Itook a slice of cheesecake, a couple of donuts and pancakes with maplesyrup andbacon. Is Sam still asleep? - she asked after placing the food on theonly freetable.

-Hmmm, cheesecake. Now you've made it up to me.Yes,Sam is asleep. Gonna wake him up.-

-Don't worry, I'll take care of it.- the girlsaid withan evil smile on her face. She took a running start and threw herselfat the guy.

-Wake up! Grab a brush and put a little makeup! Hidethe scars to fade away the shake up! Why'd you leave the keys upon thetable?Here you go create another fable. You wanted to! - she sang to wake upthe boywho sat up making her fall from the bed.

-Rise and shine, Sammy!- Alex said laughing,gettingup.

-Alex?! What...- said the boy still not totallyawake.

-I brought breakfast even though it's almosthalf noonnow.-

The two got up and sat at the table where Deanhadalready laid out everything.

-I took different things not knowing yourtastes. Youchoose first.- said the girl.

Dean got cheesecake and coffee, while Sam gotcappuccino and pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. Al helped herselfto teaand a vanilla donut.

-This morning I moved to this motel, you canfind mein room 12. Since we will be collaborating, it is better to avoidunnecessarytrips. Also, I have an idea to capture the demon. Tonight I'll go tothe club,look for him and bring him here where we can exorcise him.-

-You basically want to act as bait.- Dean said.

-Yes, that's the idea.-

-Don't talk about it. It's dangerous.-

-Well, it was dangerous even last night when ItookDean to the motel. Maybe it was even more so.-

-Yes, but last night we didn't know you and weweren'tworking together.- Sam wasn't about to let go. The safety of otherscomesfirst.

-Let's do this, you can come with me and keepan eyeon me all the time. If you see that something is wrong, intervene.Follow meand finally we exorcise it. Is that better? - Al asked, trying to findasolution that would work for everyone.

-Better.- Sam agreed.

-Then later I'll get the keys to my room foryou too.-

-I wasn't expecting anything else.- Dean saidin asensual voice.

-Guessed so.- Al commented.

-We need to get your room ready.- Sam realizedas hereflected on the plan.

-Okay, get dressed and let's go, I'll ask forthekeys.-

The boys threw away the leftovers of breakfastandwent to the bathroom to get ready while Alex went to the reception andafterreceiving the second set of keys she stood outside the boys' roomwaiting forthem. After a few minutes, the two came.

-Here are the keys for you. Room 12. Follow me.-

The room was about half the size of that of thetwobrothers, they began to draw a devil's trap on the ceiling with whitepaint, alittle lighter than the colour of the room, so that it would not standout toomuch, just near the door. On Sam's orders they created a circle of saltunderthe bed so that, just in case, Al would be safe on it and placed ironknivesnear the entrance and on the side of the bed not visible from the door.

-Aren't we exaggerating? A blow to the headlike I didwith Dean would have been enough, wouldn't it? -

-Thank you!- exclaimed the guy just mentioned.

-Sorry...- the girl commented, sticking hertongueout, slightly embarrassed.

-You don't have to take any risks if you wantto actas bait, otherwise you stay here and we'll take care of it.- Sam saidfinishingchecking everything.

-Sexist.- Al muttered.

-You are young and have a long life ahead ofyou.-

-Apart from the fact that I'm not that young,and then'long life'? Being a hunter?!-

-You can always decide to withdraw.-

-How old are you?- Dean interjected.

-25. 2 more than you, Sam, if I got who youare.- Thetwo stayed silent.

-You're the Winchesters, aren't you? Or am Iwrong?-

-When did you get this?-

-It came to mind this morning on my way here.Listen,since it still takes a few hours before we can act, how about we get toknoweach other a little bit more? - Alex asked, sitting on the bed,motioning forthem to sit down.

The two decided to please her and sat Dean onthe bed,next to her, and Sam on a chair, moved in front of the two.

-Tell me a little about yourself.-

-First tell us what you know.- Sam asked fullofcuriosity.

-I know that you two are brothers, that yourfather iscalled John. I know that you have been hunters since you were littleand thatyou are very good at your craft. I know that Dean is the eldest andthat youare from a town in Kansas whose name escapes me. That's all.-

-Our father is dead.- Dean commented tersely.

-I knew it. I am sorry. He was a good person.-

-Did you know him?- Dean asked surprised.

-More or less... Come on, tell me more.- shesaid,opening into a smile so warm that the two were disconcerted for amoment. Thenthey began to tell her about their lives and their 'passions'.

-Wow! Of course you've been through a lot! Iwouldnever have said it..- Al commented once she finished listening.

-Now it's your turn.- Dean said.

-Hmmm... What can I tell you... My life is notasnoteworthy as yours. I was born in Alabama: Sweet Home Alabama- shecrooned.

-My mother Lily was a nurse and my father was aretired ex-hunter. I'm an only child. When I was born, my fatherstoppedhunting and got a job in a garage in the town where we lived. I studiedpsychology in Jacksonville, a couple hours from home. I won't tell youhow strangeit was when I was studying and I realized that in reality the persondescribedwas not someone with mental problems but a demon or a survivor ofghosts/vampires and the alikes. I almost graduated when my parentsdied.Killed. So I dropped out of college and started hunting the monsterswho killedthem. Then I continued. I was alone the whole time and, to be honest, Ialmostgot badly hurt a couple of times.-

-Haven't you ever thought about finding a grouptohunt with?- Dean asked.

-Or to go back to studying?- Sam continued.

-A group? No. Or rather, yes, but I never foundanyonewho truly inspired me. It's been so long now that I couldn't think ofgoingback to living a normal life. I would wake up during the night with theanxietyof a ghost or demon. It's not for me. Maybe, if and when I find theright man Icould take him into consideration, but I bet he will be a hunter andthereforethe problem won't arise.- she giggled.

-Come on, tell us something else. We arecurious.-

-Hmmm. Something about me... I like motorbikes.I lovemovies and music. At the moment I'm in the mood for metal but I haveroom forall genres, including Disney songs. I like singing in the shower eventhoughI'm quite out of tune (but no one can hear me anyway). I love dogs. I'mallergicto cats. As a child I went horse riding and so I have stayed passionateabouthorses. I also like to cook, especially desserts, but as I'm always onthe moveI never do it. I smoke, rarely, and I drink, less rarely. If I everhavechildren I would like it to be 3 and to have twins. My surname is socommonthat if you search for me on the internet you will find pages and pagesof mynamesakes. I love pizza but my favourite cuisine is Japanese. Bring mesomesushi and I'll be yours forever.- she concluded, chuckling.

-You look like a female version of Dean.- Samcommented.

-True, we have very similar tastes.-

-I'm glad to hear it. It will mean that youwill bothtolerate me with no much difficulty. Now since it's already 8 o'clockI'd saywe grab something to eat and go to the club. How about it?-

Sam kindly offered to go get something from thepubnear the hotel while Dean and Alex moved to the two brothers' room toavoidleaving any trace of their passage in the girl's room.

They ate a couple of sandwiches and then met atFlywings. Obviously they would have pretended not to know each other,which iswhy they would have gone by different means and at different times.

Alex went back to her room to change. When sheclosedthe door, she heard the Impala's engine and the car driving awayshortly after.She had suggested going first but the two didn't want to let her stayalone inthe club.

She took a red dress from her bag that shealmostnever wore. It was tight, ending just below the butt. The pronouncednecklinewas held up by a lace that disappeared down the neck, covered by thehair. Thehips were left partially uncovered by cuts in the fabric and the samewas theback. Once she was dressed she put on light make-up, leaving her longblackhair loose. She put on a black leather jacket and black shoes, then shetookthe keys to the motorbike and a black handbag and set off for the clubtoo.

As soon as she entered the room she glancedaroundtrying to spot the two brothers, but there were too many people and shecouldn't, so she went to the counter to get a co*cktail. The two huntershowever, unlike the girl, had noticed her. It was actually hard to missher.She stood out in the room both for her bright red dress and for herbeauty. Tomake her understand that they were watching over her, Sam went to thecounterto order two beers. He was careful not to let on that they knew eachother buthe looked at her until she looked back at him, after which he walkedaway.

Not knowing how much time would pass beforebeingpicked up by the demon, Alex drank another co*cktail and then moved tothe dancefloor. Discos weren't her favourite place but she had to get noticedand aftera couple of drinks she was more uninhibited, enough not to acidly avoidtheboys who hit on her.

Various guys immediately started dancing withher. Shelet them do it even though she rejected them out of hand because theywere mostlypart of small groups of friends. She was pretty sure the demon theywerelooking for walked around alone.

Within a couple of hours of arriving at theclub, evenDean had his song with her. They both acted very naturally, as if theyhadnever seen each other, but Al couldn't help but smirk at the boy'scommentabout her outfit.

She had to admit to herself that in her lifeshehadn't met many guys like Dean, and definitely not as handsome as him.On theother hand, there weren't many hunters as sweet as Sam either. Thosetwo werevery particular.

It was 2 in the morning when a girl approachedAlex todance with her. She was wearing baggy jeans with army boots, a brownleatherjacket covering a very short top, and her hair was really short, almostshaved,and blonde.

Dean and Sam, who didn't lose sight of theirnew"friend", noticed the blonde whispering something in her ear, Alexnodding, picking up her stuff and heading to the counter accompanied bythegirl.

Al asked for salt and lemon tequila, the twodownedthe shots in one gulp and left the club. Sam and Dean exchanged aknowing lookbefore following them, heading towards the motel.

That was the signal they had agreed upon.

As soon as the blonde girl entered Alex's roomtryingto get closer to the bed, she found herself trapped. She began to cursethebrunette when the 2 brothers burst into the room, completing theexorcism.Unfortunately, the girl who hosted the demon had already been dead forseveralweeks.

-Not bad guys. In the end it wasn't anythingparticularly complicated.- Alex said.

-You were smart.- Sam commented.

-If we were to meet once more we could team upagain,if you like. I'll go on my way now.-

-Are you leaving already? - asked Dean.

-I don't like staying in the same place forlong. PlusI'm already getting attached to you two and that's not necessarily agoodthing. I want to go before you so that if we were to meet again I wouldunderstand that it was destiny that made us meet.-

The two brothers looked at her perplexed butdecidednot to comment. Fate was something they didn't want to think about andtheystill had to get back on the trail of the yellow-eyed demon. A hunt toodangerous to drag this new lone hunter into.

Sam and Dean had already returned to their roomwhenthey heard the roar of Alex's motorcycle moving away.

They fell into bed and both fell asleep almost instantly. Both of them thinking about Alex.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Chapter Text

-Ok, thanks Bobby.- Sam said before hanging upthephone.

-What did he say?- asked Dean while driving hisbeloved Impala.

-Bobby thinks a traveling carnival is hauntedand wantsus to go check it out. In the past weeks, various victims have followedoneanother in the different cities visited. The police classified them asaccidents, but we'd better go and check.- Sam explained briefly.

It had been more than 3 weeks since the job attheFlywings nightclub, where they met Alex. They had never heard of heragain, butthey both thought of her often. She was a good hunter and a specialgirl, one hardto forget.

It took the two brothers 12 hours non-stop toarrivein Charleston, West Virginia. It was only midday when they arrived, sotheydecided to go straight to check out the traveling carnival.

The area was full of people, which wasn'tstrangeconsidering it was a Saturday morning.

The latest victim, a 33-year-old man, fell fromtheFerris wheel and died instantly. After various checks the police foundnotraces of a malfunction of the ride and closed the case as an accident.

Sam and Dean were still looking around whentheyalmost got knocked over by a person.

-Sam! Dean! So nice to see you again! What areyoudoing here? Are you hunting too? - Alex said in a high-pitched voice.

-Hey! Hi Alex! It's nice to see you too.- Samreplied,returning the hug.

-Al.- Dean ruffled her hair with one hand. Itwas truethat Sam was taller than him, but he was still taller than the girl anditamused him to observe her vaguely childish expression that she had onat thatmoment.

-Have you also read about the strange incidentssurrounding this amusem*nt park?! That's why you're here, isn't it?-

-Yes, a friend of ours, Bobby, got suspiciousandasked us to investigate.- Sam explained.

-Bobby? Bobby Singer?- Alex was surprised.

-Yes, do you know him?- Dean asked partiallysuspicious.

-Yep, he's a good person. So... What do youthink aboutcooperating again?-

Dean and Sam looked at each other. The twoliked thegirl and didn't mind collaborating the previous time. They both gladlyacceptedthe offer.

-Shall we go to a diner so you can update us onthesituation?- Sam proposed.

-I'm in. I was getting a little hungry, to behonest.Follow me guys.- the brunette headed towards the exit of the park, andthenkept going for a couple of blocks to a diner not far away.

-So, the victims of this last year are three.EugenMorgan, 5 months ago, died in the house of mirrors, classified as aheartattack; Diana Collins, 3 months ago, broken neck while going down therollercoaster and finally Billy Adams, who died only 4 days ago falling fromtheFerris wheel. All deaths were classified as accidents. Eugen Morgan'swife,however, was in the house of mirrors with him, they got split in thelabyrinthand she swears she heard him screaming in fear at an elderly man. Uponleaving,they told her that she and her husband were the only two in thelabyrinth atthat moment, in fact even the security cameras did not record anyoneelse. AlthoughI had the opportunity to analyse them and Eugen's behaviour leads onetosuspect that he saw a ghost just before dying.-

-Anything else? Have you managed to find whatlinksthe ghost to our world? -

-Hey Dean, calm down. I only arrived a fewhours ago.That's all I found for now. How do we want to proceed?-

-The deaths all occurred in the evening, so wecouldgo and check into a motel where we can leave our stuff and come back intheafternoon with the EMFs, salt and gasoline.- Sam suggested.

-I'm coming with you. I haven't stopped drivingsinceyesterday afternoon and a couple of hours of sleep would actually do memorethan good.- Alex said, getting up.

The three headed to a motel that was just acouple ofmiles from the amusem*nt park. They took two connecting rooms andarranged tomeet in the late afternoon.

Alex entered the room, threw herself on the bedandfell asleep within seconds. She loved her Davidson, but riding it forso manyhours at a time, especially during the night, had exhausted her. Seshould askDean and Sam if she could go with them that afternoon.

Al woke up a half hour before she was supposedto meetup with the two Winchesters. She loaded her colt with salt bullets,took her favouriteknife, and the EFM. After that, she quickly undressed and jumped intotheshower.

When Alex knocked on the door next to hers thetwobrothers were already ready for the hunt.

-Sorry for the delay. Shall we go? - the girlsaid,smiling.

-Are you coming with us?- Sam asked kindly.

-If it ain't a problem, I'd be happy to.-

Alex happily walked towards the Impala, readyto sitin the back seat.

The three quickly arrived at the amusem*nt parkand,after splitting up, began heading towards the attractions where thedeaths hadoccurred. They would start from there, although it wouldn't be easy,sincealmost all the rides ran on electricity which made the EFM waspracticallyuseless.

Alex had been lost in the house of mirrors fora whilenow, but despite being apparently alone, she continued to feel observed.

At one point she found herself pushed againstone ofthe mirrors while a human figure held her by the neck. He was an oldman withgolden teeth and a homicidal look.

Alex first tried to get the old man to loosenhis gripon her neck. When she realized it was no use, she tried to reach forthe ironknife she kept in her boot, but it was too far away. She almostsuffocated todeath when the knife seemed to fly towards her hand and the girl,withoutwasting any more precious seconds, attacked the ghost, making itdisappear. Shefell to her knees on the floor, gasping for air. After recovering, sheheadedtowards the exit of the labyrinth, almost as if she had always knownhow to getthere.

She looked around trying to spot the twobrothers in thecrowd. Not succeeding in her undertaking, she went to the south side ofthehouse of mirrors. It was the most hidden side of the 4 and far fewerpeoplepassed through it. She took out her knife again and tried, reflectingin theblade, to observe the damage caused by the ghost. On the neck wereimprintedpurple handprints, unnatural size. Luckily she had no trouble movingher head,but her skin still hurt.

-Hey! We finally found you.- Dean said,approachingthe girl with his little brother.

-What happened to you?- asked Sam, who hadimmediatelynoticed that something was wrong. Dean approached and with a delicate,yet firmhand, grabbed her face with one hand and moved it to one side,revealing thefresh wounds.

-I'm fine, I managed to free myself. I saw it.He's anold man with gold teeth. Clothes from the 1950s. From his appearance helookedlike an entrepreneur or at least not just any starving man. If we couldfind aphoto I might recognize him.-

-Here, use this.- Dean handed her a darkhandkerchief,the size of a bandana. Alex rolled it up and put it around her neck tocoverthe marks.

-Did you find anything?-

-We didn't. The only places left to check arethe workers'trailers and the owner's office.- Sam explained.

-Shall we go and talk to the owner first?- Alasked.

The two accepted and together they headedtowards theowner's trailer. This was a man in his sixties. After being informedthat theycame from a city in Virginia and were interested in concluding anagreement tobring the amusem*nt park to them too, he asked them to sit down,interested inthe potential business agreement.

-So this is a family business?- Dean asked.

-Exactly. The amusem*nt park was born with mygrandfather, then the business passed to my father and finally to me.We havebeen bringing joy and happiness to families and children for almost 70years.-

-Excuse me, who is this person?- asked Alex,pointingto a man in a very old photo.

-That's my grandfather, James. I believe thatphotowas taken a year after the inauguration. He died in the early 1960s. Iwas 5years old.-

-Is he buried around? It must be difficult tovisithim when you move so frequently.- Sam asked.

-It is actually a remarkable coincidence, buthe isburied in this very city. Do you see that hat? It belonged to him.- hesaidpointing to a hat placed carefully on a shelf among many other photos.

-So we know what to do. We must burn theremains ofgrandfather James and with him his hat.-

-Sam, Dean, go to the car. I'll join you soonwith thehat.-

-Are you sure you don't want help?- Sam asked.

-No worries. I've got this. See you in a few.-Alexsaid before pushing them towards the car.

-Dean, what do you think of the situation? -Sam askedonce he sat in the Chevy.

-Alex is smart. Soon the ghost won't be aproblem anymore.-Dean commented turning on the radio.

-I wasn't talking about that. I was talkingabout thesituation with Alex.-

-What do you mean?-

-I mean that she's a good hunter.-

-Yes...-

-Friendly...-

-Yes...-

-She's not a burden.-

-Ok, where are you going with this, Sammy?-

-I was thinking that maybe she could join us.Hercompany is pleasant, especially having to deal with you all the time,and shecould help us with the Yellow Eyes issue.-

-Hey! And you would like to drag her intosomething sodangerous? - Dean asked surprised.

-No. But it's likely she'll be dragged into itone wayor another. She's a hunter, not a real estate agent. If she were withus shecould help us and, at the same time, we could protect each other andmake surenothing bad happens to her.- Sam explained rationally.

-I get what you're saying, but we don't knowmuchabout her. We know almost nothing about her. What if she was someone weshouldn't trust? -

-Well, she could come with us and if she provesnot tobe trustworthy we could act accordingly.-

-Ok, give me some time to think about it.- Deanreplied, becoming thoughtful. -Sam, do you like Alex?- he added after aminuteof silence.

-No. I mean yes, but not in that sense. Shereminds metoo much of you to think of having feelings for her.-

-Hey! Now I'm offended.- Dean retorted,punching himon the arm.

While the two brothers finished joking witheachother, Alex approached with a triumphant look, clutching the ghost'shat withone hand.

-Done. Now how about going to the cemetery?Guys...- Alexlooked at the two Winchesters, perplexed. When she got back into theImpala thetwo of them turned to look at her and they were both staring at herwithstrange looks. They were clearly thinking about something, but she hadno ideawhat it might have been.

-Great Al. Was it difficult?- Sam asked afterrecovering.

-Nah, piece of cake. I feel sorry for the deadman'snephew. It's bad not having physical memories of your family members,but atleast we'll save some lives.-

-More than a few lives, given the turn thesituationhad taken.- Dean said.

The three went to the cemetery and beganlooking forJames Pollet's grave. It took them a while to find it, but luckily theydid.They dug quickly until they reached the coffin which Dean uncovered byleveraging it with the shovel. Once out of the hole Dean began to fillit withpetrol, Sam with coarse salt and Alex, after throwing his hat in,started thefire using a box of matches.

When they had finished the job, they headed tothemotel and arranged to meet for breakfast and to check the newspapers tomakesure there were no more deaths.

Alex slept peacefully that night. She reallyliked thetwo brothers, they had finished a job in a few hours and those stupidmarks onher neck didn't even hurt anymore. She almost hoped that the case wouldhavelasted longer to keep being in their company. They were both excellenthunters.Sam was infinitely sweet and thoughtful, as well as being a wealth ofculture.Dean was super pragmatic, but you could tell he was a person who caredaboutothers and that was why he was a born hunter. Plus he was shockinglybeautifuland they shared the same tastes in many things. Above all food andsense ofhumor.

When she woke up the next morning, she took acoldshower to wake up. She packed her stuff in case she had to leavequickly and decidedto only keep her trusty knife with her.

While checking in the mirror to make sure shewaspresentable, she heard a knock on the door. It was Sam. Dean wasalready in themotel yard loading their bags onto his Baby.

On their way to a cafe for breakfast, theystopped tobuy the morning newspapers. Sam had also brought his laptop with him todo someinternet research.

-And here to nothing. With a bit of luck no onewilldie in that amusem*nt park anymore.- Dean said closing the newspaperready toeat his pancakes with bacon.

-Anyway, I was thinking of staying in the areauntil Ifind another job. Just to be safe.- Alex commented taking a sip ofcoffee.

-Look Alex, we wanted to talk to you aboutsomething.-Sam closed the PC and turned to look at the girl sitting next to him.

-Shoot. I'm all ears.-

-Do you want to hunt with us?- Dean askedwithoutmincing words.

-What? Are you serious? -

-One hundred percent.- Sam replied.

-But we barely know each other. Wouldn't youfeeluncomfortable spending 24/7 with a stranger? -

-In time you won't be a stranger anymore,right?-observed Sam.

-Look, you're smart, a good hunter. And help isalwaysuseful. You're not even bad, which is a plus point.- Dean explained.

-Dean...-

-Why do you always think badly, little brother.Imeant she has good taste, you're cool.- Dean said before stopping for amoment,looking the girl up and down. -Then of course, you're really hot,that's true.-he concluded, grinning.

-Thanks grandpa. You're not that bad either.-Alexreplied before starting to laugh observing Dean's outraged expressionat thenickname "grandpa".

-Well, if you're really sure, I accept. I likeyoutwo. Since before I met you actually, when I only knew about you fromwhat camefrom the stories of your hunts. It would be great to team up with you.-Alexsaid before shaking hands with the two brothers, to seal that agreement.

-Hey, grandpa, are you paying for breakfast?-addedthe girl, resting her head on Sam's shoulder, grinning amusedly. Deanscoldedher and Sam laughed.

They weren't a bad team at all.

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Chapter Text

-Still no sign of the demon?- Dean asked Sam,as heentered yet another motel room with takeaway sandwiches for the two ofthem andAlex.

Since they started huntingtogether they had gotten into the habit of taking adjoining rooms andorganizing and planning the hunt in the girl's room who, being alone,had muchmore space available. A couple of times they had had to share a tripleroom,where Alex had taken the single bed, and there had been one case wherethe onlyroom available was a double. The first night the boys had gallantlydecided tosleep together to leave the other bed to her, although the decision hadmostlybeen made by Sam, since in the background Dean was mumbling that hewould havegladly slept with Alex. The two, however, spent the night fighting overtheblankets and the space occupied in the bed so Alex, who was ready tokill themin the middle of the night, took Sam bodily and threw him on the bedthat shehad occupied until recently, then went towards the other brother's bed,liftedthe covers and crawled under them.

-Now let me sleep or I'll killyou both.- she said as she turned on her side.

Her voice had been so threateningthat even Dean realized it was best to avoid one of his usual jokes, soheturned away from the girl and fell asleep with his back to her. Hewanted tosave his skin. Aside from these rare times they still all felt morecomfortablebeing in separate rooms. They were getting to know each other and Alexwas veryeasy going, which worked in her favour, but each still felt the needforprivacy. Even if it was just to walk around the room naked, behaviourthat Samhated from his brother.

-Nada. Bobby doesn't have any leads either.-Sam saidas Alex finished writing stuff in her diary. The boys still hadn't toldBobbyabout Alex, although they were planning to pay him a visit soon so theycouldget to know each other in person.

-Guys.- Alex closed the diary with a snap,attractingthe attention of the two. -I don't want to be intrusive, but wouldn'tit beappropriate for you to also tell me who this demon you are looking foris andwhy this one in particular and not just any son of a bitch who enjoysmaking amess around the world?-

Sam and Dean looked at each other in silence.They hadalready discussed it and decided to share their story with Alex. Theywere justwaiting for the right moment to talk to her. Sam closed the computer asDeansat down at the table in the empty chair next to his brother. Thesandwicheswere momentarily forgotten in a bag left in the kitchen area of theroom.Alex, noticing the change in behaviour of the two, sat down on her bed,legscrossed, ready to hear what they had to say to her. She'd never seenDean soserious outside of hunting, so it had to be something big.

-So, when we met, you told us that you knew ourfather.- Sam said, recalling the evening they met.

-Well yes. He was quite famous among us huntersand Ihad heard about him and his two hunting sons. I had heard some storiesaboutyou, like a vampire hunt and a werewolf.-

-This is about how and why our father became ahunter.- Sam said before letting his brother continue.

-When we were little, our father and motherlived inLawrence, Kansas. Sammy and I were born there.-

-Our father was a mechanic at the time,ex-Marine.-Sam intervened.

-On November 2nd 1983, Sam had just turned 6monthsold, our mother died and our house burned down in fire. The thing thathadkilled her and burned down our house was a demon. A demon with yelloweyes. Weand our father were saved but after our mother's death, our fatherdiscoveredwho, or rather, what had killed our mother and became a hunter. Hisgoal was tofind the demon and kill him.-

-Kill a demon?- Alex asked surprised.

-Demons cannot normally be killed, as you know.Youcan only practice the exorcism that frees the possessed person andreturns thedemon to Hell. However, there is a weapon capable of killing anysupernaturalbeing. A Colt. Our father found out and started looking for the Colt sothat hecould kill the demon.- Sam explained.

-Did he...-

-Yes. We found it. The last thing we had to dowas tofind that demon son of a bitch.-

-What happened?- Alex asked. John was dead andtheywere still searching for the demon. Something had to have happened.

-The demon had kidnapped our father and takenpossession of his body. He wanted the Colt at all costs. We managed toexorcisedad with difficulty but while we were driving to the hospital we had anaccident that knocked us all out. and Dean...-

-I ended up in a coma. I was going to die anyminute,so Dad made a deal with the yellow-eyed demon. His life and the Coltfor mine.-Dean concluded quickly, still burned by what had happened.

-I... I'm so sorry guys. I would never haveimaginedall this. I will give you all the help I can.- Alex felt very touchedby whatshe had been told. She knew that it must not have been easy for the twobrothers and she felt vaguely guilty about it. She approached the twoandhugged them awkwardly, positioning herself between them. Then she lefta kisson the cheek of each of the two brothers.

Barely a half hour had passed when Dean's phonerang.It was Deacon, a friend of his father during Vietnam and when they wereon amission he saved John's life. Now he asked the two brothers to returnthe favour.In the prison where he worked, various suspicious deaths were takingplace and,having understood that it could have involved something supernatural,he feltit was right to ask for help from those who knew more than him in thatfield.

Dean and Sam should have gotten arrested andended upin Green River Penitentiary so they could investigate more closely.Alex, onthe other hand, being a woman, could not have ended up in the sameprison asthem, so she would have kept in touch with Deacon ready, thanks to aphone callfrom the guard, to go and retrieve the two brothers once the case hadbeensolved. In the meantime, having days to spare, she would also continueher searchfor the demon who had killed Mary and John Winchester.

-I would feel much calmer if I could come withyou.-Alex said as the two brothers prepared to leave the motel room andneverreturn. Alex had left the motorbike in a garage, she would come back toget itwhen everything was finished. On the other hand, she had to follow thetwobrothers across the state, taking them to safety in the Impala once thejob wasfinished. Her Harley would be no use for the three of them.

-You know you can't, Al.- Sam tried to convinceher.

-Yes I know.-

-Hey Alex, take care of my baby. I want to findher inthe exact condition I'm leaving her in.- Dean said to distract her. Andalso towarn her about the consequences that awaited her if she did somethingstupidwith his Chevy.

-Yes Dean, don't worry. Your Baby is inexcellenthands.- Alex hugged the two, before letting them go. She really hopedtheirplan would work.

Alex wasn't so keen on what they had organised.Shewas much more on Sam's side who didn't really want to end up in prisonto helpa man they didn't even know. On the other hand, she also understoodDean'smotivations and had to admit that if she had been in Dean's place, shewouldhave done everything to help the person who had saved the life ofsomeone sheloved. When the two Winchesters got arrested, she followed what washappeningto them and moved from Hot Springs to Little Rock, where the GreenRiver penitentiarywas located and where her two friends were also going to be for thetime being.

She took a single room in a motel in the cityjust afew minutes' drive from the penitentiary and then prepared to wait.

She had to wait 3 days after she said goodbyeto Deanand Sam before she heard any news. It was late evening when Alexreceived aphone call from Deacon. He told her to wait on the east side of thepenitentiary where she would meet Dean and Sam in about twenty minutes.Alexdidn't even say goodbye. She grabbed the bag she had never unpacked,rantowards the Impala and drove away, heading towards her two friends. Shedidn'tknow anything about the case or if anything had happened to the two orhow theywere doing, but she hoped with all her heart that the situation wouldend inthe best way.

When she arrived at the penitentiary she had towait afew minutes before seeing Dean and Sam sneak out. They seemed to befine,fortunately.

-Go go go.- Dean said as soon as they closedthe door,as the prison alarm went off.

-Where do we go?- asked Alex, handing the twobrotherstheir jackets to hide their prison suits.

-Green Valley Cemetery. The ghost of a bitch ofanurse, Glockner, likes to take out people in the prison.- Dean said.

-We must move to dig up and burn the remains.Specialagent Henriksen is after us.- Sam elaborated, still not happy with thesituation, even if he was pleased to no longer be in jail.

-Special agent? Do you have the FBI after you?!- Alexasked in surprise. Doing their jobs wasn't easy to keep out of troublewith thelaw, no matter how careful you were, but getting the FBI involved was adifferent story. There was still a lot she didn't know about the twobrothersand she would have loved to know their in-depth stories. Especiallyhuntingones.

-Does anyone else know where you're headed?Apart fromDeacon?-

-The lawyer who was assigned to us.-

-Holy sh*t. We have to get away quickly. In acaselike this, if she didn't cooperate she would get himself into sh*t withher ownhands.-

The boys soon arrived at the cemetery. Theylooked forthe grave and once found it they started digging. They were stilldigging whenAlex's phone rang. It was Deacon's number.

-Hello?- asked the girl surprised by theunexpectedphone call.

-She's here...- the guard murmured before thelinewent dead.

-What did he say?- Sam asked.

-He said "She's here."-

-f*ck! Must be the Glockner. Deacon is indanger!Sammy, dig faster!- Dean shouted.

-We're almost there...- Sam murmured,increasing thepace.

Alex looked at them both. She had stoppeddiggingsince she got the call. A solitary tear rolled down her cheek as shemade adecision that would inevitably change her relationships with the twoboys.

-Move.- Alex said to the two boys as she cameout ofthe pit.

-What? Alex?! What are you doing?! - the twobegan toshout without moving, continuing to dig.

In just a few seconds, numerous, completelyout-of-the-ordinary, things happened. Sam and Dean found themselvesthrown outof the tomb, just a few feet away from each other. In an instant theysaw thecoffin rise and remain suspended in mid-air, at ground level, while theearthstill fell from the lid. With a wave of her hands, Alex uncovered thecoffin,filled it with salt and set fire to the remains.

While the coffin was still covered in flamesand thegirl was focusing on her work, she found herself with two guns pointedat her.The two brothers a few feet away from her, glaring in complete disgustandanger. Still without saying a word, Dean placed an iron rod on herexposed leg.Alex screamed in pain, lost concentration and dropped the coffin intotheditch, which shattered into a thousand pieces, but none of them cared.

-You're a f*cking witch!- exclaimed Dean whocouldn'tstand any non-human being in the world.

-If you understood it, why did you need to burnmewith that f*cking stick?!- Alex replied resentfully.

-We had to be sure. But Alex...- Sam retorted.

-Now you know we have to kill you.- Deancontinued.

-What the f*ck?! At least let me explain!-

-There's nothing to explain. You're just abitch whothought it best to become a demon's whor* to get some sh*tty power.Can't trusta bitch like that.- Dean said, pressing the gun against her temple.

-Dean, wait. At least make her talk.- Samintervened,who couldn't believe that the girl they had lived with for the last 2monthswas a monster.

-I am not the slu*t of any demon. I am aso-called“natural witch”. I was born with my powers, as wasmy mother and her motherbefore her. I'm not a f*cking monster, but the story is too long toexplain andwe need to get up before the FBI finds us.-

-Find us, you mean.- Dean said referring tohimselfand his brother.

-Look, let's do this. Take me to Bobby. Heknows mystory, he can confirm to you that I am not a monster. But now let's getthef*ck out of the way.-

-Certain. And so Bobby, who is about 800 milesaway,knows your story. And we should also believe you. Start talkingotherwise I'llshoot you.- Dean retorted, not believing her at all.

-Dean! We have to go. We can continue thisdiscussionin the car, but now we have to get out of here.- said Sam, who in hisheartstill wanted to believe the brunette.

-Sam, we can never drive over 700 miles withthe hopethat this bitch doesn't try to kill us or run away.- Dean was perfectlyawareof the sh*tty situation they were in.

-You can drug me!- Alex exclaimed after beingstruckby the so-called flash of genius.

-Do you have drugs?- Sam asked.

-Yes. I have a sleeping potion in my bag.Injectedinto the body it causes the person to fall into a deep sleep for about4 hours.If you give me a shot a couple of times we should be able to cover thejourneyto South Dakota.-

Alex managed to convince the two brothers tolisten toher. Dean took the girl's bag from the trunk and threw it on the frontseatnext to him, starting to drive his car. Sam, on the other hand, wassitting inthe back seat with the girl. The gun pointed at the witch ready toshoot at thegirl's first misstep.

-Now speak. And hope it sounds convincing.-Dean said,looking at the girl in the rear-view mirror. They had just left thecounty,heading north to Bobby's house.

-As I told you earlier, I am a natural witch,as aremy mother, my grandmother and so on going back generations. I was bornthisway, I didn't have to make a deal with any demon and my soul is mineand minealone. When I was little, my mother was a nurse and my father was apetrolstation attendant. Dad knew that mum was a witch, after all he was anex-hunter. She told him when she found out she was pregnant and myfatheraccepted it, just as he accepted the fact that he had a witch daughter.Both ofmy parents were very good people. My mother chose to be a nurse so shecouldhelp as many people as possible thanks to her powers. Mind you, shedidn't usethem for anything else. Just to help others. Mom was a very powerfulwitch,more powerful than me, and among the skills she had the gift ofclairvoyance.One evening, during the summer holidays, while I was running in thepark, mumhad a vision. She saw that two men in a black van were going to kidnapme. Theywould have taken me to a remote forest, raped me and finally buried mealive. Iwas 20 years old and close to graduating. She came to the park, foundthe twoassholes and tore them apart before they could hurt me, saving me fromaf*cking awful end. However, this did not please many hunters, who onlysaw whathappened as "a witch killed two men for no reason". The two had nocriminal record and well, hunters don't look kindly on witches and manyof themdidn't believe the story mom had told. They came looking for us, foundus andkilled my mother and my father for trying to defend her. I was savedthanks toa spell that mum casted on me which allowed me to remain hidden fromtheirsight and escape as far as I could.-

Alex stopped to tell Dean, who was searchingher bagwith one hand for the sleeping potion and a syringe, that he had foundtheright potion and that the syringe was in the outside pocket of the bag.

-As I said, I managed to save myself. But I wasin thegrip of the most devastating anger. In a few months, thanks to theanger thatflowed through my body, I fully developed my powers. Then I startedhunting thosewho had killed my parents.- Alex took a breath before saying what wouldnothave contributed to clemency towards him. -I found them and killedthem.Everyone. One by one.- Alex could see that Sam's eyes darkened at thethought,while she couldn't tell what Dean was thinking as he kept his gazefixed on theroad.

-Obviously what had happened did not gounnoticed. Awar was about to break out between me and the hunters. Luckily for me,myfamily had allies among them and many people, once they heard the wholestory,were moved and took my side in that whole crazy situation. Some ofthese youknow: Ellen and William Harvelle, Missouri, Jim Murphy, Bobby and yourfather.-The two brothers jumped at hearing about their dad.

-They defended me. They made those who werehunting mesee reason and obtained my salvation. They managed to convince them andtheysaved my life. So I decided to become a hunter so I could redeem myselffor mypast. And that's it.-

-Why didn't you tell us before?- Sam asked,quiteconvinced by what had just been revealed to him.

-Sam, we've known each other for a long timenow andwhen I revealed myself as a witch you barely stopped yourself fromkilling meon the spot. What would have happened if I had told you about it whenwe hadjust met? - Alex retorted, smiling at him. After all, she wasn'tentirelywrong. Knowing that hot-headed brother he had, Dean probably would haveshother on the spot and best regards.

-I admit that knowing the names of our father'sfriends is a plus for you. But I'm not going to trust it. When we getto Bobbywe'll ask if what you told us is true. And know that if it's not, I'llshootyou in the head myself.- Dean said. -And now get drugged.- he added,handingSam the syringe and bottle, before taking the gun in his left hand and,puttinghis arm around his shoulders, holding the girl at gunpoint.

Sam took the two objects in his hand andglanced atthe writing on the label. It said altumsomnum, 5mg.

-Are you sure?- Sam murmured to the girl.

-Go.- she replied, uncovering one side.

The boy injected 5mg of liquid straight intoher bellyand, after a few seconds, the girl collapsed as if she had fainted. Atleastfor the moment they could calm their nerves.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Chapter Text

Two shots later and after traveling for 700miles, thetwo brothers and the still sleeping girl finally arrived near Bobby'shouse.

-How's it going back there?- asked Dean turningtoreach the house.

-Everything's fine, Alex is still sleeping. Ithink she'llwake up in half an hour or so.- Sam said looking at the girl.

Dean got out of the car just as soon as Bobbyleft thehouse to meet them.

-Dean, why are you here? Do you have a lead onthedemon? - asked Bobby who didn't expect to find the two Winchesters infront ofhis house without having been warned.

-No Bobby, we have another problem on ourhands.Follow me to the car.- Dean explained, nodding towards his Impala.

The two approached the back seats, the doornext toSam had just been opened and he was getting out.

-Do you recognize her? Her name is Alex.- Sampointedto the girl lying in the car.

-Hmmm... There's something familiar about it,but Idon't know any Alex. What happened to her? - he asked wanting to knowwhy shehadn't woken up yet.

-She took a sleeping potion. Should wake upsoon.- Samexplained.

-Ok, bring her in.- Bobby told them as heheadedtowards the house. Sam followed him and left Dean to carry the brunetteintothe house. The eldest wasn't very happy about it and in fact, once heenteredthe house, he threw the girl on the sofa with very little grace. He wasalreadyfed up with the situation.

The brothers had just begun to explain thesituationto Bobby when the girl began waking up. Before she could fully gainconsciousness, the hunters armed themselves.

-What happened? Where am I? Sam?! Dean?! -asked thegirl still dazed from the sleeping potion. Her eyes were graduallygetting usedto her surroundings. She was in a living room she had never seen beforein herlife and in front of her, a man with a cap on his head was staring atherintently.

-Bobby? Bobby Singer? Is that you?-

-Alex, you told us to take you to Bobby toconfirmyour version of events, do you remember?- Sam asked her.

-Hey, bitch, you see, if you lied to us, I'llpunch ahole in that sh*tty head of yours.- Dean blurted out, gallant as always.

Bobby handed the girl some cold water to helpher wakeup. He had also added some holy water, as he did out of habit, but thegirlreacted like a normal human being, not realizing it was there.

Alex began explaining what had happened in thelast 12hours to Bobby while Sam and Dean anxiously awaited a verdict. At onepointBobby interrupted her.

-But you're Samantha Green! Now I recognizeyou! -this left the two brothers very confused and they tilted their heads totheside in sync.

-Yes Bobby. It's really me. I'm glad to seethat youhaven't forgotten about me. We haven't seen each other in years.-Alex/Samanthasaid, hugging the man.

-Could you explain?- asked Dean still quitepissed off,but calmer than before seen that Bobby had recognized the girl and hadreactedcalmly.

-Guys, what Samantha told you is true. She, hermother, and her ancestors were natural witches, and I, your father, andothersput an end to the war that was raging because of their powers. Sincewhen didyou change your name? - Bobby finally asked, turning towardsAlex/Samantha.

-I changed it right after everything was over.Itdidn't seem appropriate to go around with my old name, having becometoo famousamong hunters and others. This would have only lead to trouble. I nowcallmyself Alex Hall. Or better yet just Alex.-

-So what you told us was the truth? And we havethesame name?!- exclaimed Sam amused. Everyone's guns were now forgottenin theirhands or on the living room table.

-Yes Sam, same name. To be honest it's nice tohear itsaid, even if it's not directed at me.- Alex said before turning toDean.

-I told you I wasn't dangerous. You can trustme. Idon't want to hurt anyone.-

-Just because you didn't lie to us when wefound out youwere a witch, held at gunpoint among other things, doesn't mean we cantrustyou. You told us too much bullsh*t for this to be dismissed in one fellswoop,-Dean said.

The two brothers had completely differentvisions.Sam, who had always been kinder and more inclined to trust others thanhisolder brother, was ready to make everything go back to how it wasbefore thelast hours. At the end, Bobby vouched for Alex and the girl had nevershownherself to be dangerous or untrustworthy. For Dean, however, thingsweredifferent. He was very upset that someone had managed to lie to him allthattime and it stung him that he hadn't been able to figure out soonerthat shewas a witch, even though they had been living together 24/7 for weeksnow. Itwas true that the girl had always helped them and had always beencaringtowards them, often putting their safety before her own, but hiswounded pridewould not heal so easily.

-So what do you think you're going to do?- Alexasked,pragmatically.

Sam looked at his brother without sayinganything,while Dean answered her.

-It's better if everyone goes their own way forawhile and we'll see what to do in the future.-

Alex looked at him for a few seconds beforeloweringher hurt and defeated head. There would have been no point in arguing.It wouldonly have risked further damaging the relationship between them.

A silence fell in the room that lasted severalminutes, until Alex broke it.

-Okay Dean. As you like. Everyone goes theirown way.-Alex said, determined to respect the wishes of the boy she cared aboutso much.

The four headed back to the Impala where Alexwas ableto get her stuff.

-Bobby, it was nice to see you again. Thanksforeverything. And thanks for helping these two.- Alex said whispering thelastpart, shaking the hand of the hunter, old friend of her father.

-This is my number. If you need anything, callme,little girl.- the man replied, smiling at her, while handing her apiece ofpaper with a mobile number on it.

-Sam, thank you for being there for me andalwaysbeing nice to me. If you need, call at any time.- she continued beforehuggingthe boy who returned the hug.

-Dean, I hope that one day you will accept thefactthat I never wanted to hurt or harm you.- He didn't answer, althoughyou couldsee uncertainty in his eyes.

Alex picked up her bag from the floor, thenturned tothe three men one last time.

-Goodbye.-

In an instant, Alex disappeared from beforetheireyes. She had teleported into the city, near the bus station. She wouldtakethe bus back to Arkansas to get her Harley and then see what the futureheldfor her. Dean, Sam and Bobby were amazed by her powers. They remainedtogetheruntil the next day, when the two brothers set off again. They didn'ttalk aboutAlex Hall the whole time.

It had been over 2 weeks since Alex and theWinchesters had separated. The two brothers had just ended a demon huntandcontinued to keep in touch with Bobby about the yellow-eyed demon. Samalso,secretly from his brother, occasionally called Bobby to find out if hehadheard from Alex. Bobby had told him that he was in contact with Alexfor thesame reason as them: the girl also continued to look for theyellow-eyed demon.This made Sam happy and sad at the same time. He missed his friend andhe wassure Dean missed her too. Even though his brother was acting tough, hehadcaught him several times looking around as if someone was going toappear atany moment, and every time a Davidson passed, Dean would stop doingwhatever hewas doing, until the bike was out of sight.

-Yes?- Dean answered on the phone while drivingtheChevy. It was Sam who had called him.

-There's the police outside.- Sam repliedlooking outthe motel window.

-Are they there for us?-

-I do not know.-

-I don't see why, we changed credit cards.-

-They're leaving.- Sam said with a sigh ofrelief.

-See? You're too anxious.-

-Being wanted isn't exactly a blast.-

-Look little brother, girls like thrills.- Samdecidedto ignore his brother's words. The only person they brought to mind hehadn'tseen for too long.

-Did you find out anything?-

-Are you kidding?! It's not easy to search atrainstation.-

-The victims disappeared there.-

-I do my best. What do you tell me instead? -

-Just one thing: it's almost certainly a Djinn.-

-The genius of the lamp? Don't tell me youbelievethat he grants wishes?! -

-I think he's quite powerful, but I don't thinkhe'sanything like Barbara Eden. These geniuses have been deceiving peopleforcenturies. Even the Koran talks about it.-

-My God. Barbara Eden was sexy. She was reallyveryexciting.-

-Are you listening to me?- Sam asked resignedly.

-Yes. Where do the Djinn hide? -

-They usually prefer to stay in abandonedbuildings.-

-I saw a place just now. I'll go take a look.-

-Don't. Will you come and get me first?

-Don't worry. I'll keep my eyes open.- Deansaidbefore hanging up the phone.

He turned his Baby and went back a few miles,towardsthe place he had noticed. Once he arrived he began to carefully descenduntilhe entered a long corridor. There he was attacked by a human-shapedcreature hehad never seen before. This pinned him to the wall and, after a fewseconds,Dean closed his eyes, passing out.

When he woke up, it didn't take Dean long torealizethat he wasn't in his own world. Or in his reality, or whatever it was.He wokeup in Kansas, in Lawrence, next to a beautiful girl named Karen, whoclaimed tobe his girlfriend. Sam was studying to be a lawyer and was togetherwithJessica while his mother Mary, whom he hadn't seen for about 20 years,wasalive, in the flesh. John, on the other hand, had never become a hunterand haddied of a heart attack shortly before. No pact with any demon was made.

Dean obviously couldn't tell anyone anything,and whenin the morning he decided to mow the lawn of his mother's house, hefoundhimself in front of someone he never expected to find. He saw Alex, afew dozenmeters away from him. Her clothes were ragged and she was covered inblood andbruises. She stared at him, as if she recognized him, but when sheopened hermouth to say something she vanished into thin air.

Dean had no idea what had happened and wonderedif hewas on hallucinogens given what was happening to him, but decided toignore it.He didn't mind the life he was living at all. His mother was alive,Sammy wasengaged, doing well, and had pursued his dream of becoming a lawyer.Everythingseemed fine. That is, until while he was having dinner with his familytocelebrate his mother's birthday, he saw Alex again. This time she wascloser.No one else seemed to see her although it was obvious that she didn'tbelongthere. It seemed to him that Alex muttered something like“Help me,” but shedisappeared again.

That night, after dinner, Dean decided to gohuntingfor the Djinn. He had to get to the bottom of what was happening. Samknewsomething was wrong so he went with him, even though he didn't believea wordhis brother was telling him. Rather, he had the feeling that he hadgone madand needed a psychiatrist. Arriving at the abandoned farmhouse whereDean hadmet the Djinn just 24 hours earlier, hearing noises, they followed themandfound three bodies hanging from the ceiling with bags of blood hangingneartheir heads. One of the three was Alex and she appeared to be dead.

-Alex?- Dean asked to no one in particular,approaching the girl. He couldn't believe his eyes. He approached thegirl tocheck if she was dead when she moved her head and opened her eyesslightly,making noises. The two brothers hid just in time before the Djinnarrived. Heapproached Alex who was partially conscious.

-Dad? No... Dean? Who are you...?- she murmuredinterror before the monster touched her on the forehead making her fallasleepagain. After which he took the bag full of her blood and began to drinkit,causing the two boys to feel nauseous.

-So this is what the Djinn does. It doesn'tgrantwishes, it makes you believe that it does.- observed Dean who, once themonsterhad gone away, had approached his friend again followed by a Sam whohadn't thefaintest idea of who the girl was.

Dean looked around and his gaze landed on anemptyrope hanging from the ceiling, a few feet away from Alex. As he staredat herhe had a series of flashes of himself in the same condition as hisfriend andhe realized that none of his wishes had been fulfilled. Rather hehimself wasone of the Djinn's victims and the only way he could save himself wasto wakeup. The one who should have been Sam, but was actually just aprojection of hissubconscious, tried to convince him not to do it, and so did hismother,Jessica, and Karen, his girlfriend. Everyone tried to convince him tostay withthem, in that place that was perfect for them. Dean didn't know what todo, butafter looking at Alex in that condition, almost dead, he realized hehad towake up. If not for himself for Sam, the real Sam, and to try to savehisfriend. As long as she was still alive.

With tears in his eyes he apologized to themall, sadthat he would never get what he wanted. Finally he stabbed himself,killinghimself. This caused his awakening into reality.

-Dean! Dean! Oh God...Wake up, wake up damnit!- saidSam who was in front of him. He had just reached him from the motel,startingto shake him.

-Hi Sam. It's nice to be back home.- Deanwhispered tohim after returning to consciousness. So Sam began to free him from thedripand the cord.

-SAM!- Dean shouted before the Djinn, who hadjustappeared behind Sam, attacked the minor. The two began to fight and themonstermanaged to overcome Sam who, stuck on the stairs, barely managed toblock theDjinn's hand which was inexorably approaching his face and which wouldhave ledhim into a sleep from which he would never wake up.

Fortunately Dean, seeing his brother in dangerand withthe rope half cut, managed to free himself and stab the monster withthe sameknife with which he had killed himself in his sleep. Then he approachedAlexwho was still hanging from the ceiling, with her beautiful blue eyescovered bya film, staring into nothingness.

Dean put two fingers on his friend's neck tocheck herpulse when he saw a tear roll down her cheek.

-She's still alive! Sam! - he said turning tohisbrother as he handed him the knife to help him free her. Dean removedthe IVfrom her neck and Sam cut the cord. With extreme delicacy Dean took herin hisarms, holding her head. Almost as if he were afraid that she might falltopieces at any moment.

-Don't worry. I hold you. We'll get you out ofhere,don't worry. I'm taking care of you.- Dean repeated to her, almostburstinginto tears, as he rested his forehead on Alex's who was making gurgles,stillin a trance.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Chapter Text

Alex had lost a lot of blood and this made hersleepfor almost two days straight. The two brothers could not take her tohospitalbecause they risked her being arrested, not being sure of her troubleswith thelaw. They certainly would have been, so they took care of her, treatingherwounds and watching over her for those very long 48 hours.

After 2 days Alex woke up. Indeed, to beprecise sheshouted Dean's name, waking up startled and making the two brothersimmediatelystop their reading.

-Hey, hey, hey. Keep calm. We are here now.You'resafe.- Sam told her in a sweet voice as he stroked her hair.

-Dean? Sam?! Is it really you? No! It can't beyou!You left me! I have to wake up! - Alex shouted, pushing them away,taking theknife she always kept stuck in her boot, ready to stab herself.

Immediately the two brothers were on top of hertoblock her. Dean managed to take the knife out of her hand and throw itacrossthe room. While Alex was still struggling under the bodies of the two,who weretrying to hold her down, she burst into tears.

-It's my fault! It's just my fault! I'm stupid!Anidiot! - she said while crying. Sam had loosened his grip, as had hisbrother,and didn't know what to do. It was the first time he had seen the girlin thatcondition.

-Now stop it!- Dean thundered, managing tointerruptthe girl's litany.

-It's not your fault, so get it over with. Youarestupid? Sure. But you're our stupid girl, now get over it.- he told herwithouta minimum of tact, but getting her attention.

-Dean? Sam? Are... Is it really you? Am Idreaming? -Alex asked, drying her eyes on the sheets, leaving a streak of blackcaused bythe little mascara she had left. She definitely looked like a panda.

-Yes Alex. We are. And no, you're not dreaming.Wekilled him. Dean killed him.- Sam replied before receiving a warm hugfrom thegirl.

-I missed you guys so much! I'm sorry I ambeing apain in the ass again. I'll leave right away.- she said, starting toget up,after remembering that yes, even if for her those two were probably themostimportant people she had in the world, they told her that they would gotheirseparate ways and that was that.

-So it's true that you're stupid.- Dean forcedthegirl's shoulder to make her sit back down on the bed. His bed, to beprecise.

-But...?-

-You don't have to go anywhere.- Dean continuedbeforelooking at his brother, silently asking for his help.

-The 3 of us are a team, right? - Sam saidsmiling ather.

Alex's glare went from one brother to theother. Then shestood up on the bed and literally threw herself into Dean's arms who,losinghis balance, ended up on the floor, crushed by the weight of the girl.

-Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love youguys!-Alex exclaimed happily as she placed 3-4 kisses on Dean's cheeks whileSamlaughed.

-Hey! Now calm down! And take a shower, youstink.-Dean commented before laughing when he saw Alex's expression. The girlgot upoffended and, after getting up, made Dean lie on the ground again bypushinghim by the shoulders. After that she turned and starting to undress asshewent, headed towards the bathroom. She really needed a shower.

-Hey Alex! How about some company?- Dean askedaloud,particularly appreciating the show offered to him.

-f*ck you, Dean!- the girl replied beforeclosing thebathroom door, only to reopen it a second later.

-Ah, guys, I have to get a t-shirt and boxersfrom you.My gear is on my motorbike.- she said before closing the door behindher. Deangot lost in his thoughts for a moment, imagining his friend half nakedwithonly her clothes on. Then Sam threw a pillow at him telling him to calmdownand he sent it back to the youngest. They were both happy to be alltogetheragain.

5 months had passed since the Winchesterbrothers andSamantha Green, now known as Alex Hall, met for the first time. The 3formed aclose-knit team and after resolving the "Alex is a witch" situation,they had brilliantly tackled another dozen cases together. Alex, to bewith theboys, had decided to leave her motorbike with Bobby. She liked being inthe carwith her 2 friends and messing around between one case and another.Plus, theImpala's back seats were much more comfortable than her Davy's seat andsheoften managed to take nice naps. This was one of those moments. Thethree hadstopped at a small diner along a fairly deserted road. Alex wasblissfullysleeping in the back seat and Dean asked Sam to go get everyonesomething toeat. For him and Alex extra onions and accompanied by a dessert. By nowhe knewthe girl and they had the same tastes when it came to food.

Sam resignedly got out of the car and enteredthediner. Dean turned up the volume on the radio before turning to look atAlex.It was something he had done often since they had saved themselves fromtheDjinn. It calmed him to see that she was fine, even though he wasalwayscareful not to be noticed. He was still staring at his friend when theradiostarted turning on and off by itself, as if there was a fault. Heturned backto the steering wheel to check what it was when he saw that no onecould beseen from the diner windows anymore.

He got out of the Chevy to go inside to checkbut whenhe stepped inside the place he found only a pile of slaughtered corpsesand nosign of Sam. He tried calling him and looking for him in the back whenhenoticed sulphur near the back door. He returned to the car continuingto callhis brother. In the meantime, Alex was also waking up due to the lackof theoscillating motion of the car that helped her sleep.

-Dean? What's happening?- the girl asked,rubbing hereyes.

-Sam. He disappeared.- the boy said as hestarted thecar engine.

-How did he disappear? Where is he gone?- Alexwasworried and showed it by raising her voice a few octaves.

-He entered the diner to get food. Suddenlythere wereelectromagnetic changes. When I entered the diner everyone was dead andSam wasgone. There is sulphur.-

-Jesus Christ. Do you think it was the demonson of abitch we're looking for?-

-I don't know, but it's likely.- Dean said ashereversed to get back on the road. -Call Bobby and Ellen. We need help.-hecontinued, handing the cell phone to the girl.

Alex grabbed it and nimbly climbed over theseats tosit next to Dean in the passenger seat. First she called Bobby and thenEllen.She explained to both of them what had happened and they both madethemselvesavailable, together with Ash, to help find Sam. First they would meetwithBobby halfway to get organized.

When they met, Bobby placed a map of the UnitedStateson the hood of the Chevy. He told them that all the demonicmanifestations ofthe last few months were represented on that map. The map, however, wasblankand Bobby explained to them that there was no mistake, everything wascalm. Nodemonic signs in the last period, so he wouldn't know where to start.At thesame time Ash called out to Alex. He told her that he had foundsomething butthat he couldn't talk about it on the phone because it was somethingbig, sothey had to go to the Roadhouse.

Alex told the two what Ash had told her, so the3 ofthem got into the Impala heading to Ellen's Roadhouse, whichfortunately wasjust 2/3 hours away by car.

Once they arrived at the Roadhouse, however,they didn'texpect what appeared before them at all. The place had been burst totheground, apparently by fire. There was nothing left. Among the remains,theyfound Ash's body but no Ellen or Jo. Unfortunately they had no way offindingout what the guy wanted to tell them that was so important.

-What happened to Ellen, if she's still alive?-Alexwondered aloud, continuing to search through the rubble.

-And who knows what Ash wanted to tell us. Howare wegoing to find Sam now? - Dean said out loud.

-Dean, give me something about Sam. I can tryto findit.- Alex asked thinking about clairvoyance. Dean grabbed one of theshirtsfrom his brother's bag and passed it to the girl, who sat on a rock andconcentrated.

Alex focused on Sam's shirt and his presence.She knewhim well by now and the spell shouldn't have been too difficult. Ittook her afew minutes but she managed to find him.

-Cold Oak. South Dakota. Sam is there.- Alexsaidbefore heading towards the Impala, ready to leave.

-Are you okay?- Dean asked.

-Yes, at least for the moment.-

-Your powers aren't bad. Thanks, little witch.-Deangave her a very light pinch on the cheek. It was one of his many waysto thankher and make her understand that he cared about her.

Evening had arrived when they arrived near ColdOak.Bobby, Alex and Dean got out of the car and armed themselves fully withtheweapons from the trunk.

It didn't take them long to get to the centreof townand they started calling for Sam.

-Sam! Sam!- Dean shouted loudly while Bobby andAlexlooked around.

-Dean!- Sam shouted in response appearing frombehindthe remains of a house.

-Sam, watch out!- Dean exclaimed trying to warnhisbrother, seeing a guy running towards Sam with a knife in his hand. Itallhappened in an instant, but that stranger stabbed Sam in the backbeforerunning away, Bobby chasing him.

-Don't worry. Sam, Sam. Hey! Don't worry,everythingwill be fine. Watch me. The wound is not deep. It's not that serious,believeme.- Dean spoke to his brother trying to keep him conscious.

-SAM!- Alex shouted as she ran towards theyoung manwho collapsed in his brother's arms.

-Sam, listen to me. We'll fix you. You'll be asgoodas new. I'll take care of you, don't worry. This is my job: to takecare ofthat thorn that is my little brother, right?!-

-Now I'll heal you Sam, now I'll heal you.-Alexmurmured, placing her hands on her friend's body, concentrating. Shehad justbegun the spell when Sam died in his older brother's arms.

-Sam. Sam. Sammy! No no no no no no!- Deanshouted inpain.

-No Sam. No. No! - Alex shouted crying,continuing invain to treat the wounds of a now lifeless body.

-No! Sam!- Dean screamed crying, while both heandAlex held Sam's body tightly in their arms.

-Dean, I brought you this.- Bobby said as heenteredthe semi-destroyed house where they were camping. It was lateafternoon. Sam'sbody lay on an old mattress while Alex had fallen asleep exhausted,aftercrying all night, lying on the ground with her head resting on themattress andher hand clasped in Sam's now cold one.

-No thank you. I am fine.-

-You should eat something.-

-I said I'm fine.- Dean cut short, leaving theroomwhere his brother was lying.

-Dean... I hate to bring this up... but don'tyouthink it's time to bury Sam? - Bobby asked as Dean downed some beer.

-No.-

-Well, maybe we could...-

-What? Burn his body?! Not yet.-

-Dean, I want you to come with me.-

-Do you mind leaving me alone?!-

-Your help could be useful to me. Something bigisabout to happen. Something apocalyptic.-

-I don't care!- Dean shouted furiously.

-You're not serious.- Bobby continued, noticingthatAlex still hadn't woken up.

-You can bet I am. What's up? Don't you thinkI've hadenough? That he didn't pay enough?! I'm done, Bobby. Now stop. If youweresmarter you would have already left here. Go away!- Dean shouted again,pushingBobby. -Sorry, I'm sorry. Go away, please.- Dean said, lowering hisvoice alot, hurt like everyone else in that house.

Bobby was sad about Dean's behaviour andsuffered fromthe loss of Sam, but he could understand what the eldest Winchester wasgoingthrough, so he decided to comply with his request.

-You know where to find me.- he said beforegoing outand closing the door behind him.

Alex had woken up in the late afternoon. Deanwasstill sitting in the chair drinking beer where he had left it, whilethere wasno sign of Bobby. Without saying anything she stood up. Her whole backached. Sheapproached Dean and placed a hand on his cheek to caress him. The boyabandonedhimself to that warm contact for a few seconds. After that, Alexgrabbed a beerand left the house. She sat down on the steps leading up to the doorand lit acigarette. Between a sip of alcohol and a drag, she spent severalminutesthere. She heard Dean's voice and assumed he was "talking" to Sam,since he had mentioned his brother several times, but she didn'tunderstandwhat he was saying and didn't even want to. These were private mattersbetweenthe two.

Soon Dean hurriedly walked out the door and tohiscar.

-Dean? What's happening? - Alex asked the boy,lookingout the window.

-Stay here. I'll be right back.- Dean repliedbeforestarting the car and driving off at full speed leaving his brother andfriendalone.

Alex returned to the house and sat down in thechairthat the eldest Winchester had occupied until recently. She didn't wantto violatethe privacy of someone she loved and who was suffering like that, butshe wasafraid for Dean, so she decided to re-perform the clairvoyance spellshe'dperformed just 24 hours earlier to find Sam.

She focused on the boy. She didn't need anyitems inthat case. Not for him. She saw that he was in the car, not far fromwhere shewas, and that he was slowing down. She opened her eyes in shock whensherealized he had stopped at a 4-way intersection. She hoped with all herheartthat he didn't do something stupid.

2 minutes passed. 3. 4. It had now been 5minutessince Alex stopped concentrating and nothing had happened. She had justbreathed a sigh of relief when she heard a gasp and Sam sat up, safeand sound.

-Alex?-

-Sam?!- the girl shouted. She couldn't believehereyes. She threw herself on top of the boy, holding him in a hug thatlasted forwhat seemed like a lifetime. It was nice to hear his voice.

-What happened?- Sam asked, moving away fromherfriend and heading towards a mirror. He lifted his shirt and turned onhis backto check the wound inflicted on him the day before. - Where is thewound? - headded, noticing its absence.

-Here... Sam...- the girl spoke in sobs, almoststammering, not knowing exactly what to say. She stopped when she heardfootsteps and Dean came through the door.

-Sammy! Thank God. I'm happy to see you fit.-he saidbefore approaching his brother and hugging him.

-Come on, sit down. What do you remember?- DeanaskedSam.

-I remember seeing you, Bobby and Alex. Andthen Ifelt that pain in my back and a very strong heat. I saw you runningtowards me.That's all.- Sam said.

-That guy stabbed you in the back. You lost alot ofblood. You had it bad.-

-But you couldn't heal a wound like that.- Samobserved confused.

-I can't, but Bobby and Alex do. Anyway, whowas thatguy?- Dean asked, changing the topic.

Alex didn't say anything but didn't take hereyes offthe eldest. If she wasn't controlling her powers she would have senthim flyinginto the ceiling in anger.

-His name is Jake. Did you get it?-

-No. He disappeared into the woods.-

-We have to find him. I want to tear that sonof abitch apart with my own hands.- Sam said pissed off, getting up fromthe chairhe had been sitting on until then.

-Oh oh oh. Be calm, Van Damme. You just wokeup. Youhave to get your strength back. Do you want to eat?-

-I'm hungry, let's go.- Dean nodded towards thefoodthat Bobby had left just before leaving.

Alex followed the boys, stared at them for afewseconds and then left, slamming the front door.

-What happened to her?- Sam asked his brother,confused.

-Leave her be. I'll talk to her. You eat.- Deanbeganto follow the brunette out of the house.

-Alex...- Dean began, approaching the girl.Alexglared at him, then gave him a slap so hard it made her hand hurt.

-You're a total idiot.- she said before walkingaway,lighting a cigarette hoping to be able to calm down.

The boy left her alone. He didn't say anything.On theother hand, he knew that this would be the reaction to what he haddecided todo. But he didn't care. His little brother was alive and he didn't wantto knowanything else.

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Chapter Text

Alex began walking around the area whilesmoking. Whenshe was done she threw the butt on the ground and walked over to theImpala. Sheopened the trunk and took out her bag. She then took a few steps awayandvanished, teleporting to the intersection where Dean had gone a fewdozenminutes earlier.

She opened the bag and took out what sheneeded: aphoto of herself, a box, dirt from a cemetery, a black cat bone andsome silvercoins. She put everything in the box and buried it in the center of theintersection, next to Dean's.

-Come outside! I'm waiting!- she shouted intothe air,hoping that the demon would show up.

Barely a couple of seconds passed when a womanwithbrown hair and red eyes appeared in front of her.

-It seems like today is my lucky day, don't youthink,Samantha? Or do you prefer to be called Alex? - the demon asked,grinning.

-What deal did you make with Dean? What did hegiveyou in exchange for Sam's life? -

-Oh, straight to the point I see.-

-Speak.-

-1 year for Sam's life.-

-One year?! But the agreements are for 10years! -Alex thundered furiously.

-Normally yes, but the Winchester brothersaren't justanyone.-

-Cancel Dean's deal and make the same one withme. 1year, 6 months, 2 days, I don't care. Cancel Dean's.-

-Oh, you naive little girl. You know I can't.You'rewasting your time. My master will not give up the soul of DeanWinchester.-

-You're just a f*cking whor*!- Alex shouted assheapproached the demon in anger.

-Well. If you're done, I have other things todo and Iwould leave.-

-Wait! I offer you my soul. Extend Dean's life.-

-Oh, this is getting interesting... He'll dieanyway,you know.-

-All right. Just give it more time. 10 yearsforboth.-

-Sure, and maybe even a lottery ticket and yourdaddies back from the deads.-

-10 years for Dean and 1 for me.-

-Nada. You are on the wrong path.-

-What do you want?-

-No. What do you want?-

-I want Dean to live as long as possible andSam'ssituation to remain unchanged. It doesn't matter what you want from me.-

-Good good good. You're crazier than anyonesaid. 18months for both of us and you're lucky I feel magnanimous today. Youcan both dieon the same day, don't you find it romantic? -

-Deal.- Alex silenced her before sealing thedeal witha kiss. As soon as the two women separated, the demon smiled at Alexanddisappeared. Alex picked up her bag and teleported back to the outsideof the house.As she hit the ground she fell to her knees. She avoided hurtingherself byleaning on Dean's Impala that was next to her. She had gotten verytired fromusing her powers so much.

She lit yet another cigarette of the day. Shehadn'tsmoked so much in such a short time in months. She started smoking itbut soonlost consciousness in that ridiculous position she was in, leaningagainst thedoor of the back passenger seat. The bag abandoned at her side and thecigarette that was burning between her fingers and which shortly afterrolledto the ground where it remained lit until the paper was completelyconsumed.

The two brothers soon left the house, headingtowardsBobby's house and partly worried by the fact that Alex hadn't shown upforalmost an hour. They were surprised to find her leaning against Dean'scar.They tried to wake her up but there was no way. However, she was notinjuredand there were no signs of demons nearby. Once they were sure she wasjustsleeping Dean loaded her into the back seat of the Impala and startedthe car.They would talk when she woke up.

Alex woke up a half hour from Bobby's house.Her headwas pounding like crazy.

-Alex. Are you OK? What happened? - Sam askedworriedly.

-I am fine. I guess I just didn't have anyenergyleft. Don't worry Sam. How do you feel? - she replied, trying to ignoreDeanwho was staring at her from the rearview mirror.

-I am fine. I have a little pain but nothingserious.Thanks for taking care of me.-

-Where are we going?-

-To Bobby's. We need to find this Jake andunderstandwhat the demon wants from him.- Dean said.

-Jake?-

-The guy who stabbed me.-

-Ah... So the demon we're looking for is inleaguewith him?! You have no idea what he wanted?-

-Apart from the end of the world you mean?-Dean replied,sarcastically.

As they talked, they came into sight of theSinger'shouse. They parked the car and all 3 headed towards the door.

-Hi Bobby.- the boys greeted. Bobby was shockedat thesight of Sam.

-It's good to see you back on your feet Sam.-the mansaid, moving his gaze first to Dean, who clearly had a guilty face on,then toAlex and then to the resurrected man.

-Well, it's all thanks to you. Thanks Bobby.-

-Forget about it...-

-Since Sam is better, let's get back to work.What didyou discover?- Dean asked as they entered the house.

-Well, I found something, but I have no ideawhat thehell it means.-

-What's this about?- Sam asked.

-Demonic Omens. They hit like a huge wave. Deadlivestock, lightning storms. Suddenly, out of nowhere. Look.- he said,takingout a map of the USA. -In all this territory except in one area. InsouthernWyoming.-

-Wyoming?- Alex was perplexed.

-Yes. That's the only clean area. Nodemonstrations.It's as if... if demons were circling around it.-

-And you don't know why it happens?-

-No, I have no idea. Sam, why don't you take alook,maybe you'll figure something out. Dean, Alex, come give me a hand. Ihaveother books in the van.- Bobby said, turning especially to Dean.

-You're a stupid asshole! What did you do? -Bobbyasked, pissed off, to Dean once they reached the van. Alex followed notfarbehind them.

-What have you done?! A deal with the devil forSam.Right?- Dean didn't know what to answer.

-How much time did he give you?-

-Bobby...-

-How much time?! Tell me! - he shouted, shakingtheboy by the shoulders.

-One year.-

-Damn it Dean...-

-18 months, actually- Alex countered.

The two men turned to look at the girl. Theyhadalmost forgotten that she was with them too.

-What?- Bobby murmured.

-What does it mean?- Dean asked, turning hiswholebody towards the girl.

-You have 18 months old. Not a year.- sherepeatedclearly and concisely.

-What have you done?-

-You should know that. You did it too.- Alexstatedtersely, still looking at him partially pissed off.

-You're an idiot! Everything was under control!- Deanshouted, approaching the girl threateningly.

-No. It wasn't. You needed more time. Youshould havehad more time. Now we have it.- Dean looked at her still pissed offbeforeturning and walking back to Sam.

-Alex, why?- Bobby asked simply when he wasleft alonewith the brunette.

-I tried to cancel Dean's contract to take hisplace,but they wouldn't let me. This was the only thing I could do. I don'twant himto die.- Alex said before hugging the man and crying on his shoulder.Bobbywasn't very good at consoling people, but he didn't shy away. Heunderstoodvery well why Alex had done what he did, but he wasn't so sure that sheunderstood why.

They were still near the man's van when theyheard anoise not far away. They both hid between the cars and waited. Whenthey foundthemselves in front of Ellen they couldn't believe their eyes.

They entered the house and, after making surethat shewas not possessed by a demon, they asked her how she had managed tosaveherself (by pure chance) and introduced her to Alex. It didn't take herlong toremember Alex/Samantha too. But Ellen had always had an excellentmemory forpeople's faces. Ellen gave the guys and Bobby a map that Ash had leftin thesafe at the Roadhouse. There were only 5 X's marked on the mapsurroundingWyoming. Bobby did some research and discovered that the symbols indicated 5 abandoned churches from the 19th century and all were built by Samuel Colt, the demon slayer.

They understood that by joining the 5 Xs, adevil'strap was formed and in the center there was an ancient cemetery. Theyellow-eyed demon needed Jake to open the door because he was the onlynon-demon who could therefore cross the lines of the devil's trapformed byrailway tracks connecting the 5 churches, also built by Colt.

They arrived at the cemetery late in theevening andafter half an hour Jake also arrived and started heading towards thecrypt. The5 pointed their weapons at him but through mind control Jake forcedEllen topoint the gun to her own head and told the others that if they didn'tthrowtheir weapons on the ground he would make her pull the trigger, so theywereforced to obey.

Within seconds Jake turned towards the crypt toopenit using Samuel Colt's gun. Alex created a spell to protect Ellen soshecouldn't mortally wound herself, and the three men disarmed her beforeshecould shoot herself. Then Sam picked up his gun and shot Jake so manytimesthat the magazine was empty.

The others were shocked by the cold blood thatthe boyhad used at that moment, but they had no way to focus on anything elsebecausethey understood that the crypt was nothing more than a door to Hell andthat itwas opening thanks to Jake.

Everyone took shelter behind the tombstones,just intime to avoid being swept away by the horde of black smoke that cameout of thecrypt. All those demons managed to break the protection formed byColt'srailway, tearing up the tracks.

-Guys, we have to close the door!- Ellenshouted,getting up from behind the coffin. Immediately she, Sam and Bobbyheaded forthe door and started pushing. Alex placed himself perfectly in front oftheentrance, rose into the air and, using his powers, began totelekineticallypush the door with power, managing to close it mainly thanks to thehelp of theothers. If the situation hadn't been dramatic Dean would definitelyhave told herthat she was very reminiscent of Storm from the X-men.

Instead he turned, realizing that the demonwould soonarrive, now that the door was open and anyone was free to come to thecrypt. Inan instant he found himself slammed against a tombstone, injuring hishead,without his Colt which ended up in yellow eyes' hands. Sam shouted hisbrother's name but as he ran towards him he ended up pinned against atree, thesame way Ellen and Bobby found themselves crushed against the door toHell.Alex strangely was still able to move.

Yellow eyes began talking to Dean when he wasinterrupted by Alex who, barely approaching, as if there was a wallresistingher, started throwing fireballs at the demon.

Yellow Eyes found this quite annoying, so hesmashedthe girl into another gravestone not far from Dean.

Alex couldn't let the demon kill Dean. Shetried torelocate for the first time, failing, but then, seeing the demonpointing theColt at Dean, she managed to carry the boy forward and throw him to theground,shielding him with her body.

The demon had just begun to laugh when he foundhimself pinned down by the spirit of John Winchester. John managed todistracthim long enough for Dean to retrieve the Colt from the ground and shootthedemon, hitting him in the chest and killing him.

Dean and Alex got up, full of pain from thecrashesthey had received. The two Winchesters couldn't believe they had theirfatherbefore their eyes, so the Winchesters hugged each other before Johnvanishedsurrounded by light.

After saying goodbye to the son of a bitch of ademon,Alex, Dean and Sam headed towards the Impala.

-When Jake saw me it looked like he had met aghost.-Sam said leaning against the car, turning to his brother. -Did you hearwhat hesaid? About killing me.-

-Luckily he was wrong.- Dean said, lying to theendwhile Alex glared at him.

-I don't think he was wrong. What happenedafter hestabbed me?-

-I've already told you.-

-Not everything though.-

-Sam, we just killed the demon. Can wecelebrate for aminute? - Dean asked, wanting to avoid the topic at all costs.

-I died, right?- Sam asked with tears in hiseyes. Itwas clear by now that he had put two and two together. -Did you sellyour soullike dad did for you?-

-Oh, come on. No.-

-Tell me the truth. Tell me the truth, Dean.-Alexwould have liked to hug the two brothers and at the same time punchDean forall the 18 months he had left to live.

-Sammy...-

-How much time did he give you?-

-One year. Even if it became 18 months becauseof thisidiot.- Dean then said, indicating Alex with a nod.

-Alex! You too?! Why? - Sam asked.

-Yeah, why? Sam is my brother, not yours, andneitheram I. Why make a deal to give me 6 more months of life, shorteningyours? -asked Dean who now wanted to know what was going through the girl'smind.

-I wanted Dean to live as long as possible. Andthenmaybe this way we'll find a way to save ourselves, don't you think? -Alexreplied, trying to close the conversation.

-10 years?- Sam asked for confirmation.

-18 months.-

-How could you do that?-

-Sam, please don't take it out on Dean. We'vealready lethim carefully know how pissed we were with him. Let's leave it alone,at leastfor the moment, and think about what to do now.-

-Alex is right. The demon with the yellow eyesisdead, but others have passed through the door.- said Ellen who had justapproached with Bobby.

-And how many will there be?- asked Dean.

-One hundred. Maybe 200. It's an army. He freedanarmy.- Sam commented.

-I hope you guys are ready. The war has justbegun.-Bobby warned them.

-We are ready.- Alex replied.

-There's still a lot to do.- Dean concludedsmiling.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Chapter Text

A couple of months had passed since the door toHellhad been opened. Sam, Dean and Alex continued their hunt and nevermissed anopportunity to take out some demons and other supernatural creatures. Ademonthat they had difficulty identifying, however, was Ruby. She was ablonde girlwho showed up during a hunt for the seven demons of the seven deadlysins. Shehad helped them more than once and had told Sam that she could helpthem find away to avoid the death of the two older ones.

Sam wanted to believe her but, despite this,shecontinued to search both with Dean and Alex and independently for a wayfor thetwo to save themselves. He had even gone to talk to the crossroadsdemon tobreak the pact, threatening her with the Colt. It didn't worked. Thedemon wasno longer in possession of Dean and Alex's contract and didn't want torevealwho held it out of fear, so Sam killed her with the Colt. Thisinfuriated Deanwhen he found out about the risk he had taken in vain, that is, findinghimselfdead due to breaking the contract.

They had also had a particularly annoyingencounterwith a thief named Bela Talbot. They had run afoul of her when twonovicethieves stole a lucky rabbit's foot from John Winchester's warehouse.That pawhad caused a lot of trouble for the boys, especially to Sam who hadtouched it.This is because the peculiarity of that artifact was that, as long asyou hadit, it gave you luck, but as soon as you lost it it brought you badluck whichled to death. Bela, trying to get his paw back to sell for a lot ofmoney, hadeven shot Sam. Luckily Alex had protected him with a spell, so nothinghappened. They finally managed to destroy the rabbit's foot, freeingSam fromthe spell, and the three hunters hoped that they would never see BelaTalbotagain. But unfortunately they were wrong.

They had just arrived in Sea Pines. In the lastfewdays numerous people had died of violent deaths and, since it wassuspicious,they went to the town and went to ask some questions to the aunt of thelatestdeceased, Miss Case, introducing themselves as three brothers whoworked forthe Sheriff's department .

The young lady had just begun to explain tothem whatshe had already told the police, the real one, when an epiphanyoccurred toher.

-Wait a minute... you work with Blake, right?-

-Of course, absolutely. We and Blake are likethat.-Dean said, intertwining his fingers, humoring the old lady.

-But why didn't you say so right away?! Blakereallygave me comfort.- Case went on to explain to the 3 guys that the girlhaddrowned in the shower, at least according to the coroner, since shecouldn'texplain how anyone could drown in a shower. She also told them that inthe lastfew days her niece had told her that she had seen a ship that hadappeared anddisappeared in an instant before her eyes. Blake believed it was aghost ship.When Mrs. Case had finished telling them what she knew, and harassingSam whowas petrified on the spot not knowing how to react to the old woman'sattentions, they went back to the car.

-What a crazy old woman.-

-Why? Because she believes in ghosts? - Samsaid.

-Ah ah! Look how he defends his girlfriend, thebigpuppy.-

-Kiss Me.-

-Yes, if she doesn't kiss you first.-

-But who is Blake? Another hunter?- asked Alex.

-Perhaps. The work does not change.-

-A ghost ship, right?- Dean asked.

-Yes. And it's not the first time it's beenspotted.Punctually, every 37 years a 3-masted sailing ship is sighted in thebay. Andevery 37 years there is a series of drownings on land.-

-So it's just the beginning.- Alex said.

-Yeah.- Sam replied.

-What do you know about it?- Dean asked.

-When there were sightings of old ships, theS.S.Violet, the Griffon, the Flying Dutchman, these were omens of death.-

-So you see the ship, your time has come andgreetings?!-

-More or less.-

-What do we do now? Shall we identify theship?- askedAlex.

-It shouldn't be difficult, how manythree-mastedships could be sunk in this bay?- Dean replied.

-I checked this too. More than 150.- Saminformedthem.

-sh*t.- commented Dean.

The 3 arrived at the parking lot where the carshouldhave been, but they didn't find it. On the other hand, they saw Belawho toldthem that the car had been towed for parking in a prohibited area aftersheherself had moved the car from where they had left it. Sam thenrealized thatBela was Blake. Bela explained to them that Gert Case was an oldfriend. Bela,or rather, Blake, often went to the area to comfort the elderly ladieswholived there by selling them amulets that allowed them to communicatewith theirdead. Obviously the spirit communication wasn't true, but that didn'tstop theold women from feeling real comfort and compensating her for thetrouble withreal money.

That evening there was another body. A man haddrownedin the bathtub. When Alex, Dean and Sam went to the house to talk tothe deceased'sbrother, they found Bela already there investigating. They alsodiscovered thatthe brother had also seen the ghost ship and gave them a precisedescription,which meant that he too would soon die.

They remained to check the house of theirbrother whowas still alive until late in the evening, but he noticed them and,panicked atbeing followed by the police, headed towards the car. Once inside hetraveled afew meters when the engine stopped. The ghost of a completely wet manappearedin the back seat and, just by looking at him, he drowned him. The threehunterswere unable to save him.

Another day had passed and the boys wereorganizingthemselves in the living room of an abandoned house where they hadsettled,when Bela arrived. Bela told them that he had identified the ship, theHolySpirit, and that he had discovered that a 37-year-old sailor on theship wastried for treason and hanged. Which explained the 37 year cycle. Sheshowedthem a photo of the sailor and Sam Dean and Alex identified him as theghostthey had seen the night before.

-Did you see him?- asked Bela.

-Yes, but he was missing a hand.- said Alex.

-The right hand?- Bela wanted confirmation atallcosts.

-How do you know?- Sam asked, suspicious.

-They cremated him but his right hand was cutoff tomake a Hand of Glory.- explained the thief.

-Hand of Glory?- Dean asked.

-The right hand of a hanged man is a verypowerfuloccult object.- Alex explained.

-And you know this from experience, witch?-Belamocked, receiving a dirty look from the three guys.

-That doesn't explain how he chooses hisvictims.-Sam said.

-It does not matter. Find the hand, burn it andyouwill stop these murders.- replied the thief.

-Sorry, why are you telling us this?- Deanasked her.

-Because I know where the hand is. It is in theSeaPines Museum, as an ancient relic of maritime history. But you have tohelpme.-

-What kind of help?- Sam asked.

-To get it back.- Bela explained.

-So what would be your plan to get that damnhandback?- Alex asked her.

-As it happens, dear, there will be a galaevening inthe museum where it is kept. Miss Case has invitations for us. Sam willgo withher while Dean will be my date.- Bela informed her.

-And what should I do? Stay her? Mendingclothes?-

-No, you can also iron the shirts if you like.-Belareplied, unleashing Al's anger. The boys were ready to come between thetwo.They had observed the situation interested and partly excited (orrather, Deanwas) but at that moment they were afraid that Al might bite Bela'sthroat out.

-Suck it bitch.-

-If only you had it...-

-Tell Case to get another invitation. I won'tleavethem alone.-

-What a caring mother.-

-No, I'm just cautious. I will accompanymyself.-

-As Her Majesty wishes.-

-When is the evening?-

-Tonight.-

-I'm going to buy a dress.- Al said taking asteptowards the door, only to then change her mind and approach Bela. Thebrothersready for the worst.

-Do something you shouldn't do and know that Iwillbreak all the bones in your body, one by one, with my bare hands.- shewhispered threateningly, then took her bag and left the house.

-See you tonight then. Sam, at 8pm at themuseum.Dean, I'll pick you up at the same time. Tell Alex to take atranquilizer.-Bela concluded before leaving the house.

-It looks bad to me...- Sam murmured.

-I know. Now, sorry little brother, but I'mgoing totake a cold shower.-

-Dean!-

-Dean, Al, I'm going. See you there.-

-Ok, see you soon.- replied Al who had alreadybookeda taxi, since it didn't take long for her to be ready.

She spent the afternoon in the center choosinga dresssuitable for the occasion that she could reuse in other similarsituations andto cool off her anger, which arose as soon as she heard Bela enter thehousewhile they were getting ready.

-Dean! What are you, a woman? How long does ittakeyou to get down?- Bela shouted from downstairs as she waited for theboy.

The latter, very elegant and handsome as a god(thiswas what Al and Bela thought), went downstairs and Al took advantage ofhisdistraction to follow him silently, unnoticed, albeit just in time tohearBela's proposal for wild sex once the matter is concluded.

The blood rushed to her brain but before shecould sayor do anything she heard the taxi horn, so she quickly ran down thestairs andleft the house, slamming the door. Dean just had time to see a lightblacktrail disappear.

They arrived almost at the same time, Alexwaited inthe taxi for a few minutes for the other two to enter and then headedtowardsthe entrance.

They had never seen her so elegant and she wasalittle ashamed, but at the same time, aware of the fact that Bela wastruly abeautiful girl, as well as a really good thief, she couldn't help butgo andcheck on the two, one in particular.

When she entered several gentlemen present eyedher,but before they could get close enough to her to stop her, AlexidentifiedSam's position. The boy, to his great regret, found himself dancingwith theold Case and she tried to touch him everywhere. Dean and Bela werenowhere tobe found so she figured they must already be somewhere else retrievingthethief's hand.

So she decided to go and 'save her littlebrother' so shecould ask him where the other two had disappeared.

She approached the strange couple and while Samdesperately downed a glass of Champagne, she turned to Case.

-Good evening Miss Case. Thank you for theinvitation.It's very elegant.-

-Thank you, dear. You are very beautiful too.-

-Thank you. Would you mind giving me a dancewith mybrother? I'll talk to him.- she added conspiratorially, convincing theold ladyto go and say hello to some friends.

When she turned she saw Sam watching her withhismouth wide open.

-Sam, please..- she murmured in a pleadingvoice,while her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She took his right handwithher left while resting the other on her shoulder.

Sam recovered and, wrapping his other armaround herwaist, began to sway with her to the rhythm of the music.

-You... you're beautiful, Alex.-

-Thanks Sam. You are really beautiful too. Ithought I'dcome and help you with Miss Case while the two idiots think aboutrecoveringthis damned hand.-

-I owe you again, it seems.-

-Be careful Sam, sooner or later I mightcollect.- Alcountered, smiling. -Did Case tell you anything?-

-Yes, apparently the two brothers had killedtheirfather and her niece, his cousin.-

-So it affects people who have killed a familymember?-

-Apparently yes.-

-Sam, the maniac is coming, I'm sorry. I wouldtellher that your ass is mine, but...- as she spoke she was interrupted byBela'svoice who exchanged some jokes with the old woman before walking awaywith her.

-And well done Sammy. Say hello to this angeland helpme find Alex. So we can go.- Dean murmured to his brother in a voicenot lowenough for the brunette to hear.

-And so I would be an angel, Dean Winchester?!-Alsaid turning around, trying to put on her best poker face, despite herheartbeating like crazy.

-Alex!?- Dean ran his gaze over the girl's bodyslowly, enjoying everything that came into his sight.

The girl was wearing a black dress with a smalltrain,gathered at the front but which left the back completely uncovered,almostrevealing the beginning of her buttocks. Her wavy hair was pulled backinto aside ponytail that fell over her left chest.

-Dean, get over it.- she told him, quicklyplacing acaress on his cheek as she took Sam's arm to walk towards the Impala.

Dean followed the two, remaining a few stepsbehind,partly suspicious of this closeness between his brother and the girland partlyintent on glaring at her bottom.

Sam, like a true gentleman, opened the frontdoor ofthe car for her, giving her the place that he had always occupied bynow,sitting in the back seat.

As Dean got into the car, Al turned towardslittleWinchester and, leaning over the seat, placed a very light kiss on hislips.

-You're a knight Sam. Thanks.- she said happilywhileDean turned to stare at them with an inscrutable gaze. -And so I alsocollectedthe debts.- Al continued, sticking her tongue out, making the tallerone chuckle.

Dean, with a cough, drew attention to himselfand thegirl asked him if he had managed to get the hang of it.

The boy took out a handkerchief from his pocketinwhich he had wrapped her but when he opened it he found a small boatinsideclosed in a glass bottle.

-This time I'm going to kill that bitch.- Alsaidpulling out a knife that she kept hidden thanks to a garter. She gotout of thecar and started to return to the museum.

-Al, no.- said Dean who had followed her.

-She's dead.-

-Stop.- Dean said, pulling her towards himviolently,after blocking her arm.

-Dean, let me go. Now.-

-Al, if you don't calm down and get in the car,I'llpick you up and take you there.-

The girl calmed down, pulled away from him andheadedback to the car.

The journey to the house where they were based,wasspent by Al playing with the knife.

-Have you calmed down?-

Alex muttered something to herself as he headedto thekitchen where her stuff was.

-Alex?- Dean called following her.

Sam had understood what was going on betweenthe twoand had thought about staying out of it.

-Alex.- Dean tried again, stopping her by thearm.

-What do you want? Leave me.-

-Come on, speak.-

-I was an idiot. I had to get that stupid handback.-

-Hey, look at that...-

-Oh, but it's not your fault. It's my fault forletting something like this happen to someone who only thinks with hislowerparts and who is also accompanied by a beautiful as well as smartthief. Whatwere you thinking about besides the Kama Sutra positions to try withher, DeanWinchester? -

-You know, if I didn't know you well I wouldthink youwere jealous.- he said trying in vain to keep calm while the girlretrieved theclothes to wear.

-Certain! Jealous of you! No doubt! Who doesn'tlove thedear Dean Winchester?! They all fall at his feet! - she mocked him,taking offthe dress she was wearing which, in her fury, ended up badly thrown onthenearby chair.

-At least look at me when you have to talkrubbish.-

-Of course, so you will activate the wrong bodypartagain!- Alex shouted before being forcefully turned around by the boywho,after observing her exposed breasts and inviting neck for a fewmoments, kissedher.

Alex gave him a slap in surprise, then grabbedhim bythe bow tie that was falling loose on his neck and returned the kisshungrily.

-You're an idiot.- Al said forcefully openinghisshirt, moving his hand towards his trousers.

-See who's talking.- the boy replied, startingto kissher again while throwing up the t-shirt that the girl had in her handsand the garterthat, until recently, had held the knife in place.

Alex lowered his trousers and underwear justenough,showing off his erect manhood while the boy pulled aside her panties.He wasready to penetrate her when they heard a clear, loud voice coming fromtheentrance.

-You should lock the door. Anyone could comein.- Belasaid as she entered the house.

Dean and Al froze in place. The girl's eyes litupwith hatred. Roughly she pulled away from the boy, grabbed a t-shirtand theknife and marched out of the room.

She hadn't even put her shirt on all the waywhen Samand Bela noticed her.

The boy, who stood still in surprise for amoment,stood up and blocked his friend, holding her tightly in his arms. Deancame inbreathlessly from the next room.

-And now what do you want bitch?!-

-Look, I'm sorry.-

-No one believes you!- Al shouted while stilltryingto free herself from Sam's grip.

-Alright then. It is not true. I had a buyerbefore Ieven had my hand on me. He paid a lot of money for it.-

-So what do you want now?- Sam asked.

-I saw the ship.-

-I knew you were immoral, a thief, a cheat, butIdidn't think my opinion could get any worse.- Dean said.

-What are you talking about?-

-We know the spirit's motive: the captain ofthe ship,the one who hanged the boy, was the brother. Like Cain and Abel. So ourspiritis hunting for a specific target: people who have killed a familymember.- Samexplained.

-Buy it back and get the f*ck out.- Al saidcalmly.Sam loosened his grip on her but continued to remain close to her incase theblood rushed to her brain again.

-I cannot. It's traveling in the middle of theocean.-

-You know you sold the only thing that couldhavesaved you, right?- Dean said.

-I do.-

-It's called Karma, bitch.- Al commented.

-Well, maybe that's not the only thing.- Samsaid.

Sam explained to them that there was asummoning ritethat could bring them the captain of the ship, the target of the hatredof hisbrother's murderous spirit.

The four went into the woods, far from thehouses andcompleted the job just in time to save Bela.

-Thank you. These are for you.- said the girlgivingthe three ten thousand dollars each.

-I hope we never see each other again.- Alrepliedbefore the girl took her arm and led her not far from the two brothers.

-Will they kill each other?- Sam murmured.

-Likely.-

-I know why you behave like this.- Bela said toAlex.

-Really? Maybe because you're a careless bitch,don'tyou think? -

-Or maybe you are in love and see me as athreat.-

-Me? In love? - Al exclaimed before burstingintolaughter.

-Deny it all you want, but I don't advise youto waitforever. See you.- Bela said before walking away.

-I hope not!- Al commented aloud.

-What did she tell you?- Dean asked, curiouswhen thebrunette reached them.

Alex turned to him, stared at him for a fewsecondsbefore moving her gaze to Sam. She returned to Dean and burst outlaughing,barely stammering, between one breath and another, words like "ofcourse,love, crazy".

The two brothers stared at each other and decided to let it go, at least for the moment.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Chapter Text

The search for who held Alex and Dean'scontractswasn't bearing much fruit. 4 months had already passed since theclosing of thetwo contracts, and the demons they managed to find either had noinformation togive to them or were terrified and preferred to be exorcised ratherthan talk.Furthermore, the Colt, which Bobby and Ruby had managed to modify sothat theycould use new bullets to kill demons, was stolen by Bela when she oncecollaborated with the hunters to save Bobby from a coma that would haveliterally killed him. Bela had broken into the safe of the motel wherethe boyswere staying and stole the Colt. Then she ran away so as not to befound.Because she knew that if Alex or Dean found her, they would kill herwithout asecond thought.

The 3 were in Florida to search for a missingprofessor after visiting the Mystery Spot, a place where the laws ofphysicsmade no sense.

Dean had woken up a while ago when Sam openedhis eyesto the sounds of Asia. He hated that song, and so did Alex who wasstillblissfully sleeping in the connecting room but was still woken up bythe kids'radio thanks to Dean who had seen fit to turn the volume up to maximum.

They met outside down the hall and headed to adinerto have breakfast and talk about the case.

Dean, hungry as always, ordered a special menuwithbacon and coffee, Sam simply coffee and pancakes and Alex got bacon,eggs andtoast plus cappuccino.

They talked about the professor and decidedthat thatnight, after closing, they would go to the Mystery Spot and check theplaceout.

That night, having entered the place, they werestilllooking around without knowing exactly what to look for when the ownerof theplace arrived armed with a rifle.

-Hey hey, calm down. We're not robbing you.-Alexexplained.

-Listen, I'm putting the gun down now.- Deansaidstarting to lower the weapon. While he was making that gesture, theowner ofthe place shot him, probably out of fear.

-Dean!- Alex shouted, approaching the boy andstartingto treat him.

-Call 911. Now!- Sam shouted at the visiblyterrifiedman. Unfortunately there was nothing to be done and Dean died in thearms ofthe two younger hunters.

Sam and Alex were still crying when theysuddenlyblacked out and woke up again to the sounds of Heat of the Moment byAsia.

-Dean?- asked Sam who couldn't believe the factthathis brother was still alive.

Dean on the other hand, was totally fine. Heactedexactly as usual and Sam convinced himself that he had simply had averystrange dream.

-Sam... Dean!?!?- Alex exclaimed once sheentered theboys' room. The two looked at her strangely and she threw herself intoDean'sarms to hug him tightly.

-Alex?!- Dean said while Sam stared at thembewildered.

-Shhh... Give me a minute. I really had af*ckingawful dream.- the brunette murmured as she breathed in the smell of theyoungman's skin.

They went to the diner for breakfast and bothSam andAlex looked around worriedly. It was all like in their dreams.

-Is today Tuesday?- Alex asked the two, thenumbersdidn't add up.

-Yes, surprise menu with bacon and coffee.-Dean saidto the waitress who had just approached.

-For you, dears?- he asked Sam and Alex. Samdidn'ttake anything and Alex simply asked for a cappuccino.

-Hey guys. Is everything okay?- asked Dean whohadnoticed that the two were behaving strangely.

-You... You don't remember any of this?- Samasked hisbrother.

-Remember what?-

-Today. This morning, this place.-

-Sam, did you dream of all this too?- Alexquestionedhim, interjecting.

-You remember?-

-The Mystery Spot?- Alex asked forconfirmation, whichcame with a sad nod from the boy. It was clear that they were goingcrazy.

They decided not to say anything explicit toDean. Atthe moment they seemed to be the only ones afflicted by thesehallucinations,premonitions, déjà vu or whatever they wanted tocall them and they had tounderstand what was happening.

Sam suggested they go to the Mystery Spot thatmorning, though, to blend in with the people. They were crossing thestreetwhen Dean was hit by a car driven by Mr. Pickett, who was at the dinerhavingbreakfast that same morning. Dean died instantly and they blacked out.

The next morning, as in the previous two days,Sam andAlex woke up to the sounds of Asia. Because of Dean. And theyrememberedeverything. They decided they would explain everything to Dean oncethey got tothe diner.

-Ok, so we would be stuck in a what?-

-In a time loop.-

-Like Bill Murphy in Groundhog Day.- Alexcontinued.

The boy didn't seem very convinced, but hedecided tohumor them since they both seemed really worried.

-Okay, listen. I'm sure there will be anexplanation...-

-You have to trust what I tell you, Dean. Youowe methat. At least that.- Sam said exasperated.

-Now calm down.-

-Don't tell me to calm down, I can't calm down.Icannot. Why...-

-Why what?- Dean asked confused.

-Because Dean, you will die today.- Alex saidgoing toSam's aid.

-No, I won't die. Not today. In 14 months,remember?-Dean commented looking mainly at Alex.

-Twice so far we have seen you die. I do notwant it.I don't want it to happen again. You have to trust what we tell you,please.-

The three decided to go to the Mystery Spotthatmorning, preventing the owner from killing Dean with the rifle andmanaging tosave him from the collision with the car. The owner, however, had nonews togive him. He had bought the place just a few months earlier at ajudicialauction and had no idea what was happening.

-Let me understand. So every day I die? - Deanaskedas they walked down the street after leaving the Mystery Spot.

-Yes.- Alex said.

-After that you wake up, right?-

-Yes.- Sam confirmed.

-It should be good enough that I don't die. IfI makeit until tomorrow the time loop should break.-

-Do you think so?- Alex said hopefully.

-Well, at least let's try. Let's get somethingto eatand relax at the motel until tomorrow.- Dean proposed. Sam and Alex,resigned,agreed with him.

-Okay, great. Do you like Chinese? - Dean askedbeforeending up crushed by a piece of furniture that two workers were tryingto bringinto an apartment through the window. Sam and Alex passed out shortlyafter.

Sam and Alex woke up every day to the sounds ofAsiaand every day they saw Dean die. A sausage askew, mauled by a dog, thegrip ofthe razor frying him, slipped in the shower and hit his head, poisonedby a badtaco. They had no idea what to do to save him.

-Sam, I'd like to try something today, okay?You leaveit to me.- Alex said while they were at the diner. The two brothersdidn't seemvery convinced but decided to go along with her. Alex recreated thesamesituation in which Dean was killed by Mr. Pinkett. Dean was about to behit bythe car when Alex pushed him onto the opposite sidewalk and was hitinstead ofthe boy. She died instantly.

-Alex!- Dean shouted, getting up. He didn'teven havetime to take a step towards his friend's corpse when a vase fell fromthebuilding above him, hitting him squarely and killing him. Sam blackedout.

-May I know what you wanted to do?- Sam shoutedto herfriend who had just woken up, entering her room followed by Dean.

-I thought that if I had died instead of Deanmaybethe blood debt would have been paid and he would never have died again.Whathappened?-

-A vase fell from a window and killed him.-

-Wait, what are you saying? Who died where? -Deanasked as he approached the two who were arguing, when he tripped overthe laceof his boots and fell, hitting his head on the door, dying. Alex andSamblacked out.

The three of them no longer knew what to do.Dean keptdying and they couldn't save him. That is until one day at the dinertheynoticed something strange. The man sitting at the counter, who had hadmaplesyrup to accompany his pancakes for all the 100 Tuesdays they hadlived, hadthis time gotten strawberry syrup. This meant nothing to Dean, but Alexand Samknew that in a time loop everything stays the same. Nothing had everchangedexcept the two of them, so this event had to mean something. Everythingwentblack out even though Dean wasn't dead.

When they woke up the following day, afterhavingconfronted each other, they understood that the only thing to do was tofollowthe man when he left the diner.

They did so and cornered him in a remote alleywhereSam threatened him with a blood-soaked wooden stake.

-I know what you are. It was your behaviourthatbetrayed you. You hunt down pompous, self-satisfied men and then givethem whatthey deserve. There is only one creature capable of doing this. Createareality and trap people in time loops. To do that you have to be ajoker. Youhave to be a Trickster.-

-Listen to me, my name is Ed Coleman. My wifeiscalled Amelia, I have two children and I sell advertising space.-

-Do not lie to me! I know what you are! We'vealreadykilled someone like you in the past.- Sam said, continuing to hold theman tightly,who changed his face in an instant.

-Really newbie, you didn't succeed.- said theTrickster that Sam and Dean had met before meeting Alex.

-Why are you doing this?-

-What about you two who tried to kill me sometimeago? And you are asking me why I do it? -

-What happened to Hasselback?- asked Deanreferring tothe professor who had disappeared a few days earlier.

-That bastard? He said he didn't believe inwormholes,so I sent him into one.- the Trickster explained before laughing. - Andthenyou three arrived too. I set you up as soon as you set foot in town.-

-So you find it fun to kill Dean all the time?-Samasked furiously.

-First: yes, it's fun. And second: I'm notdoing thisto kill Dean at all. This joke is for you, Sam. And for you Alex. Youwill seethe person you love most in the world die every day. Forever.-

-Son of a bitch.- Alex said through grittedteeth.

-How long will it take you to understand thatyoucan't save your brother despite your efforts? - asked the Trickster,addressingSam directly.

-Oh yes? I'll kill you so all this will end.-Sam saidpressing the stake further into the man's neck.

-Ok ok. Okay okay. Look, I was just joking.Since youcan't accept the joke, I'll release you. Tomorrow you will wake up andit willbe Wednesday. I swear to you.-

-Why should we believe you?!- Alex asked.

-If I lie, you know where to find me. I alwayseat inthe usual place.-

-No, it's easier if I kill you.-

-I'm sorry buddy, but you can't do that.- theTrickster concluded before snapping his fingers and sending everythingintoblackout.

That morning Alex and Sam woke up to the soundsofBlack in Time for the first time in months. They realized that it wasWednesdayand decided to leave the city as soon as possible, without evenstopping for breakfast.Dean had walked to the Impala carrying his bag. Alex was returning fromthediner with a grab-and-go breakfast for everyone and Sam was checkingout of themotel.

The same boy who had a coffee at the dinerevery dayapproached Dean and threatened him with a gun, Dean was unarmed, to gethiswallet. Dean tried to reason with him but he got shot. Sam ran towardshisbrother and so did Alex, who had witnessed everything from a few dozenmetersaway. She threw the breakfast on the floor but didn't care. She justhad to getto Dean as soon as possible to treat him, but the boy had diedinstantly due tothe bullet in his heart. Alex and Sam waited to black out and wake upagain butit didn't happen. Instead the police arrived and took their statements.Deanwas pronounced dead by the coroner.

It was 6 months after Dean's death. Alex andSamcontinued to hunt monsters and at the same time followed the Tricksteracrossthe country. The search for a way to save Alex completely abandoned.They justwanted revenge for Dean. The two were very close to each other, despitecommunicating in monosyllables and only on important things. Theyshared motelrooms, and Alex had gotten into the habit of crawling into Sam's bed atnightfor comfort. In the morning she would sneak out before he woke up. Shedidn'tknow that Sam had noticed it for some time but hadn't told her anythingbecausethat closeness was good for him too.

One day they received a call from Bobby. Heasked themto meet at the Mystery Spot because he had found the Trickster. Whenthey wentto the location and talked to Bobby, both Sam and Alex realized thatwhat wasin front of them was not the real Bobby Singer but the Trickster, sothey bothstabbed him in the back. The Trickster raised the illusion and showedhimselfto them after retrieving their weapons and immobilizing Alex to makesure shedidn't use her witch powers against him.

-Bring him back.- Sam asked.

-Who, Dean? Didn't they give you my flowers? -repliedthe Trickster.

-I beg you. Bring it back. I'll do anything youwant.Make him come back to us.- Alex said crying. She wasn't even trying tofreeherself, she was destroyed by pain.

-As tempting as the proposition sounds, Dean isdead.His soul is going straight down to Hell.

-Take us back to that Tuesday, or Wednesday.When itall started. Please.- Sam begged.

-We won't hunt you anymore, we swear.-

-You swear?-

-Yes.- Sam answered for both of them.

-I don't know, even if I could...-

-You can.- Sam interrupted him.

-It is true. But that doesn't mean he wants todo it.Sam, this is a lesson I've been trying to instil in that dumbNeanderthalbrain.-

-Lesson? What lesson? - Alex asked to the men.

-This obsession with saving Dean! The way youcontinueto sacrifice for each other will not lead you to anything good. Onlyblood. Andpain. Dean is your weak point. Your brother knew this well, Sam. Youhave toaccept his death. Sometimes you need to let people go.-

-He's my brother.-

-He is my friend.-

-Dear Alex, forget about the topic. I've neverseenanyone more messed up than you. You still continue to deny yourfeelings forthat boy despite having sacrificed yourself time and time again forhim. Likeit or not, Sam, you have to be able to live your life without him. Andsoonwithout Alex too.-

-Please bring it back.- Sam said.

-Please.- Alex continued.

-Damn, with you it's just like talking to thewall.All right, listen up. This whole story has stopped amusing me now.You're like TravisBickle in a skirt. I'm done with you. I don't want to hear from youanymore andnow it's your turn.- the Trickster blurted out before snapping hisfingerscausing the blackout that the two were missing so much.

It was Wednesday morning 6 months ago when Samwoke upto the sounds of Back in Time. Sam, as soon as he saw his brothercomplainingabout the radio station, approached him and hugged him tightly.

-How many Tuesdays have you lived?- asked Deanstilltight in the embrace.

-Too many. Wait... what do you remember?-

-I remember being nervous yesterday with thatTrickster because of Tuesdays and then nothing else.- Sam couldn'tbelieve hiseyes. The Trickster had indeed brought him back to his brother.

Suddenly the door connecting to Alex's roomopenedwide and the girl entered, hopping on one foot because she had just hitthedoor jamb and hurt her little toe. She was wearing panties and a tanktop andhad just woken up to the sound of Back in Time.

-Sam?! Please tell me it's true!- she shoutedto theboy before turning towards the bathroom of the two and seeing Deanalive andwell.

The boy stared at her dazed and also quiteexcited atthe sight of the girl's naked legs. Alex approached Dean with anuncertainstep, almost as if she couldn't believe what she saw. Then, aftertouching himand realizing that he was really there, she kissed him. For a fewseconds Deanremained still in surprise, then he kissed her back and held the girltightlyto him. He pulled away from her only when he felt something wet hischeeks.Alex was crying.

-Hey, are you ok?-

-No. I'm very good. I have never been so happyto seeyou.- Alex said hugging him tightly. Neither she nor Sam told Dean whathadhappened in the last 6 months, but from that day on Alex, Sam and Deannolonger took connecting rooms in hotels, but shared the same room.Neitherwanted to stay away from Dean for fear of losing him again.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Chapter Text

-So we're dealing with a Ghoul?- asked Dean.

The three hunters were in the car, headed to asmalltown in Utah where there had been a succession of deaths and accidentsin amultiplex cinema. Several people had been injured and bitten during theshowsand two had died.

-I think so. Although it is strange to findthemoutside cemeteries and sewers. I wonder how it ended up in a cinema.-Alexsaid, looking for the page on Ghouls in her diary to refresh her memory.

-And above all, where is it hiding in a cinema?Aren'tthey always full of people?!- asked Sam.

-There are places to hide inside. There arestorageareas, underground areas where workers rarely go except probably whenthere areproblems with the electrical and hydraulic system. Furthermore, apartfrom theentrances to the rooms, the lights are always very low. It's notdifficult tosneak in. When I was little I always secretly went to the cinema. Imust havewatched dozens of films with my friends.- Alex explained. She reallymissedgoing to the movies. Since she had become a hunter she had practicallynot gonethere anymore.

They arrived in the city of Provo early in themorning. They took a motel room, had breakfast and went to the cinema.The 3decided to first do a reconnaissance tour mixed in with the crowd andwatch afilm each to observe the rooms, personally, and see if anything hadhappened.Then they would return after closure to search for the Ghoul.

Sam went to see Slumdog Millionaire, Dean sawDisasterMovie, and Alex saw The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

-How did it go? Did you find anything?- Deanaskedwhen they all met at the cinema exit.

-Alex, are you okay?- Sam asked the girl,noticingthat her eyes were petrol blue, a sign that she must have been crying.

-Yes, yes, everything is fine. I was just movedby thefilm.- Alex replied smiling at the boy and thanking him for histhoughtfulness.

-I didn't notice anything strange. The staff isnot asnumerous as one might expect and not everyone has the keys to therooms.- saidSam.

-Ditto.- Alex and Dean commented. They hadn'tcompletely wasted the day, having been able to observe the location ofthevarious rooms in the cinema, but they hadn't had the hoped-for success.

-We have to go back tonight.- Dean commented astheywent to a pub to eat something and then to the motel to rest.

Late at night the three left the motel, headingtowards the cinema. Once they arrived Dean broke into the back door andtheymanaged to enter.

There was total darkness and a deafeningsilence.Their flashlights barely illuminated the corridors ahead of them.

-I would say to start from the bottom, wheretheelectrical panels are located.- Alex proposed pointing to the stairsthat ledto the underground area of the cinema.

Cautiously they began to descend the stairs andfoundthemselves in front of numerous doors along a corridor.

They had just opened a couple of them andchecked theinside when they heard a noise coming from the back door on the right.

The boys looked each other in the eye,continuingcautiously. Dean had just opened the door when he found himselfliterallyknocked into the air by a Ghoul, who immediately turned towards Sam toattackhim.

Alex tried to cast a spell that wouldimmobilize it,but due to the monster's super speed he only managed to slow it down.

The Ghoul understood that Alex was not a simplehuman,so he aimed at her who, having to keep her concentration on the spellso as notto let it escape, was in no condition to defend herself from an attackby themonster.

The Ghoul hit Alex violently, causing her tohit theceiling and then fall to the ground. The spell got broken and themonster beganto run down the corridor to exit the cinema.

-Go!- Alex shouted to the boys who were worriedabouther. Sam gave her a nod of agreement and started chasing the monsteraccompanied by Dean. Alex stood up but realized she had dislocated hershoulder. She told herself she'd have a chance to think about it laterand startedrunning outwards, holding her left shoulder with her right arm.

Dean and Sam were now outside the cinema andcontinuedto follow the Ghoul who, however, was outpacing them. They tried tofire shotsbut the monster easily dodged them. When they realized that they wouldneverreach the creature they saw it rise into the air. They turned and sawAlexholding her right hand up and concentrating with all her energy on thatspell.Her forehead drenched in sweat from the pain.

Dean and Sam managed to reach the monster. Whentheywere underneath him Alex let go of the spell letting the creature fallto theground and it was immediately decapitated by Dean.

-Alex! Are you okay?- Sam asked heading towardsthegirl.

-I'm fine, I'm fine. I think I dislocated myshoulder.- she replied trying to move her arm but having to stop due tothepain.

-Let's go back to the motel, I'll put it back.-Deansaid. Together they decided that Sam would go and get rid of the bodywhileDean and Alex would go back to the motel to get treatment. Sam didn'tobject,worried about the two's injuries.

Back at the motel Dean sat the girl down on thebedbefore checking her shoulder.

-Yes, it's dislocated. I can put it back foryou butit will hurt.- said Dean who had dislocated his bones more than once inthepast.

-Go, I'm ready.- Alex replied, getting intoposition,leaning against the wall in front of the boy.

-On the count of three. 1... 2...- the boynever said3 but applied a lot of pressure to the shoulder of 2, making the girlscream inpain but causing the bone to snap back into place. Alex lost strengthin herlegs but was supported by the boy who prevented her from falling to theground.

-I hate you...- Alex murmured as she kept herheadresting on the boy's chest. Dean laughed amusedly. They stayed likethat for afew minutes until Alex realized she was feeling much better.

-Now let me check your head.- said the girltaking thefirst aid kit, while the boy sat on the edge of the bed.

-Look, I'm fine.- Dean commented while the girldisinfected the very small wound on his forehead that he had because ofthefight.

-Sure sure. Except you see, you're alreadyintelligent, I wouldn't want the blow you took to have made you evenmoreintelligent.- Alex commented. Dean didn't let himself be fooled oncemore, sohe pulled the girl on top of him and ended up both lying on the bed.Then hestarted tickling her.

-Dean! Please stop! I can't! DEAN!- the girlshoutedamidst laughter. The boy agreed to stop the torture and stopped. Duringthe"fight" Alex ended up lying on the bed on her back and he toweredover her holding onto his arms. They both looked at each other for afewseconds and then started kissing.

It wasn't the first time they kissed and theyboth hadto admit to themselves that they found each other really sexy. Afterall, theyhad jumped at each other since their first meeting.

Within seconds they both found themselves intheirunderwear. The hands continued to feel the other's body and the mouthsmet in acontinuous clash of tongues. Alex decided it was time to get serious.Shestripped off the last clothes she was wearing, immediately imitated byDean,then with a thrust of her hips she went on top of the boy and letherself bepenetrated.

Both hadn't had sex with someone for severalmonths,something they had missed, what's more the harmony between them wasperfect andthey managed to enjoy themselves like they had rarely experienced intheirlives.

While the two were having sex, the door openedand Samlooked into the room. It took him a moment to realize that the noiseshe hadheard from outside the door were not the two friends arguing, butrather theywere lost in something much more pleasant.

Carefully he closed the door trying to avoidmakingnoise and headed to a diner that was open 24 hours a day to have a beerand waitfor some time.

When he returned to the room a couple of hourslater,he found them both asleep next to each other. He threw himself on oneof theempty beds, knackered and fell asleep.

The next morning when the two woke up theydidn't evenhave to speak to each other to clarify the situation. They weren'tchildren andhad simply done something very natural. More than natural given thesituationand the fact that in 3 months they would have died if they hadn't founda wayto save themselves.

Sam said nothing but was struck by the factthat theyboth continued to act as if nothing had happened.

There were 30 hours left until the 18 monthdeadline.Dean, Sam and Alex, with Bobby's help had managed to find Lilith: NewHarmony,Indiana. The problem remained that they had no way to kill her, sinceaccordingto Bela the Colt was now in Lilith's possession. Sam had suggestedcontactingRuby. She was in possession of a dagger that had similarcharacteristics to theColt, that is, it allowed her to kill demons. But Dean didn't want to.For him,Ruby was just a demon whor* who did nothing but lie to him. Sam lookedto Alexfor support. He hoped that being in the same situation as his brothershe wouldmake him see reason. However, Alex had been very clear about it: shewas acollateral victim, Dean was the one to be saved, therefore on theseissues shewould have supported Dean in his choices even if she might not agreewith them.If he managed to save himself without killing Sam, and they managed tosave hertoo, so be it. For the rest she left the eldest among them to decide.

Sam decided to ignore the two's wishes andsummonedRuby via ritual. He wanted the dagger and also wanted to know if therewas away to save his brother and friend. Ruby began to explain to him thathehimself could save them if he used his powers which were dormant at thetime.Sam was listening interestedly when Dean arrived and managed to trapRuby in adevil's trap and steal the dagger Sam wished he had. Aside from that,hewouldn't waste another second on a demon who had done nothing but lieto himsince they'd met. Together with Bobby they headed towards Indiana, Samand Deanin the Impala and Bobby and Alex in the man's van. Alex wanted to givethe twoWinchesters some privacy. They certainly had things to say to eachotherprivately. Plus Bobby wasn't bad company. They talked for a while,mostly aboutwhat had motivated Alex to sign that f*cking deal, and the rest of thetimethey sat in silence listening to the music.

When they arrived in New Harmony, Dean and Alexrealized that they had developed some sort of power. They could tell ataglance whether someone was a demon or not, so it didn't take them longto findLilith who had taken over the body of a 10-year-old blonde girl.

Sam and Dean entered the family house togetherwithRuby, who had freed herself and joined them, while Bobby and Alex werein thehouse opposite dealing with the various demons.

Sam entered the sleeping girl's room to killher whenhe was stopped by Dean who told him that the little girl was no longerpossessed and was back to herself. At that moment midnight struck and aCerberus showed up both in the house with the two Winchesters and inthe onewith Alex and Bobby. Everyone emptied bags of herbs, which Ruby hadgiven themin the past to block the Cerberus, in front of doors and windows, buttheywouldn't have resisted for long.

Ruby was asking Sam for the knife to kill thehellhounds when Sam was stopped by Dean who realized that Lilith wasinsideRuby. Lilith didn't waste a second before pinning Dean to the tablewhere shehad smashed him and Sam to the wall when Alex entered breaking thewindow. Shewas covered in numerous wounds and had the tendons of one arm torn offbybites. When the hellhound cornered them in the living room, she toldBobby shewas leaving to get the hellhound away from him. Breaking the window shewent outinto the street and, using her powers, transported to the house infront ofthem. She was immediately reached by the Cerberus who bit her but shemanagedto break through the window and take shelter as she was also protectedby theherbs from Dean and Sam's bags.

Taking Lilith by surprise, she shot numerousfirearrows at her, managing to graze her in the leg and face. Lilith gotvery angryand threw her to the ground, immobilizing her before breaking her arm,makingher scream in pain.

Then she removed the dust that blocked theentrance ofthe Cerberus and let them enter.

Immediately the two dogs ran towards Alex andDeanwho, immobilized, could not react in any other way other than screaming.

-Dean!- Alex shouted at the boy before thedemonic dogbit her neck, causing her to die under the horrified eyes of the twoboys. Deanfollowed her a few seconds later dead from numerous wounds.

Once the two boys were dead and the contractsthey hadsigned were closed, Lilith turned to Sam, raised an arm and cast aspell thatwas supposed to kill him. However, when the light from the spell fadedSam wasstill alive and well. He picked up the knife that was at his feet andapproachedLilith to stab her when she left Ruby's body to avoid being killed.

Sam, joined by Bobby, knelt at the feet of thetwoboys and held Dean in a hug while calling his name. But Dean and Alexcouldn'thear him. They were in Hell, stuck in a loop of endless torture.

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Chapter Text

It was September 18th, 4 months after Alex andDean'scontracts ended. A shock wave swept away all the trees in the areasurroundingDean's grave when he woke up. He had no idea how he escaped Hell, buthe wasfinally free. He tried calling Sam but the number had been deactivated,so hestole a car and drove to Bobby's. It took the man several minutes andattemptsduring which he tried to figure out which monster was in front of himbeforeaccepting that it was indeed Dean in the flesh. Together theyidentified Sam'slocation via GPS and reached him.

They discovered that Dean had been saved by anangelnamed Castiel on Heaven's orders. Apparently Dean was an important pawnwhoneeded to be saved. Angels usually took no part in human situations andsimplyobserved what was happening on Earth. But now this course of actioncould nolonger be maintained as demons and angels were at war. Lilith, havingsurvivedher last encounter with the Winchester brothers and Alex Hall, wastrying tobreak 66 of the 666 divine seals. Once all 66 seals were broken,Lucifer wouldbe freed to walk the Earth and the Apocalypse would begin. The task oftheangels, and now also of Dean and Sam, had to be to prevent Lilith fromcompleting her mission and, preferably, to find and kill her.

This seemed crazy, although the hunters haddealt witheven crazier things in their past, so it didn't take them long toaccept it.

However, there was something that Bobbycouldn'texplain. When he reunited with Sam and Dean after the latter's rebirth,heasked the boy if Alex had also come back to life. Both he and Sam hadgiven hima puzzled look and neither had responded. Following this bizarrebehaviour ofthe two boys, Bobby decided to leave it alone and no longer mentionedtheirlittle witch friend, the one who was like a daughter to him. He justthoughtthey didn't want to talk because it was too painful to know she wasstill inHell suffering. In several cases her help would have been reallynecessary fora quick and clean outcome of the hunt they were participating in, tosave morepeople and prevent many from getting hurt. Particularly when, throughanancient ritual, two 600-year-old witches attempted to bring the demonSamhainback to Earth. Samhain's return to Earth was one of the possible 666seals andit was a priority to prevent it from breaking, at the cost of razingthe entirecity to the ground, as Castiel specified. However, Sam and Dan wantedto saveall 1200 people who lived in the city, so they sent the angel and hishelperUriel to hell. The seal was eventually broken, but Sam and Dean managedto sendthe demon back to Hell before it could wreak havoc anywhere. Despitewhat hadhappened, Dean or Sam had never once repeated the name of theirbrunette friend.

Likewise, no one mentioned Alex even when theyfoundthemselves trying to prevent another seal from being broken. Alastair,thedemon torturer of Hell, had kidnapped two Reapers in a small town andif hemanaged to kill them during a full moon night, another seal would bebroken.And since more than 34 out of 66 had been broken up to that point, itwas apriority that Alastair did not succeed in his plan. Dean and Sam askedfor thehelp of a psychic friend of Bobby's, Pamela Barnes, who through astralprojectionhelped Sam and Dean separate from their bodies and prevent the sealfrom beingbroken. And they knew that astral projection was one of Alex'sabilities, butyet they didn't even mention it.

Castiel, using the work of Dean and Sam, hadmanagedto capture Alastair and needed Dean to use what Alastair had taught himabouttorture in Hell to get him to tell him who was killing his angelbrothers andsisters.

Dean tried to refuse. The last thing he wantedin theworld was to start torturing people again. Even if it involved afirst-ratebastard like Alastair. Castiel, however, explained to him that it wasnecessaryand convinced him.

When Dean entered the room where Alastair wasimprisoned, with a cart full of torture instruments, the demon began tohumCheek to Cheek, then began to cackle.

-Sorry, it's a very serious situation. A verybadsituation for you. I shouldn't laugh. Is that, I mean, are they beingserious?!Did they send you to torture me? - he asked sarcastically.

-You only have one chance. One. Tell me who iskillingthe angels. I want a name.- Dean said seriously.

-Do you think that seeing all those terribletoolsI'll spit it out?-

-Oh, you'll spit it out somehow. I just don'twant toget my shoes dirty. Now answer the question.-

-Or what? Will you get to work?! But deep downit maybe that you don't want to. Maybe you are terrified.-

-I'm here, aren't I?-

-It is not true. You left a part of you downthere.Let's see if I can put the two parts back together, shall we?-

-You will be disappointed.-

-I have never been disappointed in you untilnow. Comeon, you want to have revenge for everything I've done to you, foreverythingyou've had to suffer... right? What about what I did to your dad? Ikept yourfather on my wheel for almost a century.-

-You can't escape forever.-

-John Winchester. He lived up to his name.After eachsession I made him the same offer I made to you: I would put the bladedown ifhe picked one up.-

-Give me the name of the demon, Alastair.-

-But he said: never. Every time. Eh, damn, Icouldn'tbreak it. It destroyed all my confidence. You see, John had... he hadsomethingunique inside him. The stuff of heroes. Then Dean arrived. DeanWinchester. Ithought I was facing the same thing. But dad's little girl gave in. Hebrokeinto 30. And this isn't the man dad wanted me to become, huh, Dean?!-Deanignored him as he calmly prepared the tools trying to hide how muchthatconversation affected him.

-Do you know who else impressed me? Your littlewitchfriend. Samantha Green.-

-Who?- Dean asked partially confused.

-Samantha Green. Maybe you know her as AlexHall...-Alastair said, continuing to keep Dean's attention alive, who had nowabandonedhis tools.

-You see, your little witch friend has been onmywheel for almost 80 years now. Of course, since I had to come to Earth,mysubordinates have taken care of her, but I taught them well. I askedher thequestion every day for 30 years, same as you. But then you accepted soI didn'tneed her anymore. You know, she's a real sassy little bitch. She keptcursingand trying to use her spells to no avail. I decided that the firstthing Iwould do to her every day was cut that f*cking girl off with her stupidf*ckingtongue. So she would finally be quiet. I'm glad to know you don'tremember her.It will be more torture when I go back down to Hell. Although I wonderwhy.Could it have been your little friends, the angels, who erased thatbeautifullittle girl from your memory?! They're really bad guys.- he concluded,burstingout laughing.

As Alastair spoke, Dean began to loseconcentration.His head started to hurt so much that he had to hold it in his hands.At acertain point, flashes of memory appeared before him. Alex laughing atSam'steasing of Dean. Alex who sang Metallica at the top of her lungs in thecareven though she wasn't particularly in tune. Alex wolfing down a burgerandfighting Dean for the last piece of chocolate cake. Alex kissing him.Alexhaving sex with him. Dean fell to his knees on the ground where heremained fora few seconds, watched by a grinning Alastair. But now was not the timetothink about Alex. He would have a chat with Castiel later. So he begantotorture Alastair in the most creative ways he knew.

While Dean tortured him, Alastair confessedthat it wasthanks to Dean himself that they had been able to begin breaking theseals thatwould lead to Lucifer's release. He told him that the first seal to bebrokenstated that it would be broken when a righteous man shed blood in hell.Theyinitially focused on John Winchester, but when they realized that Johnwouldnot give in, they fell back on Dean, and this was the reason why Lilithwantedhim in Hell so quickly.

Dean had just tried to calm down after so manyrevelations but when he turned to continue torturing Alastair intotelling himwho was killing the angels, he found that he had broken free. Someonehadopened the pipes so that drops falling from the ceiling could break thesealCastiel had created.

Alastair began torturing Dean, sending him intoa coma,but was interrupted by the intervention of Castiel first and Sam later.Sam hadbecome much more powerful, having fed on Ruby's blood shortly before,so hemanaged to make him confess that the demons had nothing to do with thedeath ofthe angels, before killing the torturer.

Sam went to the hospital to watch over Dean, soCastiel had to investigate on his own. He was starting to have doubtsaboutwhat he was doing and it wouldn't take long, according to Anna, afallen angel,before he started to act on his own. Castiel discovered that the killerof manyangels was Uriel himself. The angel hated humanity with all of himselfand hadcome to hate their Father himself for preferring human beings toangels, so hedecided to join the demons to free Lucifer by breaking the 66 seals. Itwas hewho had freed Alastair. Uriel hoped that he would kill Dean and runaway sothat Castiel would continue to think that demons were the murderers oftheangels, but Sam had screwed that up. Uriel tried to convert Castiel byconvincing him to free Lucifer but Cass refused and began to fight withhis nowex-brother. Uriel was strong and was about to kill him, to prove thatthere wasno God, when Anna came up behind him and killed him, saving Castiel.

-You have to be more careful.- Castiel said toDeanwhen he woke up.

-And you have to learn how to make a devil'strap.-

-That's not what I meant. Uriel is dead.-

-Was it demons?-

-It was disobedience. He was acting againstus.- hesaid before silence fell.

-It is true? Have I broken the first seal? DidI startit? - Dean asked hesitantly.

-Yes. When we discovered Lilith's plans foryou, webesieged Hell and fought to reach you before...-

-Before I would begin the Apocalypse.-

-But it was too late.-

-Then why didn't you leave me there?-

-It's not the blame that falls on you Dean, butDestiny. It's the right man who started it. The only one who can put anend toit. You have to stop everything.-

-Lucifer? The apocalypse. What does it mean?Hey,don't think you'll disappear when I talk to you.-

-I do not know.-

-Bullsh*t!-

-Really. Dean, they don't tell me much. I onlyknowthat our fate depends on you.-

-Then the rest of you are screwed. I can't doit,Castiel. It is too big. Alastair was right. I'm not strong enough. Idon't thinkI did what our fathers expected of me. Find someone else. It's not me.-Deansaid before turning on his side seeking comfort for himself.

A week passed before Dean was released from thehospital. Now that he had recovered there was something he needed totalk toSam about. Or rather, someone.

-Sam, Alex. We forgot about Alex.- Dean said tohisbrother while they were sitting in the car, still in the hospitalparking lot.

-Alex? Alex who? - Sam asked. It was clear thatAlastair had been sincere about this. Someone, probably the angelsthemselves,had caused the two brothers to lose their memory for who knows whatreason.

-Alex Hall, ex Samantha Green. Alex, our witch.TheAlex who saved you several times, against Bela, against variousmonsters. TheAlex that Bobby also knows and who was almost killed by the same Djinnwho waskilling me. The Alex who loves dressing in jeans and rock metal bandt-shirtsand who sings Disney songs in the shower. The Alex who made a pact withthedemons to extend my life on Earth by 6 months. The same Alex who diedtogetherwith me, torn to pieces by the Cerberus. Do you remember her, Sam?- AsDeanspoke, Sam was slowly starting to remember what he had been told. Itall cameback to him as if it had happened a few days earlier. How could he haveforgotten their Alex. They had hunted that Trickster together for 6monthsafter Dean died that damn Wednesday.

-How is it possible that we had forgotten her?Whathappened to us? - Sam asked.

-I do not know. According to Alastair theangels musthave erased it from our minds for who knows what reason.-

-And you believe him?-

-I hate having to believe such a bastard, butthetruth in some cases is a worse torture than lies. Alex is still there,in Hell.And she continues to be tortured with every passing second.-

-We have to save her. But how can we do it? -

-I thought I'd call Castiel, start asking forclarification and then see what to do.-

-Do you have any idea how to call him?-

-I don't. Will he have a built-in cell phone?Whydidn't we ask Castiel how to find him?!-

-Dean, what do you want? You're both calling meintensely.- Castiel said, as soon as he appeared in the back seat oftheImpala, giving the two brothers a semi-heart attack.

-Damn it Castiel! Don't appear so silently.-Deanexclaimed.

-Castiel, is what Alastair said true? That youmade usforget about Alex?- asked Sam.

-Yes. It is true.-

-Why?-

-Orders from above. We simply obey.-

-Sure. When don't you.- Dean said pissed off.

-Castiel, go get her. You saved me from Hell,you cansave her too.- Dean continued.

-It's dangerous and not part of the plan.-

-I will help you if you bring her back here.Just saveher from Hell. She doesn't deserve to be there.- Dean said, hurt.

Castiel thought for a moment before vanishingin aflutter of wings. The two brothers didn't know what would happen buttheyreally hoped to see their friend again.

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Chapter Text

It was January 22, 2009 when Alex woke up in acoffin,underground. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was whensherealized that she had to break the coffin if she wanted to saveherself. Andquickly too or she would have died of asphyxiation. With kicks worthyofBeatrix Kiddo, she broke the wooden board covering her, ending upcovered inearth. Using all the strength she had in her body she stood up andstarted tomake her way until her head and hands were out of the ground. Afterthat,getting out of the hole wasn't too difficult. Once standing sherealized thateverything surrounding her grave had been swept away. Trees,vegetation,animals. Nothing had survived within 20 meters of her coffin. Alextried tothink about it and figure out where she was, but she had no idea whereit was.She only knew that she was no longer in Hell.

She started walking in one direction hoping tofindsomeone to help her. She walked for hours but nothing. There was noone.Furthermore, night was starting to fall and it was getting cold. Alexdecidedthat for the moment it would be best if she camped on a tree, out ofreach ofbeasts such as wolves, foxes or any animal that might want to feed onher. Thenext day she would think about what to do. She climbed up a large oaktree andpositioned herself as best she could on the biggest branch there was. Acoupleof hours passed like this before she fell asleep.

She woke up at dawn and realized that she hadalmostfallen from the branch. So she decided to go down and think about whatto do. Shechecked what she had, but apart from her beloved knife she only had herclotheson her. She had no way of contacting Sam and doubted she was near anyhouse. Sherealized that the best solution would be to teleport to Bobby. But shehad noidea how far away he was and didn't have much energy. Nonetheless, shedecidedthat she would try, otherwise hunger, cold and thirst would take herback tothe afterlife. She concentrated for a long time and focused on theman's house.Every car in the garage, every step leading to the door. Everything.The firsttime she tried to transport herself, she found herself back in the sameplacewhere she started in a tenth of a second. The cold made her shiver. Shetried 3more times but finally succeeded.

She found herself lying on the small porch oftheman's house, without any strength. She felt like she would faint anymoment. Shetried to get up but couldn't. The dislocation had required too muchenergy fromher. She kicked the man's door with all her strength and waited. Aftera fewseconds she heard the door open and Bobby approach her, but she lostconsciousness and passed out.

She woke up a day later and realized she was inBobby's house. She got up and headed downstairs where she was sure shewouldfind the man.

-Hey Bobby.- Alex said rubbing her eyes stillhalfsleepy.

-Alex! You've recovered, I see.- Bobby got upfrom hischair and went towards her.

-Yes, thanks for saving me. I wouldn't haveknown whatto do without your help. I rather thought I would find myself chainedto somechair trying to convince you that it was really me and not some demon,ghost orwhatever.-

-Little girl, first of all, who do you take mefor? Ofcourse I checked you weren't a demon. Under the bed you woke up on is adevil'strap hidden, for one thing. Then, more than a witch, what else did youwant tobe? - he asked, making Alex laugh. -Anyway, you're not the first toreturn fromthe dead, so this time I was more prepared for this possibility.-

-Who...?- asked Alex, doubtfully.

-Dean. He returned from Hell in September. Soonhe andSam will be here.-

-Dean is alive?! Are you sure? - Alex asked indisbelief at what was happening.

-Yes. I told you, he's coming here with Sam.-

-And Sam is still alive? How is it possible?With Deanalive shouldn't the contract be broken?- Alex asked.

-Apparently not. But they'll be able to tellyou more whenyou see them.- Bobby said handing Alex a beer.

-Bobby, do you have anything to eat? I'm kindastarving.- Alex confessed, she hadn't eaten for months, in fact. Bobbypointedto the fridge and told her she could help herself.

It was late afternoon when the Impala stoppedin frontof Bobby Singer's house. Sam and Dean got out of the car and once theygot tothe door, they knocked.

-Hey Bobby. We are here. What was so urgent? -Deanasked as he stepped into the house.

-It's nice to see you too.- Bobby saidsarcastically.Then the man moved, revealing the presence of the girl who was standinga fewmeters away from them.

-Hi guys, it's nice to see you again.- Alexsaidraising her hand in greeting. She seemed almost embarrassed, but theboysdidn't notice. Sam immediately walked over to her and hugged hertightly. Deanstood a few steps away, staring at his friend, when Sam pushed him ontoAlex sohe could hug her too. For several seconds Alex remained inert in thatembracewith the two brothers, then very calmly she held the two's shirts,almost as ifshe were holding on to them.

-Now can I know what happened and how I endeduphere?- asked the girl, loosening the hug and taking a few steps back.Shesmiled at the three men but something was wrong. Yet no one paid anyattentionto it, happy that she was with them.

The hunters explained to her what had happenedfromtheir meeting with Lilith up to that moment and told her about theimpendingApocalypse and Castiel, the angel who had saved her.

-As you can see, Cass pulled me out of Helltoo.- Deansaid, uncovering his shoulder, showing the sign of the angel's hand.The girlimitated him but found no trace of the footprint, so she turned towardsone ofthe mirrors in the Singer house and took off her shirt completely. Onher leftside she found Castiel's handprint clearly visible. Opening hertrousers shenoticed that it almost touched her anti-demonic possession tattoo thatshe hadhad done more than a year earlier between her groin and navel. At thesight ofthe scar, Sam sneered and Bobby whistled.

-I didn't expect him to be so perverted...- themanmurmured, getting lost in his thoughts. Alex closed her pants and puther shirtback on, looking at the others with a puzzled look, tilting her headslightlyto the side in confusion.

-See the little angel. He acts all innocent andthendoesn't miss the opportunity to put his hands on beautiful girls.- Deancommented sarcastically.

-How was I supposed to get Alex out of there?-Castielasked suddenly appearing behind the girl.

-sh*t. You'll give us a heart attack if youkeepappearing like this.- Dean blurted out.

-You were calling me intensely. Are there anyproblems?- asked the angel without getting bothered by the boy'sreaction.

Alex, who could almost feel his body againsthers withhow close they were, took a couple of steps forward towards theyoungest of thebrothers, then turned around while Dean was making introductions.

-Cass, this is Alex. Alex, this is Castiel. Theangelwho brought you back here.- Dean said, stopping to observe the girl'sreaction.

Alex first raised an arm to shade her eyes, asif shewere suddenly looking at the sun. She calmly lowered her arm, openedher eyesand mouth and almost gasped as she stared at her new acquaintance. Sheseemedto have forgotten how to breathe when she took a step forward.

-You are the most beautiful creature I haveever seenin my life.- she murmured softly, making herself heard by everyone,while as ifhypnotized she took another step forward and raised her hand towardsthe faceof the angel who was looking at her impassively. She had almost reachedthepoint of caressing him when what she had seen up to that momentdisappeared andonly the version of Castiel that everyone saw remained, that of thecontainerJimmy Novak. She shook her head a couple of times to collect herselfand thenlowered her arm, turning red with embarrassment.

-What happened?- Bobby asked, confused likeeveryoneelse. Castiel, who had been watching the girl since Dean introducedthem,turned his attention to the man.

-Alex could see my true form, I guess. Icreated abarrier for her so she sees me like you do. I think she survivedbecause she isa powerful witch but looking at an angel for too long can still lead tomadness.- Castiel explained calmly, almost as if it didn't affect himdirectly.

-Sorry, I didn't mean to.- the girl murmured,loweringher gaze more and more embarrassed.

-Why do you apologize? You're not doing it onpurpose.- Castiel commented sincerely.

-Ah well, it seemed strange to me that you hadbecome"the most beautiful thing in existence".- Dean said semi-quoting thephrase uttered just before.

-Actually, even like this you still remain sovery beautiful.-the girl murmured, slowly raising her gaze. Cass smiled sweetly at her,Samlaughed while Dean seemed rather annoyed by it.

-So, why were you calling me?- the angel askedafter awhile, staring at those present.

-We weren't calling you. We were explaining toAlexwhat happened in recent months and your name was mentioned a couple oftimes.-Dean replied.

-Sorry Castiel, can I ask what you mean bycalling?How did you know we were talking about you? - the girl asked naively,barelymanaging to look the angel in the eyes, mindful of what happenedshortlybefore.

-If someone thinks of my name I can hear it inmy mindand when it is associated with a prayer or is done more than once, asin thiscase, I consider it a call and I go to the person who thought of me.-heexplained patiently Castiel to the girl.

-Ah understood. Thanks.- Alex said blushingagain,twisting a lock of hair in her hands.

-Ok, who are you and what have you done withAlex.-Dean teased, awakening her from her mental fog.

-You're not funny.- Alex replied beforegrabbing apack of cigarettes and a lighter before going out to smoke outside.

-What did I do?!- asked Dean perplexed to thosepresent. The brother shrugged, Bobby shook his head and Castiel stoodstill,looking at the door the girl had just went out of.

-Since you're here, is there any news on theseals?-Sam asked the angel.

-No Sam, there's no news at the moment. As soonas Iknow something I'll let you know.- replied the dark-haired man.

-If that's all I would go back to my brothers.-hecontinued after a while.

-Sure. See you.- Dean said. Everyone greetedeach otherwith a nod then the angel, just as he had appeared, vanished.

-Hey, is everything okay?- Bobby asked Alexonce hereached his garage. He noticed a freshly extinguished butt on theground andthe new cigarette between the brunette's fingers.

-Yes, I'm fine.- Alex commented tersely.

-Are there any pending jobs?- asked the girlafter afew puffs.

-Not that I know. The boys have just returnedfrom ahunt. Maybe you can ask them.- Bobby said. Alex didn't reply and putout thesecond cigarette on the ground.

-Do you know what happened to the Davy?- askedthegirl as she started to go back into the house.

-Of course, it's in the garage. I brought ithereafter... after. The keys are at the entrance.- the man repliedfollowing her.

-Bobby, Ellen just called us. She said theremight bea case for us in Colorado. Alex, are you coming with us? - Sam wantedto knowwhen the two went back inside the house. The girl didn't answer butimmediatelyretrieved the keys to her Davy. Then she commented that she needed touse thebathroom and disappeared upstairs.

Once she entered the bathroom the girlimmediatelylocked the door. She went to the sink to rinse her face but when shelooked upat herself in the mirror, she punched the wall making the tilestremble. Shewalked around the room for about ten seconds and then dropped to sit onthetoilet lid, put her head in her hands and remained still, lost in herthoughts.

More than twenty minutes had passed since thebrunettedisappeared upstairs and the 3 men were wondering what was happening.

-I'm going to see if everything is okay.- Bobbysaidheading towards the stairs when they heard the door open and the girlcomedownstairs.

-Alex? Is everything ok? - Sam asked softly,notknowing what to expect. The girl, however, put on a toothy smile andpassedthem.

-Very good. Bobby, do you still have my stuff?- theman nodded to her and returned shortly after with the bag that the girlused tocarry with her on her hunts. Alex thanked the man and then headed tothe frontdoor.

-So, shall we go?- she asked without turning,addressing the two boys who, after looking at each other confused,shrugged andfollowed her towards the Impala.

Ellen had told the boys that it was possiblethat in asmall town in Colorado, Mont Bay, there was a werewolf or a skinwalkerandasked them to go and check it out.

The 3 got into the car and headed to the town.Alexwas very quiet and often found herself sleeping, whether it was in thecar orin a hotel. Or at least that's what the kids noticed. They understoodthatthere was something different about her, but they couldn't explainbeyond thefact that she had just returned from hell. They often asked her if shewas okayto which she always replied yes, then changed the subject, but theycouldn'tforce her to vent to them.

The hunt in Colorado was resolved very quickly,withthe Skinwalker being killed and Sam being almost bitten, saved by aspell Alexcast while Dean took care of the monster.

-Thank you so much Alex. I would have ended uplikeher if you hadn't lured me with the spell. - Sam said gratefully,looking atthe girl while they waited for food in a diner in the town.

-No problem Sam.- the brunette replied beforebitinginto the hamburger hungrily. She was taking a sip of beer when Castielappearedsitting next to Sam, in front of Dean, making her gasp and making herbeer gosideways. She immediately started coughing, Dean gave her a couple ofblows onthe back which helped her calm down. The whole time Castiel had beenwatchingthem impassively, just a little curious.

-Cass, you almost killed Alex.- Dean observed.Alexraised a hand and began shaking it in front of her.

-It's nothing.- she said, smiling sincerely attheangel. Dean rolled his eyes but pretended nothing happened.

-Any news, Castiel?- Sam asked pragmatically.

-Demon activity has been detected in Iowa.We're notsure if they are trying to break one of the seals but there are atleast two inthe state that could be broken. We have to find them and stop them.-

-Wait, WE have to meaning you're coming withus?- Deanasked the angel.

-Yes, you could use my help.-

-Great! The more the merrier.- Alex saidhappilyholding out her palm to the man to get a high five. Castiel remainedstill,staring at the hand in amazement, tilting his head to the side, notknowingwhat to do. Sam took his arm with his hands and forced him to give thegirl ahigh five, smiling at her, happy that for once she wasn't closed in onherself.When Alex put her arm back in place Castiel imitated her, losinghimself inobserving the hand for a few seconds without saying anything.

-If we leave now we should be able to arrive bytonight.- Dean observed looking at the clock which read past 2pm.

-I will wait for you there. See you in FortDodgetonight.- Castiel said before disappearing again.

-Ugh, I was hoping he would come with us.- Alexmurmured distraughtly.

-What's wrong with you? You have a crush onCass?-Dean asked raising an eyebrow. The brunette blushed brightly beforeelbowinghim in the side, then got up to go pay. After a short pit stop forpetrol the 3set off and, as before, Alex was lost in a deafening silence,communicating inmonosyllables and often sleeping.

They only stopped to get gas and stock up onjunk foodto eat on the road. Alex also managed to get two extra short stops tosmoke acigarette. Dean absolutely didn't want his Baby to smell like smoke, soheaccommodated the girl, even though he gave her a 4 minute timer.

When they arrived nearby the city it was wellpast 3am. There was a gasp from Alex and so the two Winchesters noticedCastielsitting in the back seats of the car next to the girl.

-What's new?- Alex asked, smiling at the angel,awakeas ever.

-There have been further electromagneticdischargessince we saw each other. They intensify by the hour.-

-Place?- asked Sam.

-They cover the entire city.- said the angel.

-We'll deal with it tomorrow. I have to getsomesleep.- Dean admitted, stopping in front of the first motel they cameacross.He had been driving non-stop all day and was really banged up.

The four got out of the car and headed for theentrance.

-Hi, we need a room.- Sam asked the man at thecounter.

-We only have double rooms.- said the man,glaring atthe four, expecting who knows what they were up to.

-Two bedrooms will do just fine. I hatesleeping withmy brothers. They snore. Much better that we are alone, isn't it,darling? -Alex interjected, taking Castiel by the arm, who didn't move, lookingat herconfused as always. The man shrugged and took their fake identity cardsbeforegiving them the keys to two nearby rooms. The four said goodbye andheaded outto the rooms.

-I'm pretty awake. Sam, if you can lend me yourcomputer, I'll do some research while you rest.-

-Well thanks! You slept the whole way here!-Deancommented while his brother took the computer from the bag to give itto thegirl.

-Castiel, if you want to keep me company youcan comewith me to my room. Otherwise we can call you tomorrow when we're allactive.-the girl said turning to the angel while in the background Deanmuttered a"Oh sure."

The angel seemed to think about it for a fewmoments thenhe agreed to go with the brunette, at least for a while. So the foursplit up,some to go to a room to sleep (the two brothers), some to go look forcluesabout the demon (the two non-humans).

Once in their room, Dean and Sam threw theirbags onthe floor and fell onto the available beds, too tired to do anythingelse.

-Sam?- Dean said after a few minutes of silence.

-Yeah?.- replied the younger brother who stillhadn'tfallen asleep.

-Don't you think Alex is different? Colder,lesshappy, I don't know...-

-So you noticed it too.-

-It would have been hard not to notice. What isshegoing through?-

-No idea. Maybe she also remembers hell? Evenwhen youcame back you weren't exactly yourself.- Sam tried to test the waters.

-Can be. But why doesn't she talk about it? Sheactslike she doesn't want to hunt anymore. But then Cass arrives and she'sallhappy. It almost seems like she doesn't want to be with us.- Sam didn'tcomment, not knowing what to say. They were silent for a while when Samthenspoke.

-She'll get over it. In her own time but itwillpass.- the boy only said, before turning on his side to try to sleep.Deanremained staring at the ceiling for a while longer but after a while hetoofell into Morpheus' arms.

Meanwhile, in the next room, Alex had justfinishedchanging and made herself more comfortable. She had taken off her jeansandshirt and put on a warm tracksuit that she often used as pajamas in thewinter.Castiel remained seated at the table watching the computer slowly turnon. Onceback in the room the brunette moved her chair in front of the PC, closeto thatof the angel and connected to the motel's Wi-Fi.

-So, tell me everything you know about it.-said theserious girl as she opened a browser that hunters often used.

Castiel explained to her what signs they hadnoticedand what seals could have been broken in the area. Alex did a lot ofresearchand discovered that there had actually been a couple of suspiciousdeaths inthe city in the last few days, probably at the hands of the demon theywerelooking for and that in the museum of a nearby city there had beentheft of adagger and a cup very ancient that could have been used to performrituals. Thegirl spent the next few hours doing research and talking to the angelas wellas explaining to him what she was doing on the PC and chatting aboutthis andthat between one break and another. Or at least she spoke and the angelanswered her confused or direct as usual. Even Castiel noticed that thegirlseemed like a completely different person than the one he had savedfrom helland had met at the Singer house. When it was 8 o'clock and they hadgathered asmuch information as possible, Alex turned off the PC and stretched herarms,showing her belly which was spotted by the angel.

-I think we can't do more than that for now. Atleastuntil those two wake up. Damn, it's still really early.- she commentedglancingat the watch. She sat there for a few more seconds then got up to grabherjacket and room keys.

-Cass, I'm going to have breakfast while I waitforthem to wake up. I'm starving. Do you want to come with me? - she askedwhiletwisting a cigarette in her hands.

-I will go and inform my brothers of what wediscovered.-the angel informed her without being upset by the nickname used. By nowhe wasgetting used to being called like that.

-Oki doki. We'll call you when we're ready togo,okay? - the brunette proposed, receiving an affirmative nod from thebrunette.

-Thank you for the company and the help. Youwerereally pleasant to have around.- the girl said, hugging the angel, whostood stillfor a few seconds and then just held her close. When they broke away,after alast look, Castiel disappeared and Alex was left alone.

She left the room towards a bar she had seen ontheway where she had a hearty breakfast. Then while returning to the hotelshenoticed a minimarket that was opening and after thinking for a fewminutes shewent in to buy various ingredients which she took with her to her room.Onceinside she started messing around in the kitchenette and after half anhour shethrew herself into bed where she fell asleep suddenly.

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Chapter Text

-Alex, are you there?- someone knocked on thedoor.

Alex opened her eyes and saw that it was 11.She gotup and went to open the door, letting the two brothers in.

-Did you discover anything?- Sam asked as heretrievedthe PC and they went over to read the girl's notes, who showed himimportantdata.

-Yes, Cass and I discovered that a dagger andcup thatcould be used in some rituals were recently stolen from a museumnearby. Therehave also been two suspicious deaths so far in the last week. Webelieve thatif the demon wanted to break a seal, between these two the mostprobable is thefollowing, even if the two deaths cannot be explained.- said the girlgoingquickly into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar to communicate.

-Could it just be a demon being a demon?- Deanaskedto no one in particular.

-I guess so. At least that's what we thought.-thegirl replied aloud.

-We should go take a look at the museum to seeifthere are records or if the cameras caught anything.- Sam mused.

-And we should also go and investigate the twodeaths.Yes, we thought about it. Maybe we should split up to get it donefirst.- thegirl proposed as she retrieved some clothes from the bag.

-I could go with Cass to the museum and you toinvestigate the morgue. I promise you'll get the Impala back without ascratch.- she continued, starting to undress in order to change,regardless ofthe two boys present in the room. Dean was watching her interestedly ashisbrain processed what he had heard.

-You are dreaming if you think I'm giving youtheImpala. You go to the morgue. Sam and I are going to the museum.-

-I've thought about it but Castiel's knowledgeon the stolenartefacts could be really useful. By the way, we have to call him.Cass, areyou there?- Alex asked out loud as she put on her pants, ready to dressas afederal agent. The angel appeared instantly.

-It's okay even if you don't call me out loud.-Casssaid to the girl as he watched her getting dressed.

-Hey, little angel, why don't we plan where tomeetinstead of watching Alex change?-

Castiel turned to Dean and began to observe himinterestedly without saying anything. After a few seconds they werejoined byAlex.

-Let's go. We'll drop you off at the coroner ontheway. We will update by phone.- the girl put on her jacket and picked upher bagof weapons.

-If you give even a single scratch to my Baby,I'llkill you.- Dean threatened her, agreeing to give her the car keys.

-Yes, yes, whatever you say.- Alex said, takinga seatin the front, next to Dean who didn't even think about sitting in thebackseat. Behind them Sam and Castiel.

Before getting out of the car Sam gave the girlsomefake documents for her and the angel to use to pass themselves off asagents,then they separated.

During the journey to get to the museumCastiel, whohad sat next to the girl, noticed that she seemed less nervous, moresmiling,but he had no idea why and it intrigued him.

-We have arrived.- Alex said after just underan hourof driving, stopping in front of a small museum.

The two got out of the car and headed towardstheentrance. There weren't many people inside and they asked to speak tothemanager. The guard signalled them to wait and went to call the man,returningafter a couple of minutes.

-Good morning, how can I help you? - asked theman inhis sixties as the guard returned to his post.

-We are Agents Jones and Smith, FBI. We're herebecause of the theft that happened last week.- Alex said seriously,taking outthe fake badge. Castiel didn't speak but watched her.

-Tell me, why is the FBI interested in a theftin asmall provincial museum? - asked the man curiously.

-We have had similar cases of stolen items insmalltowns and we need to understand if there is a connection. I can't tellyoumore, I'm sorry.-

-I understand. How can I help you? -

-We would like to start by seeing the placewhere theitems were kept, if possible.-

-Sure. I'll lead the way.- the man said,leading themthrough various rooms. They then came to a locked door with a sign thatread"closed for renovations." The man opened the door and led them to twonearby display cases without glass.

-The finds were located in these two cases. Wehad tomove the rest until the new protective glass is ready.- explained theman,taking a few steps back, giving them the opportunity to observe theplace. Alexbegan to check the rest of the room and the finds in the other caseswhileCastiel bent over the empty cases to observe better.

After a few minutes he got up and approachedthe girland the man.

-Do you have files on the stolen objects? - heasked,speaking for the first time since they entered the museum.

-Of course, in my office.-

-We would also need a list of the objects inthedisplay cases that were not stolen.- added Alex.

-Not a problem.-

The three headed towards the office of the manwhogave them some files. They spent several minutes reading and passingthedocuments they had just read to each other for the other to read too.

-Is it possible to have copies?- asked Alex.

-You can keep those. I've had to make a lot ofcopiessince everything happened. The originals are in the archive.-

-I noticed that you also have closed circuitcameras.Do you have the recordings from the evening of the theft? - asked thegirl.

-Yes, in the communications room. We showed thetapesto the police but they found nothing.-

-We would like to see them too if possible.-

-All right. Follow me.-

The three walked out of the room and into asmall roomfull of monitors.

-Carl, these two agents would like to see thefilesfrom the night of the 20th. Gentlemen, if this is all, I would go backto theoffice.-

-Thank you. If we need you we will contactyou.- Alex greetedprofessionally before the man left the room.

-Here, this is the tape from the night of the20th.-Carl informed them, inserting a cassette into the recorder.

-Can you go to the time of the theft?- askedAlexapproaching the screen imitated by Castiel.

-Yes, one moment.- the man said, pressing somekeys tospeed up the recording. -Here. This is one minute before the theft.-

The two dark-haired looked at the tapecarefully. Upuntil that moment everything was normal, then we saw the case shatterand theobjects evaporate.

-Could you go back to the moment when the casebreaks?- asked Alex noticing something strange. The clerk complied andplayedthe recording in slow motion.

-Is it possible to make a copy of the tape?-Alexasked after watching the recording 3 times.

-Yes, if you give me about ten minutes I willcopy theentire recording of that day for you.- Carl replied, getting to work.

-Thank you. Are there coffee machines in themuseum? Icould use a coffee while we wait.-

-If you get out and go left you will find asmall roomon the right with some coffee machines. I'll bring you there the tape.-

-Thank you so much.- Alex thanked beforemotioning forCastiel to follow her.

Once she got to the machines she inserted somecoinsand selected a latte. When it was ready she handed it to the angel whopolitelyrefused with a nod and so took a sip of the drink.

-Have you noticed the smell of sulphur in thebrokendisplay cases? It was very faint but I'm sure I felt it.- she saidaddressingthe man in the trench coat.

-Yes, it was a demon without a doubt.-

-Have you understood what the stolen objectscould beused for? From the list I noticed that there are artefacts that wereleft herethat are much older and are worth much more than a simple cup and adagger.-

-I think he chose those objects because theycome fromancient Greece.-

-Meaning what?-

-Similar pagan objects were often used in ritesofevocation of ancient deities. By collecting the blood of an innocentperson,who had been pierced by an alabaster dagger, in a clay cup, one couldrecallthe worst nightmares. And I believe this is one of the seals that mustbebroken.-

-So I imagine that he came right here to carryout thetheft because being a small town there is poor security and it must notbe easyto have such ancient objects coming from a different continent.-

-It is likely.-

-Understood. Did you have the opportunity tonoticethe person standing at the entrance of the museum during severalmoments of theday? He was also in the video 20 minutes before the theft and thenvanished. Ithink it's the demon we're looking for.- Castiel didn't reply.

-I just don't understand how he managed torecover theitems without being recorded on the tapes. It almost seemed like he wasinvisible but demons have physical bodies, right? -

-Exactly. They cannot become invisible when inthechosen containers.-

-It almost seemed like shadows were moving, ordarkness... Maybe Dean and Sam will understand more.- the girlconcluded,throwing the cup into the bin and leaning against the wall. After acouple ofminutes Carl brought them the DVD copy of the tape. They thanked themand leftthe museum for the Impala. Once seated inside they called theWinchesters.

-Did you guys find out anything?- Alex asked,movingcloser to Castiel to let him hear the conversation too.

-We went to the morgue. There are now 3 bodies.Tonight there was another murder, a student. All 3 corpses had similarmarks ontheir bodies, mostly stab wounds and they all smelled of sulphur.-

-Have you discovered anything about the livesof the3? Something in common?-

-So, the first one, a certain Josh Bell, was adefenceattorney. He seemed like a good person but in reality we discoveredthat hebought juries to get guilty defendants acquitted. The second was aparishpriest, he was much loved but rumour has it that he particularly likedaltarboys. Tonight's victim was a 17-year-old student. Excellent grades,goodbasketball player who volunteered at a shelter and took care of hersickmother. What did you discover? - Sam explained briefly.

Alex informed the brothers about what she andCastielhad discovered.

-Probably the demon had to kill so many peoplebecausethey weren't as innocent as they seemed?!- she asked looking at Castielwantingto get an opinion from an expert on the subject.

-The ritual can only be performed by drinkinginnocentblood from the cup that was stolen, at dawn according to the Greek timezone.He must have chosen the girl because the other victims were notinnocent.-Castiel explained.

-Well, that gives us just over 8 hours. And nowhow dowe find him? Could be anywhere.-

-I don't think it's everywhere, Dean. We havetapes ofhis face, we can search the database to find out who he is. I doubt hewants toarouse too many suspicions by suddenly disappearing if he intends tobring anancient Greek deity back to life.- Alex said.

-Okay, then let's meet at the hotel so we cantakestock of the situation.-

-Perfect. See you soon.- Alex said ending thecall.

The girl started the car and stopped to puttogetherthe pieces of what she had known up to that moment.

-Cass, what else is needed to perform theritual?Besides the blood, the cup and the dagger, I mean.-

-The ritual must be done in desecrated ground.Youalso need chopped owl bones, blessed oil and the antennas of 5 queenbees.-

-And do you have to drink it all?-

-Yes.-

-How disgusting.- Alex said making a face thatmadethe angel tender.

-I think the deconsecrated land could be usefulto us.I'll tell the boys now that we find them.-

The two remained silent for a few minutes.

-What is blessed oil?-

-Exactly what the name says. Blessed oil. It isusually used to wound or imprison the Angels inside but it can also beused innumerous sacrifices.-

-So would you harm yourself with this blessedoil?-asked Alex, worried for the angel.

-Yes.- The girl's gaze darkened.

-Are there many things that can hurt you?- heaskedagain.

-In general, in addition to the blessed oil,angelicblades can hurt and kill us. The loss of our grace makes us human andthereforemortal, some spells can theoretically kill us, and there are Enochiansymbolsthat nullify our powers or transport us away. Furthermore, Archangelsand morepowerful demons can kill angels of lower rank.-

-Okay, that's a lot of stuff I have to worryabout. Assoon as we finish here I'll look for some protection spells.- Alex saidseriously, staring at the road.

-Why are you worried? You're no angel. You aremuchweaker than us.- Castiel asked sincerely curious.

-What do you mean "why are you worried?". Iworry because I care about you, why else?! I don't want you to gethurt.- thegirl replied, turning to look at the angel for a few seconds as if shewereperplexed by the question. Se then looked back at the road.

Castiel didn't say anything but remainedwatching herfor the rest of the journey, more and more intrigued by her.

Once they arrived at the motel they allgathered inAlex's room. The girl passed the recording to Sam and once on thecomputer, theboy managed to save a photo of the suspicious man who Alex had noticed.Hehacked into the FBI system using a code that Ash had created andlaunched asearch. Meanwhile the two Winchesters also observed the recordings ofthetheft.

-I've never seen anything like it. Do you haveanyideas? - asked Alex.

-Normally I would have thought of a ghost butghostsdon't collaborate with demons.- Dean said while still watching theobjectsdisappear on their own.

-Other invisible creatures?- the brunette askedagain.

-Shojo are invisible unless you are drunk andso areRakshasas. If I had to aim for one I would aim for these rather thanJapaneseevil spirits. Although I have no idea why a Rakshasa would work with ademon.-Dean replied.

-They could also be shadow demons.- observedSam.

-Do you mean Daeva?- Dean checked.

-What are Daevas?- asked Alex.

-They are shadow demons, they were created tobecontrolled by other demons.- Castiel explained.

-We faced some years ago. They're real sons ofbitches.- Dean said.

-Ok, how do we defeat them?-

-Rakshasas can only be defeated with a purebrassdagger and cannot enter a place without being invited. Daevas can beknockedout by light and spells.-

-Luckily I'm here then.- Alex said smiling,before goingto look for information in her magic books to prepare for anyeventuality.

After a couple of hours they got a match. Theyoungman in the photo was named Josh Lee and was originally from Fort Dodge.Theyalso found his residential address in the city, just minutes from themotel.

-I'd say we pay Lee a little visit, what do youthink?- Alex said looking at the 3 men.

-10min to the Impala.- the brothers said asthey wentto their room to retrieve the weapons they needed. Castiel stayed withAlex.

-I need to wear more comfortable clothes. Areyou okaylike this? - Alex asked, starting to take off the officer's jacket shewaswearing. Castiel simply nodded his head at her.

-Lucky you who find a suit ok for fighting.I'll avoidit if I can. - Alex said, starting to undress after having retrieved apair ofcomfortable cargo trousers and a comfortable long-sleeved shirt.Without Deanpresent, Castiel didn't even think about turning away but kept lookingat thegirl. Alex was now used to dealing with men and it no longer botheredher ifthey stared at her. Furthermore, the angel gave her confidence anddidn't makeher feel uncomfortable even if she was in underwear.

Cass noted that for a hunter, the young woman'sbodywas mostly pristine. She had a couple of scars on her back and legs buttheywere barely visible. He also noticed the anti-possession tattoo andlosthimself staring at the imprint of his hand marked on the girl's whiteskin.Alex looked into his eyes and realized what had caught his attention.

-Ah yes, this is from when you freed me fromHell,right? The imprint of your hand.- Alex observed, touching the red scarinrelief on her diaphanous skin.

-I can make it disappear if you want.- Castielinformed her, looking her in the eyes.

-No. It reassures me. It reminds me that eventhough Isuffered the worst torture for years, someone cared about me. Youprotected me.You saved me. I was important to someone.- the girl confessed,continuing totouch her scar with one hand while her eyes became shiny. It lookedlike shewas about to collapse and cry and Castiel wasn't sure what to do whenthe girl,still in her underwear with her t-shirt clutched in her left hand,hugged himquickly, clutching the man's beige raincoat tightly in her hands.Castiel wastempted to read the girl's mind to know what was going on in her headbut hedidn't. Instead, after noticing two tears falling from her blue eyes,he driedthem with his hands and hugged her back. They remained hugged for a fewmoreseconds, then Alex walked away embarrassed.

-Sorry, I didn't mean to make youuncomfortable. Ishould learn to ask before hugging someone.- she said as she put on hertrousersand t-shirt.

-You didn't make me uncomfortable. You can hugme ifit makes you feel better.- Castiel replied, partly confused by humanbehaviour,but above all by the girl. He didn't understand humans well, but hefelt thatthis girl was sincere. She really didn't want to bother him and heappreciatedit, especially having to deal with Sam and Dean constantly. Especiallywith thelatter.

Once the girl had put on her jacket, they lefttheroom. Dean and Sam were waiting for them at the car.

They started the car and after a few minutesarrivedat Lee's house. They parked around the corner. It was 8pm, they hadjust 3hours to find and stop the demon and there were few people on thestreet, as itwas dinner time. There were no lights to be seen from the Lee house,but thecurtains were drawn. The 4 armed themselves. Dean grabbed the brassknife incase they had to deal with a Rakshasa while Sam retrieved two lightbombs thatwere left over from when they faced the Daevas years ago. Alex had herweaponsand her powers and Castiel... well, he had his angelic power.

-We enter from the back. We'll be lessconspicuous.-Alex observed as she headed towards the back of the house, followed bythe 3men. When they reached the door they tried to open it but saw that itwaslocked, so Dean broke it in a few seconds with the irons he alwayscarried withhim. They entered silently and turned on their torches while lookingaround.

There was no one around and everything seemedcalm.The kitchen they had entered from was empty and the food in the fridgewasstill fresh and well preserved, a sign that Josh had been homerecently. Theychecked the entire downstairs and when they realized that no one washome theyturned on the lights to look around better.

-I'll go check upstairs.- Alex said headingtowardsthe stairs near which Castiel was. Dean and Sam were nearby.

Suddenly something threw Alex against the wallcausingher to hit her head. The 3 couldn't see much but Dean spotted a shadowmoving towardsthem.

-Sam, it's a Daeva!- Dean shouted, shootingtowardsthe shadow instinctively, even though he knew it was useless. Samgrabbed thebomb and threw it towards the demon. However, they didn't realize thattherewas another demon who was not far from Castiel. The latter Daeva, witha quickgesture, hit the bomb violently, causing it to fly out of the window,breakingthe glass. Then he threw himself at the angel with his claws, tearinghis chestwhile the second, once he hit Dean, launched himself at Sam to preventhim fromusing another bomb. It all happened very quickly. Alex, getting back onherfeet, shouted "NO!". She ran towards the angel and stood against himto protect him, then her body emitted a very violent light which madethe twodemons disappear, leaving the 4 alone in the room.

-Cass, don't move. I'll take care of you now.-thegirl said, lifting the dark-haired man's shirt, taking it out of histrousers,covering her hands in blood.

-Alex, I'm fine.- the angel said, tilting hishead curiouslyto the side.

-No, you're not...- the girl began, placing herhandsdelicately on the angel's torn chest. Then she stopped because shenoticed thatthe wounds had started to heal on their own. In just a few seconds theangelwas as good as new and stood up, under the shocked gaze of the girl.Alex couldhardly believe her eyes so quickly she opened his shirt. Castiel'schest andbelly were as good as new, free of blood or any wounds. Alex touched itwithher fingers, leaving red marks from the blood, his blood, on her hands.Thisbrought her to her senses.

-Excuse me. I... Sorry. I'm going to wash myhands.-said the girl heading towards the kitchen sink where she began to rubher handswith soap to remove the blood still present. Once finished she wet arag withwater and passed it over the red mark she had left on the angel'sbelly. Thatblood shouldn't have been on a pristine creature like Castiel. Oncefinishedthe angel rearranged himself.

-How are you? - Alex then asked, turning to thetwobrothers who were checking on each other.

-Everything is fine. You? - Sam asked, checkingthatat least the last flare was intact.

-I think so.- Alex said.

-What was that light? Cass, was it you? - Deanasked,approaching the two.

-No. It was Alex.-

-How did you do it?- asked the eldest again.

-I have no idea.- she answered sincerely,shruggingher shoulders, kept under an eye by a thoughtful angel. Then shestretched hershoulders and noticed that everything was fine, so she ran a handthrough herhair in relief.

-I'm fine apparently.- she said leaning on thelivingroom table, sighing. -Let's see if we find any clues around, we have tofindJosh, and quickly. There isn't much time left.- she continued wantingto checkthe upstairs. However, she was suddenly stopped by Castiel who grabbedherwrist with one hand. She looked at him questioningly but then saw thattheangel had looked down at her hand. It was stained with blood again,althoughless than before. Instinctively she ran her free hand through her hairand feltthat it was damp. She brought her hand back to her eyes and saw that itwasred.

-Ah.- she said simply, surprised that shehadn'tnoticed it before.

-Let me take a look.- Dean said, motioning forher tosit on the arm of the sofa. The girl obeyed and he began to check herhead.

-You have a cut but it doesn't seem very deep.Youwould need a couple of stitches.- Dean said after a couple of minuteshavingfound the wound with difficulty among the girl's mass of black hair.

Alex reached into her pockets and took out asmallpack of liquid glue which she handed to the boy.

-We don't have time. Use this.-

-Your hair...- Sam began before beinginterrupted.

-My hair doesn't matter. I'll think about itlater.-

Dean was about to reluctantly obey when Castielapproached Alex.

-Leave it to me.- he said, placing his hand onherhead.

Alex looked him straight in the eyes, askinghim notto touch any of the other scars on her body. She didn't know if Castielhadunderstood or heard her, but she didn't want to talk about it out loudin frontof the two brothers.

After a couple of seconds she got healed andthe angelwalked away.

-Ok, Sam, check the computer, I see the floorbelow,you go upstairs.- Dean said taking control of the situation.

Everyone obeyed and Alex began to followCastielupstairs. When she disappeared from the sight of the two Winchestersshestopped in the middle of the corridor and lifted her shirt to check theredscar and saw that it was still there.

-I did as you asked.- explained Castiel who hadturnedtowards her when he realized she had stopped.

-Thank you so much.- Alex said touching hishand withhers. Then she moved and they started to check the few rooms presentwithoutfinding anything relevant, so they went downstairs again.

-Did you find anything?- asked the brunetteapproaching the PC where Sam was sitting.

-Me nothing, Sam?-

-History stops at 4 days ago. It appears thatthecomputer has no longer been turned on. The latest research concerns afactoryabandoned at the end of the 90s which is located just outside the city.-

-See if you can find anything about thisfactory. Itseems a strange researchto do.-

Sam poked around the internet for a while andafter adozen minutes he found something.

-Ok, maybe we have something. The factory wasbuiltafter the war. It seems that previously a Catholic church stood in itsplace,which was demolished in the mid-1940s. It could be the deconsecratedland wewere looking for.-

-It's highly probable.- Castiel observed.

-And it's definitely the best lead we have.Let's gocheck before it's too late.- Dean said as he headed towards the door toreachthe Impala.

The four got into the car and immediately setofftowards the factory. Nobody spoke and they were all absorbed in theirthoughts.

They got out of the car and retrieved theirweaponsfrom the trunk, then headed towards the entrance where they actuallyfound thedoor ajar.

Calmly and trying to be as quiet as possible,the fourwalked through the door.

They found themselves in a large room almostthe sizeof a football field, with various abandoned machines, covered with wornanddirty sheets, but it was mostly bare. A few dozen meters away from themthey sawa figure with his back to them. The room was dimly lit.

Silently they began to advance but after just afewsteps Alex noticed something shiny on the ground that had a strangesmell. In afew moments she noticed that it was forming a circle around her andCastiel(Dean and Sam were crossing the line) and realizing what it could beshe pushedthe angel away from her with as much violence as possible, taking himbysurprise and making him pass the other two hunters, while the circlecaughtfire, locking her inside.

A laugh went through the room.

-Did you really think that I wouldn't preparesomethingfor your friend? - the demon said first, pointing to Castiel, then heturned tothe Daevas and ordered them to attack the 3 remaining outside the trap.

-Go! You have to stop him! - Alex shouted asshe tookoff her jacket because it was too hot and made her sweat.

The 3 tried to get as close as possible to JoshLee,or at least to his body, but they soon found themselves blocked byshadowdemons who prevented them from stopping the one who gave them theorders.

Alex tried to use her powers to move outsidethecircle but failed. She also tried to summon some sheets that could helpherstop the fire long enough to get free but nothing. Her powers were out,probablybecause of that stupid holy oil.

Her skin almost burned from how hot it was. Shetriedto understand what the situation was. Castiel was grappling with twoDaevasfacing him at the same time. Dean and Sam had managed to advance. Samhadattracted a Daeva to him after freeing himself from a quarter with thelastremaining flare while Dean tried to fight against the demon but withmanydifficulties. The girl had no idea how much time she had available butin thedistance she thought she heard the tolling of a bell. If it were truethey onlyhad a few minutes left.

Alex hurled numerous curses at all the demons,knowingfull well that it could end badly. She covered her face and arms withthejacket she had taken off and threw herself into the flames, rolling outof thetrap. Once out, she immediately threw away her blazing jacket whilerollingover several times to try to put out the flames that had caught herjeans andshirt. The pain was barely bearable.

As soon as the flames on her were extinguishedshestood up, looked at both the demon and the Daevas and with a scream,raisingher arms in front of her, she blocked the shadow demons in mid-air andimmobilized Lee. The 3 companions turned to look at her.

-Quick.- the girl said through clenched teeth,usingall the concentration she had on the monsters present, trying not tofreeeither one or the other.

Dean and Sam immediately began performing anexorcismon Lee as Castiel approached him. The demon laughed as he looked at aclock onthe altar in the room, aware that they would never be able to finishtheexorcism in time. The seal was about to be broken when Castiel placed ahand onhis forehead and releasing a blinding white light, instantly exorcisedit.Unfortunately the vessel was dead.

At that moment Alex sensed a change in theDaevas whohad lost the one who was giving them orders, so she cast a spell in alanguagethe Winchesters had never heard and ordered them to return to Hell,making themdisappear. Then she fell to her knees on the ground.

The others immediately reached her and helpedher getup.

-How are you?- Sam asked worriedly, holding herstillby the arm.

-I'm fine, I'm just very cold.- Alex replied,startingto shiver from the cold. Not only was it the middle of a Februarynight, but Iowawas not kind to the weather. Furthermore, she no longer had a jacketand her shirtwas burned in several places, causing her skin to come into contactwith thefreezing air. The brunette wrapped her arms around her shoulders whenafterjust a second she felt something warm rest on her back. She looked upand sawthat Castiel had taken off his trench coat and placed it around hershoulders.

-I can't be cold.- the angel explained to thegirl.

-Thank you.- she replied, putting her arms intothewide sleeves. It was quite a bit longer on her, reaching just above herankles,but she particularly appreciated the warmth Castiel's body had left onthegarment that was now making her feel better.

Dean retrieved the items used for the sacrificetheyhad stopped and threw them in his bag, then everyone headed to theImpala, togo back to the motel.

Dean and Sam sat up front as usual while AlexandCastiel ended up in the back. Alex was better in the car, Dean had alsoturnedon the hot air, but she couldn't help but approach the black-hair mento leanagainst him with her body and receive further heat. Cass let her do itwithoutsaying anything and after a few minutes he moved the arm that he keptlockedbetween his body and that of the brunette and brought it behind herback,making the position more comfortable for both of them.

Once at the motel, they got out of the car andenteredAlex's room. Alex was the last to enter and locked the door behind her,breathing a sigh of relief that the mission was over.

-So the seal is still intact?- Sam asked,sitting downon a chair.

-Yes. We managed to prevent it from beingbroken.-Castiel said that while he was in the car he had mentally communicatedwith hissuperiors to check that everything was in order.

-Thank god.- Alex let out, sighing, getting asurprised look from the angel.

-And that's done.- Dean said throwing himselfonto oneof the beds in the room.

-By the way, Cass, before you go, I havesomething foryou.- the girl admitted, attracting the attention of those present. Shequicklywent to the room's kitchenette and bent down to open the smallrefrigerator.Then she opened it and took out an aluminium pan.

-I wanted to thank you for everything you did.Ididn't know how to do it, I mean to thank you, but I thought a dessertmight begood, so I made you my favourite, I hope you like it.- the girl blushednoticeably, then placed the pan on the table, revealing a huge tiramisu.

-Al, angels don't eat.- Dean said approachingthedessert ready to taste part of it using his index finger, but wasstopped by adirty look from Alex.

-Dean told the truth. Angels don't need to eatordrink but if we want we can do it.- Castiel explained observing thebehaviourof those present.

-So you want to taste it?- Alex asked pullingoff apuppy dog look that made Sam smile and Dean snort.

-Yes.- Cass simply replied to the girl whoimmediatelyturned to get some cutlery. She put a spoon into the dessert and tookout apiece, then handed it to the angel who grabbed it. He looked at it fora fewseconds, then brought it to his mouth and tasted it, swallowing after afewseconds.

-It's good. Thank you.- he confirmed sincerelyas hetook another spoonful of tiramisu.

-I'm happy you like it!- Alex exclaimedhappily, witha ringing voice, clasping her hands together as if she were praying, toshowher happiness.

-Can I have some? I'm hungry.- Dean asked in analmostchildish voice, looking at the dessert with his mouth watering.

-I did it for Cass. He's the one who has todecide.-Alex said turning her head towards the angel. Castiel pretended tothink aboutit for a moment but then waved his hand to let the others understandthat theycould help themselves too, so all 4 of them found themselves, in themiddle ofthe night, sitting at the table eating Tiramisu with spoons directlyfrom thepan.

They didn't talk much, just a few jokesespeciallybetween Alex and Dean, and without realizing it they let the time passandfinished the entire dessert.

-I'm so sleepy.- Alex confessed once she'd haddinner,resting her head on the shoulder of Sam who sat next to her.

-It's time for me to go back up to mysuperiors.-Castiel informed them, getting up from his chair.

-Understood. Wait until I give you back thetrenchcoat.- Alex said as she began to unbutton the garment under theattentive gazeof the 3 men.

-Now that I notice it, do you know that youlook likethe female version of Cass? You look like two look-alikes.- Deanobserved,looking carefully at both of them. After all, they were both in theirthirties,dark-haired with blue eyes and shorter than him. They were also bothverybeautiful but he wouldn't admit it out loud.

-Thank you for the compliment, even if Cass isunparalleled in beauty. But I understand what you mean.- Alex said,mindful ofthe angel's appearance, as she handed the latter his trench, pointingto boththeir faces. Sam said nothing, simply smiling, but he had to admit thathisbrother was right. They could almost pass for siblings.

-Then I'll see you soon. By Cass.- Alex saidwhen theangel was dressed. With a nod of his head he greeted all 3 of thosepresent andthen disappeared with a rustling of wings that Alex was learning torecognizeand associate with his appearance.

-Well guys, I would now take a shower and go tosleep,so get moving.- Alex said smiling, albeit a little forcedly, going tothe bagto get some panamas. By now the clothes she was wearing were to bethrown away.

-So, good night.-

-See you tomorrow.-

The two Winchesters said goodbye and then wenttotheir room. Alex closed the door again and went to the bathroom where,as shesaid, she took a shower before falling into bed.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Chapter Text

The next morning the guys woke up late, so theydecided to go eat at a diner before leaving town.

-Guys, I wanted to tell you that I won't becomingwith you for a while.- Alex said while they ate.

-What do you mean?- Sam asked visibly worried.

-I want to go get my Davy from Bobby. I havethings Ineed to do and I don't know how long it will take me.-

-Can't you do them while you're with us?- Deanaskedconfused.

-No. I'll probably have to travel around thecountryfor a while. I mean faster than we usually do and I don't want the huntto beput on hold because of it. But I'll keep you updated on what I do ok?It won'tbe forever. And obviously if there are any news on the seals, let meknow andI'll get back to you asap.- the girl promised, trying to reassure them.

-At least let us take you to Bobby's to get theHarley.- Sam said, receiving confirmation from Dean who agreed with him.

-There's no need but it's okay. Thank you.- thegirlcommented before closing the question there.

Once they finished eating they set off towardstheSinger's house. They hadn't touched on the subject again and Alex dideverything she could to distract them so as not to receive too manyquestions.

Once they arrived at Bobby's in the lateafternoon,they decided to have dinner together before leaving with the Chevy.Alex was goingto leave the next day, so if the bike had problems due to the long timewithoutbeing used, it wouldn't be a too much of an issue.

-So, can you tell me what's happening to you?-Bobbyasked her when he closed the door behind the two boys. He feltsomething waswrong but he didn't know what.

-Nothing happens to me Bobby. I just havethings to doand it would take up too much of my time hunting. Or the hunt wouldtake up toomuch time from my research, however you prefer to see it.- Alexexplained,lighting a cigarette, approaching the kitchen door so as not to makethe housesmelly.

-And what is it that you have to do?- Bobbyaskedsarcastically, before calming down and continuing more calmly. -Maybe Icanhelp you.-

-I have to look for some very ancient spells.If Ithought you could have them I would have already asked you, I swear.But theyare protection spells from centuries and centuries ago and will not beeasy tofind. I might even be forced to go to the old continent, although Ihope not.-Alex replied referring to a possible trip to Europe.

-Alright then. I know you're as stubborn as amuleanyway. Just, if you need a hand, with anything, let me know. You don'thave toface everything alone.- the man told her, placing a hand on hershoulder in afatherly manner.

Alex placed her free hand on the man's, tothank him,then put out her cigarette and said goodbye to him, heading to theguest roomwhere she could put her thoughts in order and prepare for departure.

Alex didn't want to talk about it with others,but sheneeded to be alone. She had tried to go back to hunting with the boysas ifnothing had happened but it was exhausting pretending all the time. So,afterhearing from Castiel that there were numerous (numerous by hisnon-humanstandards) artefacts that could hurt or kill him, she decided to travelto findprotection spells powerful enough to prevent the angel from risking hislife somuch.

She knew Bobby would gladly help her in hersearch,but she didn't want to be constantly bombarded with questions. Ofcourse,perhaps once the man realized that there were things she didn't want totalkabout he would stop, but she knew that his gaze would perpetually askwhat hecouldn't with his mouth.

So the next morning, with the help of theformerhunter she started her beloved motorbike. She said goodbye and left forherfirst stop, Boston, where one of the largest libraries in the countrywaslocated.

The next few days Alex spent reading book afterbookin the library and looking for information on available computers. Itwas moredifficult than she might have thought so she tried to broaden hersearch toinclude ancient libraries and places of worship and tried to visit someof thefamilies with the oldest origins in the country in the hope that theycouldhelp her. She spoke to Sam almost every day by text. The boy was verysweet toworry about her, even if those daily exchanges brought her thoughtsback towhat made her suffer. In any case, she didn't have the heart to ask thelittleWinchester not to contact her for a while, so she resigned herself togiving asmuch information as possible at once, shortening the conversation, andthengoing back to doing what she was doing.

It wasn't that she didn't love the brothers.She lovedthem with all her being. But she had to think for herself. Bobby calledher acouple of times to see if she needed anything and how her research wasgoingand on one occasion she saw Castiel again.

It had been almost 3 weeks since they hadseparatedwhen she received a phone call from Dean. It was strange that he calledher, soshe answered.

-Dean, is everything ok?- asked the girlworried.

-Hey, yes everything is fine. You?-

-Everything is fine. Tell me everything.- shesaidrelaxing her shoulders which were tense due to the anxiety thatsomething hadhappened.

-It's about the seals. Cass told us that a sealisabout to be broken in Maine. Where are you? -

-I'm in Jersey. You?-

-We are leaving from Missouri. We have justenteredTennessee.-

-Ok, so I would do it much earlier. Tell meeverythingand I'll go.- said the girl starting to put her things away to leave assoon aspossible.

-He told us that someone is trying to break aseal inPortland. It seems that we are the closest hunters.-

-What kind of seal?- Alex asked before hearingarustling of wings. She looked around and saw that Castiel had just cometo her.

-Ok, everything's fine Dean. Cass is here. I'llaskhim. I'll talk to you when I arrive.- the girl said and then hung upthe phone.

-Alex...-

-Cass, I'm happy to see you're okay. It wasDean onthe phone but I guess you know that. So, tell me everything.-

-In Portland one of the seals is about to bebroken. Anatural witch, like you, is about to be killed by her offspring, also awitch,while the latter is possessed by a demon. If this happens at midnighton Easterday, the seal will be broken.-

-But Easter midnight is tomorrow! Do youalready knowwho the family in question is? - Alex asked hopefully, putting on herjacket.

-No. We found out that it is located inPortland butwe were unable to find out more.-

-At least Portland isn't that big. Ok, I'lltake careof it.- said the serious girl leaving the motel, followed by the angel.

-Why didn't you come to me straight away? Ifyou reachedme it's because you knew I was here, so you should have known I wascloser thanSam and Dean.-

-You are alone.- observed the angel believingthat theexplanation was enough.

-Yes...?!- Alex replied confused.

-It's dangerous.- the brunette clarified.

-Ah... Ah! Cass, you don't have to worry aboutme.It's my job after all.-

-You don't want me to worry about you but youworryabout me.- the angel observed again, raising his eyebrows and tiltinghis head.This time he was the confused one.

-Well, yes, but it's different. Ok, it's not,but forme it is. Let me worry about you and you don't worry about me. Nothingwillhappen to me.- said the girl securing her bag on the motorbike.

-You can't be sure.-

-All right. Then I'll try to make sure nothinghappensto me, okay?- she tried to reassure him, smiling sincerely. She startedto geton the motorbike then seemed to think about something and turned to hugtheangel.

-I'll be careful. I promise you.- she murmured,hugging him tightly, then being reciprocated by the black-haired manwho knewhe would make her feel better that way. After a few seconds shereleased theman from her embrace, placed a kiss on his stubble cheek and got on hermotorbike.

-Bye Cass.- she said greeting him with a handbeforeleaving. The angel looked at her for a few more seconds and thendisappeared.

Alex drove at full speed towards Maine, withoutstopping. She arrived in Portland shortly after midnight and checkedinto thefirst motel she found. She would rest for a few hours and then startlookingfor the witch. In the end she only had to protect her for 24 hours,then shewas free to go. She set the alarm for dawn and fell into bed, fallingasleepwithin minutes.

When she woke up, Alex immediately got busyscrollingthrough newspapers on the internet to see if there was any news thatcould leadto a demon. She could either find the witch directly or she could findthedemon who possessed her daughter. Of course, she couldn't be sure thatthedemon had already materialized on earth, but given the few hoursavailable shecould imagine that it was so.

She found a couple of pieces of news thatlookedinteresting. One involved a girl who disappeared for 24 hours and thenreturnedhome apparently with a lapse in her memory. Another involved the theftofvarious ingredients used in multiple spells from a shop.

First she decided to go and check the shop tosee ifthere were traces of a demon, then the girl who disappeared andreappeared.

The shop owner was very kind. He told her whathadbeen stolen and had her look at the place. Of course, he thought he wasdealingwith a police officer but he was polite nonetheless. Alex didn't findthetypical traces of sulphur but did notice a partial imprint burned intothestore's dark carpet that had gone unnoticed by others. She thought itmight beimportant since it is not common to leave such traces, especially ifyou arehuman. Once out of there she decided to go to the house of the missinggirl, acertain Hollie Loine.

When she arrived at the girl's house, she wasgreetedby her mother who must have been around Bobby's age. She explained thatherdaughter was at school but told her that there were no developments.Thedaughter was fine and it was a miracle that everything was okay. Shetold herthat since she lost her husband 10 years earlier, her daughter was allshe hadleft and she couldn't think of losing her. However, when Alex asked toquicklyuse the bathroom before leaving, she noticed that there was a torn,blood-stained piece of shirt in the bathroom wastebasket. She found itonlythanks to a revealing spell and decided to take it to the hotel. Therewasdefinitely something wrong with that house.

So she said goodbye and returned to the motelafter ashort pit stop to get some takeaway food complete with dessert andbeer. Once shehad finished eating she prepared what she needed to use an observationspell onthe piece of shirt she had taken with her. With chalk she created alargepentagram on the floor and sat in the centre of it. On each tip of thepentagram she placed a lit candle and in front of her the piece ofcloth and agolden cup. She placed the cloth in the cup, then took it in her handsand beganreciting some archaic words. After a few seconds the fabric caughtfire, alarge purple smoke was released and Alex entered in a kind-of-a-trance.

She immediately looked around, she was in aplace shehad never seen. The room was circular and on the shelves there werenumerousbooks and potion ingredients. There was also a stone altar and chairs.Shenoticed that the stone in the room was particular, it looked like tuff,and itwas damp, a sign that it could be near a watercourse. A door opened onher leftand through them came first a bright light and then the woman she hadbeentalking to. She stopped for a moment and turned towards her.

-So Hollie, are you ready for your nextlesson?- sheasked looking at her chest level.

-Of course mom, I'm always ready.- said thegirl whowas behind her. She turned to look at her and noticed that a small cuton oneof her fingers, which looked almost burnt, was disappearing, at whichpoint thegirl crossed the space she was occupying. That interaction was makingherpresent again in the motel when she heard the sound of a train in thedistancebefore it vanished. When she returned to her body she found herselfthrown tothe ground by the impact and the candles around her suddenly went out,nowalmost completely burnt out.

-f*ck...- she muttered to herself beforefeelingsomeone take her by the arms and help her get up.

She turned and found Castiel in front of her.

-Hey, I didn't expect to see you again sosoon.- saidthe girl, drenched in sweat, barely panting.

The angel gave her a questioning and at thesame timeworried look.

-I'm fine, don't worry. I don't use my powersoften,so I get more tired than I should with spells that are more complexthannormal.- the girl explained.

-Let me get this stuff out of the way and I'lltellyou what I discovered.- Alex said as she began to tidy up the room justincase. She then sat on the bed as Castiel approached her, stopping infront ofher.

-So, I think I found the witch. Her name isMargarethLoine, she has a daughter called Hollie who disappeared 4 days agowithoutleaving a trace only to return 24 hours later, safe and sound and withnomemory of what happened. I went to their house and found a bloody pieceofcloth in the bathroom, so I used it to cast an observation spell. Thewomen aretogether. I'm sure the daughter has been possessed but is avoidingdoinganything that could alert her mother. I saw where they are, now I justhave totry to locate them.- Alex explained briefly.

-I can give you a hand if you want. I can helpyouincrease your powers.- Castiel said to the girl.

-Ok, that wouldn't be bad actually. Only ifit's nottoo tiring though, ok? - the girl asked, receiving an affirmative nodfrom theangel.

Castiel sat down on the bed next to the girland tookher head in his hands until he was close enough for the two foreheadsto touch.They both closed their eyes and began to concentrate with all theirabilities.

Suddenly Alex found herself catapulted acrossthecountry. She could glide over the roads and countryside as if she was aplane.She left the city and headed north, she noticed a railway but then whenshe wasgetting close enough to what should have been her goal, a voice filledher headtelling her to leave. She tried to fight using spells but the voice wastooloud for her, so she found herself thrown into her body without herwanting it,she opened her eyes just in time to watch Castiel open his and free herheadfrom his grip when she passed out in the arms of the angel.

She woke up after what seemed like an infiniteamountof time. She was lying on the bed while Castiel watched her sitting onthespare bed in the room.

-How long have I been knocked out?-

-Thirty-three minutes exactly. I was checkingto see thatyou were okay.-

-Thank you so much. You are a true angel.- thegirlsaid making Castiel tilt his head to the side and get a confused look.Afterall, he was a true angel.

-Ok, I think I know how to find them.- said thegirl,opening the PC and loading a satellite map.

-This is where I started from. I came here. Icrossedthis bridge and exited the city on this side. Then I saw the traintracks inthe distance and continued in this direction when the voice stopped me.Sotheir position must be... here.- said the girl, continuing to advancewith themap until she reached a point apparently empty, if not for the woodsthatsurrounded it, not far from a river.

-I know it seems like there is nothing there,but manywitches usually hide their meeting places with spells. In my visionthere wassome wet rock not too far from a train track and the location wasunderground.This seems like the perfect place for a hideout.- she explained herreasoningto the angel.

-That makes sense.- Castiel admitted, lookingat themap.

-So what about going now?- the angel askedagain,locking eyes with the girl.

-It's still too early. I think it's better towaituntil dark, both to avoid being seen so easily and because if Iexorcise thedemon too quickly another would have time to return and it would all befor nothing.The sun should set in a couple of hours. I'll go then.-

-I'll come with you.- confirmed the angel,acceptingthe explanation.

-All right. I'll notify Dean and Sam of whattheydiscovered, I'll see where they're at.- the brunette said calling herbrothers.

-Alex? Found anything? - Sam asked as he putthespeakerphone on.

-Yes, I found the witches in question. Theirnames areMargaret and Hollie Loine. Their hideout is just outside the city,hidden inthe woods, not far from the railway. I'll send you my location and homeaddressby message. At sunset we will go there.- the girl informed them.

-Who is "we"?- Dean asked.

-Me and Cass.-

-Is Cass with you?- Dean asked again. Alexturned tothe angel and motioned for him to speak.

-I am here.-

-Ah good, so Merlin and Madam Mim will takecare ofit.- Dean said making fun of them, being ignored by the others.

-I didn't catch the quote.- the dark-haired manaskednaively.

-Don't worry, it's just Dean being stupid.-Alex saidlooking at him with eyes full of tenderness.

-Hey! I can hear you!- Dean exclaimed offendedwhileSam sneered in the background.

-So, where are you?- Alex asked, returning toseriousmatters.

-We are almost at Philadelphia. We're coming asfastas we can.- Dean informed her while he was behind the wheel, aware thatlikely theywouldn't arrive in time.

-Okay, don't worry. We are here anyway. Don'tkillyourself to run here. I'm going now. Sam, did you get the message withthecoordinates?-

-Yes, got it.-

-Well. See you there then. Later.- sheconcluded,putting the phone down.

-Cass, do you mind if I throw myself in bed forhalfan hour? I'm a little tired.- the girl admitted walking around the room.

-I will wait for you to wake up.- the angelsaidsimply.

Alex flopped onto the bed and curled up on herside,staring at Castiel. Then after a while she fell asleep.

Being exhausted, Alex immediately began todream,almost as if she were skipping some important stages of sleep. At firstit*eemed to go well. She was cooking dinner for someone when the usualnightmarescame. She began to fidget and talk in her sleep and woke up suddenlywhen Cass,worried, touched her arm with his hand.

-You were having a nightmare.- the angel saidas thegirl shook his hand with hers. Alex registered what she was told butshe wasn'tfully awake. She pulled the angel towards her, making him end up withone kneeon the bed, murmuring a "stay with me, please" and then immediatelyfalling back asleep without releasing his hand.

Cass thought for a few seconds about theinteractionsand behaviours he had observed up to that point from the brothers andfrom Alex.He thought back to their conversations and in the end he decided to liedownnext to the girl, holding her close also with the other arm, trying toprotecther from what scared her.

For the rest of the time Alex no longer hadnightmares, or at least she no longer became agitated.

It was almost sunset when Alex slowly woke up.Shemoved slightly and realized she was holding someone close. She pattedthe handthat was blocking her arm, to make it clear that she was awake, andthen turnedtowards the angel who up until that moment had been the big spoon, eventhough hedidn't need to sleep.

-You were having nightmares.- Castiel said in aslightly worried voice, explaining what had happened.

-Ah. I have them all the time. Thanks forkeeping meclose.- the brunette reasoned, intertwining her legs with those of theangel tobe able to get closer with her body to his, then she placed a kissbetween hischeek and neck.

-I'd say we can go now. The sun is going down.-Alexobserved as she sat down, imitated by the other.

-If you want to talk about it, I'll listen toyou.-the dark-haired man said while the girl retrieved the bag and theweapons totake with her.

-I really appreciate it, but I'm fine. Don'tworry.Now let's go.-

After leaving the motel, Alex placed her bag onthemotorbike, got on the saddle and turned towards the man in the trenchcoat whowas staring at her without saying a word.

-Would you like to come with me? If you preferthat wemeet there, that's fine with me. You choose.-

-I have never been on a motorbike.- the angelconfessed candidly.

-I bet you'll like it.- the girl said, movingforwarda little to make more space for the man. Castiel moved his headslightlyconvincing himself and then went up, sitting behind the girl.

-Hold on tight, otherwise you risk falling.-shecontinued, grabbing one of the angel's hands to put it around herwaist. Sheoften acted as if she forgot that Castiel was not human and that hewouldabsolutely not risk falling from the saddle. The fact is that helistened toher and left an arm resting around the girl's waist as she left. Itprobablygave her more peace of mind than it did to him.

When they arrived near the wooded area it wasalreadydark, the sunlight could no longer be seen while the sky was filledwith stars.Alex parked the motorcycle on the side of the road and got out,recovering theweapons together with Cass.

-We continue on foot for the last stretch. Sotheywon't hear us.- she said, arranging her bag better on her shoulder.

The two started walking, entering the woods,illuminated only by the torch that the girl had with her. After walkingfor along time they saw in the distance the empty space they had seen on thesatellite map.

-This must be the place. Normally I would use arevelation spell, but for today we'll use a trick.- she revealed,starting tolook for something in her bag. After a while she took out two clothbags. Shethrew them over the trees, a couple of meters away from each other and,indoing so, revealed the entrance to a dungeon.

Castiel was impressed. The entrance remainedhiddenfrom any angle except in the space created between the two bags. Alexwasreally good.

-Walk on my steps.- she said moving forward,passingpast the bags.

Cass imitated her, began to follow her but assoon ashe overcame that layer of concealment magic that was present before hiseyes,he vanished from Alex's sight, finding himself catapulted onto thehighway thatled to the city. They hadn't thought about it but evidently there weresomeanti-angel seals that the demon must have placed for protection and nowAlexwas left alone and he couldn't do anything until he recovered from theenochianseal. The only thing he could do was to call Dean on his cell phonefrom anemergency phone and explain the situation to him. He told him that hewouldreach them as soon as possible and that he had tried to call Alex buther cellphone was unreachable so he couldn't talk to her. The two brothersbecameworried and Dean increased the speed of the car even more, if possible.They hadto arrive as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Alex, who found herself alone in theclearing, cast a revelation spell to search for the seals that had sentCassaway. She found a couple not far from the point where the angel haddisappearedand cancelled them, leaving a clean cut with a machete she had broughtwithher. She hoped it would be enough to allow the angel to return. In themeantimeshe had to continue alone.

She silently arrived at the entrance and usingsomehairpins managed to open the cellar door. She calmly entered, closingthe doorbehind her and slowly approached the room she had seen in her dreams.Onceinside she noticed a girl sitting at a table with her head bent overher books.The mother was not in the room. She cast a spell that immobilized herandapproached the girl to check if she was a demon using holy water butwasknocked unconscious by a blow to the head. When she woke up, she didn'tknowhow much time had passed, and she found herself pinned to the wall.

-Who the f*ck are you? The police could neverhavefound this place.- said the woman, as she freed her daughter.

-Stop! I can explain. I'm a witch too, likeyou.-

-And what would another witch want from me andmydaughter? Speak or I'll make you speak.- said the woman while herdaughter,scared, remained sitting in the chair.

-I know it's hard to believe me, but yourdaughter is possessedby a demon and will soon kill you to break a seal that will lead to theApocalypse.-

-You're crazy.- Margaret said looking at herdaughterwho looked terrified.

-I am telling the truth. You could have askedtheangel who accompanied me but the seals sent him away.-

-Angel?!-

-Yes, angel.-

-There are no anti-angel seals.-

-I assure you that they are there. I found twoouthere myself. If it wasn't you, then it was the demon.- she saidglancing atHollie, imitated by the woman.

-We do not have much time. I don't want to hurtyou.Free me and I will exorcise your daughter. There is still time for theseal notto be broken.-

-What is this story about the seals of theApocalypse?- asked the perplexed woman. It all seemed so crazy. Socrazy itmight be true.

-It's long to explain. Free me and I will saveyourdaughter. Please listen to me.-

-You won't hurt her?-

-I won't, I promise.- the girl was visiblyhappy thatthe woman had been listening to her. After just a second, however,Hollie stucka knife in her mother's belly.

-No, I promise you, dear mother.- she saidwickedly.

The woman fell to her knees, but due to herseriousinjury Alex managed to free herself from the spell that kept herblocked andhit the demon with holy water, then began to exorcise it. She had to doit asquickly as possible if she wanted to save Margaret.

-Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnissatanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,omniscongregationo et secta diabolica. Ergo, omnis legio diabolica,adiuramus te...cease decipere humanas creatures, eisque æternæperditionìs venenumpropinare... Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnisfallaciæ, hostis humanæsalutis... Humiliare subpotenti manu Dei; contremisce et effuge,invoked tonobis sancto et terrible nominations... quem inferi tremunt... Abinsidiisdiaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi faciaslibertateserve, te rogamus, audi nos.- the girl recited in a loud voice,drowning outthe cries of the demon. When she finished a bill of black smoke rosefrom thegirl's mouth, flying away as she fell to the ground exhausted.

-sh*t, let there still be time.- she said,approachingthe woman who was motionless, lying on the ground for a while. Shechecked thatshe was alive and felt that there was a pulse, albeit weak. She beganto treather with the strength she had left after the battle, fearing the worstwhen shewas approached by the girl, having recovered from the possession, who,joiningher hands with hers, also began to treat her mother, speeding up theprocessand saving her life, preventing the seal from being broken.

When they had finished Alex dropped to theground,leaning against the wall exhausted and without strength, while the twowomenhugged each other happy to be alive.

They were all still standing in that positionwhenDean, Sam and Cass burst into the basem*nt with guns blazing.

-Stop guys. Everything is fine. It's finished.-thegirl said, raising her arm to make herself noticed. Sam walked over tothe twowomen to check that they were okay while Dean and Castiel went to Alex,helpingher up.

-You managed just in time it seems. It juststruckmidnight.- Dean said looking at the clock.

Alex didn't say anything, but smiled at herfriends.

Sam, who had finished talking to the mother anddaughter, approached the others.

-I told them to go home. They have a car notfar away.How are you? Can you drive? - the boy asked, approaching Alex, stillsupportedby his brother and Cass.

-I can try. Let's go to the motel, right? - thegirlsaid, taking two steps forward, losing her strength and risking findingherselfcrushed to the ground if it hadn't been for Sam's body that had stoppedherfall.

-Better not.- said the little Winchester whileCasspulled her up holding her by the shoulders.

-Little brother, bring Alex's Davidson. We'regoing bycar.- Dean said, retrieving the keys from the girl's jacket, throwingthem tohis brother who caught them quickly.

-Okay, see you there.- he said before turningandfollowing the two women out of the basem*nt. He would have accompaniedthem tothe car and then gone to get the brunette's motorbike.

Dean turned to the other two, ready to saysomething,when he saw Castiel picking up the girl in his arms, as if she weighednothing.Alex put an arm around his neck to hold on better. Dean closed hismouth andturned towards the exit. He retrieved his friend's bag and went out,followedby the other. Once they arrived he opened the back door of the Impalaandhelped Cass get the girl into the back. Cass started to sit next toDean whenAlex grabbed his hand and so he sat behind, letting the girl rest herhead onhis lap, falling asleep immediately. Dean didn't say anything. Heresentedbeing a taxi driver but he knew the girl was exhausted, so he startedthe carand drove, heading to the motel.

When they arrived he parked, turned off the carandturned around. Alex still had her eyes closed as Castiel stared at her.Hereached out and moved some hair from the girl's face who woke up at thecontact.

-We're here.- Dean said before getting out ofthe car.Cass followed him and then they both helped Alex down, acting assupports onboth sides.

Having entered the room they immediatelyapproachedthe bed where the girl laid down.

-I'll give you a hand. You can't sleep likethis.-Dean said, starting to undress her as much as possible. First heremoved herright shoe followed by the left. With Castiel's help he took off herjacket andthen took off her jeans. Once finished they covered her with the sheetsof theunused bed and the girl went back to sleep.

Sam arrived shortly thereafter.

-Let's go to sleep too, Sam. We can talktomorrow.-Dean said, tired after so much driving. The two nodded to Castiel andleft toget another room in the motel and go to sleep.

Normally Cass would have left too, but thistime hedecided to stay and watch over Alex's sleep. With as much delicacy aspossible,he laid down next to the girl, but remained on top of the covers andheld herslowly as he had done in the afternoon, staying awake to observe herand watchover her dreams.

During the night Alex had nightmares again,waking upwhile Castiel held her close to calm her. When she opened her eyes andnoticedthat the angel was holding her close to him, she felt better. Sheturnedtowards Castiel and tried to cover him too with the sheets, ending upbeinghelped by the dark-haired man who, after taking off his shoes so as nottobother her, found himself covered too. Alex approached him andintertwinedtheir legs to join together even more. Finally she fell asleep restingher headon the man's chest covered by the shirt.

At lunchtime, while Alex was still sleeping,there wasa light knock on the door. Cass didn't answer, not wanting to wake thegirl, butopened the door with his powers, allowing the two brothers to enter theroom.

-We brought food.- Dean began in a loud voiceand thenlowered his tone to almost nothing after getting a dirty look fromCastiel.

The two arrived approached the bed, lookingcarefullyat the two.

-How is she?- Sam murmured.

-Better, but she has constant nightmares.- Cassexplainedas he caressed her cheek softly, moving in between a lock of hair thathadslipped in front of her face.

The two brothers curled their mouths,approached thetable where they had placed the food and began to eat slowly.

-Did you find out why she disappeared for 3weeks?-Dean asked the angel, biting into the sandwich. Cass gave a small nod.

-I would like to know what's happening to her.Itwasn't like that before. She has changed a lot. Alex is different.-Deanmurmured looking at the girl he was so fond of.

-She seems more like herself when you'rearound. Butotherwise she's a different person.- Sam admitted to the angel.

Cass looked away from the two brothers andbegan toobserve the young woman again.

After what seemed like a few seconds to theangel, butwas in reality several minutes, Alex began to move, a sign that she waswakingup.

-Hi Cass.- the girl said, raising her chin tobe ableto look the man in the eyes; smiling at him, still half groggy from thelongsleep.

-Good morning.- he replied simply giving her asmallsmile.

-Am I wrong or do I smell something good?- Alexasked,raising her hoarse voice a little more.

-You're not wrong. We brought lunch.- Dean saidfromthe table, making his presence known.

Alex then moved and sat up, rubbing her eyes.Cassremained lying, still looking at her.

-Thank you guys. I'm really hungry.- she said,gettingup and sitting at the table on the empty chair next to Sam. After a fewsecondsthey were also joined by Cass who sat between Dean and Alex, watchingthem eat.

-So, how's your research going?- Sam asked.

-Not bad. I might be close to finding what Ineed. Ihave to visit a couple more places.-

-May I know what are you looking for?- Deanasked atthat point.

Alex didn't answer, she glanced briefly atCass, whoheard his name in the girl's head, but didn't intervene.

-Nothing. Spells.-

-It doesn't seem like nothing to me. Youdisappearedfor almost a month.- the eldest said again.

-Come on, I didn't really disappear. I'm herenow,right? I told you that if you needed me I would have come.- Alexobservedlooking for support from the others. Sam glared at his brother to tellhim toshut up, but to no avail.

-What if we need you when we are hunting? I'mnottalking about seals, but about normal hunting, the old fashioned way.-Deanasked again.

Alex bit the inside of her cheek torn betweenspeakingand staying silent. She felt so many mixed emotions at that moment thatshecouldn't control.

Cass heard another thought coming from thegirl'smind: no one needs me. It was so loud that he hadn't needed to use hispowersto hear it.

-I do.- he said simply looking at her,interruptingDean's outburst. Alex gave him a dubious, almost incredulous look, notentirelysure what he was referring to, while the others labelled itCastiel-esque anddidn't comment.

Silence fell and was interrupted by Alex, whogot upand approached the window to smoke a cigarette.

-I'll go back hunting. As soon as I finish myresearch.- she said tersely, wanting to end the discussion there.

Dean looked at her for a couple of minutes insilence,then got up and left the room without saying anything.

-Ignore him. You know how he is.- Sam said,alsogetting up from his chair.

-Remember that if you need us, we're here.- hereassured her as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Alex was still alone with Castiel, but oncethat doorwas closed it almost felt like a weight had been lifted from hershoulders. Sheput out the cigarette and started throwing away the food waste that wasleftlying around.

-If your search concerns me...- the angel beganbutwas interrupted.

-Cass, don't worry. I will be OK. And then Ishouldfinish soon. If you need anything, remember that you can come to me,ok? - thegirl asked, looking at him intently.

-Ok.- said the angel. For the first time, hewas theone who approached her to caress her cheek. Alex leaned over on hertoes togive him a kiss on the cheek and shortly after the black-haireddisappeared,leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Alex initially had the idea of leaving assoon asshe woke up, then she thought that perhaps the Loine family could giveher ahand, so she went to them.

When the women saw her, they thanked her againforsaving them and gave her a crystal that would allow them to contacteach otherin case of need. Then Alex explained to them what she was looking forand askedif they could help her.

Margaret told her that she personally couldn'thelpher, but maybe she knew who could. Although she was a natural witchlike hermother and daughter, her mother had a master when she was a youngwitch. Thismaster's family had very ancient origins that dated way back thediscovery ofAmerica. She told her that even though she had never seen him, she knewwherehe was and gave her the address. She also wrote a letter to deliveruponarrival explaining who had sent her and wished her well, hoping thatshe wouldbe able to find what she was looking for.

After Alex left Maine headed to Oregon, toSalem.

Even driving non-stop, it would take her a fewdays toget there if she had to cross the country, so she could stop by Bobby'son theway to say hello, since she hadn't seen him in a while.

She didn't rush too much and decided to stop inDetroit too, because once she knew the complete formula she needed, shewouldalso need amulets and various ingredients that she would find with lessdifficulty in Vudoo magic shops.

She arrived in Salem after almost 8 days oftravel.

Having arrived in Idaho late in the evening,shedecided to stop at the border for the night, in Nampa, ready to leavethe nextmorning. Doing so, she arrived at her destination in the late morningand,after taking a room in a motel where she left her things, sheimmediately wentto the address that had been reported to her by Margaret Loine.

Once she reached her destination she foundherself infront of an old wooden house, almost outside the city. On the groundfloor shecould read the sign of an antique shop, upstairs it seemed to beinhabited. Sheentered the shop, ringing the door bell. After a while she was joinedby awoman not much older than her.

-Hello, how can I help you? - she asked kindly,approaching Alex.

-Hello, I'm looking for a certain MorainWintershard.I was told I could find him here.-

-May I ask who gave you this information?-asked thegirl suspiciously.

-It was Margaret Loine of Portland, Maine. Ihave herea letter for Mr. Morain where the reason that brought me here ismentioned.-

-Give it to me. Wait here and don't touchanything.-said the girl taking the letter and going to the back of the shop.After a fewseconds she heard her climbing the stairs towards the floor above.

She waited for a good five minutes when thegirlreturned.

-Grandpa said you can go up. At the top of thestairsthe second door on the right.- the girl informed her as she went backto work.

Alex nodded to her and followed theinstructions givento her, then opened a door that led to a large living room. An old manwho musthave been at least 80 years old was sitting in the rocking chair. Whenhe sawher he motioned for her to come closer.

-You are Morain Wintershard, right?-

-Yes I am. And you are?-

-Alex Hall.-

-If you prefer to be called that, that's fine.-observed the man revealing supernatural powers, having no way ofknowing thather real name wasn't that.

-Margaret Loine gave me her name thinking youmighthelp me. I met her a few days ago in Maine.-

-I remember Margaret. She was just a baby thelasttime I saw her. Is she fine?-

-I would say yes, she has a daughter. Her nameisHollie.-

-Like her grandma. Sit down. I want to knowexactlywhat I can do for you, Alex Hall.- he said placing his hand on thechair nextto him, which was currently vacant.

Alex sat down and began to explain before beinginterrupted.

-No. Not in words. Show me.- the man whispered,placing a hand on her forehead. Alex understood what he wanted to do,so sheshowed him what had happened so far and everything related to herresearch.

-So you are looking for a specific, veryancientprotection spell to protect this angel friend of yours, did Iunderstandcorrectly?- the man asked without being upset at discovering thatangelsexisted.

-Long story short, yes. I owe him and I wanthim to besafe.-

-I see... I think I know what you're referringto. Iknow of a general and powerful protection spell that dates back over athousandyears. It serves to protect against other spells, curses and magicalartefactsand increases, even if slightly, the powers one possesses.-

-Looks like the spell I'm looking for.-

-On the bookcase behind us, take the largesttome fromthe highest shelf. It's called The Book of Shadows.- the man saidbefore Alexdid her best to follow the directions given to her. She found the bookwithoutdifficulty and returned to sit next to the man, handing it to him.

Morain opened the tome and began leafingthrough it,knowing full well what he was looking for. Suddenly he stopped andturned the pagestowards Alex.

-Here you are. The incantation is this: SummumPraesidium.-

Alex started reading and saw that she hadfinallymanaged to find what she was looking for. She took some paper and penout ofher bag.

-Can I?- she asked, wanting to copy exactlywhat thebook said. Morain waved her hand to tell her to continue and she begancopyingthe spell in its entirety. Once finished she put the text back in herbag andclosed the book.

-Why did you help me? What's in it for you?-askedAlex, suspicious at having succeeded in such a task so easily.

-Colleagues help each other, don't you think? Ialsosaw how you saved Margaret and Hollie. It seems like the minimum torepay you.-the man said, letting Alex know that he knew, perhaps more than shewanted himto know herself.

-How can I repay you? I don't want to havedebts.-

-You don't owe me. I'd say we're even. If youreallywant to do something for me, though, you could keep me company forlunch. Imiss talking about witchcraft and you seem to be of good company.-

Alex thought about it for a moment but thendecided toaccept. She would still have plenty of time to finish her mission.

She stayed at the Wintershard house untilmid-afternoon. She lost herself talking for hours with the sorcereraboutspells and magical artefacts, also joined by his niece, Alba, anapprenticewitch.

Both were very kind to her and exchangedcontactdetails so they could contact each other in case of need. Finally, whenMorainsaid he was going to rest, she left the house for the motel.

She stopped briefly to buy a box and somewrappingpaper. Then she returned to her room.

After making copies of the instructions andphotoswith her cell phone, she inserted the instructions for the spell intothepackage along with the necessary ingredients and the contact details oftheWintershards and Loines. She also wrote a short letter to Bobby wheresheexplained how to use the spell to protect Castiel. She wrote he couldperformthe spell himself if she couldn't, or that he could ask someone else todo it.She added that she hadn't wanted to reveal what she was looking foruntil nowbecause she was sure they would try to dissuade her, telling her it wasauseless search, Cass included. But she wanted to make sure that nothingcouldhappen to the angel, especially with the looming threat of theApocalypsehanging over their heads.

Once finished she went to a FedEx office andasked tosend the package with priority to Bobby's address. They told her itwouldarrive within 48 hours and gave her a receipt with insurance. Once Alexwasdone, she went back to the motel.

She began to walk restlessly around the room,thengrabbed the cigarettes and sat down at the table with a pen and paperin frontof her. Luckily the room was for smokers, so no alarm would have goneoff evenif she hadn't been near the window.

She began writing, deleting and rewriting aletteraddressed to Bobby several times. This time though, it wasn't about thespellor the hunt. But it was about her.

Dear Bobby,

if you receive this letter it meansthat I am dead.

Sorry for this traumatic start,but it's difficult for me to keep a logical train of thoughts.

You may have noticed that I'vebeen different since I came back. It's because I am. I've tried to moveon, toforget, but the memories of the last year are always fixed in my mindand itseems impossible to chase them away. I can't sleep, can't rest atleast, and Iknow I'm causing anxiety and worry in all of you. I hate myself andfindingsomething to move forward is difficult. Really difficult. I know you'dtell meto do it for you, for the boys, but I can't. I shouldn't be here and Ibetterput back what was undone.

I know it will be difficult tounderstand my actions. Maybe you won't and that's okay. I just wantedyou toknow that I love you with all my heart. You were like a father to meand I willnever forget you.

Please say bye to the guys. I hada wonderful time with them and I love them endlessly. I'm sure you willall beable to move forward and solve this new problem as you always do, butthis timeI won't be with you.

You also tell Castiel that, eventhough we only met for a short time, he took a piece of my heart andthat if myreturn brought me a flash of joy it was the fact that I could get toknow him,as well as seeing you again.

I love you and will miss youinfinitely.

Yours forever,

Sam Green, aka Alex Hall.

She closed the letter with saliva and wroteBobby'saddress on the envelope. Finally she placed the letter in plain sightin the centreof the table ready to be found by anyone who entered that room.

She opened the minibar and took out a minibottle ofliquor which she downed in one gulp. Finally she sat down on the bedholdingone of her pistols firmly in her hands. She placed it on her legs andafterclutching her head in her hands she began to cry, bent over, with herelbowsresting on her knees. She remained in that position for what seemedlike hours,but which she couldn't precisely calculate, then slowly she calmeddown. Shewiped her now red eyes on the sheet and took the gun in her hands.

She thought about what had happened to her andeventhough it might have almost seemed the opposite of what was written intheletter, she found herself thinking that Castiel should never have freedherfrom Hell. He had risked dying in vain for someone like her who wasworthnothing. It was true, she was grateful to have known him, but shecouldn'tcontinue living like that. She might as well go back to the Hell shecame from.Not much would change from the hell she had been in since she returned.

She took the safety off the gun and loaded theroundinto the chamber. She stood looking down the barrel of the gun with athousandthoughts still in her head as she slowly raised her arm to point thegun to hertemple.

She could almost feel the cold steel of the gunbarrelagainst her head when she opened her eyes to find her angel in trenchcoatstanding before her.

-Why don't you want to live?- Castiel asked. Hewasgenuinely curious and confused. He couldn't understand and he had toknow.

-Cass, I...- the girl didn't know what to do,what tosay. She put the safety back on the gun and placed it on thenightstand, thebarrel pointed away from them.

-You know you would go back to Hell, so why?-

-I... I can't... I...- the girl began tostammer,tears falling copiously from her eyes again. She tried to keep her gazeon theangel but her vision was blurred and she couldn't focus.

Cass, who until that moment had remaineddistant fromthe girl, at times even hurt by what she wanted to do, approached herandhugged her with all the strength he had, even wrapping her with hiswings, eventhough she couldn't see them.

Alex clung to the black-haired man as if hervery lifedepended on it and began to sob without restraint while the angel begantostroke her hair, hoping that this would help her to calm down.

They stayed like that for minutes and minutesuntilAlex managed to slowly calm down.

-It's complicated, Cass.-

-I will listen to you carefully. I'll stay hereaslong as you want.- promised the angel, moving away from her slightly tolookher in the eyes.

-You know how the first seal was broken, don'tyou?-Alex said, taking the long way around it.

-Yes. When a righteous man sheds blood in Hell.Dean.-he replied attentively.

-Well, when we ended up in hell, they asked methesame question. Every day demons came to me and tortured merelentlessly.Between one torture and another they asked me to get off the wheel andtakehold of the whip myself and every day I told them to bite me.- Alexbegan toexplain. Cass had his eyes fixed on her and placed his hand on hers.

-After a while I started to get bored of thatchant soI got into the habit of spending all the time I wasn't screaming,cursing andswearing at them. I had tried using spells but apparently in Hell youlosewhatever powers you have. So Alastair ordered that my tongue should becut outfirst so he wouldn't have to hear my screams anymore. But the questiondidn'tstop and I continued to mentally curse them. The fact is that even nowthat youhave brought me back to earth, the torture has not stopped and everytime I goto sleep, every time I am with the boys or try to hunt I feel as if athousandknives are penetrating my body.- Castiel was confused, she could bereferringto the nightmares, but he didn't understand. He didn't want tointerrupt her,so he remained silent.

-You see, the fact is that for 10 years...every dayfor 10 years... Dean tortured me in Hell.- the girl confessed causing ashockedreaction that the angel couldn't control. Alex continued herexplanation.

-One day, after having cut out my tongue andtotallydisfigured my face, I realized that they hadn't asked me the questionyet. Ademon untied me and took me to a room empty except for the tools theyused intorture. He tied me on the table and there I saw Dean coming towardsme. I wasso happy to see him, I thought he was going to save me or something. Itried totalk to him but I couldn't, since...-

-You no longer had your tongue.-

-That. Only nonsense noises came out of mymouth. ThenDean approached me and instead of saving me he started torturing me. Irealizedalmost immediately that he hadn't recognized me because of mydisfigured face,but it didn't hurt me any less. Every day a demon came to me to cut outmytongue and disfigure me and then send me on Dean's wheel. They alsomade apoint of letting me know that I was the first soul Dean ever laid hisrazor on.They found it so amusing. Furthermore, they started playing a littlegame everyday. They left something of me intact, recognizable, to see if Deanwouldnotice what he was doing. An eye, a lock of hair, a lip, anything. Henevernoticed and for the rest of the time he was there he tortured meunknowingly.Then you saved him and their little game ended, returning to thetortures theysubjected me to even before Dean broke the seal.- the girl explainedbeforestopping to observe the angel's reaction.

Castiel was completely at the mercy of thosehumanemotions that were so difficult for him to understand and that he hadtried sohard to control, even though Anna had told him that she had noticedthat theywere taking shape in him. He was filled with anger towards Lucifer,Alastairand all the demons in existence for what they had done to the girl andif hecould he would have torn them all to pieces right then and there. Healsopartly hated Dean for not recognizing her and hurting her but at thesame timehe felt guilty because he knew he would never have done it willingly.Furthermore, he hated himself for not having gone to Hell earlier tosave thegirl who was next to him and in fact, if Dean hadn't asked him to, shewouldprobably still be in the pit.

-Does Dean know?- Cass asked after severalminutes,calmer.

-NO! And he will never have to know! It wouldtear himapart. He would never forgive himself. It's my burden to carry, nothis.- thegirl exclaimed, raising her worried voice.

-You see, even after everything that happened Idon'thate Dean. I closed the deal with the demon of my own free will and thedemonstortured me before during and after his stay in hell as a torturer. Itaddednothing to what I would have undergone. Despite this, however, I hatemyselffor having been so weak. For having hoped in vain that he might haverecognizedme and spared me even just once. I feel guilty because my hope was highuntilthe end and I feel like this places a blame on him that he doesn'thave. So Ihave difficulties being the Alex I was before and going hunting withthem...-Alex took a breath, sighing deeply, and then started looking Castiel intheeyes again.

Cass held her tightly as two tears felluncontrollablyfrom his eyes.

-You should never have been there. You have thepurestsoul I have seen in the last few centuries.- the angel murmured,placing asweet kiss on her head.

-In what sense the purest? How do you know it?-

-Remember when we faced that demon with theDaevas amonth ago? When I was wounded you threw yourself at me, releasing ablindingwhite light that chased them away. You said you didn't know what or howyou didit and we dropped the subject.- Alex nodded her head, a sign that sheremembered.

-That light was your spirit trying to protectus andit was so white and bright because your soul is pure. If you hadn'tmade thatdeal with the demon 2 years ago, you would never have ended up in hell.Youwould have gone straight to Heaven. And in any case the pact, althoughas yousay you voluntarily chose to make it, you made it because you wanted tosaveDean and not for selfish purposes. You shouldn't have ended up there.I'msorry.- Cass said hugging her tightly. Alex didn't expect such wordsand letherself be lulled by the angel's warmth.

-I understand why you found yourself here doingwhatyou were about to do. I don't agree with it but I understand it. Iwould justlike you to see yourself with my eyes to understand how special youare.- thedark-haired man concluded, holding her tightly. Alex opened her eyeswide insurprise and began to cry again, but this time because she was moved bythewords of the angel who hugged her, and in fact she did so with a smileon herlips, continuing to hold the other tightly but he didn't seem botheredby it.When she had calmed down she dried her eyes using the bed sheet andmoved awaya little, lifting her chin to look Cass in the eyes.

Cass, for his part, hadn't taken his eyes offthegirl, as if he were afraid she might evaporate in his hands. When Alexlookedup, locking their gazes, he noticed that Alex's eyes were really blue,verysimilar to his, but now that the cornea had turned red from crying theyseemedto have taken on a colour similar to petrol blue, with green shadesinside of.Her cheeks and nose were red from crying, and tiny tears shone on hermouth andeyelashes, making her face shine. She was beautiful.

Cass, almost as if in a trance, took her chingentlyin his hands and placed his lips on hers. Alex first opened her eyeswide indisbelief, then closed them, letting herself go with the kiss. After afewseconds they broke away to take a breath and this time it was Alex whoplacedher lips on Cass's. They began to taste each other slowly at firstuntil Alexpassed her tongue several times over the man's lips who strangelyunderstoodwhat he had to do. He opened his mouth and let their tongues intertwineandstart chasing each other as if in an exotic dance. Alex wrapped herarms aroundCass' neck and threaded her hands through his hair, being able to seehow softit was. Cass instead lowered his arms and intertwined them just abovethegirl's bottom, who was currently too far away from him for his liking.

When they broke away, they were both pantingslowly,staring at each other.

-Cass, are you sure?- asked the girl notknowing ifthe angel was aware of where that road was leading.

-I'm sure.- he replied before starting to placekissesalong her neck, letting a moan come out of her mouth.

-Wait, I don't want you to do it out of pity.-thegirl said sincerely, grabbing his face with extreme difficulty in herhands sothat they could look into each other's eyes.

-Pity?- Cass asked confused. -I don't feel pityforyou. If I look at you I respect and admire you for being a good andaltruisticperson who always puts others first. Pity certainly not.- he repliedlookingseriously into her eyes.

Alex was petrified by that sincere confessionbut cameto her senses when Castiel started leaving a trail of kisses along herneckagain. She felt the heat starting from her head and reaching betweenher legsand when he gave a small bite on her neck, just below her jaw, shecouldn'thelp but let out an excited cry that caused a pleasant reaction in herpartner.Looking at him with eyes shining with tears and excitement, Alex begantoundress the man. First she freed him from the trench coat and jacket,then fromthe shirt and tie while the two had independently taken off their shoessometime ago. Firm but delicate at the same time, she placed her hands onhis chestmaking him end up lying on the bed while he pulled off the shirt shewas wearingleaving her in jeans and bra.

Alex began to lick and kiss that muscular chestas ifit were the most delicious of delicacies, focusing on the nipples andslowlyreaching close to the belly button. Castiel had his head thrown on thepillowand his eyes closed from the pleasure he felt. Suddenly he heard thebutton andzip on his trousers open and he reopened his eyes, raising his head, tolook atAlex.

Alex looked back to see if there was even theslightest change of heart and when she didn't find it, she freed hispenis fromthe underwear.

The member was almost fully erect from hisexcitementand she couldn't wait to taste it.

She grabbed the penis delicately at the baseandsqueezed slightly, starting to massage it to make it totally tight.When she wassatisfied, she lowered her head and took it into her mouth, starting tolick itvoraciously.

Castiel's eyes widened. He had never feltanythinglike it in his entire existence and he didn't believe such pleasurecouldexist. Instinctively he brought his hands into the girl's raven hairand beganto give her the rhythm that made him feel better.

Alex obeyed, wanting him to enjoy it at leastas muchas she did, especially since she was pretty sure it was his first time(eventhough it didn't seem that way) and let herself be guided by the angel.Whenshe realized from the accelerated sighs that he was about to come, withadecisive gesture she took him completely into her mouth and the manpouredhimself into her throat who swallowed the seed satisfied. Castiel'schest roseand fell at an absurd rate. It looked like it was about to burst fromhis chestand he didn't notice that Alex had taken off his trousers, underwearand sockseven when they fell to the floor with a soft thud. While the angelrecovered, Alexfinished undressing herself too, remaining completely naked she started touchingherself where she feltthe heat accumulating, wanting to feel some relief. Castiel recoveredafter awhile and found himself faced with an unspeakable sight. With adecisive movehe moved on top of the girl, kissing her avidly while she clasped herlegstogether to continue to give herself relief while she brought her handsto hiswarm back, caressing the warm skin. Once he was satisfied with hermouth hebegan to move down towards her breasts. He squeezed one nipple betweenhislips, biting and sucking on it while squeezing the other with his freehand.

Alex wondered how he was so expert, if he hadaninnate instinct or if he had had some chat with Dean and Sam, but whentheangel first started playing with her cl*t and then penetrated her withafinger, her brain went haywire and she stopped thinking.

Castiel wanted to return the favour to thegirl, so,going down slowly, he reached his face level with Alex's femininity. Helookedat it as if it were the most precious of secrets and added a secondfinger ashe felt his penis return to erection. So he buried his face between herlegs andstarted sucking and stimulating her cl*tor*s.

Alex felt the org*sm rising in her and shedidn't evenknow how she had managed until that moment to avoid throwing theblack-hairedon the bed and riding him with all the strength she had. She didn'twant to scarehim, but it was almost divine. When she realized she was ready shegrabbed Cassby the shoulder and pulled him towards her.

Castiel obeyed and moved his face up to hers,endingup kissing passionately for long minutes. Alex opened her legs widerfrom whichher juices were now dripping.

-Cass...- she murmured, squeezing her legsaround hiswaist.

-Cass, please...- she said waiting for thelong-awaited moment to arrive.

-"Cass, please" what? Say it.- he askedexcitedly, placing a thumb on her lips to caress them, only to findhalf of itin her mouth.

-Make me yours.- Alex replied as she began tosensually suck his thumb.

Cass grabbed his penis with his hand and guidedittowards her entrance, then with a slow thrust he pushed into her. Bothhad tobite each other to avoid screaming and being heard by all the motelguests but,once they got used to the sensation, Cass began to push himself intothe girl'sbody.

After the first thrusts Alex closed her eyes,unableto keep them open from the pleasure, while she murmured encouragementin theangel's ear and repeated his name over and over again. After a while,Alex hadan org*sm, moaning in pleasure and involuntarily tightening her vagin*lwallsaround Castiel's penis. The latter, upon feeling that incrediblesensation,increased his pace, intensifying the pleasure for both of them.

They were drenched in sweat, holding each othercloseand with their fingers holding each other's bodies as close aspossible. Cassfelt he was close to org*sm again so he pressed further. Alex came asecondtime and after a few moments he too poured himself inside her. Theyremainedembraced in that position for a few minutes, then slowly Cass came outfrominside Alex and lay down next to her. The girl could feel her juicesmixed withCass's sliding out of her vagin*, down her legs, onto the mattress, butit madeher happy and not disgusted as she might have thought. She hugged theman andrested her head on his chest. She then fell asleep while the angelremained towatch over her sleep.

That night Alex had no nightmares.

Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Chapter Text

The next morning Alex woke up later than usual.Shemoved in Castiel's arms for a few seconds, then opened her eyes andmoved herhead so she could look at his face. All night Cass had remained still,holdingher close, unable to stop thinking of her, of them.

-Morning.- Alex said, smiling as happily as shehadbeen for a long time.

-Morning.- Castiel replied happily, caressingherface. He pulled the girl higher to bring her closer to him and kissedher.

The two kept kissing for several minutes,withoutrealizing how much time was passing.

-I think we need a shower. At least I need it.-Alexconfessed, noticing that her legs were damp and sticky, having fallenasleep withouthaving washed. Cass nodded his head and gave her another kiss. The girlmovedthe sheets and headed towards the bathroom, offering the black-hairedman apretty good show.

She turned on the shower, waiting for it toheat upand then stepped in enjoying the warm water hitting her. However, shenoticedthat it was as if something was missing.

-Cass, you know you can come too.- the girlsaid in aloud voice so that the angel could hear her. The dark-haired man didn'thave tobe asked twice and in a few seconds he too entered the shower, lettingthe girlpull him close to her, making him end up under the jet of water.

Alex smiled at him happily, put some shampoo onher handsand started rubbing his hair to clean it. Cass let her do it, closinghis eyesat the pleasant sensation he felt. It wasn't bad to take a shower eventhoughhe didn't need it. Once all the shampoo was removed, Alex gently ranher thumbsover his eyes to remove the rest of the soap that was left, allowinghim toopen them without feeling the burning sensation. Cass grabbed her facein hishands, bent down to her height, and kissed her.

When Alex was satisfied with the kiss, she alsobeganto wash her own hair and with bubble bath lotion she thoroughly cleanedbothher body and that of the man, touching his genital area and causing ashiverthat ran through him violently.

When they were done she wrung out her hair,reachedone arm out of the shower to grab the smaller towel which she threwoverCastiel's head and began scrubbing vigorously to get the excess waterout ofhis hair. Finally, coming out of the shower, she took one of the towelsand passedit over the man's shoulders. She was about to step back to close thecloth andtake one for herself when the angel lifted her up, pinning her with hishandson her butt as she clasped her legs behind his back to keep herbalance,letting the cloth end on the ground unused. In a few steps he moved tothe edgeof the bed where he sat down again with the girl in his arms. He beganto kissher passionately, being immediately reciprocated, so the girl began tomove herpelvis on his, causing their genitals to rub together. It didn't takelong forAlex to get Castiel ready and after a while, helping her lift her leg,she slippedonto his erect member, allowing herself to be penetrated completely.

Both of them lost their breath and remainedstill fora few seconds. Then they began to move as they held each other andkissed eachother, letting the tip of Cass' penis repeatedly hit Alex's cervix,causingthem both to experience shocks of pleasure. Alex tried to make Cass liedown tohave more freedom of movement, but he resisted, hugging her tightly,making herunderstand that he wanted to touch her and remain hugged by her. Alexwas movedby the dark-haired man's desire and couldn't help but satisfy him,then, withCass' help, they both increased the pace to the limit of theircapabilities,arriving at org*sm after a short while, each screaming the other's name.

-If we continue like this we would needcountlessshowers.- Alex said laughing as she felt their mixed liquids run downthe wallsof her vagin*, ending up on the genitals of the man who was stillinside her.

-I wouldn't mind that.- he confessed, kissinghergently.

-Not me either.- Alex retorted, this timemanaging tomake him end up lying on the bed, hugging her, and starting to kiss himagain.

Once they had recovered, they went back intotheshower to clean themselves up. Alex was trying not to get the water inher hairso she wouldn't have to do it all over again when her stomach rumbleduncontrollably, making her turn red with embarrassment.

-Sorry, I just didn't have dinner last night.-shejustified herself by putting a damp lock of hair behind her ear. Cassleaneddown and kissed her gently.

-Let's go have lunch then.- he told her. Hedidn'thave to eat to survive, so sometimes he forgot how important certainthingswere to humans, especially when he was distracted by the brunette'sbody. Alexsmiled and thanked him with her eyes.

The two went to lunch and for a walk in thepark andthen Alex proposed going to the cinema to see a film. For Castiel allthis wasstrange, out of the ordinary, but he wanted to spend that day with thegirlwithout other thoughts. Everything else could wait. Going to see "He'sJust Not That Into You" was more important than anything at thatmoment.Even the Apocalypse would have to wait.

By the time they were done it was almost timefordinner, so on the way back to the motel they grabbed a take-out pizzaand aslice of cheesecake.

Cass, intrigued by the smell of the pizza, tooksomeand confessed that it wasn't bad and said he was curious to try morehuman foodto understand what he liked, then he had half of the cake sharing withAlex.

-Like it?- asked Alex, lighting a cigaretteafterthrowing the cardboard in the bin.

-It's good, but yours was better.- Castielreplied, rememberingwhen he ate food for the first time with Alex and the two brothers.

-For real? You don't have to lie to make mehappy. I'mnot offended if you prefer this one.- Alex asked curiously.

-Why should I lie? Yours was really better.-Cass saidas if the question made no sense. After all, he couldn't fullyunderstand thatpeople also lie to avoid offending other people. Alex then took itseriouslyand thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.

-How is that?- Cass then asked curiously,pointing tothe half-consumed cigarette in the girl's hands.

-Do you mean smoking? I like it, it relaxes meanddistracts me even if I shouldn't because it can lead to many diseases,evenfatal ones. Do you want to try?- Alex asked handing him the cigarettewhichCass looked at doubtfully.

-Why smoke then if it's bad for you?- he askedsincerely, twisting the cigarette between his fingers.

-Basically because humans are masoch*st.- Alexconfessed clearly. -In any case because it leads to a well-being of theheadand body, even if temporary, we do it even if we risk dying. Even foodcan beharmful and cause various illnesses. The same goes for drinking whichcan stilllead to death. Some of life's greatest pleasures can lead to horribleconsequences. I imagine it's the thrill of danger.-

-And sex?- Castiel asked candidly, returningthecigarette, now almost extinguished, to the girl.

-Sex depends on many factors: how, where, howmuch,with whom. In general it doesn't hurt but it can be.- Alex said takingthe lastdrag of her cigarette. The detailed answer would take a long time, shehopedCass would understand just like that.

-And the sex we do?- he asked again, making thegirl'sface burn with embarrassment.

-I guess it could be bad if the wrong peoplefoundout.- Alex admitted running a hand through her hair, answeringsincerely.

-So should we stop?- Cass was doubtful and alsoalittle worried.

-Cass, I should stop doing so many things, butsexwith you is definitely the last on my list.- Alex confessed, becomingincreasingly red. The angel observed her for a while thinking aboutwhat shehad explained to him, then he curved his lips in a mischievous smileandapproached to kiss her passionately. Alex was right, it could have beendangerous, but while he was with her he didn't care about anything else.

When Alex woke up the next morning she feltlike shewas having déjà vu. She was naked again, holdingCastiel as he watched her.They had had a really hot night.

The two remained embraced for a while, insilence.

-I really wish you could sleep too or that Ididn'thave to. I'm sorry that you have to stay awake while I fall asleep.-Alex confessedsuddenly while with her index finger she created invisible drawings ontheangel's chest.

-It doesn't bother me. I like watching yousleep andif you have bad dreams I can help to calm you down.- he explained as hegentlycaressed her head.

Alex turned to kiss him softly when the phonestartedringing. She grabbed it with difficulty, risking falling off the bed toreachout to get it without getting down, being supported by the black-hairedandwhen she saw the caller she noticed that it was Bobby. For a moment shementally cursed herself, then replied.

-Hi Bobby...- she said slowly trying to testthewaters.

-May I know what the hell are you up to? Do youwantto make me crazy? - the man on the phone asked partially annoyed.

-I assume you received my package...-

-You imagine well. I would appreciate someexplanation, miss.- Bobby said. Cass listened to the conversationinterestedand curious.

-It's as I wrote to you. I was looking for aprotection spell...-

-Yes I got that. A protection spell forCastiel. Andnow that you've found it, can I know why you sent it to me instead ofdoing thespell yourself? - the man interrupted her. Alex looked up at Cass. Shehadn'tyet explained to him about her research and he was staring at herintently."I'll explain later" Alex murmured softly so as not to be heard onthe phone but to make herself understood by the angel who nodded hishead.

-So?- Bobby asked again on the phone, havingreceivedno answer.

-Well... I felt like I was being followed by ademonand I was afraid that he might come into possession of the informationI hadrecovered, so I thought I'd send everything to you so as not to givethoseassholes more power.- the girl created on the spot.

Bobby was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

-Okay. Was the demon there? Do you want help?-

-No. Everything's settled, no worries.-

-So you can do the spell yourself, right?-

-You're right. I'm about to hit the road. Ishouldarrive tomorrow evening, at the latest the day after tomorrow.-

-Alright then. Shall I call Sam and Dean? -Bobbyasked, not wanting to take initiatives that could make the girlnervous. Alexthought about it for a moment and then answered.

-Yes, okay. Tell them I'll see them at yourplace.-

-All right. Have a safe trip.-

-Bye Bobby.- the girl said before hanging upthephone.

-A demon was following you and you didn't wanthim tohave information you had recovered?- Castiel asked, raising an eyebrow.

-It's the first excuse that came to mind. Icertainlycouldn't tell him "Sorry Bobby, I just wanted to kill myself but IwantedCass to be safe so I sent the spell to you so that you could do it butnoweverything is fine, I don't want to die anymore, Cass, the angel who Iwantedto protect, saved me. Oh by the way, we're having sex and he's herewithme."- Alex replied in one breath almost without making poor Castielunderstand anything.

-You don't want to die anymore?- Castiel askedcalmly.

-No. I don't want to die anymore. Not now thatI'vefound a bit of happiness thanks to you.- Alex confessed. -I wasactuallythinking about going back hunting with Sam and Dean now that I'm betterand Iknow you're here for me.- the girl continued before stopping for amoment.

-You're here, right?-

-Always.- replied the angel, hugging hertightly.

-Now can you explain to me what this spell isthat youfound for me? - the dark-haired man asked subsequently, receiving abrief explanationon what had happened to the hard-headed with blue eyes.

After the phone call, Alex got ready and leftforBobby's house. If she had driven only to sleep she wouldn't havearrived untilthe next evening, so she told Castiel who made her promise to stop assoon asshe was tired. It mattered little to zero to him if it took her longerto getto the hunters. Alex agreed and said goodbye. She strapped the bag intotheDavy and drove off, headed for South Dakota.

She drove until the evening along state road90, thenat Butte she decided to stop to eat and rest.

She didn't even try to call Castiel, didn'twant toseem obsessive. However, she had not yet finished settling into themotel whenthe angel appeared with the usual rustling of his wings. It almostseemed thatnow that he had experienced the pleasures of humans he couldn't dowithoutthem.

The next morning Alex opened the map on herlaptop andnoticed that if she drove into the night she would get to Bobby withoutfurtherstops. Otherwise she could have stopped in South Dakota, in Rapid City,for thenight and made the last few hours of the journey the next morning.

She was thinking about what the best choicecould bewhen Cass, getting dressed, approached her and kissed her.

-See you in Rapid City.- he said and thenvanished withoutgiving her time to reply. Apparently the angels, or rather an angel,haddecided for her.

During a pit stop to get gas, she sent amessage toinform the hunter that she would arrive the next day for lunch, thencontinuedon, stopping just to grab a quick sandwich.

When she got to the motel she was really tired.Beingin the Impala for so many hours at a time was definitely morecomfortable thanriding her beloved motorcycle. She had to admit it. Cass arrivedshortly after,as if he were keeping an eye on her the entire time he wasn't with her.Noticing how tired she was, he proposed to prepare a hot bath for thegirl, orrather, to turn on the hot water and wait for the tub to fill. Alexgladlyaccepted but, despite their good intentions, they still ended upstaying uplate together.

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Chapter Text

The next day Alex and Cass arranged to meet atBobby'swith the promise that Alex would call him when he had to join her andtheyseparated. When she arrived at the Singer house, she noticed the Impalaparkedin the garage, a sign that Dean and Sam were already there. She parkedthemotorcycle in the usual spot and quickly reached the door.

-Bobby, it's me.- she shouted, knocking on thedoor acouple of times. After a few seconds Sam went to open it.

-Hi Sam, it's nice to see you again.- Alex saidinstinctivelyhugging the boy who, surprised, hugged her back. Then he stepped asideto allowher entry.

Once she looked into the living room she sawDean andBobby with two beers in their hands sitting on the armchair and sofa.Betweenthem, resting on the table, the box she had sent a few days earlier.

-Hi guys, I'm happy to see that you're well.-she saidfirst approaching the older one, placing a kiss on his cheek, and thenthe oneobsessed with vintage cars, hugging him tightly.

The two looked perplexed by the girl'sbehaviour butdecided not to say anything.

-Beer?- Bobby asked the newcomer.

-Gladly, thank you.-

-Sam, would you get Alex a beer?- Bobby askedtheyoungest. Everyone knew that beer would be laced with holy water, buteveryonewas fine with that. You had to make sure you were safe when you did ajob liketheirs and for all they knew Alex had just faced a demon.

-Bobby was telling us that you found aprotectionspell. Is this what you've been doing all these weeks? - Sam askedsincerelycurious.

-To be honest, yes.-

-Could you be a little more specific?- Dean wasvaguely annoyed by the whole situation.

-Look, I'll tell you everything in detail, butsinceit's lunch time now and I had breakfast ages ago, how about we ordersomethingfirst and then I'll explain to you on a full stomach? I don't want tohide fromyou that I'm feeling peckish.- said the girl pointing to the clock withthebottle. It actually showed 1.20pm.

The 3 agreed to the request and ordered friedchickenwith chips and dessert and talked about this and that while waiting forthedelivery.

By 3pm they had all finished eating, drinkingandsmoking and sat down in the armchairs ready to receive the necessaryexplanations.

-I will try to be as concise as possible.During amission with Cass, we found ourselves talking alone and I discoveredthat thereare several spells and artefacts that can hurt or kill him. I knowyou'll thinkthat well, who cares, us humans are much weaker than angels and I don'tget soanxious, but I couldn't do it. We are avoiding an Apocalypse involvingAngelsand Demons and Cass is on our side. He saved Dean and he saved me andhe'simportant and so I started looking for a way to protect him. Especiallynowthat he is close to us, perhaps more than he should, and helps us andthere aremore and more enemies who would like him dead. So I decided to golooking for avery ancient protection spell that could protect him from as manythings aspossible. That's why I took a break from hunting. I knew I would betraveling alot and fast and I couldn't reconcile the two. Without me telling youhow orwhy, I found the last pieces of the puzzle in Oregon a few days ago. Iwentthere and collected the necessary things. Then as I told Bobby I senteverything to him because I had a demon following me and I didn't wanthim tohave any valuable information. I got rid of it and now all I have to dois castthe spell on Cass. Once finished I will be ready to go hunting with youagain.-

-Does Castiel know? Did you see him?- Sam askedoncehe had digested the explanation. Alex was taken aback and didn't knowwhat tosay, so she made up.

-Yea and nay. Yesterday I contacted him andasked himto come here today when we called him. I mentioned it but onlytelepathically.-Alex replied hoping they would buy it.

-Why didn't you look for a spell that wouldwork on usinstead?!- Dean observed, at times suspicious.

-Oh, there are dozens of protection spells forhumans.Just because I don't tell you about them doesn't mean I don't use themwhenwe're hunting. Furthermore we are together. Cass is alone and it scaresme.-Alex confessed smiling at him, shrugging her shoulders as if she wasstatingthe obvious.

-Come on Dean. We all knew this. Alex is awitch afterall.- Bobby said interceding for the girl, having repeatedly noticedher pupilsturning purple when she used one of her powers.

-Alright then. So let's call Cass and do thisspell,right? - Dean proposed, starting to think about the angel before beingsuddenlyinterrupted by Alex who raised her hands in front of herself to tellhim tostop.

-Wait Dean. To do the spell I have to prepare apotionfirst and it will take a while. There's no point in us calling Cassnow. WhenI'm ready we'll call him.- Alex explained.

-Ok, whatever you want, little witch.- the boysaid,ruffling her hair affectionately, receiving a side hug.

-What do you need?- asked Bobby.

-The main ingredients are in the box. I need alitreof holy water, a large pot, a ladle, fire, a golden chalice, an ironblade, butI can use my knife and a few hours at my disposal.-

-Chimney?-

-No Sam, the kitchen stove will be fine, don'tworry.-Alex replied chuckling.

Bobby sent Sam to a room in the house toretrieve thechalice and holy water, Dean helped carry the box to the kitchen andBobbylooked for a pot and a ladle that weren't made of iron so as not tohurt thegirl.

Once she had prepared the necessaryingredients, Alexput the water on the fire and threw half the herbs into it, thenstartedstirring over a low heat.

-It will take a few hours.- she informed them,concentrating on what she was doing.

-What exactly does the spell consist of? Somedetailswere vague.- Bobby asked as he sat down at the kitchen table imitatedby Samwhile Dean leaned against the door frame.

-Basically I have to prepare this potion whichwillhave to change colour from the current green to purple. Once ready itis pouredinto a golden chalice. Cass and I will have to drink the contents whichI hopewill not taste obscenely bad. Once this is done I have to draw symbolson Cass'forehead and chest with my blood caused by a cut from an iron knife andrecitethe spell that I copied on the sheet of the box. By doing this, Casswill bemore protected and safe as long as I am alive.-

-You're joking, right? All this will only workif youstay alive?!- Dean exclaimed annoyed.

-Well yes. This is usually how older spellswork.-

-So I repeat again: what's the point of havingspentso much time looking for such a spell if all it takes is killing you tobreakit and get rid of Cass? You are much weaker than an angel.- observedDean,approaching the girl nervously.

-It's the best I could do. And then in order tokillCass they will have to kill two people: me and him. It will be muchmoredifficult this way. Also now that you know how it works, if somethingwere tohappen to me you could repeat the spell with someone else and let Cassremainprotected.- Alex explained seriously as she continued to stir thecontents ofthe pot. Thus silence fell among those present.

-Alex, cutting yourself with the iron knifewill hurtyou much more than a normal person, you know.- Sam observed,remembering whatthe girl had said about the iron knife.

-I know. Means nothing. It's the price you payforbeing a witch I suppose.- Alex said shrugging her shoulders and shakingherhead nonchalantly.

-I hope it's worth it.- Dean concluded beforetaking abottle and going for a walk away from the girl.

-It's worth it.- the brunette murmured toherselfwithout making herself heard, remaining focused on what she was doing.

It took 6 hours to finish brewing the potion.Once itturned purple, Alex turned off the flame and left the kitchen to gotell thekids. Meanwhile, the brothers, with Bobby's help, were looking for anew hunt.

-The potion is ready. Now we can call Cass.-Alex saidrubbing her neck with one hand. It had been tiring to stand for so manyhourswith her head bent over the stove.

The three stopped their search and approachedAlex inthe centre of the room.

-Cass? You are here? Can you join us?- Deanasked outloud with his gaze lost towards the ceiling.

-I'm here.- Cass informed them, arrivingaccompaniedby the rustling of wings that Alex had learned to recognise. Heappeared infront of Dean, next to her. So close that their arms touched and Alexhad toresist the temptation to touch him.

-This knucklehead has to tell you something.-Deannodded at Alex. Cass turned to her.

-Wait, I'll show you.- Alex said proposing totheangel to read her mind. That way she could let him know not only whathappenedduring the day with the 3 hunters, but also mentally communicate to himinprivate what she had said to them and what he should have said withouttheothers knowing anything. Cass accepted with a nod and placed twofingers on herforehead, then closed his eyes and concentrated on taking in everythingthegirl wanted him to know. In a few seconds they were done and took a fewstepsaway.

-No.-

-What no?-

-I don't want you to risk your life with thisspellfor me. They're right.- Cass explained referring to Sam and Dean.

-Cass, everything will be fine. It's just astupidcut.- Alex said as if she didn't know that witches suffer from contactwithiron.

-I'm not just referring to the cut. As you saidyourself, if they wanted to kill me they would have to kill you first.I'm notgoing to put you in more danger than you are just to have a littleextraprotection. I should be the one protecting you, not the other wayaround.-

-Someone who thinks.- Dean blurted out in a lowvoice,receiving a glare from Alex that sent a shiver of fear through him.

-Cass, as you said yourself, I'm already indanger. Itwould be difficult to be in more danger than we are at the moment. I'mnotgoing to go around blaring this protection spell and if it's the samefor allof you, I don't see how anyone would know about it. It took me weeks tofindthis spell knowing what I was looking for and what I wanted to do. Letalonefor someone who has no idea where I'm going with this. It'll takeforever.-Cass started to speak but Alex interrupted him.

-I'm a hunter. I risk my life every day andalmostevery creature we encounter wants us dead. And all this regardless ofany bondthat might unite us. Many don't even know that angels really exist. Ihave nointention of stopping hunting and will therefore continue to risk mylife. Makeit easier for me and let me protect you. If I know you're safe I workbetterand get distracted less, unlike what happened with the Daevas.- Alexconcludedreferring to the fight with the demons where, in fact, she had taken abig risktwice within a few hours of each other. Those present seemed to thinkabout it,but had to agree that the girl wasn't totally wrong.

-I hope I never have to regret it.- Cass gavein. Deanhoped that the angel would send the girl to hell, after all they bothwanted toprotect her, but that wasn't the case and it offended him a lot but inthe endthe decision wasn't up to him and he knew how stubborn Alex was and howmuchshe cared about the people she loved.

-Perfect, I'll take what I need from thekitchen.-said the girl, returning after about a minute. In one hand she had thegobletfull of potion and in the other the sheets with the spell to recite.Afterplacing everything on the table, she took a chair from near the deskand pushedthe angel onto it to make him sit. For a moment Alex shuddered at thethoughtof what else could have happened between her and the angel with himsitting ina chair. The idea was so strong that it reached Cass's mind but theybothmanaged to keep their thoughts hidden from the others.

-Sorry Cass, but you're too tall for me to makedecentsymbols on your forehead.- the girl explained before taking her knifeout ofher boot. Luckily the handle was covered, so she would avoid hurtingherselffurther by holding an iron knife.

-Here... you should undress.- Alex saidblushing,trying not to look at the angel in the eyes. Normally she would haveundressedhim herself but she didn't want others to know about theirrelationship. Cassobeyed, without taking his eyes off her, as if only the two of themexisted inthe room.

-One moment. Cass, is that a hickey?!- Deanexclaimed,pointing to a piece of skin between the man's shoulder and neck,normallycovered by the shirt. Alex mentally beat herself for not realizing itsoonerand for the Winchester's keen powers of observation.

-A what?- asked Cass trying to examine thepointindicated, without being able to. Meanwhile Sam and Bobby had movedcloser toget a better look.

-A hickey.- Sam repeated surprised.

-A girl bit and sucked your neck?!- Dean askedexplaining himself better.

-Ah. Yes.- Cass said looking intensely intoAlex'seyes. The girl's cheeks were now almost purple with embarrassment.

-You had sex?!- Dean exclaimed shocked, notexpectinganything like this.

-I think it's time to refocus on the spell Ihave tocast. It's none of our business what Cass does.- Alex said out loud,regainingattention on himself. The 3 nodded but Dean gave the angel a pat on theshoulder before taking a couple of steps back.

-Congrats. Excellent work.- he commented,withoutactually knowing who the person who had been with the angel was.

Alex hoped she hadn't turned too red and wheneveryonehad returned to their seats and she and Cass were ready, Alex drankhalf thecontents of the cup. It was disgusting. Unable to avoid a grimace, shepassedthe cup with the rest of the potion to the angel who drank it all inone gulpwithout issues.

At that point Alex grabbed the knife that shehad placedon the table, held it with her right hand and made a long cut thatcrossed theentire left palm. She wanted to scream from the unbearable pain but sheknewthat if she did so, the others would stop her right away, so sheresisted bymentally cursing, throwing down all the saints and biting her cheek sohard thatit bled. For a moment it seemed that Castiel was lifting his arm a fewcentimetres,wanting to caress her face to give her relief, but he controlledhimself andreturned to his position with his arms in place.

When her palm was full of blood, she placed theknifeon the table and wet her right index finger with her blood so she coulddrawthe symbols on Castiel's pale skin.

First she drew the symbol on his forehead. Theyweretwo concentric circles with 3 red dots inside that formed an upsidedown triangle.Then she moved on to draw a second, different symbol on the rightpectoral.This time the symbol was formed by a semi-arch opening downwards underwhichthere was a cross and above instead vertical and horizontal lines thatseemedto form a television antenna. Finally she placed her entire right handon the bloodthat had accumulated in her other hand so as to dirty it completely andlefther imprint at the level of the angel's heart. When she was finished,bothhands covered in blood, Bobby held the paper up to her eyes so shecould readthe formula she was to recite.

Alex's eyes immediately turned purple and apowerfulenergy released from her body, causing her hair to wave in the air andthesheet of paper Bobby held out in front of her to shake.

-Fýlaxe,Theé, aftón ton gio sou. Makárina min se pligósei típota kai na min sevrísei kaneís.(Guard, O God, this son of yours. May nothing hurt him and no one maycursehim.)-

As soon as Alex finished reciting the spell herpupilsreturned to normal and the blood symbols she had traced on Castiel'sbodyseemed to absorb into his system. It all lasted a few seconds and justas itbegan, so it ended.

-Ok, done.- Alex informed them when she wassure thateverything had gone well. As soon as she confirmed the end of thespell, Cassimmediately stood up from his chair and approached her. Gently he tookherinjured hand in his hands as Dean went to the kitchen to get a rag.

-I think we have to give you some stitches.- hesaidloudly so that the next room could hear.

Alex was about to nod when Cass clasped herhand inhers and using his power healed her wound.

When Dean returned, he touched the angel's armstoopen his hands and ran the rag over Alex's, wiping away the blood andrevealingthe untouched skin of her palms.

-Oh, thanks Cass.- she thanked him sincerely,whilethis time she went to the kitchen sink herself to finish cleaning herhands. Shereturned shortly after, noticing that Castiel was finishing gettingdressed.

-Well guys, I'd say it's time to go to sleep.We canthink about the rest tomorrow." Bobby said, moving towards the door oftheroom.

-Alex, you take the smaller room. Dean, Sam,you getthe guest room. You will be more comfortable in that bed as big and asbig asyou are. Goodnight.- Bobby continued as he headed towards his room.

-We're going too. Night Cass. See you.- Deangreetedheading upstairs followed by Sam once he had said bye.

Alex, who didn't want to speak out loud, begantothink as she retrieved her bag with a change of clothes.

“Cass, can you hear me if I dothis?”

"Yes, if you want we can communicate thisway." Cass said closing his eyes to concentrate, using his power.

“See you upstairs?”

"Sure." the angel replied beforedisappearing.

Alex entered the room and retrieved herpajamas, thenwent to the nearest bathroom of the house where she changed and washedquickly.When she returned to her room Cass was already there waiting for her.

"Is everything ok?" Alex asked, wanting totest the waters.

"You're stupid. You put yourself in dangerunnecessarily. Dean is right to call you stubborn" replied the angelsitting on the bed. Alex approached him and hugged him, resting hishead on herbelly, holding him close.

"I don't want to lose you, Cass." Cassreturned the hug and soon dragged her onto the bed with him, kissinghergently.

"Cass, we can't. They might hear us and itfeelsweird to do it at Bobby's house, secretly." the girl admitted, stoppingthe angel before their tempers got too hot.

The black-haired nodded his head, kissing heragain.He then made her lie down in bed and hugged her as he had done dailyfor a fewdays now. Alex rested her head on his chest getting close to him.

"Will I be able to come visit you when you'rehunting with Dean and Sam too?" the angel asked, twisting a lock of thegirl's raven hair around his finger.

"You can come whenever you want. I will alwaysbethere for you." the girl replied, receiving a light kiss on the head.

"Night." she said simply placing a kiss onhis chin, soon ending up in Morpheus' arms.

Cass watched over her all night and only leftin themorning when he heard the others moving around the house. Alex wasstill asleepand he was sorry to leave her like this but he didn't want to wake her.Hegently caressed her cheek and then vanished.

As discussed the day before, when the four wereawakeand dressed, Alex confirmed that she was ready to resume the hunt. So,inagreement with Bobby, she decided to leave the motorbike with him. Theboys,having found an interesting article online about a series ofinexplicablesuicides, left in the late morning, headed for Oklahoma.

While Alex was in the car with the boys, sherealizedthat she had missed voluntarily going hunting. She had spent awonderful timewith them before dying and wanted to get back to her old habits. Shespent thejourney chatting with the kids or singing when some of her favouritesongs cameon the radio, a strictly rock/metal station.

The two boys were happy to see that the girlwas backto being what she used to be and let her do what she wanted, evenwilling toput up with her poorly tuned voice. They wondered what had happened,but theyknew that if she ever wanted to talk to them about it, she would, sotheydidn't ask.

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Chapter Text

They arrived in Oklahoma in the evening. Theystoppedfor something to eat at a diner along the road and decided to stay in amotelfor the night. They would start searching the next morning. The owneraskedthem if they wanted one or two rooms and Alex said two.

-This way we can use my room as a base likeback inthe old days, right?- she explained simply once she received the keysand leftthe motel. She certainly couldn't confess the real reason for thatchoice, thatis, that she needed privacy to meet with a certain angel they knew.

The three said goodnight and went to sleep. Theroomswere nevertheless adjacent: if something had happened they would havereachedeach other in a few seconds. Alex entered and closed the door behindher, afterless than a second she heard the rustling of wings behind her.

-Hi.- she said to the angel even before turningaround. Ending up wrapped in a beige trench coat. Soft lips began totaste theskin on her neck. The girl turned in the dark-haired man's arms andkissed himpassionately.

-We have to be quite. The boys are in the nextroom.-she said softly biting the man's chin covered by a thin layer of beard.

Cass moaned excitedly. Continuing to kiss theangelvoraciously, she began to make him retreat towards the center of theroom. Witha push she made the angel move backwards, making him end up sitting ona chairthat she had moved mentally without the dark-haired man noticing,distracted bymuch more pleasant activities. Alex immediately straddled her partnerwho she startedkissing again while he brought his hands to enthusiastically feel thebrunette's ass. Alex, excited, swayed her pelvis on his, receiving theresponseshe had been waiting for. Suddenly she stopped and began to untie thetie ofthe man who let her do it.

-When I pushed you into that chair yesterday, acoupleof things came to mind that I wanted to try with you.- she whispered tohim asshe took his hands behind the back of the chair and began to tie themtightlywith the tie, finally starting to move her hands sensually on her bodyas she madetheir pelvises collide again.

Castiel tried to touch her himself but noticedthathis hands were tightly bound. He almost didn't realize what hadhappened, tooexcited by the woman in front of him.

Alex, noticing the failed attempt atliberation, raisedher right index finger, slowly moving it down the man's face, along hischinand neck until she reached the edge of his shirt.

-If you're bad I'll have to punish you.- thegirlmurmured in his ear and then went down to give him a bite on the neckwhich soonbecame a real hickey that matched the one already present.

When she had finished and the angel's skin wasimprintedby that new mark, she began to unbutton his shirt, taking the edgesaway fromhis body, putting him on display ready to be caressed by her hands.

Alex lost herself licking and touching theman's chestfor minutes and minutes before deciding that the time had come to freehim fromthe tightness of his pants.

Standing up, giving the angel time to catch hisbreath, she moved towards the man's feet. She took off his shoes andsockswhich she placed in a corner of the room. Then she unbuttoned histrousers andlowered them down his legs, leaving him in his boxers. Even so, Alexwasclearly able to see the man's erection protruding from the light cottonfabric.At the sight, the brunette bit her lower lip sensually while one handgrazedhis skin just above the elastic of his boxers.

Castiel remained silent and only moans andgroans cameout of his mouth. He liked what the girl was doing and wanted to seewhat elseshe had in mind.

Alex stood up, placing her hands on the bottomedge ofthe shirt she was wearing and began to move it slowly over her body,exposingher navel until her blue bra was visible. She quickly shed her shirtand broughther hands behind her back to unbutton the underwear which she tossedover thebed and landed on the floor beyond their sight.

Touching herself, she began to massage herbreasts andslowly squeezed her nipples, closing her eyes and imagining that thosewere thehands of the angel still tied in front of her.

Noticing that Cass had started to move, sheleaned towardsthe angel and brought her chest closer to the angel's face. Hungry,Cass bentforward to lick her breasts, barely tickling her due to the littlebeard he hadand then took a nipple in his mouth. He bit and sucked as if he wantedtorelease a sweet nectar that could satisfy his hunger.

Alex barely held back the moans of pleasure notwanting to make too much noise.

When she noticed that her juices began to flowdownher vagin*, wetting her panties, she decided to give both of them morepleasure. She walked away from the angel and quickly took off her shoesandsocks. She opened the buttons on her tight trousers and began to lowerthemvery slowly down her toned legs. When he was finished she dropped themnext tothe chair and started playing with the elastic of the panties, matchingthebra, like in a game of peek-a-boo. She returned to sit on the angel'slegs andbegan to collide their private parts, causing shocks of pleasure inboth ofthem as she brought her hands through the dark-haired man's hair,kissing himlustfully. When she had decided that this torture was taking to long,she brokeaway from the dark-haired man's lips, leaving a few centimeters betweenthemand closing her eyes, throwing her head back and making their pelvisesrubtogether, she began to murmur.

-Oh... Yes... Cass... I want you... Ah...Inside me...I want you to make me yours...-

Castiel, who hadn't taken his eyes off thegirl's body,decided that the time had come to give her what they both wanted.Without anyeffort he freed himself from the tie that was blocking his hands and,helpinghimself with his hands, he rose from the chair holding the girl in hisarms.

He went to the bed and made her lie on herback, thenfreed her from her panties.

With his fingers he touched her opening,finding herwet and ready for him, so he quickly freed himself from his boxers and,movingon top of her, he penetrated her with one deep push.

Alex intertwined her legs behind Cass' back andwithher arms she hugged him tightly in the throes of pleasure. Cass,thrustingrhythmically, moved slightly trying to find what he heard was the pointoffemale pleasure, finding it instinctively.

-Ah! Yes! There!- the girl moaned, throwing herheadback, placing her hands on his ass as if she wanted to help him withthethrusts.

-You were a really bad girl. You don'tchallengeangels.- Castiel murmured in her ear as he began to quickly hit thespot he hadjust found in her.

Alex found herself in the throes of an org*smof aviolence that she had never experienced before and Cass, finding hispenisenveloped by her walls that tightened around him, poured himself intoher whilekissing her adoringly.

When they finished the two separated and huggedeachother tightly, eager to feel each other's warmth. It was difficult tobe apartfor so long, but the reward was worth the wait.

The next day the boys investigated thesuicides. Theywere all young women between 20 and 40 years old and they all seemed tobecustomers of a small bar in the city centre.

-Doesn't it remind you a little of our firstcasetogether?- Alex asked, thinking back to when they met.

-So I wasn't the only one who noticed it.- Samadmitted thinking of old times.

-Bait?- Alex asked, pointing to herself withherthumbs.

-Bait.- concluded the two brothers, looking ateachother with resigned glares.

All of them took precautions. As usual theywouldn'tlet Alex out of their sight the entire time. She would have tried toget theattention of whoever the culprit was, lure him to a safe place (theyset updifferent signals, one if they would lead him to the boys' room, one iftheywent to an isolated shed on the edge of town and one for danger) anddeal withit together once they reach the established place.

In the evening Alex dressed provocatively. Shewore adark blue bustier that reminded her of the color of her favoriteangel's eyes,a black miniskirt and black heeled boots inside which she had hidden aswitchblade. She left her hair loose on her shoulders in soft wavesthat coveredher exposed skin and booked a taxi to go to the bar. Sam and Dean hadgone outearlier and would meet her there.

Once she arrived she immediately went to thecounterwhere she ordered a drink, being joined by Sam who ordered two beers tomakehis presence known.

After recognizing each other, Alex moved awayto gotowards the back of the room where numerous people were gathered, goingwildwith background music and beginning dancing sensually, trying toattract theattention of their target. After about an hour Dean reached her, makingtheirbodies join together as if they were simply dancing while, bringing hismouthclose to her ear, he told her that perhaps they had found theirculprit. Hepointed out a man in his thirties who, not far from them, was observingthegirls present in the place, often focusing on her too. Alex let himknow that sheunderstood who he was referring to and when the song ended she slowlystarted approachingthe man. She waited a few minutes keeping an eye on his moves and whenshe wassure they had found the right person she approached him. She took hishands andbrought them to her body, then started dancing trying to convince himto goaway with her.

It took her longer than she hoped, but shefinallyconvinced him to go away with her. They discussed for a moment while hedidn'ttake his hands off her and decided that they would go to the abandonedshedwith his car. Alex took two last shots of tequila for both of them,signalingthe decision to her two friends and then they left the place, headed tothelocation in the man's car, followed a short distance away by a '67ChevyImpala.

While she was sitting, the man never missed anopportunity to put his hand on Alex's breasts and legs, but shesqueezed themwhile feigning excitement. In reality she didn't want to be touched inthatspot by that being or by others. Once outside the shed they got out ofthe carand Alex let herself be guided inside, the man's hands pressed on herbutt. Theinterior was fairly bare, except for some shelves placed around theroom. Alexadvanced and stopped between two shelves. The man pushed her againsttheshelves and started kissing her violently. Alex without being noticedraised aleg, resting it against the furniture and silently removed the knifefrom thegarment. Then she strongly reversed positions so that his back was tothe doorthrough which Sam and Dean would enter. She kissed him again, pressingherpelvis against his, then a second row of teeth came out of his mouthready tobite her neck when Alex suddenly grabbed the knife and stuck it in thevampire's eye.

He immediately reacted by hitting her, makingher flyto the ground towards the center of the room, screaming in pain andremovingthe weapon from his eye which slowly began to form again. Then, beforehe couldlunge at the girl, Dean and Sam burst in. Dean fired his rifle at him,sendinghim back against the wall.

-He's a vampire!- the brunette shouted at thetwoboys, getting up slightly dazed.

-Great.- Dean commented sarcastically.Meanwhile Samgrabbed a long sharp blade from the bag he carried on his shoulders. Ina fewminutes they cut off the vampire's head, solving the matter.

-How disgusting.- the girl said looking at theheadless body.

-Are you okay?- Sam asked looking at the girlworriedly.

-Yes I'm fine. A few scratches and bruises butI'mok.- Alex said looking at her arms and legs.

-Let's burn this asshole and leave.- Dean justsaid,grabbing some petrol and starting to sprinkle the corpse.

They stayed there for half an hour, making surethebody was burned beyond recognition before leaving.

Together they returned to the motel. Alex lit acigarette in the parking lot and instantly relaxed. The boys stayed tokeep hercompany and Sam took off his jacket to put it on her shoulders and lether warmup a little.

When the cigarette was consumed, the threeagreed tomeet the next morning to go have breakfast together, then theyseparated andeach went to their own room.

As soon as Alex opened the door to her room,shenoticed Castiel standing in the center, a few feet away from her.

-Hi Cass.- she said as she locked the door,keepingher back to him. In the blink of an eye Castiel was behind her and whensheturned she found herself inches away from his face. He was angry.

-Are you okay?- he asked trying to control hisnervousness, noticing the wounds.

-I am fine. Vampire.- the girl explainedraising aneyebrow in confusion. At that point Cass came even closer to her,making hertake a couple of steps back, ending up hitting her back against thedoor.

-He touched you. He kissed you.- he saidtersely,raising his arms, placing them on the sides of her head. He was reallypissed.

-I was hunting, Cass. You know it. I waspretending.-

-I don't want anyone else to touch you. Only Ican doit.- he said possessively with a guttural tone of voice even lower thanusual.Alex couldn't help but get excited at the thought of Castiel being sojealous.Her pupils dilated more and her panties became wet. She tried to avoidtouchingherself, remaining with her gaze fixed on the black-haired man. ThenCastielput a hand in her hair, pulling slightly to make her chin lift andkissed herforcefully, being immediately reciprocated.

-Ah, Cass.- the girl moaned, excited by theangelimpetuosity, then, losing her mind, she brought her hands to histrousers andunbuttoned them, lowering them slightly to discover the erect memberthrobbingagainst her belly. Immediately he took her in his arms, lifting her upand,pushing aside her panties with one hand, he impaled her urgently,pushing hereven more against the door which began to tremble slightly.

Alex tried to control the moans she made asmuch aspossible, but it was really difficult for her while he penetrated herwith suchvigor. Suddenly Cass began to back up towards the bed and dropped thegirl ontothe mattress. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, thenquicklystarted taking off the clothes that covered them. When they werefinished Alexstarted to sit better on the bed, but Cass guided her with one hand toturnover with her belly facing the mattress. The girl obeyed, more and moreexcitedat the thought of what was about to happen and got down on all fours,openingher legs as much as she could without losing her balance. Castiellooked at herand then slapped her softly on the butt. It didn't hurt her but Alex,notexpecting something like this, moaned uncontrollably.

At that point, Cass also knelt on the mattressandwith one sharp thrust he penetrated her, intertwining his hands withhers. Heimmediately began to give rapid and vigorous thrusts and Alex toldherself thata human being would never have been able to keep up that pace,remembering fora moment that, like her, Cass was not human either, then with one handhe movedthe brunette's hair and he bit her neck leaving a light mark, causingthe girlto have an org*sm. Alex grabbed Cass' hand and brought it to her breastwherehe began to play with one nipple, squeezing and massaging it. Then whenhe wasabout to reach the org*sm, he increased his speed even more, moving hishandand bringing it over the mark he had left on her when he had freed herfromHell. Alex experienced the pleasures of a multiple org*sm for the firsttimeand the tightening of her walls around the angel's penis brought him toclimax,making him come inside her while he leaned his body against the girl'sback.After a few seconds he came out of her and they both lay down on themattress,tired and happy.

-Where... Where did you learn it?- asked Alexpleasantly surprised.

-From the pizza man.- Castiel replied candidly.Alexlooked at him confused and he explained what he meant, making her burstoutlaughing at the story.

-I would have paid gold to be there to see SamandDean's faces.- she said trying to calm down, holding her abs that weresorefrom sex and laughter. Alex turned to look at the black-haired man andsaw thathe was smiling at her, making small wrinkles appear around his eyesthat madehim more human, if possible.

-I will try to avoid putting myself insituations liketoday's.- the girl said after a while, turning on her side to lookbetter ather companion, wanting to reassure him.

-But you know that I'm a hunter and sometimescertainthings are part of the job. This doesn't mean I do it with pleasure. Ido itbecause I have to, but I would like you to touch me.- she added, takingone ofthe man's hands with hers, intertwining their fingers.

-I know. It just bothered me.- Castielconfessed.

-Ok, you were jealous. I understand.-

-Jealous?- Cass asked confused.

-Yes, jealous. Jealousy is what you feel whenyou areafraid that you might lose the person you love and care about tosomeone else.-the girl explained. The angel absorbed that information and thoughtabout it.

-Yes, I was jealous.- he admitted after acouple ofminutes. Alex kissed him gently.

-I like jealous, but also understanding and Iknow youknow how to be it.- she said hoping he knew the meaning of that newadjective.Cass looked at her and nodded his head before hugging her tightly.

-Go to sleep. I'll watch over you.- he said,placing akiss on her forehead. Alex looked at him for a moment, rested her headon hischest and soon fell asleep.

When she woke up the next morning she saw Casslookingworriedly at the bruises that had formed on her body. Now that a fewhours hadpassed she had to admit that her muscles ached and the wounds wouldcertainlyhave burned in contact with water and clothes, but it could have beenmuchworse.

-I can cure you.- Castiel said simply.

-It's better not. Dean and Sam would getsuspicious ifI showed up without any injuries. It's okay, don't worry.- she said,caressinghis cheek.

-Shower?- she asked after a while.

-Shower.- the man agreed, letting himself betaken bythe hand and led to the bathroom where they washed together. It hadalmostbecome a ritual by now.

Once they were both ready and Alex had zippedup herbag, they said their goodbyes. The angel disappeared and Alex went outto knockon Dean and Sam's door. They were finishing packing up their bags andDeantossed her the keys to start putting her stuff in the Chevy.

-What do we do?- Alex asked the two brothers astheyfinished breakfast. Sam had his computer open in front of him and everynow andthen he was looking for something.

-I wouldn't know. Right now I have no traces.-saidthe youngest, lowering the screen resignedly.

-What if we went to an amusem*nt park? It'sbeen along time since we took a break together.- the girl proposed.

-It can be done. What parks are there nearby,Sammy? -

-So, not far from here there are the FrontierCitypark and the Hurricane Harbor water park. Otherwise in Texas you arespoiledfor choice. The Worlds of fun isn't bad either and it's not far fromhere.-

-Hmmm... Water park... Babes in bikinis...-Deanmurmured, receiving a resigned look from his brother.

-Yes, in April. It's still cold for waterparks. We'renot in Florida. I'd say Worlds of Fun is fine. Are you there?- sheaskedlooking at the two cheerfully. The two brothers looked each other inthe eyesand then accepted.

-Yay! I can't wait!- said Alex getting uphappily togo pay and leave as soon as possible.

By lunchtime they arrived at the amusem*nt parkandimmediately set off on the most daring attractions. She needed some funafter along time and even the two boys had to admit they were having fun.

They managed to take photos in a 1960s camerabox andstayed there until closing time.

-Okay. It was really fun.- Dean admitted,putting hisarm around Alex's neck as they walked towards the car. Sam was on thegirl'sother side.

-Oh yes, it was super. We'll have to do itagain moreoften. I mean to have fun. We almost never do it.-

-Well, hunting isn't the most fun.- Sam said.

-Speak for yourself little brother. But I'm in.Wedeserve a little fun every now and then. Next time though, water parkandbabes.- Dean said placing a kiss on Alex's temple.

-Alright then. I admit that looking at girls inbikinis isn't bad at all.- the girl conceded, slapping him on the chestwiththe back of her hand.

-Do you mean that you are...?- Sam askedsurprised bythat semi-confession.

-If I had to choose, I would say pan. Ingeneral Iprefer the male gender, but women are also very sexy.- Alex saidshrugging.

-If only I had known it before.- Dean said,getting anelbow in the side.

-Don't be a pig.- Alex warned him.

-You never told us.- Sam noticed as they gotinto thecar, headed towards one of the usual motels.

-You never asked me. I'm with who I like. Itdoesn'tmatter who it is.-

-Fair enough.- admitted the little one. He hadnothingto add about it.

-Perfect. And Dean, focus on the road, please.-thegirl said knowing that the hunter was lost in some erotic mentaljourney thatprobably concerned her.

Late in the evening they stopped at a motel ina smalltown outside the city called Lexington. The rooms were only doubles, sotheytook one. Dean and Sam would sleep together in one bed and she inanother.

After chatting they went to sleep and onceeveryonewas asleep, a rustling of wings filled the room.

Castiel materialized at the foot of the bed,watchingthe sleeping girl. Not wanting to wake either her or the brothers, helaid downnext to her, keeping her tight in his arms and remained there untildawn when,after placing a kiss on her cheek, he walked away before he could beseen.

When Alex woke up she found herself surroundedbyCastiel's scent. The pillow and sheets smelled of him and she wonderedif shewas going crazy or if he had come to visit her while she was sleeping.

-Morning guys.- she said not wanting to lifther facefrom the pillow.

-Morning.- Dean said half asleep.

-Guys, Ellen left a message. She said to take alookat Albuquerque, at the Navajo reservation.- Sam said putting his phoneon thetable and turning on the computer to do some research. Alex offered togo getfood for everyone and after getting dressed she left. As she lookedaroundtrying to find where to go to buy some food, she found herself joinedbyCastiel, who greeted her with a light kiss on the lips.

-Hi.- she said happier.

-Hi.-

-Did you happen to come to the motel tonight?-askedthe girl as she entered a cafe.

-Did you notice?-

-No. It's just that I thought I smelled yourodor. Youcould have woken me up.- the girl said playing with a lock of hairwhile theywere in line to order.

-I didn't want to. You seemed so peaceful whileyouwere sleeping.- he said, placing his cheek on her forehead, moving itslowly asif to caress it.

-A cappuccino, two long coffees, a slice ofappletart, a cherry tart and a carrot cake. Do you want anything? - Alexasked. Casslooked at her, nodding his head, so she paid and moved away to wait fortheorder to be complete.

-You know, Dean and Sam get really upset whiletheysleep. They kicked each other all the time.- he informed her while theywaited,making her laugh.

-I know. In fact, I often found myself havingto sleepwith one of them so that they would avoid slaughtering each other. Whentheyargue I can't keep up with them.- said the girl grabbing the order.

-Did this happen often?- Castiel askedcuriously.

-Once we went hunting together again, when theyfoundout I was a witch, almost every day. I usually slept with Dean, butsometimeswith Sam too. It depended on the moment.- Cass with a nod made herunderstandthat he understood. They both walked slowly, wanting to enjoy thosemomentstogether for as long as possible.

Before arriving ahead at the hotel theyexchanged onelast kiss where they could not be seen. The angel was about to leavewhen Alexstopped him by grabbing his trench coat with her free hand.

-Cass, I don't know if you know, but there wassomething between me and Dean before we died.- Alex said when she hadreceivedthe angel's full attention.

-You slept together, I know.- Cass said.

-Did you know that? How?-

-When Dean came to me after recovering hismemories ofyou, he asked me to bring you back from Hell. We discussed it andfinally wemade a deal and I accepted. When we agreed I read in Dean's mindeverything heremembered about you to find you more easily and among the things I sawwas thenight you had sex after the Ghoul hunt. And also when you were about todo itbut were interrupted by a certain Bela.- Castiel explained withouttaking hiseyes off her but then she lowered her gaze embarrassed that he had seenallthose details.

-I'm sorry you saw... Everything.-

-That's fine. It helped me to find you. Plus,now youdon't have sex with Dean anymore, you do it with me, right? - he asked,huggingher.

-Yes. I do it with you.- she confirmed, heldtightlyin his arms. After placing a light kiss on his cheek she said goodbyeandCastiel vanished as quickly as he had appeared. She was about to knockon theboys' door when Dean opened it and stepped outside.

-I saw Cass. He left before I could reach you.Whatdid he want?- asked Dean raising an eyebrow as he helped the girl carrythestuff in.

-Oh, he just wanted to thank me for the spell Icastand to tell me again to be careful.- Alex said sitting at the table.

-He's right.- Dean said imitating her, joinedimmediately afterwards by Sam.

-Did you discover something?- Alex asked,taking a sipof cappuccino, trying to divert the conversation.

-Looks like we have some work to do.- Sam saidbeforestarting to explain what he had discovered.

Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Chapter Text

For the following weeks the 3 resumed huntingacrossAmerica, going from motel to motel, eating junk food at fast foodrestaurantsand constantly risking their lives. During all that time Cass and Alexkeptseeing each other secretly. If she could sleep in a room alone, hewould joinher, they would love each other, and he would stay with her until shewas readyto meet up with the two brothers. If, however, the 3 of them had toshare aroom, which rarely happened, he waited for them to fall asleep and laydownnext to her, watching over her sleep so that she wouldn't havenightmares,always leaving at the first light of dawn so as not to be seen by theothers.He had also joined them on a mission to stop Lilith, but it seemed thatinHeaven they had been keeping an eye on him for a while, despite all theprecautions he took, and many of the missions to stop the breaking ofthe sealswere given to other angels.

The 3 hunters had recently finished a job inJacksonville, Florida and were thinking of giving themselves a few daysto goand have fun in one of the thousand amusem*nt parks in the country.Alex wantedto go to Disneyworld, having never been there, while Dean wanted to goto awater park, as it was early June, and Sam found himself in the middle.

For that ghost hunt, they ended up sleeping inthesame room and now the guys were ready to go to lunch together. All theyweremissing was Alex who had been locked in the bathroom for what seemedlike ages.

Suddenly the bathroom door opened and the girldroppedonto the bed, clutching her head in her hands in silence, her gazefixed on herknees.

"What if I'm pregnant? Is it possible that Cassimpregnated me in these months?" the girl thought, ignoring the boys'perplexed looks. Sam was cautiously approaching her to check on herwhenCastiel appeared between him and the girl.

-It is not possible for an angel and a human tohavechildren causally. The angel should want it with all of himself and itis stilla very rare event. I certainly didn't commit to it.- he informed her,havingheard the girl's thoughts and wanting to reassure her.

The two brothers began to look at themconfused, notunderstanding where that random statement came from, but they wereignored bythe two dark-haired friends.

-Cass, I haven't had my period for three monthsnow.-the girl said, looking at the angel worriedly. Sam understood at thatpoint whatwas going on and demonstrated it by widening his eyes and opening hismouth indisbelief. Dean was still groping in the dark.

-What if I had gotten pregnant by Jimmyinstead? Isthat possible? - asked the girl referring to the angel's container.

-It's really unlikely, but I would say notcompletelyimpossible.- the angel admitted after thinking about it.

At that point Dean also put two and twotogether. Witha sprint he approached the angel and with a vigorous push he pinned himto thewall, looking at him furiously. Castiel on the other hand looked at himwithouta trace of concern in his eyes.

-What the f*ck did you do?- Dean said grabbingthecollar of his trench coat.

-Dean, leave him alone.- Alex said trying tocalm theboy down, getting a dirty look and a palm in front of her face tellingher tokeep quiet.

-This is something between us. Now answerCass.- theboy said without taking his eyes off the angel's.

-No. It's about me too. Let him go.- the girlsaidseriously, grabbing his hand and making him lower it, convincing theboy to takea step back to leave more space for the angel to move.

-Alex and I have sexual intercourses. If that'swhatyou want to know.- Castiel said calmly, slightly adjusting his trenchcoat.

-I got this. And I also understood that maybeyou gother pregnant.- Dean said pissed off, making his gaze wander between thetwo.

-Not him. At most Jimmy.- Alex explained hopingthatthe boy would calm down. She really had other things to think about.

-How long has this been going on?- asked Deanstillpissed off.

-Since March 17th.- Castiel answered sincerely.Alexwas impressed that he remembered the exact date. Of course, it was alsothedate she tried to kill herself, but it still surprised her.

-10 weeks?!- observed Sam who had remainedsilentuntil then, still shaken by the news.

Alex nodded her head and, walking past Dean,approached Cass, grabbing his hand with hers. Everyone remained silentwithoutsaying anything.

-I'm going to buy a test. I saw a pharmacy notfaraway.- Sam interrupted the silence, then grabbed his jacket and leftthe motel,trying to clear his head.

-You're two dickhe*ds.- Dean blurted out,sittingnervously on a chair around the room table, while Alex, a little morerelaxed,left the angel's hand to approach the hunter.

-Okay. Fair enough. I didn't want you to knowit likethat. I'm sorry.- the girl said sincerely, staring into the boy's greeneyes.Castiel not far away, just a step behind her.

-At least now many things are explained...-murmuredthe boy thoughtfully.

-Don't tell me you did it with me in the room!-heexclaimed suddenly, almost scared by the answer.

-Nope, don't worry.-

-I would have liked to but no.- Castielcommentedhonestly.

-Cass!- exclaimed the embarrassed girl, turningsharply towards the dark-haired man who looked at her with a small grinon hislips. Dean noticed this and rolled his eyes, as if he was enduring somekind oftorture.

-So angels and humans can have children?!- Deanaskedwanting to know what they were up against.

-Yes. The Nephilim. But as I said before, it'snot arandom thing. The angel must work with all of himself to succeed and Ihavenever done it.-

-And is it possible that it was Jimmy Novak?Yourcontainer?-

-I don't think it's likely. Jimmy is almostalways asleepinside me. It would have been an great coincidence if he had woken upjust as Iwas coming inside Alex, and in any case I should have noticed it.- theangelexplained again. At the thought of Castiel coming inside Alex, Deanshuddered,trying to avoid picturing the scene with all his being. He never wouldhavethought that the naive angel he had met less than a year ago would goat itwith his favourite huntress. And for so long at that.

They were silent for a while when Sam returned.Theyoungest approached Alex and handed her the bag containing a pregnancytest.

-Ok, then I'll go...- murmured the girl.

-Do you want a hand?- Castiel asked.

-Cass, Alex has to pee on a stick and that'sit. I'msure she can do it herself.- Dean explained to the angel who had noidea how apregnancy test worked.

-Oh ok.-

Alex entered the bathroom and closed the door.Sheopened the package, took out the test and read the instructions. It allseemedvery simple. Pee on the test stick, wait 3 minutes, if two lines comeout it'spositive, otherwise it's negative. The girl dropped her pants and saton thetoilet. She brought the test between her legs and did as theinstructions said.Then she got dressed, put the plastic cap on the test and washed herhands so shecould join the others in the next room.

-Now we have to wait 3 minutes.- she saidsimplyplacing the test on the table, sitting on the chair imitated by theothers.

Those 3 minutes never seemed to pass. Cass satnext toher, holding one hand in hers while the others watched that test as iftheirlives depended on it.

-It's been 3 minutes.- Sam finally said lookingat theclock.

Everyone came closer, looking carefully at thestick.Only one line was present.

-I'm not pregnant.- the girl sighed, freeingherselffrom a burden.

The two brothers exhaled, after holding theirbreathfor several seconds. They had one less thing on their minds.

Castiel approached Alex and placed a light kisson herlips for the first time in front of the others.

-It was practically impossible.- he said,caressingher.

Dean pretended to gag at the sight of the twowhileSam slapped a hand over his face at his brother's reaction.

-Okay lovebirds. We're going to have breakfast.Seeyou at the bar.- Dean said getting up and grabbing his jacket. Then heand Samleft the room.

Once the door was closed Alex turned to Cass.

-How are you? I didn't want you to be scared.-askedthe angel, worried.

-I'm fine. You? Did Dean hurt you?-

-No. I am fine. I don't get hurt for thatlittle.-

-I've rarely seen him so pissed off. I wonderwhat'sgotten into him.-

-He cares about you. He likes you and is afraidoflosing you.- explained Castiel who had been able to briefly read theboy'sthoughts. Alex remained silent, thoughtful, without speaking. After awhile sheshook her head violently to return to the real world.

-I think that from now on it will be better ifwe usesome precautions.- admitted the girl, returning to the previousdiscussion.

-It's unnecessary but if it makes you feelbetter it'sfine.- Cass said giving her a sweet kiss.

Alex immediately responded happily, then theintensityof the contact increased and in a short time the two ended up havingsex on thegirl's bed. When Castiel was about to come, contrary to usual, he cameout ofthe brunette and with her help released his seed on her belly, then lethimselffall to her side.

-It was strange.- Cass confessed referring tothat newgesture.

-A bit'. I will go to the doctor and get aprescription for the pill. It won't be for long.-

-The pill?- Cass asked confused.

-It's a medicine used to prevent from gettingpregnant.- Alex explained. Then she turned to him.

-You know, I don't want to scare you, but ifI'mhonest, I wouldn't have minded having a child with you.- the girlconfessed,not knowing what reaction she would get.

-Why would you scare me?-

-I don't know. Certain speeches always scaremen, atleast a little.- she said, shrugging her shoulders.

-Ah. I'm not scared, just that unfortunately wecan't.I am an angel.- Castiel explained, reminding them both of hissupernaturalnature that they often tended to forget.

After a couple of minutes Alex got up and wentto thebathroom to wash up. Castiel followed her and they took a quick showertogether, then got dressed and joined the brothers at the diner wherethey hadan appointment. The two had already finished eating and were sipping acoupleof beers.

-Sorry for the delay.- Alex said sitting nextto Dean.It was best to avoid being too close to Castiel at that moment.

-I don't even want to know why it took you solong.-Dean said taking a long sip of beer.

-Alex, we were thinking that if you're havingtroublegetting your period and having found out that you're not pregnant,maybe it'stime to see a doctor.- Sam said, looking at her worriedly.

-Ok, I admit I hadn't thought of that. I thinkyou'reright.- the girl admitted, calling the waitress to order food.

-I'll go to a walk-in clinic today and see whattheytell me.- she said after placing the order for herself and the otherswhowanted more drinks.

-Isn't it normal for a woman not to have herperiod?-Castiel asked with a hint of concern in his voice. There were stillmany thingshe didn't know about human beings.

-Let's say no. It's not normal. You should haveitevery 28-30 days. The absence could be due to many different problemsthat canbe more or less serious, but it is usually not too serious. It's notlikehaving cancer or something like that.-

-Cancer?-

-Cancer is a disease that can affect the organsof aliving being. It is almost always fatal.-

-And can cancer cause missing periods?- Now theangelwas worried.

-Well, among other things, yes.-

-Cass, Alex doesn't have cancer. Calm down.-Deansnapped, finishing the beer he had in his hands. He wouldn't haveadmitted it,he wanted to calm the angel, but above all himself and the girl who,understanding his intentions, placed her hand on his, caressing it.

-So what are we going to do now?- Sam askedtrying tochange the subject.

-I want to go to Disneyworld.- Alex asked whilehappily eating her cheeseburger.

-Forget it. This time we'll go to the waterpark.-Dean said reminding her that it wasn't cold anymore and that above allFloridawas very hot and full of girls.

Alex pouted childishly and crossed her armsunder herbreasts.

-Come on. I thought you liked girls in bikinistoo.-Dean said giving her a little elbow in the side.

-Yes, but I have never been to Disneyworld...-conceded the girl, explaining however her reasons.

-You like girls?- Castiel asked, tilting hishead tothe side.

-Yes. Apparently I like men, women and angels.-Alexsaid smiling at him with a sweet expression while Dean rolled his eyes.

-Let's do this: since they will probably haveyoutested and the results will take a few days to arrive, being stuck inFloridawe can go to the water park tomorrow and the day after tomorrow toDisneyworld.What do you think? Is that okay? - Sam asked trying to find acompromise.

Alex thought about it for a while.

-I'm in. Is that okay?- she asked, turningtowards theeldest of the Winchesters, offering him a hand to make the deal.

-Deal.- the boy accepted, shaking her hand.

Once out of the diner, the 4 headed towards aclinicin the city. Alex told them that she could go alone but being worried,theyinsisted on accompanying her. She explained the situation to the clinicsecretary and they told her to wait. As soon as a doctor was free theywouldcall her. Meanwhile they gave her perplexed looks given the amount ofpeoplewaiting with her.

The gang sat down and waited a half hour beforetheyinformed her that she could have a seat.

-Can they come?- asked Alex pointing to the 3men.

-You can only have one companion. The otherswill haveto wait here.- said the doctor.

-Ok guys. One comes, the others stay.- Alexsaidturning towards the three.

Immediately Dean and Cass stood up to go withher,then looked at each other, daring the other to give in. Alex slapped ahandover her face and took Sam by the hand and pulled him along.

-You stay here and be good.- she warned them,smilingat them before following the doctor into one of the rooms. The twolooked ateach other resignedly and then dropped onto their chairs, defeated.

-Are you sure?- Sam asked as they walked.

-Yes. Cass wouldn't understand much of whatwouldhappen to me and Dean wouldn't know what to do. You, on the other hand,canstay close to me and help me at the same time.- the girl explained astheyentered the room.

-Please sit down.- said the doctor, closing thedoorbehind them, pointing to two empty chairs.

Alex and Sam sat down and were soon followed bythedoctor who sat on the other side of the desk.

-What can I do for you? - asked the doctor,lookingfirst at one and then at the other.

-Well doctor, I haven't had my period for twomonthsnow. I took a pregnancy test but it came back negative, so I wanted toknowwhat it could be.- Alex explained.

-I understand. So you have unprotected sexualintercourse? - asked the doctor taking notes.

-Yes, that's right.-

-The last complete intercourse?-

-Ehmmm... A couple of hours ago?- the girladmitted,turning purple with embarrassment as she was unable to look Sam in theeyes.Mostly because the doctor thought that Sam was her boyfriend and thatshe hadhad sex with him. She could see it on his face.

-When was the last time you had your period?-askedthe doctor. The rest of the folder with general information had beencompletedupon acceptance and digitized by the secretaries.

-About 11 weeks ago. March 12.-

-Is your period regular?-

-Usually yes. Always between 3 and 5 weeksanyway.-

-Are you in pain? Known diseases?-

-No. I'm fine as far as I know.-

-Do you take medicines?-

-Not regularly.-

-I understand. So, we will proceed like this.I'll geta blood sample and do a gynaecological examination to check thateverything isokay. Then fill this cup with urine too so that we can 100% exclude thepossibility that you are pregnant. Bench tests are not always totallyreliable.-

-All right. Ah, doctor, I wanted to ask yousomething.-

-Yes?- Alex looked at Sam a little embarrassedbeforeasking her question.

-I would like to start taking the pill. Howdoes itwork? - Alex asked, making Sam's saliva go sideways.

-Well. I'll add this to the list of specificanalyses.When we have the results and I have the opportunity to check yourvalues Iwill assign you the most suitable pill for you. Now take off yourjacket so Ican take the sample. - the man said going towards the cabinet toretrieve thenecessary items.

Alex did as she was told, took off her jacketand satback down, resting her arm on the table. When the doctor tightened theelasticaround her bicep to help reveal the vein, Alex turned her head to theside,looking at Sam with a fearful look.

-Everything ok? - the boy asked softly, notbeing usedto seeing her like this.

-I don't like needles.- the girl confessed,shakingher head. Sam smiled tenderly, so he took her free hand in his andstartedstroking her back trying to calm her. After a while the doctor said hewas doneand put a plaster on her arm. In front of him he had 8 vials full ofbloodready to be analysed.

-Take this towel and these socks. Go behindthat clothand take off your trousers and panties so we can proceed with thegynaecologicalexamination. If you prefer to have a woman present I can call a nurse.-saidthe man pointing to a booth, going to prepare the bed for the visit.

-There's no need. Thank you.- Alex said lookingatSam, smiling at him. If anything happened Sam would be more thancapable oftaking care of it, even if the doctor couldn't know.

She went behind the booth and took off hershoes,pants and underwear, placing everything on a chair. She put on herdisposablesocks and brought the towel over her front to cover herself beforegoing out tosit on the cot.

-Good. Now rest your legs on these two supportsandlower your back further down. - said the doctor, standing in front ofher. Alexnoticed that Sam was super embarrassed and kept his gaze fixed straightaheadso as not to look more than he had to.

Alex did as she was told and settled in better.Thedoctor immediately lubricated his right glove to make it easier andinsertedtwo fingers into the girl's vagin*, moving them to see if everythingwas okay.Once finished he changed his gloves and took a speculum, lubricatingthat too.

-Now relax.- said the doctor as he began toinsert theobject.

Alex let out a grunt of pain as a tear rolleddown hercheek. It was easy for him to say.

-One more moment. Perfect. Now I will take asamplefor the Pap test and then we will do an internal ultrasound. It willfeel likea pinch for a few seconds.- he said grabbing the tool for examination.

Alex groaned in pain again as the doctor toldher tocount to 10 and he would be done. Se hated doctor visits. When he wasdone hecollected the sample and labelled it, then he did the ultrasound whichlasted acouple of minutes and finally he told her she could get dressed.

Alex, still sore from the visit, nodded,returningbehind the booth to clean up and get dressed. When she was done she satbackdown next to Sam.

-What does the ultrasound say?- asked Sam.

-Your girlfriend is fine. She has a small myomathatneeds to be checked every now and then and a few cysts on her ovariesbutnothing to worry about. We will know more with the results of theanalyses.-

-How long will it take?-

-I would say 3 days. If you come back on Fridayafternoon you will have all the results and I will also have theprescriptionfor the pill and any indications to solve your problem.-

-Perfect, thanks.- Alex said more calmly.

-For the urine sample the bathroom is thesecond dooron the right. When you're done, leave the cup at the reception on yourwayout.-

-All right. Thanks.- Alex said greeting himwith ahandshake.

-Thank you. Goodbye.- Sam then said, alsoshaking the doctor'shand, leaving the room with his friend.

-You were really good.- Sam said, placing akiss onher head, knowing that it couldn't have been easy or pleasant. Alexsmiled athim.

-I will be right back. I'm going to fill this.-Alexsaid, lifting the urine container, entering the bathroom.

After less than a minute she came out. Sam wasstillout there waiting for her.

-It hurts more than I thought.- the girladmitted,sighing.

Sam put an arm around her waist and held herclose,then they headed to the waiting room to retrieve the other two. Once intheroom, Alex moved away from Sam so he could leave the sample in theoffice. Thenshe joined the other 3 and they left the clinic.

-So? How did it go?-

-I have to come back on Friday for the examresults.-the girl explained.

-Everything okay?- asked Cass noticing thatsomethingwas wrong.

-I am fine. But it wasn't pleasant at all. Ihategoing to the gynaecologist.- the girl explained, however leaving theangelconfused.

-The gynaecologist is the doctor who deals withthefemale reproductive system.- Sam explained.

-The vagin*, for short.- Dean added, grinning.

-You're always classy, right Dean?-

-What?- the boy replied to his little brother.

-Did it hurt you?- Cass asked thoughtfully.

-Enough. But it will pass.- the girl admitted,smilingat him so as not to make him worry. The boys looked at her for a fewseconds insilence.

-Okay. In my opinion, a consolation cake is amust.-Dean said, walking back towards the shop they had passed. A pastryshop. Alexsmiled and hugged him eagerly, then happily entered the shop and askedforvarious slices of different types of cake. So they could all taste them.

They returned to the motel and sat around thetable.Dean, noticing the mess in Alex's sleeping area, muttered something ina lowervoice, but Sam punched him in the stomach, stopping whatever nonsensehe wassaying. Then they began to eat the cakes with pleasure.

-Do they know about you and Alex up there?-Dean askedafter a while glaring at the girl who was smoking a cigarette lookingout thewindow.

-No, and it's better if they don't find out.Relationships between angels and humans are not welcome.-

-Why doesn't this surprise me?- Dean askedrhetorically.

-Cass, come with us to the water park tomorrowtoo. Ibet you'll like it.- Alex proposed ignoring the comment.

-What is a water park?-

-It's like an amusem*nt park. There arerelaxationareas, food and attractions but they are all aquatic. You go there incostumeand have fun.-

-I don't have a costume.- Castiel said candidly.

-Don't worry. We buy one when we arrive. Theyalsosell those in the parks. I don't have one either.-

-Can't we be naked?- Castiel asked.

-You'd like that.- Dean murmured referring tothegirl.

-You too, for that matter.- Sam replied.

-Touché.- admitted the major.

-No. It is illegal to be naked in public. Atmost youcan go topless.-

-It means a woman who only wears panties,without a bra.-Dean explained knowing that the angel had no idea what that meant.

-Understood. Are you going topless? - he askedto Alexagain, making her cigarette smoke go sideways, coughing for severalsecondswhile Dean and Sam giggled.

-No. I'll be dressed.- Castiel accepted thestatementand seemed to think about it.

-Shame. You look beautiful naked.- Alex turnedtomato-colored, as did Sam. Dean seemed to be trying to remembersomething.

-I have to agree with you, Cass.- he said,taking outa mischievous look at the memory of the girl lying under him almost ayear ago.

Alex gave him a powerful cuff on the back ofthe head.

-Will you all stop hitting me today?-

-Not when you deserve it.- the girl repliedgiving himanother slap.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watchingsomethingon TV and then they went to dinner. When they all returned to the motelit wasnot yet late. Now that they knew about Castiel, the boys took it forgrantedthat he would stay too, as he did.

The 3 hunters undressed one at a time andslippedunder the covers. Cass, remaining in his shirt and boxers, lay downnext to thegirl, hugging her.

-Don't do dirty things you two. I don't want tobetraumatized.- Dean said, then added.

-Unless you want me to join you.-

-Oh, Dean. I didn't know you were alsointerested inthe same sex. I'll keep that in mind.- the girl teased, adding to theequivocalityof the sentence, making Sam burst out laughing.

-I did not mean it! I don't like men. Not evenangels.- Dean added, making Sam and Alex laugh even more.

-Oh, go to hell.- he blurted out before turningoverwith his back to them, trying to sleep.

-Night Sam.- the girl said when she hadrecovered.

-Night.- the boy replied, closing his eyes.

Alex then turned to Cass, placing a light kisson hislips.

-Night Cass. Sweet dreams.- she said hearingDean'sgrunt in the background.

Cass placed a kiss on her forehead and thenhugged hertighter, letting her fall asleep in his arms, watching over her and theothertwo.

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Chapter Text

The next morning they got in the car early andheadedto Orlando. They would spend the day at Universal Volcano Bay and go toDisneyWorld the next day.

They arrived at the park mid-morning and firstthing,once inside, they all headed towards a swimsuit shop, none of themhaving one.

Alex grabbed some towels for them all to dryoff andlay on, then set out to find a swimsuit. She wanted it to be beautifulforCastiel, so she decided to take her time.

The boys, however, were quicker and once theypaid fortheir pants they went back to the dressing room to put them on.

Sam had bought a plain dark brown boxer, Deanhadbought a green one with darker green stripes, and Cass got a blue onelike the colourof his and Alex's eyes. Once dressed they put on t-shirts and went outto waitfor the girl.

After about ten minutes she came out, coveredwith abeach towel that hid her swimsuit.

-Shall we go?- she proposed handing each ofthem atowel, putting it under her arm.

The 4 went towards the first attractions andswimmingpools.

-First swimming pool or attractions?- askedAlex notknowing what to choose.

-Attractions I would say. I'm fired up.- Deansaidreceiving everyone's approval. Alex agreed and looked for a locker roomwherethey could leave their stuff while they had fun. Once they found itthey wentinside to leave their things.

When they met again outside and saw Alex inswimsuit,the 3 were speechless.

The monokini was white, made of a fabric heavyenoughnot to disappear once wet, which made her natural colours stand out. Itwaswhole and crossed in multiple places along her body, leaving her naveland thecentral part of her breasts exposed, squeezed together, while the lowerpartwas Brazilian and allowed one to admire, as Dean defined them, "thegirl'ssplendid ass" .

-Guys, please.- the girl said embarrassed butat thesame time flattered. The two brothers were the first to recover, thenDeanpassed his hand several times in front of Castiel's eyes, attractinghisattention.

-Cass, I know she's very hot, but don't get anystrange ideas, we risk ending up in jail here.- Dean said hoping thatthe angelwould be able to control his sexual instincts. Alex smiled at herpartner, thentaking their hands she began to pull them towards one of the firstattractions.

The first attraction they chose was a coasterfor 4people to ride. Once they reached the top of the slide they approachedone ofthe staff who would help them get on the dinghy.

-How should we sit?- Alex asked pointing to thefourof them.

-In general, if you want maximum speed you havetostay behind, the biggest ones ahead. Otherwise, if you want somethingmorerelaxed, go ahead and send them after you.- replied the employee,looking atthe girl.

-Ok, thanks.- Alex said, motioning for them tositforward. She wanted to go fast.

The three obliged, making Dean sit in front ofeverything, then Sam and finally Castiel in front of her.

-Grab the handles and legs straight.- the boytoldthem before helping them leave.

The first descent was quite fast, making Alex'sheartrate rise with adrenaline. When they got down, she let out a liberatinglaugh.She hadn't had this much fun in a long time.

The four of them spent much of the day movingfrom oneattraction to another, stopping just for a couple of hours to relax bythepool.

The weather was perfect and Alex hadn't hadthis muchfun in ages. She was with the people she loved most in the world and inthatmoment there was no creature that could have made her mood worsen.Towards theend of the day, she also forced the three to take a photo all together.Theyturned to one of the many photographers in the park who took a coupleof photosand gave them a discount on the print.

They also had a lot of fun with the slides,ending upon top of each other several times and trying to drown each other.

-Okay, I admit it. It was a great idea.- Alexsaid atthe end of the day as they headed to the motel. They hadn't gottendressedbecause they all needed a shower, but Dean forced them to cover theirclotheswith towels to prevent his Baby from getting ruined in contact with thechlorine-stained swimsuits.

They stopped at a random motel. They had eatenbeforeleaving the park, and asked for two rooms.

Alex mentally thanked the boys, knowing that itcouldn't be easy to know everything they knew, and said goodbye tothem,arranging to meet early in the morning to go to the second amusem*ntpark, thenwent into her room with Cass.

Once they entered the room, Alex locked thedoor, turnedon the lights and closed the curtains. In an instant she found herselfheldtightly in the angel's arms while he kissed her with such vigour thatit seemedas if he wanted to devour her.

-I've been waiting all day. I tried to focus onseeingyour souls and not seeing this swimsuit, but your soul is so beautifulthat inthe end I gave up.- said the dark-haired man, moving her costume to theside,freeing one breast from its grip and rushing to lick and suck it. Inthemeantime he brought a hand towards the girl's intimacy, moving hercostume tothe side. He teased her cl*t with his thumb, then penetrated her withtwofingers. Alex's legs began to tremble and she almost fell to the groundwithoutstrength, if she hadn't been blocked by the angel's body.

Cass removed his fingers from her puss* andpicked herup to carry her to the bed. When they sat on the mattress, he resumedhistorture.

Alex found herself lying panting on the bed asCasstowered over her, devouring her. When she regained control she took offtheangel's boxers, revealing his erect manhood wet with pre-seminal fluid.Then shemanaged to take off her costume with great difficulty. Cass almostripped itoff her but she wanted to keep it, especially after seeing the reactionitcaused in the man.

They quickly found themselves naked and madelove morethan once before lying down full of each other to catch their breath.It wouldhave been very difficult to forget such a night.

The next morning Cass woke the girl up when itwasalmost time to meet up with the two brothers.

-It's time to get up.- Cass murmured, caressinghercheek. Alex slowly moved her head on the pillow and opened her eyes,narrowingthem a little to focus on the angel.

-Today I can't come with you. I've been awayfrom Paradisefor too many days and they might get suspicious, seen as I suddenlyvanished.-the dark-haired man told her a bit upset.

-Got it. All right. Will you come back as soonas youcan?-

-Always.- he answered her as he had alreadydonepreviously.

The two exchanged a few sweet kisses, thenCastielvanished with a flutter of wings. Alex got out of bed and dressedcomfortably,ready to go and have fun with the two boys.

The 3 had a wonderful day at Disneyworld. Theydidn'tmanage to do all the attractions available. They would have had to staytherefor days and couldn't since Alex had to go and collect the test resultsthefollowing afternoon, but they managed to have tons of fun. Theyreturned to themotel around midnight and after saying goodbye they each returned totheirrooms to go to sleep.

Alex entered, almost expecting to find Castielwaitingfor her, but instead she was alone. She calmly undressed and jumpedinto theshower. She settled down and put on her panamas and then went to throwherself underthe sheets. She tried to resist sleep as long as possible to wait fortheangel's arrival, but eventually she gave in and fell asleep.

That night, however, she slept very badly.Since shehad started sleeping with Castiel, she had no longer had nightmares,reassuredby the presence of the dark-haired man who watched over her. But now hewasn'tthere and they came back more forceful than before, making her wake upin themiddle of the night drenched in sweat. The rising of the sun was ablessing.When it was time for lunch, having still not heard from the boys, shegotdressed and went to knock on their door, her suitcase already ready toleave. ASam in pants opened the door for her and let her inside.

-Good morning. I'm ready, are you? - asked thegirllooking around. Dean must have been in the bathroom while Sam wasputting thelast of his things away.

-5 minutes and we're done.- Dean said comingout ofthe bathroom in his boxers.

-You have a face...- observed Sam, noticing thedeepcircles under the girl's eyes.

-Nightmares.- Alex replied.

-Cass?-

-Haven't seen him. He must have been stuck inparadise...- she said shrugging her shoulders. She couldn't expect himtoalways be with her, even if he hadn't missed a night so far. Even whensheslept with Sam and Dean he remained watching over her sleep.

-Double coffee and chocolate cake for you. Gotit.-Dean said, zipping up his bag, heading towards the door. He certainlyknew howto take her even when she was in a bad mood.

The 3 stopped for breakfast, even though it waslunchtime, in a bar along the road, after which they continued towards theclinic.When they arrived the doctor was ready to see them. Sam went in withher again.

-Good morning doctor, tell me, have youdiscoveredanything?- asked Alex referring to the tests.

-Yes, we found the cause of your amenorrhea.Youactually have values outside the norm. The iron values in yourblood arevery low, you need to take supplements and eat more legumes and meat.Furthermore, prolactin levels are above normal. Have you noticed anydisturbances during sleep or other discomfort? -

-I've been having trouble sleeping lately duetonightmares, could that be it?-

-It's possible. Of course there would be morepossibilities if it were associated with high stress levels and intensephysical and sexual activity. Do you think this is your case? -

-I would say so.-

-I understand. You will have to take thismedicine for2 months and carry out tests again in 30 to 60 days. Furthermore, ifyou manageto reduce stress you would benefit numerously.

-And can I start taking the pill?- asked thegirl.

-Yes. You can start today. Given your case, Iwouldassign this one to you. Take it at the same time every day. If youencounterproblems, come back and we'll see if we can make changes to the dose ormedication.-

-Perfect, thank you.-

-We also confirmed that the pregnancy test wasright.You are not pregnant.- concluded the doctor as he wrote her theprescriptionfor the drugs. Once finished he put everything in a folder with theresults ofthe analyses and the tests carried out and gave it to the two.

-Doctor, you were very kind. Thank you.- Alexsaidwaving.

-See you, have a good weekend.- the man saidgreetingthe two who then left the room and, after having recovered Dean, tookthe roadtowards the pharmacy.

-Finally. Is everything okay? - asked the boy,worried.

-I'm fine, I won't die. I just have bad values.I haveto take some medicine and "reduce the stress in my life".- the girlreplied, forming quotation marks with her fingers. -As if that werepossible.- sheadded.

-I'm going to the pharmacy to get the medicinesIneed. Do we need anything for hunting?-

-No, we have everything, don't worry.- Sam saidremembering that they had replenished the supply recently. The two boyswaiteda while for the girl to recover what she needed, then decided thatsince it wasnow late afternoon they could go and eat something before returning tothemotel for the night.

The three ate calmly, deciding where to movefor thefollowing days. Alex began the prescribed treatment, setting an alarmon hercell phone to repeat every day at 7pm to remind her to take the pill.

When they returned to the motel they saidgoodbye andentered the two connecting rooms.

Alex's room was empty again and the girl feltquitesad. She tried not to think about it too much and undressed and thenwent tosleep tired, falling asleep almost immediately.

It was late at night and she was having one ofherusual nightmares when she was awakened by the fluttering of wings.

-Cass? - the girl asked, rubbing her eyes,leaningover to turn on the bedside light.

-Wrong, try again and maybe you'll be luckier.-said afemale voice she didn't recognise, suddenly waking her up as if she hadreceived a bucket of cold water in her face. She checked the room andfrom thecorner near the door two figures came out, one male and one female. Sheimmediately grabbed the knife she kept under the pillow.

-Who the f*ck are you and what the f*ck do youwant?-asked the girl, quickly getting up to put herself in a defensiveposition.

-You should know that. We are angels of theLord. I'mNaomi and he's Bartholomew. - said the woman, taking a few steps closer.

-What the f*ck do you want?-

-Mind your tone, you filthy human.- the boy whohadremained silent until that moment blurted out.

-We are here on behalf of our brother Castiel.-upon hearinghis name Alex lowered her arm slightly as worry filled her.

-Has something happened to Castiel?- asked thegirl.

-Yes. You.- the woman replied tersely.

-Me?- Alex asked without understanding.

-You. You corrupted Castiel. You distracted himfromhis duties as an angel by using your body, having sexual intercoursewith him.-the woman explained while a shiver of fear ran down the girl's back.

-But now our brother has been recovered and isback onthe right path. And you're no longer of any use, so it's better to getrid ofyou.- the woman declared, grinning evilly.

Alex immediately reacted, throwing herself atthe two,trying to hit them in vital points to slow them down. Unfortunatelythey wereangels of a higher order and with some simple moves they blocked herand thenthrew her across the room causing her to hit the table which overturnedtogether with the chairs. Alex struggled to her feet and tried to blockthemwith spells, but in a millisecond Bartholomew was on her, hitting herinseveral places as if she were a punching bag while Naomi, with a nod,began tolift her from the ground, taking her breath away.

-And now go back to the Hell you came from.-said thelapidary woman while the man pulled an angelic blade out of his jacket.He wasalmost about to hit her when Sam and Dean entered the room and startedfightingto protect their friend. Alex ended up on the ground, bleeding,probably a fewcracked ribs and as she watched her friends fight, terrified, sherememberedthe symbols she had seen in Maine that had prevented Cass fromfollowing her toMargaret Loine's basem*nt. Using the blood that was pouring from herarm, shedrew the symbol on her skin, then looked at the angels with spite.

-Go f*ck yourself.- she said before hitting herstomach with her blood-stained hand, using a spell she had neverstudied beforethat sent the angels away from there, protecting them momentarily.

The brothers were immediately at her side andhelpedher get up.

-Are you OK? Who were those? - Dean asked asSam torethe sheet to stop the bleeding on the girl's arm.

-They were two angels, Naomi and Bartholomewand theywanted me. Dead.- Alex said. She wanted to cry, but with every movementherbody ached and her breath caught in her throat.

-What the f*ck?- Dean exclaimed.

-They said that I diverted Castiel by havingsex withhim, but that they had now recovered him and therefore had to get ridof me.-the girl explained in more detail.

-sh*t.-

-We have to get out of here. Before they comeback.-Sam said.

-sh*t. Cass, what the f*ck is happening?!- Deanexclaimed, knowing full well that the angel couldn't hear him.

Sam went back to the rooms to collect theirbags,while Dean helped Alex, holding her, to the car. Gently he made her liedown onthe back seat, making her lean her back against the door, then the 3startedthe car and set off, heading at full speed to Sioux Falls, to Bobby.

-Sammy, call Bobby. Explain to him whathappened andtell him we'll get to him as soon as possible.- Dean said, walking atfullspeed. Sam obeyed and called the man. Waking him up and explaining thesituation to him. Then he hung up.

-Alex, how are you feeling?- Sam asked, turningin hisseat to look at the girl.

-As if I had been beaten by two angels.- thegirl saidsarcastically, only to immediately complain about the attempted laugh.

-At least the humor is intact.- Dean said.

-You need to see a doctor. Bobby said there's ahunterfriend of his in Nashville who can help us. The wife is a doctor, shecouldvisit Alex.- Sam informed them, receiving the ok from Dean.

- Cass. I'm afraid for Cass.- the girlconfessedtrembling.

-Cass is big and strong. He knows how to lookafterhimself. Now we have to think about you, little one.- Dean saidstretching hisarm backwards looking for her to give her a caress. Alex raised her armtotouch the boy's hand and received a light stroke.

-I'm so sleepy.- added the brunette, ending upfallingasleep in the back seats, under the gaze of two worried brothers.

When Alex woke up it was late morning. Sheopened hereyes and noticed that she had been covered by one of the emergencyblanketsthey kept.

-Where are we?- she asked, moving slowly so asnot tofind herself in pain.

-We're almost in Nashville.- Dean said takingthe roadthat led to the city. In just half an hour they arrived at the addressBobbyhad given them. The two got out of the car and then helped Alex do thesame,holding her on both sides. Then they came to the door of the house andknocked.A man in his sixties answered the door.

-Are you Michael Boone?- Sam asked.

-You must be the Winchester boys Bobby told meabout.John and Mary's children. Come in. I'm going to call my wife.- the mansaid,letting them in, showing them the way to the living room.

With extreme delicacy the two made Alex sit onthesofa. After a few seconds they were joined by the man and a younger,blondewoman in her fifties.

-Tell me what happened to your friend.- saidthe womanapproaching with various medical instruments, sitting on a chair.

Dean and Sam explained to her very vaguely whathadhappened and Alex provided some further details especially about thefight theyhad before the two saved her.

The doctor began to examine her whole body. Shegaveher stitches on the cut on her arm and treated the various wounds shehad. Shechecked her breathing and reflexes and the various bones in her body.

-You're really lucky. You could have died in afightlike that. You have 3 cracked ribs and a head injury. For the restnothingserious, although painful. You need to rest as much as possible andapply ice.If you have pain, take these painkillers but don't abuse them.- saidthe womanhanding her a box of medicines. Alex nodded her head.

-Thank you. Now let's get out of the way.- Deansaidhelping the girl get up again.

-See you guys. And go easy on the hunt.- saidthe man,walking them to the car.

Sam greeted him with a polite smile and thenDeanleft, headed for South Dakota.

In the afternoon, he and Sam took turnsdriving. Theydidn't want to stop until they got to Bobby and the only way was totake turnsdriving.

Alex drifted in and out of sleep, but when shewasawake she knew she was lucky to have people like them around.

Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Chapter Text

Driving non-stop, stopping only when absolutelynecessary, they arrived at Bobby's at the crack of dawn. The man, whowas alight sleeper had heard the car entering his property, went down toopen thedoor, helping the 3 enter the house.

-How is she?- he asked, pointing to Alex,half-asleep.

-Kinda ok. Se has cracked ribs and bruiseseverywhere,but she'll be fine.- Sam replied, dropping onto the couch exhausted.

-Can I know what's happening?-

The boys explained to him all they had known,verylittle in reality. They also explained to him about the relationshipthat Alexand Cass had developed over the past few months and how they ended upin thissituation.

-And Castiel? Did you see him? - Bobby asked.Worriedabout the girl and how she would react if something happened to theangel.

-No, but if he doesn't appear soon I'll go toHeavenmyself to kick his ass.- Dean said in a low voice, trying not to beheard byAlex.

-You wouldn't be able to.- said a voice theyknew frombehind them.

Castiel had just appeared in the doorwaybetween thekitchen and living room and approached those present. As soon as Alexrealizedhe was there she got up with an enormous effort and, ignoring the pangsofpain, went over to hug him. She couldn't believe he was there safe andsound.

When she reached him she was about to caresshischeek, but the angel, for the first time since they had met, movedaway,looking at her coldly.

-Cass...?- Alex asked confused.

-It was a mistake and mistakes should not berepeated.I'm here to carry out my orders and that's all.- said lapidary angel,lookingat her with an icy gaze that didn't belong to him.

Numerous tears began to run down the girl'sface,without her being able to hold back.

-What the f*ck did you come here for then?Don't youcare that your kind tried to kill Alex? - Dean blurted out, approachingtheangel threateningly while Sam approached Alex to hold her close,wanting togive her comfort.

-We follow orders. My orders are to preventLilithfrom breaking the seals. My brothers have different orders.-

-Good, and my orders are that if you don'tleave hereI'll kill you with my own hands.- Dean said tersely, ready to fight.Castiellooked at him in silence, then moved his gaze to the others present,stoppingto observe Alex crying softly in Sam's arms.

-I'll see you soon.- Castiel said beforevanishing.

When even the rustling of wings thataccompanied himhad faded, Alex launched into a desperate cry, burying her face inSam's chestwho had to support her to prevent her from falling to the ground.

It was true, she was hurt. But at that momentthebiggest wound was the one her angel had caused her. He was no longerhers. Sheremained in that position crying for several minutes. Dean alsoapproached her,hugging her from behind, unable to bear to see her like this. Thensuddenly thegirl, no longer with energy and in pain, fainted in the arms of herfamily.Dean picked her up and laid her on the couch.

-Go to sleep. I'll watch over her.- Bobby saidto theboys, sitting on the armchair next to the girl, with the rifle in hisarms. Thetwo brothers looked at each other, then, knowing they were exhaustedtoo, theywent upstairs, ready to throw themselves on the bed. They would thinkabout therest the next day.

The next few days were spent at Bobby's. The 3boysslept for most of the day and it took Alex another 2 days to recover.Sheseemed almost in a coma, motionless on the sofa, waking up very rarelyfor fewmoments.

3 days after meeting Castiel, who neverreturned, Alexwoke up. She opened her eyes and noticed the 3 men arguing, bent oversomebooks. She slowly moved her legs off the sofa to be able to stand up,but whenshe tried to lift her torso up a pang of pain shot through her, makingher moanin pain and attracting the attention of those present.

-Stop, little girl.- Bobby said as heapproached withthe others. Sam and Dean grabbed her arms and pulled her up to asittingposition, preventing her from struggling.

-How are you feeling?- Sam asked, sitting nextto her.

-As if I had been hit by a car. What happened?- thegirl asked, touching her aching head.

-What do you remember?- Dean investigated,leaning onthe arm of the sofa.

-I...- Alex tried to concentrate. It took her afewseconds but then the memories suddenly filled her brain and the tearsstartedto flow.

-Cass...- the girl murmured in tears, ending upwrapped in a hug from the little Winchester.

-Don't mention that asshole to me.- Dean warnedherthat for the moment he didn't want to hear about the angel. Because ofhim theyhad been injured, Alex had risked dying and he had also broken herheart byacting like a certified asshole. He would not be easily forgiven. Bobbywent tothe kitchen to get some water to calm the girl's crying. Alex emptiedthe glassin small sips, managing to calm down.

-Naomi and Bartholomew? Have you seen themagain? - sheasked after a few minutes of silence in which everyone was lost intheirthoughts.

-No.- Dean commented through gritted teeth.

-We thought that since you're a witch yourblood ismore potent than normal and that might be why they're taking so long tocomeback.- Bobby explained.

-And now how do we stop them from...?-

-Coming back to kill you? That's what we weretryingto find out.- Dean interrupted her.

-Do you remember the symbol you used?- Samasked,shaking her hand.

-Yes, I can draw it for you.- said the girlreceivingpaper and pen to show them the symbol.

-Here, this is it. I activated it using myblood, butI don't know how it works in reality. I think it's only for chasingangelsaway, not for hiding from them.- Alex explained.

-It seems to me that Ca... He called themEnochianseals.- she continued, remembering a conversation from months earlier.

-I think I've heard of them...- Sam murmured.

-Well, we have to protect you. Give me a handwiththese.- the older one said handing two stacks of books to the kidswhile Samgave his computer to Alex to do some research.

-Couldn't it be okay to use the symbol I used?-askedthe girl waiting for the computer to start.

-Yes for now. But the best thing would be tofind aspell that allows you to hide from the eyes of angels. I know theyexist, so wejust have to find them.- Sam said.

-But if we use an occultation spell it will befor allangels indiscriminately. So even C... he couldn't find us anymore.- thegirlobserved worriedly, triggering Dean's anger.

-Who the f*ck cares about Castiel! He had funwith youand then left without giving a damn that they almost killed you becauseof him!You have to forget him! He's just an asshole!- Dean shouted at her.Alex knewDean was partly right. On one hand, Cass had really left carelessly andif Deanand Sam hadn't saved her she would have died again, but forgetting himwasimpossible.

-Dean...- Sam murmured trying to calm hisbrother.

-I'm sorry. It's all my fault. If I hadn'ttried to...If... I... I had relations with an angel and because of me now theywill lookfor us to kill us. I put you in danger unnecessarily.- Alex muttered,loweringher head in defeat, trembling with displeasure. Seeing the girl inthoseconditions made Dean suffer, who, having calmed down, approached herand huggedher.

-It's not your fault. We'll find a solution, Ipromise.-he said caressing her back and placing a kiss on her temple.

Alex looked up, locking her eyes with the boy'sgreenones. She was really lucky after all. So she put her arms around hisneck andresponded to the hug, basking in his warmth. When they broke away Deanplaced ahand on her cheek and with his thumb collected a couple of tears thathadfallen. Alex rested her head on the boy's hand, closing her eyes andthenplaced a kiss on it.

Dean stood up, noticing that Bobby and Sam werealreadysitting down immersed in research. He grabbed some books too andtogether thefour of them started looking for these stupid seals. The search seemedto betaking a long time. The four stopped only to eat and go to sleep. Afterthefirst day Alex realized that it was still better for each of them tohave someway to defend themselves, so using some fabric and Bobby's wife's oldsewingmachine, she made four anti-angel amulets. They were simplehandkerchiefs withthe perfectly crafted symbol on them, but in case of unwanted gueststhey wouldonly have to use blood on the symbol to repel any angel who showed up.If theyhadn't found anything better in their research, they decided they wouldalsoget that symbol as a tattoo. It would definitely be harder to lose thana pieceof cloth.

Almost a week had passed when Alex foundsomethinginteresting. She recovered images of Enochian seals and worked on thetranslation with Sam.

It took them a while but they came up with abasicalphabet they could use, so Alex set to work forming a cloaking formula.

She remained bent over her books for days,almostwithout going to rest. Then finally one day she stood up with atriumphantlook.

-I did it.- she said, holding up a piece ofpaper in herhand while putting another folded one in her trousers' pocket.

-Did you?- Bobby asked, approaching her liketheothers.

-Yes. I created a spell in Enochian that issupposedto keep angels away. We'll have to have it tattooed on our bodies forit towork, but at least we'll be protected.- the girl explained, passingthem thesheet of paper with the symbols so they could read it.

-All right. It is still early. I'd say we cango rightaway.- Dean said taking the keys to the Impala out of his pocket.

-Bobby, you're coming too.- Sam said to the oldmanwho had to reluctantly accept.

The four went to the same tattoo artist who haddonetheir anti-possession tattoos and explained to him what he had to do.He saidhe could finish for the evening by paying extra and the hunters agreed.Since theyhad to take turns, they decided that Dean would go first, then Sam andBobby,and finally Alex. As Dean went to the room to get tattooed, the otherstold himthey were going to stop at the bar across the street. After all, theyhad topass the time.

-Sam, now that Dean isn't around to get angry,Iwanted to talk to you about Cass.- the girl said.

Sam knew it would happen sooner or later, so hemotioned for her to speak her mind.

-I know the last person you want to see isCastiel. Iunderstand it. But a part from everything, he gives us a hand in tryingto stopLilith and if we all get tattoos he won't be able to reach us anymore.- thegirl said, running a hand through her hair, nervously. The two mennodded theirheads in agreement.

-So what solution do you propose?- Bobby askedsuspiciously.

-Well, when I worked on the spell I made oneformyself with a small modification.- the girl replied taking out thesheet ofpaper she had hidden from her pocket. The symbols looked the same, sothe two menlooked back at her, asking her to continue.

-If I engraved this spell on my skin I toowouldremain invisible to all the angels. To all the angels except Cass.- thegirlexplained, making a worried face, indicating the point in the textwhere shehad made the change.

-I don't like this.- Bobby admitted.

-Me neither.- Sam agreed.

-I know. But it seemed like the best solutionto me.Yes, of course, we could call Cass and have him come to us to give him,I don'tknow, a cell phone. Although I doubt he knows how to use a cell phone.But inany case cell phones have no reception, they run out of battery, theybreak...So instead, with this he could always reach us.-

-Alex...- Sam began, not knowing how to expresshimself without hurting the girl.

-I know. I know Cass doesn't want anything todo withme anymore. I understand. But we are hunters and now we are inside thisthingof angels and demons. I'm sure he won't come back now unless it'ssomething ofvital importance.- said the girl trying to smile so as not to worrythem, butwithout succeeding.

-If Dean finds out...-

-He won't. The texts are almost identical and Idoubthe would compare them once they are tattooed.-

-Don't you think he'll get suspicious when, if,Castiel reaches us despite the spell?- observed Sam.

-True...- murmured the girl who had let thatlittledetail slip out. Bobby looked at the two and then sighed.

-Tell them that even if you are hidden and theycan'tfind you, they can still mentally communicate with you and you can letthemknow your location that way. He should believe it.- the man saidshaking hishead in resignation.

-Great! Thanks Bobby! - exclaimed the girlgiving akiss on the cheek to the man sitting next to her.

After a couple of hours of waiting they sawDeancoming out of the shop opposite and heading towards them.

-Please, keep the secret.- the girl said beforethehunter reached them informing them that it was Sam's turn.

The next few hours were spent taking turnsgettingtattooed. Alex was the last to enter and explained to the tattoo artistthather symbols were a little different from those of the others. She gavehim herpaper with the retouched spell and handed him $200.

-This is an extra to keep things to yourself.-thegirl said getting a shrug before the man started working on her leftside, justbelow her breasts. It hurt but it was bearable and after a few triesshemanaged to find a position that didn't compress her cracked ribs. Whenhe wasdone she joined the others for something to eat outside beforereturning toBobby's house.

Once the "angels hunting us" problem wasresolved, the three set off on the hunt again, heading to Colorado.When theystopped at a motel they took only one room and left Alex the empty bed.Thosedays at Bobby's had been tiring and the girl barely moved while sheslept, butthat night, about an hour after she fell asleep, she found herselftossing andscreaming in her sleep in the throes of nightmares, waking the two boys.

-No. No. Please.- Alex shouted in her sleep.

-Alex. Alex, wake up. You're dreaming.- Deantold her,shaking her softly.

Alex's eyes suddenly widened. She was drenchedinsweat from head to toe and panting as if she had run a marathon. Ittook her afew seconds to realize she was safe.

-Excuse me. I didn't want to wake you up.-

-You didn't want to wake us?!-

-How long have you had these nightmares?- Samasked.

-Since I returned in January. Always.-

-We hadn't noticed them lately though.-

-Since me and... Him... I mean, when he wasclose tome while I was sleeping it seems like I didn't have them, as if Icalmed down.Or something like that.- The two remained for a moment to digest thewords,then Dean raised the covers and lay down next to the girl.

-I'll take care of you then. And if you have anightmare I'll wake you up.- he said holding her to him, caressing herarms.Sam went back to bed and Alex hugged Dean, thanking him. Finally thethree fellasleep.

Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Chapter Text

A month had now passed since the fight withNaomi andBartholomew. Alex had recovered and her ribs no longer gave herproblems. Theyhad recently finished a hunt and Alex was outside the motel smoking,waitingfor the boys by the Impala, ready to leave.

She was about to take a drag on her cigarettewhen sheheard the flapping of wings. She dropped the butt on the ground and inan instantgrabbed the gun with her hands, releasing the safety and loading theshot. Sheturned, ready to call the boys, when she found Castiel in front of her.Apparently the changes to the Enochian spell worked.

-Where are Dean and Sam?- Castiel asked calmly,ascold as the last time.

-Shouldn't you know?- said the girl, loweringher gun,but without sheathing it.

-I can not find them. I could only see you.-the angelexplained, naively confirming that the two were safe.

-They will be here soon and they won't be happyto seeyou. So tell me what you want.- Alex said. She wanted to appear strong,butinside she was trembling because of the feelings she felt.

-We have traces on a seal and you have to goandcheck.- the brunette said briefly. Alex started to speak when Dean andSam cameout of the motel door. As soon as they saw the angel they froze inplace, thenDean dropped his bag to the ground grabbing a knife he had tied to hiswaist.

-What the f*ck are you doing here? How did youfindus? - Dean asked, pissed off, approaching the angel while Sam retrievedhis bagfrom the ground and approached suspiciously too.

Castiel started to respond when Alex beat himto it.

-He contacted me mentally because they havesometraces on a seal, so I told him where we were.- Alex said getting alook fromSam.

Castiel stared at her, knowing she was lyingbut saidnothing.

-You and I need to have a chat.- Dean saidlooking ather annoyed.

-Tell us what we need to know and then f*ckoff.- theboy continued, this time addressing the angel.

Castiel remained silent to observe the 3, thenexplained himself briefly.

-Lilith's followers are trying to break twoseals. Weare working on one, but you have to take care of the other.-

-What, where and when and be concise.-

-Sacramento, Florida. Demons are trying topossess aghost that is haunting a college campus. If they succeed, the seal willbebroken.- Alex had so many questions on her mind, both about the caseand aboutCass, but before she could open her mouth Dean spoke.

-All right. We're going. Now leave before Imake youleave.- Castiel looked at the hunters again before vanishing as he hadarrived.When they were sure he was gone the 3 relaxed and got into the car.

-May I know what's the point of havingprotectivetattoos if you then start giving our position to the first angel thatpassesby?- Dean blurted out as he drove towards the highway.

-He's not the first angel to pass by, you know.Andthen we can't pretend that Lilith and the Apocalypse aren't a problemjustbecause he behaved...-

-Like an asshole.- Dean concluded for her.

-Okay, like an asshole.- Alex conceded, tryingnot tothink about their last meeting at the Singer house.

-Alex is right, Dean. We need to be able tocontact anangel and as much as I'm pissed off at Castiel too, he seems to be theonly onewho doesn't want us dead at the moment.- Sam interceded for the girl,receivingher gratitude.

-Next time let us know when he contacts you.-theeldest of the Winchesters finally said, defeated.

-I will.- Alex reassured him, knowing that shecouldnot keep her promise, based on a false premise.

In a couple of days the 3 arrived in Sacramentoandsince the sun was still high, they immediately got busy figuring outwhat to do.

-We could get rid of the demons.- Dean proposedwhileSam was on the computer looking for information.

-But this would only serve to delay the matter.Ithink we should get rid of the ghost.- Alex said.

-And who says they can't find another ghost?-Deanasked perplexed.

-Then we'll have to do both.- Alex conceded,thinkingit was the best solution.

-We'll have to split up.- Sam said finding someinformation on the campus. They would go on patrol posing as futurefreshmen tounderstand who the spirit they had to stop was. Meanwhile they wouldlook forclues as to who the demon-possessed people might be.

-We'll think about it when we have moreinformation.-Dean said, not appreciating the choice before him.

The three immediately went to the campus andusingfalse documents began to search for clues. They spent several hoursthere andfinally discovered that the spirit most likely belonged to a studentwho haddied two years earlier of an overdose and was buried at Long TorneCemetery.

When the three returned to the motel to getorganized,they started arguing while they changed to go to sleep.

-I discovered that the spirit's sister who wasin herfirst year of university when he died, keeps a lock of her brother'shair inher diary as a memento. So we should go both to the cemetery to burnthe bonesand to the student residence to burn the hair. If demons aren't stupidtheymight decide to split up too. Assuming there really are more than one.-Samsaid.

-I saw that the student residence has a firealarmsystem that goes through all the rooms and corridors. We could blessthepalace's water cistern and set off the fire alarm to recognize andblock thedemons.- Alex proposed.

-Like Constantine. I like it.- Dean saidrememberingthe scene from the film.

-What about the demons in the cemetery?- Samasked.

-It might be more difficult there. But if Iwent tothe cemetery I could block the demons if they were to show up.-

-Okay. Then you and Sam will go to the cemeteryandI'll go to university.- Dean said, getting under the covers next to thegirl.

-No. You will go to university and I will go tothecemetery. If I don't know that you're safe I can't concentrate.- Alexretorted,challenging him with her gaze.

-Do not even think about it. You aren't gonnabe alone.-Dean said receiving the support of Sam who was watching them sitting onhisbed.

They were still arguing when they heard therustlingof wings and Castiel materialized at the foot of their beds, makingthem jumpin fright.

-Holy sh*t, I'm going to have a heart attacksooner orlater.- Dean blurted out while Alex put a hand over her heart which wasnowgalloping. Castiel shifted his gaze between the two, letting it wanderfrom oneto the other.

-Have you found the seal?- he asked after a fewseconds of silence.

-Yes. We'll think about it tomorrow.- Samreplied.

-That is?- asked the angel wanting more detailswhichwere briefly provided to him by the youngest.

-We will prepare the traps and I will go to thecemetery while these two will go to university.- the girl declared,bringingher arms to her chest, covering herself with the sheet. She didn't feelcomfortable in that situation.

-I'll come with you.- Castiel said looking atthegirl.

-Forget it. You aren't gonna stay alone withAlex. You'llhave to go over my dead body.- Dean said, approaching the girl as if toprotecther.

-It wouldn't be too difficult.- the angelrepliedcandidly.

-Dean. You go with Alex to the cemetery.Castiel and Iwill go to university.- Sam said wanting to prevent the others fromkillingeach other.

Alex appreciated the younger man's gesture,understanding what his intentions were. And she appreciated Dean'sprotectiveinstincts, too. She had to admit that she wasn't ready to be alone withCass,knowing that she was nothing to him anymore. At most an annoyingobstacle.

Dean accepted his brother's proposal and so didtheothers, then he lay down next to Alex and hugged her with one arm,making thebrunette's cheeks turn red.

-Now we have to sleep.- Dean said trying tomake theangel in the trench coat understand that he had to leave them alone fora fewhours. Castiel stared at them for a few seconds in silence, thendisappearedjust as he had come.

-Thanks guys.- Alex whispered to the two whileSamturned off the light. The two didn't reply, but Dean turned on his sideandthen held her close, making his chest adhere to her back. In realitysince theystarted sleeping together the girl's nightmares had significantlydecreasedalthough not completely disappeared, still often waking him and Sam inthemiddle of the night.

The next day the 3 hunters set traps for spiritanddemons. When they were joined by Castiel they separated and each headedoff tocarry out their part of the plan. The Constantine move worked perfectlyandCastiel and Sam were able to quickly identify the 3 demons present.Sam, whohad quickly burned the hair using the flame created to set off thealarm,busied himself with some devil's traps while Castiel exorcised them. Atthecemetery, however, things were more difficult. Dean and Alex had justbegun todig up the body to burn when they were joined by 4 other demons.

Alex immediately threw the shovel on the groundandusing her powers, she got behind Dean, mentally blocking them withoutbeingable to help the boy who was torn between giving the girl a hand andgettingrid of the bones.

Sam and Castiel had just exited the buildingwhen Cassconcentrated hearing Alex's thoughts in his head.

-They're in danger.- Cass said with a slightworriedtone to Sam.

-Take us to Alex. I know you can see her.- Samsaid tothe angel grabbing him by the shoulders. Castiel nodded his head, thenplaced ahand on the other's forehead and transported them both to the cemetery,just intime to see that two demons freed themselves from the spell of the nowexhausted Alex, causing two long cuts on her arms and face.

Sam ran towards the girl to help her but wasovertakenby Castiel who in an instant moved ahead of the girl and, letting out aflashof light that forced them to close their eyes, disintegrated the 4demons inone fell swoop. Soon after Dean managed to open the coffin, cover thebody withsalt and gasoline and set it on fire. Alex, exhausted, dropped to theground,keeping one hand pressed to the wound on her face, letting the bloodrun downher hand and arm until it reached her elbow and fell onto her jeans.The otherinjured arm lay on her lap, bleeding.

-Let's see.- Sam said, slowly moving her handawayfrom her face, joined by his brother and, a few steps behind, by theangel. Thegash was long and deep. Alex would need stitches and would be scarredforever.Same for the one on the arm.

-Dean take some gauze from the bag. We have totry tostop the blood.- Sam said after explaining to the girl what he hadnoticed.Dean was about to obey when Castiel moved forward to the brunette,placed ahand on her forehead and in an instant the wounds healed withoutleaving anytrace other than the girl's dirty clothes.

-Thank you.- the girl murmured, no longerfeeling herskin burning, without receiving a response. The girl stood up,supported byDean, but immediately noticed that she had more strength than before.

The boys didn't comment but went to get theirstuff.

-Let's go back to the motel.- Dean said withhis backto the others, heading towards the exit where they had left their car.Samlooked at her friend and the angel for a moment and decided to followDean, butkeeping his senses alert in case of danger.

When the two had moved a little further away,Alexlifted her shirt and opened her jeans to check out her body.

-It's still there.- Castiel informed herreferring tothe mark of his hand.

-Cass... please.- the girl said, taking acouple ofsteps towards the black-haired man, raising her arm to touch him.

For a moment Castiel looked conflicted, as ifhedidn't know what to do. Then he took a step back.

-No.- he said before vanishing, leaving thegirlheartbroken again.

When they returned to the motel, getting out ofthecar, they noticed that Alex's face was covered in tears. She must havecriedsilently so as not to be noticed. Dean lifted her face delicately to besureand the girl, freeing herself from his hold, entered the bathroom tojump intothe shower.

Dean clenched his fists so hard he left nailmarks onhis palms.

-Dean. Give her time.- Sam said placing a handon hisshoulder. He too felt bad seeing the girl in those conditions but theycouldn'tdo anything about it. The only one who could have changed something wasCastielbut apparently after the brainwashing he had become almost a robot andhedoubted he would go back to being the same as before.

After more than 20 minutes the girl came out ofthebathroom wrapped in a towel and with wet hair.

-The bathroom is all yours.- Alex said going toherbag and taking out a loose t-shirt of Sam's that she had stolen in thepast touse as pajamas. With her back to the boys she placed the towel on achair,remaining in her underwear and put on her t-shirt which reached aboveherknees. Sam looked away embarrassed while Dean broke into a mischievousgrin.However, none of them perceived a presence watching them from outsidethewindow.

After their last encounter with the angel, Alexbeganhaving nightmares more frequently, despite Dean holding her close whilesheslept. Furthermore, often, while they were in the dark and trying tosleep, shebegan to cry silently, remembering how happy she had been for thatshort timeand how hurt she had been by the angels who are supposed to protecthumans.

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Chapter Text

They had recently finished a job in Los Angelesandhad not heard from Heaven in weeks. The 3 were in a pizzeria havingsomethingto eat. They had decided to stay in the city for a few days to look fora newlead and do research. When they were done with dinner, they grabbedsome beersand headed back to the motel. Having parked the car, the three got out,but Samstopped after a couple of steps.

-Guys, I would go do some research in thelibrary.There's one not far from here that's open all night.- Sam said to thetwo,drawing their attention.

-I don't know how you do it but it's okay.Don't be toolate and bring Baby back without a scratch.- Dean said throwing him thekeys tothe Chevy which the boy grabbed immediately. He greeted them andstarted thecar, disappearing from their sight after a few minutes.

Alex and Dean entered the motel and both sat onthesmall sofa in the room, opening a couple of beers.

The two remained silent for a while, then Alexstartedlaughing as she remembered something.

-What's funny?- asked Dean who was actuallyhappy tosee her smile, since she rarely did it anymore.

-I remembered that mission we did in Sea Pines.Remember that old lady who was shamelessly hitting on Sam? What was hername? -

-Ah yes, dear Mrs. Case. I made fun of Sam fora wholeweek, remember? -

-Yes, you kept telling him that his honey beewaslooking for him, sending shivers down his spine.- Alex said, laughingfor along time together with the boy.

-I also remember something else about thatplace. Iremember that a certain little witch was jealous of me.- Dean teased.

-Oh, come on! You had let Bela rub your hand ingloryjust because she had waved her tit* in front of your eyes and proposedyou tosleep together.-

-So you heard her?!- asked Dean who wasn'taware ofthat little detail.

-Oops.- the girl just said, taking a sip ofbeer.

-Well, in the end if I'm not mistaken it waswithsomeone else that I almost slept, am I right? - asked the boy,caressing herknee.

-Hmmm... My memories are a bit foggy about it.-thegirl teased, ending up having a tickling attack.

-You know Dean, I remember every single timeyouhelped me, saved me. You always took care of us. Me and Sam. Withoutexpectinganything in return.- the girl continued when she had recovered,caressing hischeek.

-You are truly a nice person. I'm happy to havemetyou.- the girl said, giving him a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

The two stared at each other for severalseconds andthen ended up kissing sweetly.

Dean slipped a hand into the girl's silky hair,whileshe rested her arms on his shoulders, sitting on the boy's legs withoutbreaking contact.

They stayed like that for a long time justkissing,then Alex noticed something hard pressing against her inner thigh.

-Dean...- she murmured, looking into the boy'seyeswith a bleary look. Dean looked at her almost hungrily, then placed hishandson her ass and pulled her closer to him, making their genitals, coveredby afew layers of clothing, collide.

-Ah!- the girl exclaimed, unable to helpherself,while the boy gave her a light bite on the shoulder.

Alex began to sway her pelvis on the boy'sbody,providing momentary relief to both of them, even if it wasn't enough.

After what seemed like an eternity Dean tookher inhis arms and led her to bed, while the girl took off her shirt and bra.When hemade her lie down with her back against the mattress he gave her a handintaking off her shoes and trousers and he himself took off his shirt,thenmaking their bodies join together.

They started kissing again and feeling theirbodieswith their hands in the throes of lust, then Dean seemed to regaincontrol ofhimself and stopped, moving away enough from the girl to be able tolook her inthe eyes.

-Alex, are you sure?- Dean asked not wanting toforcethe girl to do anything she didn't totally want to do, especially afterwhatshe had been through recently. Alex looked at him with a loving gazeand smiledat him.

-Yes.- she replied simply, kissing his handthatremained near his head.

Dean smiled back at her and leaned down to kissherpassionately before stopping again.

-I don't have condoms.- he admitted,remembering allthe mess that had almost happened a few months earlier between the girland theangel.

-It's fine. I'm taking the pill. Not that I'veneededit so far.- confessed the girl who, despite having been abandoned byCastielmonths earlier, had continued to take the pill regularly.

Dean looked at her surprised, then screwedeverythingand lowered himself onto the girl's body, starting to kiss it withoutfurtherdoubts. Alex took off her jeans with some difficulty, then Dean tookoff hisboxers before taking off the girl's briefs and sinking his head betweenherlegs.

-Oh my God.- the girl exclaimed, biting herhand hardin pleasure.

-No, just Dean.- the boy replied grinning,pausing fora moment to answer before resuming his very pleasant work.

Alex put her hands in the boy's hair, unable tocontrol herself, coming on his mouth with a moan. She remained for afewseconds lying on the bed with her chest rising forcefully while theboy, aftergiving that delicious elixir a final lap, stood up so he could kiss her.

As soon as Alex had recovered she reversed thepositions, ending up on top of the boy and getting impaled with adecisivethrust.

It both took their breath away but Dean, whowanted tohave control, grabbed her, making her end up back on the mattress and,penetrating her again, began to thrust into her decisively, at a fastpace.

The two went on for several minutes, then theycame,embracing each other, biting each other to avoid screaming.

When they had recovered, Dean calmly exited thegirl'sbody and, lying next to her, held her close to him. The two exchanged afewkisses and put on their underwear again, after which they fell asleep,huggingeach other.

Sam returned after a couple of hours and seeingthat thelights were off and that the two were asleep, he undressed in the darkand fellinto bed, not noticing what had happened between his brother and hisfriend.

The 3 had been sleeping for hours when at dawntheywere joined by Castiel. The angel, taking advantage of the sunlightthat slowlyilluminated the room, looked around and noticed some women's and men'sclothesthrown badly on the floor. He turned to look at the two who weresleepingtogether and having exposed their bodies during the night, he saw thattheywere only wearing underwear. He put two and two together and angeroverwhelmedhim.

With a sprint he launched himself towards Deanandwhile he was still sleeping he gave him a powerful punch on the jawthatknocked him to the ground, waking him up from the blow. The noise alsowoke upSam and Alex who immediately sat up worried.

Before the guys could react, Castiel punchedDeanagain and then grabbed him by the hair, lifting him to his feet andslamminghim against the wall.

-How the f*ck do you dare to touch Alex? Youare thelast one who should do it!- he exclaimed looking furiously at the guy.Dean atthat point, having recovered from the shock, gave him a powerfulhead-butt onthe forehead, making him take a few steps back. The two stood up readyto fightwhen Alex threw herself between the two, her back to Dean so she couldprotecthim and avoid further bloodshed.

-Shut up, Cass. I won't let you hurt Deanagain!- thegirl said out loud.

-He touched you. He possessed you! After whathe didto you he should never have gotten close to you!- exclaimed Castielclearlyreferring to the tortures Alex had told him about.

-Now stop it! Dean has never intentionally hurtme!With what right do you come here to tell me who can or cannot touch me!-

Sam and Dean didn't expect to find themselvesin themiddle of such an argument and both didn't fully understand what thetwo weretalking about.

-He has...- Cass continued before beinginterrupted byan icy look from the girl who raised a hand to silence him.

-Dean. Sam. Go for a ride. Castiel and I needtotalk.- the girl said seriously without taking her eyes off the angel.

-If you think I'm leaving you alone with thispsychopath you're crazy.- Dean said approaching the girl trying to passher togo towards the angel.

Alex stopped him by turning towards him andspreadingher arms.

-It's between the two of us. You two go. Ifsomethinghappens to me you will know who it was and you can look for him as muchas youwant.- said the girl.

-I don't...- Cass tried to speak, still pissedoff.

-Shut up!- the girl shouted, turning sharplytowardshim.

Alex was now very pissed off and withoutrealizing itshe started making objects fly around the room unable to control herpowers.

-Okay Alex, we're leaving. Regain control.- Samsaidas he dressed quickly, grabbing the wallet that was floating around theroom.

When Alex realized what was happening, sheconcentratedon regaining control of her powers, causing the objects to fall to thegroundwith a bang. Dean put on his trousers and went out holding his shoesand shirtin his arms, without however avoiding throwing a worried look at thebrunetteas he closed the door behind him.

Once alone Alex took a step towards the angelthenstood looking at him with a gaze that passed him from side to side.

-What the f*ck were you thinking when you cameherebeating up Dean? What the f*ck is going through that head of yours? -she saidout loud, still pissed off. Castiel looked at her for a momentsurprised by herreaction, then became heated.

-He touched you! He took you! - he explained asif itwere enough.

-No Cass. We had sex. Together. Dean alone didnothingat all. And anyway that doesn't explain what the f*ck you care about.You left,twice, making it clear to me that you didn't give a damn about me. Sonow Iwant to know what the f*ck you're going through.-

Cass looked at her with a hurt look. He knewthat Alexhad been an active part in the relationship with Dean, but hearing hersay itlike that hurt him.

-After everything he did to you, the torture,thenightmares you have because of him, you're going to bed with him!-exclaimedCass, shifting his anger onto the girl.

-Dean knows nothing about what happened. Hetook careof me and helped me when you left! You hurt me! I cried every day afterwhathappened. I tried to hate you, like I hate those assholes who tried tokill me,but I couldn't. I would have come back to you if you had only asked me.But younever did. You're gone! You abandoned me! You forgot about me. Aboutus! Ofwhat we've been through. Of what we felt. I hate you! - the girl saidas shebegan to cry silently, still keeping her gaze fixed on the angel'spenetratingblue eyes. She didn't want to be seen like this, but she was too pissedandhurt to try to control herself.

The two remained silent for a long time whilethesunlight increased in intensity, illuminating both of them.

-Do you love him?- Castiel only asked afterwhatseemed like hours.

-Of course I love him. It's Dean. But he's notyou.-the girl replied revealing her true feelings.

Castiel looked at her for a few seconds, thenwith twowide strides he reached her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

Alex stood still, not expecting anything likethis.Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was ready to leap out ofherchest. Noticing that the girl wasn't reacting, Cass pulled away fromher,looking into her eyes.

-You're an idiot. And I love you.- the girlsaidbefore grabbing the dark-haired man's tie to pull him towards her andstartkissing him again. Cass lifted her by the waist, pushing her towardsthe bedbefore dropping them both onto the mattress. With extreme rapidity hestrippedhimself of the countless clothes that covered him while Alex got rid ofherunderwear. He positioned himself on top of her, placing his handsaround herhead and when Alex had opened her legs wide, showing him her femininityreadyto receive him, he penetrated her. At first the thrusts were slow andrhythmic,then Cass remembered that just a few hours earlier Dean had been insideherand, irritated, he began to forcefully hit that spot that he knew drovehiswitch crazy. He wanted her to enjoy it as she had never enjoyed, trying inthatway to erase the memory of the hunter. Alex grabbed his face in herhands andkissed him, then started moaning a few centimetres away from theangel's mouth whowas making its way into her. After a while Alex came, opening her eyeswide andthrowing her head back and Cass, thrusting into her a couple moretimes,reached her, pouring his seed into her and mixing their fluids.

Cass dropped delicately onto the girl's body,stillremaining inside her, then rested his head on the side of thebrunette's and,almost as if he were whispering to the pillow, finishing panting, heconfessed.

-I love you too.- he said. Alex whipped herheadtowards him, almost making their heads collide, and stared at him withwideeyes.

Castiel got lost in those blue eyes looking atheradoringly and kissed her softly.

-I love you.- he repeated, stopping for amomentbefore starting to kiss her again.

The two remained in bed for more than half anhour,holding each other and still joined together. Alex even fell asleep foraboutten minutes, unable to resist the tiredness and Cass remained with hisfaceclose to hers, observing her and filling his lungs with the scent thather hairgave off. When she woke up he resumed kissing her sweetly, as if hecouldn'tseparate himself from her.

-Cass, I need a shower.- the girl said, runninga handthrough his hair tenderly, freeing his forehead from some strands ofhair thathad stuck together due to sweat.

-Together? - he asked looking at her.

-Together.- confirmed the girl who had missedtheirmoments together.

Castiel slowly withdrew, slowly moving out ofher.Even though his penis was now relaxed, the girl couldn't containherself,moaning at the pleasant sensation she felt, receiving a small grin ofapprovalfrom the angel.

The two started to get up when Cass stopped,seeingthe girl's new tattoo that he hadn't noticed before. She must have doneit whenhe wasn't there. He looked at it and was surprised that it was aformula inEnochian. When Alex noticed what he was looking at with such interestsheexplained.

-It's a formula I created after Naomi andBartholomew... It's supposed to hide us from the angels. Sam, Dean andBobbyhave it too.-

-Do you know what it says?-

-It should roughly read "Keep containers andangelic creatures from finding me. Keep others with war and murder intheirhearts from finding me."-

-It's not just that. Here...- said the angelpointingto some symbols of the spell, slightly tickling Alex.

-Oh yes. You mean "except for the angelCastiel", right? - she asked, receiving an affirmative nod from theangel.

-That's an addition I made to my tattoo.- saidthegirl.

-Is this why I can only see you?-

-Yes.-

-Why did you do it?- Castiel asked, notunderstandingthe girl's motivations, which were still too human for him.

-Because I hoped that one day you would comeback to meand because I love you, no? - the girl said as if it were obvious.

Cass' heart warmed and after holding her closehekissed her first on the tattoo and then on the mouth, letting theirtonguesintertwine.

-I'll make it up to you. I promise you.- hesaid,bringing their foreheads together gently. They remained in thatposition for acouple of minutes, then Alex got up and, taking him by the hand, ledhimtowards the bathroom of the room. They both took a slow shower thatlastedlonger than expected then once they were dry they got dressed.

-There are a lot of things you have to tell me,youknow that, right?-

-I know.-

Alex's phone rang and she saw it was Dean.

-Dean?-

-Are you okay?- asked the boy worried.

-I am fine. Where are you? We'll join you.- thegirlasked in turn, grabbing her wallet and cigarettes, closing the doorbehind her.

-Is he with you?-

-Yes. He said he will explain everything tous.- shesaid looking at the angel who was listening to the conversation. Healso owedexplanations to the two brothers, not just to her. Dean remained silentfor afew seconds, not very convinced of the matter, then he gave up.

-We are in a diner about a kilometre from themotel.It's called Black Dog. We'll wait for you here.- Dean said beforeattacking.

Alex lit a cigarette and began to inhale deeplyasCastiel grabbed her free hand with his and squeezed it. Now that he hadfoundher he no longer wanted to let her go.

They walked for about ten minutes, then foundthediner Dean mentioned and went inside. They took a look around and sawthat thetwo brothers were sitting in the far corner of the diner. When Samnoticedthem, being turned towards the door, he signalled to Dean who, seeingthem, gotup and moved next to his brother, leaving the bench free for the twowho had arrived.

-So?- asked Dean still irritated from themorning'smeeting.

-I apologize Dean. I shouldn't have attackedyou.-Castiel said looking the boy in the eyes, taking the 3 by surprise.

-I can do little with your apologies, Cass. Iwant toknow what happened this morning. What has happened in the last fewmonths andwhat are your intentions.-Alex was shocked at Dean's tone and was aboutto saysomething but Sam intercepted her gaze and shook his head, making herunderstand that for the moment it was better to let him vent.

-This morning I came because I wanted to checkthatAlex was okay. There were rumours among my brothers that worried me andIwanted to check it out in person.-

-What rumours?- asked Sam.

-It was said that Alex had been possessed by ademonand had become a follower of Lilith.-

-What bullsh*t.- Dean blurted out.

-I know, but I had to be sure.- Cass said.

-So when you arrived you thought it best tobeat meup?- Dean asked sarcastically.

-I found you in bed with my partner, what doyou thinkI should have done?- Cass asked trying to control his emotions.

-Your partner? And where have you been all thistimewhile "your partner" was falling asleep in tears? Or when she was atthe mercy of nightmares? Or when those pieces of sh*t tried to killher! - Deansaid, raising his voice, attracting the attention of some customers whowerenearby, and then calming down.

Cass looked the girl in the eyes, with a painedlook,then lowered his gaze. He had no way to argue, Dean was right.

-Dean, please...- Alex said grabbing the boy'shand inhers to make him calm down. That seemed to have an effect, so she put ahandunder Cass' chin to raise his head.

-Cass, can you tell us what happened after wesaidgoodbye in Orlando?- Alex asked wanting to know the truth. Castielsighed. Hewanted to avoid remembering certain things but he knew he owed the guyssomeexplanations.

-Do you remember that I told you that Icouldn't comewith you because I was absent from Paradise since too many days andthey mightget suspicious?- asked Cass receiving a nod from the girl who remainedsilent.

-What I didn't know is that my superiors hadactuallysuspected me for weeks. They had noticed that I had changed and that Iwasabsent at nights, sometimes for whole days, so after having mefollowed, theyhad found out about us.- Cass explained.

-When I returned to Heaven that day I foundmyselftrapped. I was immediately immobilized and brought before thesuperiors. Therethey gave orders to brainwash me to remove every emotion and sensationI feltwhen we were together. They said that you had made me impure and thatyourdeath would save me. They locked me in a room and the torture angelsstartedworking on me and brainwashing me, as you call it. They weren't able tocompletely finish their job thanks to the protection spell you cast onme, butthe damage was still considerable. Meanwhile, Naomi and Bartholomewwere sentto earth to "complete the mission". - Cass said, quoting the lastwords, referring to the task of killing her.

-So when you appeared at Bobby's house...?-

-They had removed what made me human. You.-Cassconfirmed.

-Then what happened?- Sam asked.

-At first I just followed orders which werebasicallyto stay away from you. Then the memories started to surface. I saw yourfaceeverywhere I went and I got into the habit of observing you secretly.-

-Creepy.- Dean commented in a low voice.

-About a month ago I recovered all mymemories.- saidthe angel.

-One month ago?! And you kept pretendingnothinghappened all this time?! - exclaimed the girl.

-I knew I had put you in danger and I didn'twant theothers to come back and try to kill you. So I pretended not to rememberyou.-

-A month ago... It means that when we got ridof thosedemons you had already recovered all your memories!- the girl saidagain,remembering the angel's weird behaviour.

-Yes. That's true.- he said, looking down,guilty.

-If it weren't for the fact that I love you, Iwouldsmack your face from here to eternity.- the girl blurted out, receivingtwo surprisedlooks from the two brothers while a pleased smirk appeared on Castiel'slips.

-Ignoring what I just heard. If you had decidedtopretend, why are you here with us now after having obviously had sexwith Alex?- Dean asked, ignoring the girl's expression.

-I tried to be detached to protect Alex, butwhen Isaw you together today I was no longer able to control myself and feignindifference. I know it's selfish of me and that by doing so I couldput her indanger again, but I love her and I want to be with her.- the manconfessed,also revealing his true feelings, happy that they were reciprocated.

-Jesus Christ. You two are going to drive mecrazy.-Dean stated looking at Alex who happily rested her head on the angel'sshoulderwho in turn kissed her hair.

-Do you have any idea how to protect Alex oryourself?- Sam asked the angel.

-It seems to me that you have protectedyourselvesquite well. I won't return to Heaven now that my cards are exposed. Iwill helpyou with this apocalypse thing, especially since there are the last 3sealsleft to break and I will use what Dean calls the "radio antenna" topick up information but for the moment I will stay with you.- Castielsaidthinking about the imminent future.

-You must protect yourself from other angels.If theylook for you and find you, all this will be useless.- Alex saidworriedly.Castiel asked the waitress for a sheet of paper and a pen and beganwritingstrange Enochian symbols on it. It seems like a text similar to theirs,butlonger and more complex.

-With this I will be hidden. How can I tattooit? - hethen asked doubtfully.

-You need to go to a tattoo shop. We'llaccompanyyou.- Alex replied looking at the text.

The 4 looked for a tattoo shop online and foundonewith thousands of positive reviews. They went there and convinced themto spenda couple of hours paying a large amount of money to tattoo the angel.When theyhad finished the dark-haired man came out of the shop and joined themnear thecar where they were waiting for him.

-Done?- Dean asked. Castiel lifted his shirt toreveala tattoo on his stomach, on his left side.

-How does it already seem almost healed? - Alexsaid,softly touching the skin around him.

-It must be the self-healing power of theangels,right?- Sam replied receiving a nod of confirmation.

-Perfect, where are we going now?- Alexstretched,waiting for an answer.

Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Chapter Text

The two brothers together with the angel andthe witchtried with all their might to prevent the seals from being broken, butunfortunately they were betrayed. Ruby, who until then had helped themand fedSam her blood in secret, was instead working on Lilith's orders. Whenthere wasonly one seal left to break, she led them to Lilith leading them tokill her.However, none of them knew that by doing so the last of the 66 sealswas brokenand Lucifer rose from the cage that trapped him.

-You see, Dean, we never really wanted you toavoidthe Apocalypse. We wanted you to finish everything once this hadstarted.-Zacharia explained as he forced the boy to listen to him, holding Alex,stunnedby the numerous injuries she sustained, pinned by her neck, threateningtobreak it. Sam had momentarily fainted not far away and Castiel, in arage, wasnext to the eldest Winchester. If they had harmed his Alex he wouldhave killedthem all, one by one.

-What the f*ck would you like me to do?-

-You will have to agree to become the containerof thearchangel Michael, allowing him to defeat Lucifer once and for all.-

-You knew that?!- Dean shouted angrily at theangel inthe trench coat, not being able to believe his words.

-I'm sorry...- Cass said in a low voice,confessinghis sins.

-Alex will die!- exclaimed the boy, unable tobelievethat, after everything that had happened, he was willing to let theirwitchdie.

-So, do you accept?- Zacharia asked again,tighteninghis grip on the girl's neck as she gasped for air.

Dean was visibly torn between saving thebrunette andrefusing to be a puppet in the hands of Heaven, Castiel took a fewsteps toovertake the boy, having his hands raised as if he wanted to make itclear thathe wanted to reunite with the Angels.

-Well, I see that you have decided to make therightchoice on your own initiative.- said the elderly angel, motioning tohim thathe could come closer.

-Cass!- Dean shouted with all the anger he hadin hisbody. The hands of Alex, who until then had been struggling to survive,loosened their grip on the man's arms, falling to her sides as if apuppeteerhad cut the strings holding her.

-I'm sorry.- Cass said looking at the boy, thensheseparated the edges of his shirt revealing an anti-angel seal and usinghisblood he marked himself, making Zacharia disappear instantly. He haddecided todefinitively betray Heaven and team up with Dean to find a way todefeatLucifer.

Alex fell to the ground, saved just in time byCastielwho slowed her fall by grabbing her shoulders.

-Alex!- Dean shouted running towards the two.Heapproached the girl's mouth but noticed that she wasn't breathing. Themark ofZacharia's hand imprinted on her throat.

He laid her on the ground and began compressingherchest, giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Castiel held her handtightlyin his. Despite the powers he had, he could not resurrect her,especially afterbeing away from Heaven for so long. After a few seconds the girl perkedup,opening her eyes.

-Dean?! Cass?!- the girl murmured beforestarting tocough. Her throat was on fire and hurt like she had a knife goingthrough it.

The two, relieved to see that she was alive,huggedher tightly. Not far away Sam recovered and joined them.

For a while the 4 tried to stay together, butafter acouple of jobs Sam decided to separate from them. Neither he nor Deancouldtrust his skills at work at the moment, unable to forget how he letRuby screwhim over despite Dean's warnings.

-Guys, I have to go looking for God. I have tofindhim so that he can make everything right.- Cass explained to Dean andAlex oneevening while watching them eat. Dean grimaced but said nothing.

-Do you believe God really exists? That he canhelpus? - Alex asked sceptically. She knew that it might seemcounterintuitive,having seen with her own eyes that angels and demons really existed andhavingeven witnessed Lucifer's return to earth, but she found it difficult tobelievethat God existed. If that were the case, why not intervene?

-I know he exists. He's my father. I will findhim andhe will help us.- the angel replied seriously. Alex seemed to thinkabout itfor a moment, but in the end she decided to trust her boyfriend.

-All right. Just be careful.- she commentedplacing asweet kiss on his lips.

-Hey Alex, but if God is Cass' father, doesn'tthatmake him your father-in-law?!- Dean exclaimed suddenly. Alex looked athim withher mouth wide open, slowly turning red, making him burst out laughing.

-Well yes, if we get married yes.- Castielrepliedseriously, not getting the joke, making the boy laugh even more.

-Cass, Dean was joking.- Alex explained whenshe hadrecovered.

-Ah. But it's true.- commented the angel makingthehunter laugh out loud again.

The 3 went to a motel for the night and the twohumansfell asleep after a while Cass took a seat next to Alex, hugging herlike everynight.

The next morning, when they woke up, Dean wasstrangely the first to change.

-I'm going to have breakfast. See you there.Ah, Cass,before I forget, take this. So we can stay in touch. Our numbers aresaved.-said the boy handing him a cell phone, and then leaving the room. SinceSam hadseparated from them the 3 had always slept in the same room and he knewthatthis had prevented the others from having private moments tothemselves, soknowing that she wouldn't see the angel for a while he wanted Alex tobe ableto have one last moment alone with him.

-Thank you.- the girl murmured softly when thedoorwas closed.

She was still looking at the door when she felttheangel's lips rest on her neck to leave a trail of kisses. She smiledsincerelyand then turned to put her arms behind the angel's neck and kiss himgently.

Alex moved her hands through the black-hairedman'ssoft hair, ruffling it. She loved seeing it messy after having sex. Itmade himeven sexier. Cass brought a hand to grab the edge of the t-shirt thatAlex wasusing as pajamas, starting to lift it, first showing her flat stomachtofinally free one of her breasts, starting to grab it calmly.

Alex began to moan his name, arching her backto maketheir pelvises touch, then raised her arms to allow him to remove hergarment.Cass obeyed and quickly got rid of his shirt too, leaving both of themin theirunderwear.

Backing away, Alex ended up lying on themattress,being dominated by the brunette who began to taste her entire body.Usuallythey would have joined by now, but they both knew they wouldn't seeeach otherfor who knows how long, so they took it easy.

When Cass felt he had tasted the girl's skinenough,he took off her panties and spread her legs, lowering his head to tastewhatwas his favourite nectar. He took his time, skilfully moving his tongueandfingers in and out of her, without taking his eyes off the girl's evenwhen shecame, wetting his fingers with her juices. After going back up he beganto kissher, allowing her to taste herself mixed with the man's saliva. Theyremainedembraced for a long time, kissing and touching each other when Alexmade theangel lie down on the mattress. Very slowly she grabbed the elastic ofhisboxers with her teeth and began to lower them, managing to make themend up onthe floor. When she raised her head towards the intimacy of her angelshe foundhis completely erect manhood in front of her. She took it in her mouthandstarted pumping it, at a rhythmic pace, while massaging his balls withonehand. Once satisfied, not wanting to bring him to org*sm before theyhad joined,she dominated the angel and let herself be penetrated by loweringherselfslowly onto his member, helped by her seed which allowed easier andlubricatedaccess. Cass loved that feeling, he was now addicted to it and if hehad to hewould send everyone and everything to hell so he could stay foreverwith thegirl he loved. Alex began to ride him with extreme sweetness. After afewminutes Castiel sat up, hugging the girl tightly, both now close to thelonged-for org*sm. It took a few more pushes, then they came at thesame time,body and soul united.

Once the beating of their hearts, that gallopedeverytime they loved each other, had calmed down, Cass dropped onto themattress,pulling the girl with him and starting to kiss her. They managed toturn ontheir side without breaking away and remained exchanging effusions forwhatseemed like hours, even though it wasn't.

-Cass...- the girl said, stopping, looking athim inthe deep blue eyes that she loved so much.

-Please, be careful.- she continued, caressinghim,receiving a kiss on the forehead.

-I promise you. Whatever happens, call me and Iwillfly to you.- The thing that had most held him back from going untilthat momentwas separating himself from the huntress. He knew Dean would take careof her,but he feared that without him to protect her she would be in danger,eventhough she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

They both took a shower and got dressed. Cassofferedto accompany Alex to the café where Dean was waiting for herso they couldpostpone saying goodbye for a few more minutes.

Once there the two kissed.

-I love you.- Alex said trying to smile despiteherworry.

-I love you too.- the angel replied, caressingher.Then, accompanied by a rustling of wings, he vanished.

Alex took a couple of deep sighs before walkingintothe bar. It was going to be a long day.

Dean and Alex went around the country lookingfor away to kill Lucifer. Sure, they had Ruby's dagger, but if they had theColt itwould have been better.

They didn't stay in the same place for morethan twonights. If they had a case they solved it and moved on.

It was late in the evening when Dean's phonerang. Heread that it was Cass and answered.

-Cass, found anything?-

-Not yet. How are you?-

-Good for now. Alex is sleeping.- he informedhim,looking at the girl sleeping next to him, moving a lock of hair awayfrom herface.

-In Hell there are rumours about the Colt. Itseemsthey are hiding it.-

-Are you talking about THE Colt?-

-Yes.-

-It would not make sense. Why keep a weaponthat cankill them. They will have gotten rid of it by tearing it to pieces.-

-What? I don't understand? - Cass said out loudbecause of a truck that had passed near him.

-It's fun, talking to a messenger of God on thephone.-

-It is not. The voice says I'm almost out ofminutes.Where are you?-

-We're in Kansas City. Century Hotel room 113.-

-I will be with you immediately.-

-No Cass. I drove for 16 hours straight. I am ahumanbeing, I have needs.-

-Needs?-

-Yes, like eat. In this case, sleep at least afewhours straight. See you tomorrow morning.- Dean said putting down thephonetrying to sleep.

When Dean woke up, he noticed that the room hewas inis falling apart and Alex was nowhere to be seen. He went down thestreet andnoticed that the city looked like something out of a post-apocalypticmovie. Hetried to help a little girl but she attacked him and he found himselffleeingfrom about ten people who were chasing him with the intention ofkilling him.As he fled he found himself surrounded when a group of soldiers beganshootingat them, allowing him to escape. On a nearby wall he saw the writingCroatoanin clear letters and thus understood that the people were not crazy,butinfected.

His cell phone and radio weren't working so hetriedto go to Bobby but when he got to the man's house he realized he mustbe dead.He looked around the house for clues and found a photo with Castiel,Bobby, himand some other people in front of a Camp sign, so he decided to trythere.While driving in a car salvaged from Bobby's garage, he found Zachariaas apassenger.

-I should have imagined it was your work. Wheredidyou send me? In an alternate universe like Marty McFly? -

-You are in 2014, 5 years in the future. Webroughtyou here to show you what will happen if you don't say yes to Michael.-

-Take me home. Nothing that will happen willconvinceme to say yes.-

-We'll see. See you soon.- he said beforedisappearing.

In the evening he arrived at the camp and snuckinsecretly. He had stopped to contemplate his ruined Baby when he wasknocked outby someone.

He woke up handcuffed to some stairs in themiddle ofa room and once he focused on his surroundings he found himself infront of... himself.

Dean tried to convince his older self of whatwashappening. Future Dean admitted that he believed him, but at the momenthe hadmore pressing things to do than babysit him so he told him to staythere inhandcuffs while he went on his mission.

Using splinters of wood from the floor, Deanmanagedto free himself and started walking around the camp.

He met some people who mistook him for hisolder self,including Chuck, and so, finding himself in front of a familiar face,he askedhim if Castiel was there.

-You can find him at the cabin. I doubt Casswill everleave this place.- he said pointing to one of the nearby cabins.

Cautiously Dean entered the house and foundCastielsitting in a circle on the floor with 5-6 beautiful girls. He wasfilling theirheads about the connection between people when they noticed it.

-Could you excuse me? I must speak to our braveleader. You go ahead and get ready for the orgy.- he said, momentarilysendingthem away, leaving Dean speechless.

-Cass. I need your help.-

-You're not Dean. Not our Dean at least. Whenare youfrom?- asked Castiel who immediately recognized that there wassomething strangeabout the guy in front of him.

-End 2009.-

-5 years ago. Zacharia sent you here I bet.-

-How do you know?-

-Typical of Zacharia.-

-Use one of your angel tricks and send me backto myyear, let's go.- Dean said preparing to be taken back to the past.

-Certain. As if I could.- Castiel said laughing.

-What's up? Are you smoked? -

-Mostly, yeah.-

-Cass, where's Alex?- Dean asked.

The black-haired man opened his eyes wide andbegan tovisibly tremble, biting the inside of his cheeks. Dean started to askhim if hewas okay when they heard jeeps returning and headed outside. They justhad timeto reach the future Dean when they saw him kill one of his own in coldblood.Dean tried to warn the stranger without success but on the other handheshocked the others present who found themselves faced with two almostidenticalDeans. Future Dean pointed a rifle at his younger version and pushedhimtowards the shed where he had handcuffed him, pissed off.

-You killed one of your men in cold blood!-Deanaccused him.

-It's the usual with the Croats. He had beeninfected.-

-So you thought it was right to upset yourpartners bykilling a companion in front of them?!-

-You shocked them more by putting them in frontof twoversions of us!- said Dean from the future.

-At least can we know what the mission was?-

-After 5 years I finally managed to find this.-heinformed him, taking the Colt out of a bag.

Dean from the future explained to him that inthat wayhe could kill Satan who had been looking for him for so long. He thenaddedthat Dean would go with him along with Cass and a woman named Riza.

-Bobby?-

-He did not make it. He died 2 years ago.-

-And Alex? I haven't seen her around.- Dean'sgazedarkened when the door opened and a little girl of about 3 years oldwith blackhair and blue eyes came running in.

-Papi! You're back! - said the little girl asshe wasimmediately picked up by the man, putting her hands around his neck.

-Little one, are you okay?- the man askedgiving her akiss on the cheek.

-Yet! Papi, why it the man the tame at you? -sheasked pointing to the Dean of the past. Dean started to answer her whena girlof about 16 came in breathlessly.

-Alex! You know you shouldn't run away from me!- thegirl said, turning to the little girl. She approached Dean who passedthelittle girl to her and let her pick her up and then after lookingstrangely atthe two adults, she went out.

-You have a daughter named Alex?!- asked Deanshocked.Future Dean looked at him with a pained expression and remained silent.Deanknew something was wrong.

-Where's Alex?- Dean asked seriously.

-She's dead.- the other Dean replied, droppinginto achair.

-I want to know everything.-

-Alex is not my daughter, not by blood. She isthedaughter of Cass and Alex.-

Dean looked at him without knowing what to say,waiting for the other to continue.

-Shortly before the Apocalypse began, Alex andCassbecame close...- future Dean said having positive feedback from pastDean.

-They fell in love and decided to be togetherdespitethe danger they faced. The virus had broken out a few months ago andthe angelswere now a memory when Alex discovered she was pregnant. Cass didn'tagree, hewanted her to have an abortion but Alex opposed to it with all herheart. Shemanaged to carry the pregnancy to the end but we weren't equipped for awoman togive birth in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, so we arranged to goto a safeplace in the city where a doctor would have helped her give birth. Wehad someproblems, we were ambushed and she got infected. We managed to get herto givebirth but unfortunately there was nothing we could do for her. Casstried toheal her but he no longer had his powers and the angels didn'trespond...-

-Youhave to... you have to promiseme to take care of the little girl. You have to protect her.- Cass heldhertightly while Dean cried as he looked at her, holding the littlenewborncreature in his hands.

-Promiseme.- Alex told him, lookingat him tiredly.

-Ipromise.- Dean replied receivinga look of immense gratitude in response.

-Cass...-the girl shifted her gazeto her love.

-Youcan't leave me. You must staywith me.- said the angel cradling her in his arms.

-Iloved you from the first moment Isaw you. You made me feel a happiness I didn't think I deserved. Thankyou.-

-Ilove you, love. I love you.- theangel murmured, holding her tightly.

-Iknow.- the brunette smiledsincerely, leaning over to kiss him softly on the lips. Then she tookthe gunout of his trouser pocket.

-Iwill never forget you. I love youwith all my heart. But now you have to let me go.-

-Icannot. I need you.- Cass now hada face full of tears falling on his beloved's skin.

-Cass,we have to go.- Dean saidholding the little girl who had started to cry.

-No...-

-Cass!We have to go now! - Deangrabbed him by the shoulder pulling him tightly towards him receivingthe helpof Alex who weakly pushed the man towards her friend.

-Leaveme! Alex!- he shouted as theboy dragged him out of the room.

-Goodbye.-the girl murmured whenshe saw the door closing.

Theywere still in the corridor whenthey heard a shot coming from behind them. Then nothing more.

-We barely managed to save ourselves but thatdaysomething broke in Cass. He loved Alex in an imperfect and total wayand takingcare of the little Alex was too much. He couldn't look at her withoutthinkingof the person he'd lost. One evening he came to me with the little girlandasked me to take care of her and be her father. I accepted because...-

-Because you loved her.- Dean concluded in hisplace.He knew because they were the same person.

The two remained in silence for a long time,which wasinterrupted by Dean from the future.

-I wasn't honest with you. Sam didn't die inDetroit.He said yes.-

-He said yes?! The big yes? - Dean tried toconfirm.

-Yes.-

-Why?-

-I do not know. Apparently staying apart didn'thelp.Now he is no longer our brother. It is Lucifer's vessel.-

-You have to say yes.- he continued after amoment ofsilence.

-I cannot.-

-Yes you can! You must do it! It is the onlyway.-

-You didn't do it.-

-Do you think I didn't try?! I shouted yesuntil Iturned blue, but no one answered! The angels left and it was too late!But Iknow that you won't do it because I didn't do it.- Dean from the futureconcluded, giving Dean something to think about.

When night came, the two of them, together withCass,Riza and another dozen companions, went to the place where they weresupposedto find Lucifer, right in the centre of the city. Unfortunately theyfound atrap waiting for them and they were exterminated by the Croats. Sam,possessedby Lucifer, killed future Dean and had a conversation with past Dean.When theywere done Dean found himself alone only to be transported back toZacharia in2009. He woke up in the same hotel room where he had fallen asleep withAlexand found the girl next to him holding a gun pointed at the angel.

-So, now that you've seen what will happen youcangive us your answer.- the angel told him, taking a couple of stepscloser.

-No.-

-What do you mean no?!-

-I mean no. I will not become Michael'scontainer.-

-You dirty little ingrate. I'll show you whattruesuffering means! - exclaimed the angry angel. He was quicklyapproaching thetwo hunters when they ended up being transported along a highway.Castiel wasin front of them.

-Perfect timing. Thanks Cass.-

-We had a date.- said the angel in the trenchcoatbefore sweetly kissing his girlfriend. Dean didn't interrupt themknowing theyhadn't seen each other for several days.

-What happened?- Alex asked the boy.

-Zacharia. He made me finish in 2014. He wantedtoshow me the future to convince me to say yes.- Dean just explainedwithoutgoing into too much detail.

-So?-

-I know what I have to do.- Dean said beforetakingout his cell phone and calling Sam. They would go back hunting togetherbecauseif there was one thing he understood from that trip to the future itwas thatalone they were weak and together they would be stronger.

While Cass continued to search for God, the 3hunterscontinued to search for a way to kill Lucifer or how to find the Colt.That isuntil they encountered the Trickster again who they discovered was thearchangel Gabriel. Gabriel told them there was another way to save theworld.They would have to imprison Lucifer in his cage and to do this theyneeded 4seals. More precisely than the rings of the 4 horsem*n of theApocalypse.

With the help of Bobby, Castiel and the demonking ofthe crossroads Crowley, the 3 managed to recover the rings and deviseda planto get rid of Lucifer. Sam would have to say yes to Lucifer so he couldcontrolhim and confine him to the cage, while Alex and Dean would complete theritualto seal him.

The 3 went to Lucifer and Sam agreed to be hisvessel.Unfortunately the archangel was too strong for Sam and once he tookpossessionof his body he disappeared, ready for the final battle with Michele whohadtaken possession of the body of the half-brother of the two Winchesters.

Alex suggests asking Chuck where the finalbattlewould take place. Being a prophet he should have known. Alex's ideaprovedsuccessful and once they had the final clues, they also informed Cassand Bobbyand headed to Stull Cemetery in Lawrence.

At noon the next day Lucifer and Michael foundthemselves at the site. Lucifer tried to convince his older brother toavoidfighting.

-Our father created everything, he created me!Hewanted a devil. We will die and for a test from our father to which wewill nothave an answer.-

-I have orders to obey. Unlike you, I am a goodson.You are a monster, Lucifer, and I will have to kill you.-

-If this is what has to happen...- Lucifer saidbutwas interrupted by the arrival of Alex and Dean aboard the Impala.

-Hi guys.- Alex greeted sarcastically.

-Did we interrupt something? We need to talk.-Deancontinued turning to Sam.

Michael interrupted him by telling him that hewas nolonger the container and that he no longer had a part in the story.Dean toldhim that he needed to talk to Sam for 5 minutes and then he would haveadiscussion with his stepbrother too. The latter did not seem happy andwasabout to hit Dean when Castiel threw a Molotov co*cktail of blessed oilat thearchangel, causing him to catch fire and vanish, giving Dean a fewminutes.However, Lucifer didn't like this at all.

-Castiel! You threw a Molotov co*cktail ofblessed oilat my brother?! No one can touch my brother except me.- he said pissedoffbefore snapping his fingers causing Cass' body to disintegrate,splatteringblood everywhere.

-CASS!- Alex shouted, unable to believe hereyes whichinstantly filled with tears.

-I'll kill you.- she said through clenchedteeth,throwing herself against what was Sam's body, holding Ruby's anti-demondagger,wounding him even though nothing happening to him. Lucifer, takingadvantage ofthe girl's push, bent down, kicking her in the stomach, causing her tospin inthe air and land behind him. While he was distracted by Alex who wasgettingup, Bobby fired two shots at him with the Colt hitting him in theheart. Fed upwith these pathetic humans he looked at the two and with a gesture ofhisfingers he broke both of their necks killing them.

Dean's agonized scream was almost unbearable tohearand the next thing he knew he found himself hit and thrown in his Chevyby amore than pissed off Lucifer who had decided not to be nicer to Deananymore toplease Sam.

Lucifer began to beat the boy heavily, findingnoresistance. Dean could never kill his little brother and now that allthe peoplehe loved were dead he had no reason to survive. Lucifer was about togive himthe final blow when, looking at a toy soldier inside the Impala, hestopped.Sam's mind filled with memories of the past, of his life with Dean fromwhenthey were little until now and he managed to regain control of his body.

He picked up the rings of the 4 Knights fromhispocket and threw them to the ground, casting the spell that reopenedLucifer'scage.

He thanked Dean for everything and was about tojumpin when he was grabbed by Michele who wanted him out of the way tofightLucifer. At that point Sam grabbed his half-brother, possessed byMichael, bythe arms and dragged him with him, throwing himself into the cage,blockingboth archangels inside.

With a flash of light the cage closed. Dean,with hisface so swollen that he couldn't even cry, went to the spot where hisbrotherhad disappeared, where only the rings remained, and knelt there.

Suddenly he felt a presence behind him. Heturned andfound himself facing Castiel, brought back to life.

-Cass, you are alive?!-

-Better.- said the angel touching his foreheadhealingall the wounds he had.

-Cass... are you God?-

-It's a nice compliment but no. Although Ibelieve heis the one who brought me back to life. New and improved.-

Cass moved away from Dean and approachedBobby's bodyfirst. He touched him and brought him back to life. He later approachedAlex'scorpse and did the same.

-Cass? You're alive? - the girl said confused.

-I'm alive and now you are too.- the angelsaid,caressing her. Alex threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightlywhileBobby approached Dean, hugging him, united in the pain of the loss.

The 4 got back in the car. Alex motioned forCass togo with Dean to talk to him while she would go with Bobby.

Cass asked Dean what he would do now and herepliedthat he would keep his promise to Sam. To move forward. Cass said thatnow thatMichael was no longer in heaven, chaos would break out and that hewould try tofix it. Dean mocked him, meaning that he always does God's will. Thenhe addedthat if Cass ever found God he had better tell him because he wouldlook forhim to kill him.

The two argued some more. They said goodbye andCassdisappeared. The angel texted Alex on his cell phone to say he wouldreach heras soon as she called.

The next morning Bobby, Alex and Dean metoutside theSinger house to say goodbye.

They told each other to be careful and huggedeachother. After that they went their separate ways.

Dean got in the car headed to Cicero, Indiana.He haddecided to accept Lisa's invitation to stay with her and Ben for awhile.

Bobby returned to his usual life of researchandoccasional hunting as well as acting as a liaison between the varioushunters.

Alex recovered her motorcycle and headed hometoAlabama. She wanted to visit her parents' graves and find out as muchas shecould about her family and her mother's powers.

In the evening she stopped at a motel and onceshesettled in she called Castiel, who appeared immediately.

As soon as they saw each other they wenttowards eachother to kiss. They were both dead and now they were there, together.Theycould be touched and loved.

They spent the night loving and touching eachother,as if they wanted to remember every single centimetre of skin on eachother'sbodies. As if they wanted to engrave it in their memories so they couldaccessit whenever they wanted.

The next morning they took a shower and gotdressed.Alex informed Cass what she wanted to do and then asked Cass what hewanted. Shehad noticed that the angel was different and wanted to understand whathisintentions were.

-Now that Michael has disappeared, chaos willreign inHeaven. I have to go back and fix it.- he told her playing with a longlock ofjet black hair.

Alex looked at him in silence for a while, thenbrought their foreheads together.

-I understand. All right. You have to go.- shesaid,closing her eyes due to the effort it was costing her.

-I'll be back. I promise you.-

-And I will wait for you. I love you.-

-I love you.-

The two kissed sweetly but then, after a finalhug,Castiel left, accompanied by a flutter of wings.

It had now been 8 months since Sam had lockedLuciferand Michael in the cage. Alex was left alone and apart from anoccasional visitto Bobby she had never seen or heard from either Dean or Cass.

She initially travelled the state to increaseherknowledge of magic and spells, increasing her power and abilities.Afterseveral weeks, however, she realized that she needed something else andso shestarted hunting again.

She had rented a house in Missouri, in a smalltowncalled Savannah, just outside St Joseph, a few hours' drive from Bobbyand whenshe wasn't hunting or decided to take a break, she went back there toobservethe stars and think about her angel.

Late one evening, having trouble sleeping, shewrappedherself in a robe and went outside to smoke a cigarette on the patio,sittingin the rocking chair. She hadn't kicked the habit of smoking, nor thehabit ofwalking around with weapons on her, she thought, touching the knife shekepttucked into her pyjamas.

While smoking while looking at the sky, shenoticed ashooting star.

-Oh, a shooting star. I should make a wish.-she saidto herself and then closed her eyes and thought about how much shewanted.Opening her eyes again she smiled, threw away the cigarette butt andwent backinto the house, closing the door behind her.

The next morning, when she woke up, she went tothe kitchento make a cup of coffee. She pulled back the curtains and saw thefamiliarfigure of a person on the patio, sitting in the same place where shehad seenthe star the night before.

She quickly walked out the door and foundherselffaced with two deep blue eyes. In an instant she was on top of him andkissedhim, kissing him back, expressing what she had repressed for all thosemonths.

-You're back.- she said once they had separated.

-I promised you.- Castiel replied, holding herto him,resting his head on hers.

-How much time do we have?- Alex asked, notwanting tofool herself.

-All the time we want. I have become human andI amhere to stay.- the man said leaving the girl shocked.

Alex couldn't believe what was happening andthe manknew he had surprised her.

He kissed her again softly, placing his palmson herface. Then he moved away a few centimetres and looked her straight inthe eyes.He smiled sweetly and opened his mouth to tell her what he had wantedto tellher for a long time.

-I love you.-