Weeks went by. Allegra focussed everything on finding the Seals. The easier ones she managed to keep closed up herself, and she informed Dean by shoving a note under his motel door. She continued to watch over him at night, and she still appeared in the distance when he thought of her, but she refused to talk to him. She knew it vexed Dean, but he would just have to deal with it. Being that close to Sam... Na-ah, it was too big a risk. Besides, Dean was a big boy, he could take care of himself... most of the time, anyway.

Allegra was chasing a lead on yet another Seal in what looked like an underground tunnel network beneath a little town in Georgia. The pungent lingering smell of alcohol told her it was most likely used by bootleggers decades ago. It probably wasn't a good idea to be down there on her own, but the other options were asking the Winchesters for help or leaving the Seal as it was. Neither agreed with her. 
A sudden noise spooked Allegra. She whirled around, searching for whatever it was that made the noise with her flashlight. But it looked like she was still on her own. She exhaled and turned back around, only to jump at the sight of a certain angel standing right in front of her then. 

"Jesus!"

"No, it's me," said Castiel. "Do you need more light to...?"

"No, I don't need more light! Dammit, Castiel, a little warning would be nice! How 'bout hanging a cat bell around your neck, huh?!"

He tilted his head in puzzlement.

"I am not a cat. Why would I wear such a contraption?"

"So that you can't scare the living shit out of people anymore!" yelled Allegra angrily. "You almost gave me a friggin' heart attack!"

"My apologies." 

"What do you want? I haven't heard from or seen you guys in weeks, months even. Now you pop up out of nowhere. What's up?"

"We require your assistance."

What else is new?

"With what?" demanded Allegra.

"Someone is killing angels," explained Castiel. "We trapped a demon but need your help interrogating him."

"What makes you think I can...?"

Then Allegra noticed his awkward expression. He was avoiding her gaze. It gave her the answer she needed. The one she feared.

"No. No, you can't ask me to do that!" she exclaimed.

"Someone will be there to help you." Castiel purposely ignored her objections.

"I don't give a damn if someone helps me! I'm not..."

The angel grabbed hold of her wrist, and Allegra found herself inside a warehouse room of some sort.

"Castiel! Dammit! I'm not doing this, you hear me?!"

"Allegra?"

She immediately recognized the voice that spoke to her and turned to face him.

"Dean? What are you doing here?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing." Dean looked even more confused than she was. "Cas told me to wait before I went in, and next thing I know, you show up."

Allegra huffed in annoyance.

"So he kidnapped you too, huh?"

"Cas and that bitch, Uriel, dropped me off here to interrogate this creep on some angels that got killed, and then Cas said he was getting someone to help me. Now, I know why they want me to do this, but why you? You didn't torture anyone in Hell, so why are you here?'

Oh, great, this is gonna be a real kicker to explain.

"My... other powers," admitted Allegra hesitantly. "The ones I don't like using but that the angels kinda force on me from time to time."

Dean waited for her to explain further. She sighed.

"Remember what I said about me having had experiences with Hunters before meeting you? It's because of those powers. They're big. Like Biblical proportions. The angels want me to use them now to get answers out of the demon."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" asked Dean. "In fact, why haven't you talked to me at all in the past weeks?"

"I've... been busy," said Allegra. "It won't matter anyway after today. You'll never want to talk to me again."

She pushed past Dean to open the door behind him. The room was sealed with a devil's trap to ensure the demon couldn't escape. Not that he could manage that anyway since he was pretty tied up. Allegra walked in and stopped dead in her tracks when she recognized the demon appearing on the bound man's face. Its true face still haunted her nightmares. Her chief torturer in Hell - Alastair.

***

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." The demon chuckled when he raised his head up to them. "Allegra... You look good, darling. Hope you've been thinking of me. And Dean Winchester too. My favorite playthings brought together. What a treat this is."

Allegra stood nailed to the ground. She heard her own heart beating faster and faster. After all these years, she finally faced the demon who had ripped open her skin over and over again. She often wished this moment could happen. So she could be one to make him suffer. So she could hear his screams.
Dean gently nudged Allegra aside and rolled in a cart. He pulled the cover off, revealing all kinds of tools. Alastair laughed at the sight.

"I'm sorry." He sniggered. "This is a very serious, very emotional situation for you. I shouldn't laugh; it's just that, I mean; are they serious? You're to torture me?"

"You got one chance." Dean took a stand right in front of the demon. "Tell me who's killing the angels. I want a name."

Allegra had never seen him so serious. There was no emotion on his face. None whatsoever. He had locked everything away. Dean was stone cold. It scared her. 

"You think I'll see all your scary toys and spill my guts?" taunted Alastair.

"Oh, you'll spill your guts one way or another," said Dean. "I just didn't wanna ruin my shoes. Now answer the question."

"Or what, you'll work me over? But then, maybe, you don't want to. Maybe, you a-are sca-ared to."

The singsong voice made Allegra's skin crawl. Dean kept up a very calm composure, but she knew that he was boiling on the inside, just like she was.

"I'm here, aren't I?" challenged Dean.

"Not entirely," retorted Alastair. "You left part of yourself back in the pit. Let's see if we can get the two of you back together again, shall we?"

Dean turned away from him and walked slowly toward the cart.

"You're gonna be disappointed," he said.

"You have not disappointed me so far," said Alastair. "Come on. You gotta want a little payback for everything I did to you. For all the pokes and prods, hm?"

But Dean wouldn't give him the satisfaction of reacting to that and ignored him.

"No? Um...how about for all the things I did to your daddy?"

Oh no... He just had to mention his dad... Bastard.

"Allegra, step outside," ordered Dean as he looked up at her. "You don't wanna see this."

"I'm good here," she said, not moving from her spot by the door.

"Go outside, right now!"

"I don't take orders from you, Winchester! If you wanna go all out, go right ahead. Just leave some for me too."

Allegra caught his glare, but she knew he wouldn't ask her again. Her choice was made, as was his. She sensed Castiel's presence outside and hoped he could hear what was happening.
Alastair just kept taunting Dean about his father, mentioning him by name too. Allegra was sure she heard of John Winchester before, but she couldn't recall from where. Maybe from one of the Hunters she encountered in the past. Now was not the time to linger on that, though.
She paid attention to Dean's actions. He moved calmly, ignoring Alastair, and picked up a jigger, filling it from a large bottle of water that had a rosary in it.

"Now we're getting somewhere," said Alastair. "Holy water? Come on, grasshopper; you're gonna have to get creative to impress me."

Keep it up, smartass. You'll be sorry for all you did to us.

Dean looked up at the demon.

"You know something, Alastair? I could still dream, even in Hell. And over and over and over, you know what I dreamt? I dreamt of this moment. And believe me, I got a few ideas."

Allegra was glad to see Alastair was beginning to get nervous as Dean walked over to him, needle in hand.

"Let's get started."

He stabbed it into Alastair's body. A blood-curdling scream escaped the demon as the holy water coursed through his veins. Dean dropped the needle back on the cart.

"Let me know if you want some more. There's plenty left."

"Go directly to Hell," said Alastair. "Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars."

Dean smiled at him and held up a knife. Allegra tilted her head at sensing the power within the blade. She wondered where he got it from. 

"There's that little pig-poker." Alastair laughed. "I wondered where it went."

Dean poured holy water over the knife, not paying any attention to the demon.

"Do you really think this is gonna fix you? Give you closure? That is sad. That's really sad. Sad, sad."

Allegra clenched her fist, keeping herself from lunging to smack that son of a bitch all the way back to the pit. Dean approached the tied-up demon, lingered a second, and then stabbed him. His skin made a sizzling sound. Alastair gritted his teeth, but it was still clear he was in pain.

"I carved you into a new animal, Dean! There is no going back!"

"Maybe you're right," said Dean. "But now it's my turn to carve."

He pulled the knife out. The demon once again started laughing like it was all a hilarious joke to him. Something about his reactions felt off. Allegra decided to step in. 

***

"Dean, let me take it from now on."

He halted, Ruby's knife clutched in his hand and halfway up toward where Alastair's liver was. He fell back and glanced back at Allegra. She had kept silent until now, and it surprised Dean that she wanted to take the lead next. He was doing perfectly fine on his own. There was no reason for her to step in. Then again, Castiel had brought her here for a reason. And if this gave him the chance to witness those powers she was hiding, all the better.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she answered. "Just don't stand too close."

Dean nodded and lowered the knife. He moved aside to let Allegra have the room. She walked right up to Alastair, passing the tool cart to dip her hand in holy water but leaving the rest as they were. He held his breath. He had never seen her like this. Granted, he didn't know her that well, but it was the first time he saw this menacing look about her.

Now we'll see what you can do.

"Let's see." Allegra paced in front of Alastair. "Five or six of them should be enough to get you talking. You want them in order, or can I just pull them out my sleeve as I see fit?"

Five or six of them? What the hell kind of powers does she have?

Dean cocked his head in curiosity. Whatever they were, Alastair knew about them. And they were enough to scare him shitless. The Hunter leaned against the cart, close to the holy water and salt, just in case.

"I think I'm gonna start with... the first two."

Allegra hit the demon's throat with the hand she dipped in holy water before. It sizzled for a few seconds, and then all of a sudden, Alastair convulsed. His whole body spasmed together, and he started retching. The demon bled from everywhere. His eyes, his nose, his ears, his mouth, the wound Dean gave him... The blood flowed out of him like a river but turned into water as it dripped onto the ground.
Dean took a step forward, wanting to be sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. Allegra had barely touched Alastair, and here he was, bleeding out by the gallons. Suddenly, the demon started choking. Something moved op his throat.
Dean recoiled in horror when a frog popped out of Alastair's mouth. Then another, and another. One by one, they all sprang out and disappeared right after jumping to the ground. 

"Payback's a bitch, Alastair." Allegra glared at Alastair as she rolled up her sleeve. "I think I'm gonna go to the sixth one now."

"Do... do your worst, you little bitch." Alastair spat at her.

A vicious grin appeared on her lips.

"Be careful what you wish for."

She stepped back and caressed her own wrist in a circular motion, never taking her eyes off the demon before her. Not once did she look at Dean. If she had, she would've seen the shock on his face. He stared wide-eyed at Allegra until a dreadful scream filled the room. Alastair howled in pain. Something was definitely happening to him, but Dean couldn't see what. Allegra just kept stroking her wrist over and over again until she finally stopped. 
Alastair's skin appeared to be covered in... Dean didn't really know what. He dared to come just a little closer, keeping enough distance from the demon so that he himself wouldn't get affected by whatever Allegra was doing to him, and gasped. Boils! He was covered in boils. 
Dean was perplexed. Never in his entire life had he ever met someone with the power to do this. No demon, no ghoul, no witch even (and they were the worst of the lot, in his opinion).

This can't be, Dean's thoughts were racing. What the hell is she?! How the hell is she doing this? There is just no way that... Wait... The first two... Blood and frogs... And now boils. She said it was the sixth one. But those are...

The boils spat open, and gooey pus splattered to the ground. Alastair's skin was nothing but open wounds and rotting flesh. He looked more like roadkill than the chief torturer of Hell. That would've been fine with Dean, but the way it had happened just bewildered him completely. Now he understood why Allegra was afraid of being around Hunters. They would kill her for a lot less.

Allegra suddenly swayed on her legs. Dean hurried over to steady the redhead. She fell against him. Blood trickled down her nose, and her skin was pale white. She was ice cold to the touch.

"Huh, loo-looks like someone... has been a little too neglectful of her powers."

Dean scowled at Alastair. After everything he endured, that bastard still managed to sound like his usual self.

"You shut... your goddamn mouth!" Allegra hissed through her teeth. "I'm not done with you."

"Looks like you are, sweetheart."

She tried to push herself away from Dean, but her knees buckled. Dean scooped her up just in time before she fell, unconscious and completely drained. He carried her to the door, which Castiel quickly unlocked to let them out. He witnessed everything through the grate in the door, and by his wide-eyed expression, Dean could tell he was just as flabbergasted as he was.

"Did you know she could do that?" he asked Castiel as he put Allegra on the floor.

"I was informed of her powers, yet to see her use them..."

"What is she?"

But Castiel didn't respond. He just stared at Allegra, seemingly reluctant to get any closer to her.

"You're gonna take care of her, you hear me?" ordered Dean. "You heal her or take her to a hospital. Cas! You listening to me?!"

"Yes... Yes, I will watch over her."

Dean sighed and gently caressed Allegra's cheek before he got up. She was wrong; he didn't hate her. To have these powers and to live her life the way she did... He admired her.

"Get her out of here. I'll deal with Alastair."

With a last glance at the unconscious young woman, Dean walked back into the room and closed the door behind him. He had to trust the angel would do as he told him. Besides, he had bigger fish to fry. He walked over to the tool cart, taking the salt and the holy water. Allegra's final attack on Alastair left the demon fully exposed. Literally.

"Right, bitch. Round three. And believe me, this is gonna hurt."

***

Allegra floated in and out of consciousness. She was vaguely aware that she was lying in a bed. There was an annoying constant beep next to her, and she felt a tube near her hand. The one time she actually managed to open her eyes, she saw a blood bag and IV hanging overhead. Someone must have brought her to a hospital. Dean? Or Castiel?
She squinted at the blood bag. It wouldn't do much good, even if it was a universal donor like O neg. No blood transfusion would. The doctors must've run her blood work a few times before resorting to the only thing they believed would work. She was already looking forward to that conversation.
There were voices near. Not in the room but out in the corridor. Allegra recognized them as Sam and Castiel. They were arguing. She couldn't understand all of it, but Sam did demand Castiel to heal 'both of them.'

Both? Oh, God, please, no...

She slowly turned her head and saw Dean in a bed next to hers. He was hooked to a breathing tube. 

Dean, no... No, what happened?! What... did I do?

Sam's angry voice reached her again.

"This whole thing was pointless, you understand that? The demons aren't doing the hits. Something else is killing your soldiers."

Something else? If demons aren't involved... Who is powerful enough to kill angels?

Allegra felt herself slipping away again. She discerned footsteps approaching and someone sighing in frustration. She guessed it was Sam. He didn't go to sit with his brother like she thought he would. Instead, he loomed over her. His presence gave her goosebumps.

"I don't know what your connection is with my brother, but you being in the same hospital and half-dead is not a coincidence. I know you two were together. If I find out you have something to do with this, I'm going to kill you."

Allegra probably shouldn't have locked on to his soul at that moment, but she had to know for sure. The darkness she sensed within him before was stronger. As soon as she touch his soul she understood. Sam was drinking demon blood, Ruby's blood. It enhanced something inside him. Something terrifying lurking underneath the surface.
With that last horrific sensation lingering through her, Allegra lost consciousness again. She floated between the real world and her dreams, with only the angels to keep her company. And the other Winchester, so close, yet lost in the distance of the space between.