They sat in complete silence. Even Trixie was quiet as a mouse, her head resting on her paws. Dean glimpsed at Allegra. She was still staring at the black screen. He reached for her hand, but then she suddenly jumped up and stormed off upstairs. For a brief second, Dean considered staying down to give her some time to process. Then he heard a loud banging. He hurried in pursuit and found Allegra on the landing, pushing and kicking wildly against a door.

"Alley! Alley, stop!"

He grabbed her by her shoulders, but she struggled so much that Dean was forced to pin her arms across her chest. He picked her up and pulled her back from the door, holding on tight, so neither of them could get hurt.

"Allegra, stop!"

"No, let me go! I have to get in there!"

"Where's the key?"

"I don't know!" yelled Allegra angrily, ceasing her struggle when she realized Dean wasn't letting go. "I've tried every key in the goddamn house! I've tried to pry the lock, to knock it down with a sledgehammer, to hack it to pieces with a friggin' ax, even to burn it down! Nothing works! The bastard sealed his room off!"

"Of course he did." Dean gave a frustrated sigh. "Okay, I'm gonna let you go. Will you please let me take a look at it before you go all Rambo again? Allegra?"

"Yeah, fine! Just let go already!"

Dean released her. Allegra scowled back at him as he stepped up to the door. Nothing indicated that it had ever been hit with a hammer or an ax. There were no scorch marks either. It just looked like an ordinary door.

"I told you," said Allegra behind him. "Damn thing won't..."

But it did. By merely turning the doorknob, Dean did what she couldn't. The door was open. He looked back over his shoulder, meeting Allegra's stunned expression.

"Okay, how did you do that? Dean, how did you...?"

"I don't know! It just opened."

"Are you kidding me right now?!" Her voice went up a few octaves. "I've been trying to get in there for months and got zilch! You try once, and it just opens?!"

"Maybe you loosened it with all your kicking, I don't know. Let's just be glad it's open, and we can go in."

He carefully pushed the door wide open and took a step back, making way for Allegra to enter first. But she stood frozen, glued to the floor. The raging fury from a minute ago had given way to the insecure girl desperate for answers but frightened to actually uncover them. 
Dean couldn't say he didn't understand what she was feeling. He, too, was worried. What if whatever was in that room made it all worse? But then, what if it actually proved Gabriel hadn't been lying? What if something inside was the loophole to Allegra having a good and happy life with him? To them having... a family. 
He moved in front of her and took her hands in his. Allegra's gold-speckled eyes gazed up at him.His lips grazed hers ever so slightly. 

"I'm right here with you," he whispered. "You jump, I jump, remember?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. Dean pulled her along with him, and they entered Gabriel's room together. There was only a little light coming in through the creaks of the curtains. The darkness gave the room a certain ominous vibe. He left Allegra standing in the middle of the room and drew back the curtains to let the afternoon sun in. The sudden light blinded Dean for a second, but his eyes quickly adjusted. 
He took the room in, somehow not surprised that this was Gabriel's bedroom. White walls with some dark grey details here and there, a nightstand on each side of the bed, an ornate high-hanging light fixture on the ceiling, a mahogany dresser against the wall... The neatly made-up bed with red satin covers was littered with stuff, all carefully arranged like something in a window display. 

Dean drew closer to take a look. New strings for a violin, a couple of movies and sets with this or that series, a couple of dresses, and so on. But what he saw most were books. Dozens and dozens of books. 
A note was stuck on almost every item. They all said the same thing - 'Happy birthday, sweetheart. Love, dad.' Dean's breath caught as he understood that all these things were birthday presents from Gabriel. One for each year that he missed. 

Something glistened in the sunlight on the dresser. Dean walked over to see what it was and frowned upon recognizing the locket Allegra once wore lying on a bunch of documents. She told him she trashed it after talking to Gabriel that last time. He must've found it and brought it back here. As if finding it now with all this other stuff would make her forget about all the crap and just remember the good times they had... 

You son of a bitch. Dean clenched his fist, not giving in to the urge to smack everything to the ground. She could've had everything if you'd just been there for her. Instead...

He turned his head at hearing the strangled sob behind him. Allegra picked the note from a beautiful black vintage dress hanging by the door. Her eyes brimmed with tears. The little paper dropped from her shaking hand. Her shoulders went up and down as her breathing became shallow. In a sudden haze, she snatched up some of the other notes from what lay on the bed, ripping them apart and throwing the pieces to the floor.
Dean's strong arms quickly closed around her. He understood she wanted to rage, but he hated seeing her like this. Especially because of that rotten bastard. Allegra turned in his embrace and buried her face against his chest. She held on tightly, not wanting him to see her tears. He kissed the top of her head, feeling guilty for having watched the damn DVD and opening that door. Chasing pipe dreams and idle hope was suddenly a lot more appealing than facing this pain.

"I'm so sorry," he said. 

"I don't want it." Allegra's voice was muffled against his chest. "I don't want any of it."

Of course you don't.

"You might change your mind about some of this stuff. The books, maybe? You love to read. How about we leave it here for now, and you can decide what to do later? Keep the door closed. Let it gather dust for now."

Even as he said it, Dean thought it strange it hadn't gathered dust before today. Everything looked brand-new, yet some of this stuff had been lying there for almost 20 years. Same with the boxes in the barn. There was no doubt in his mind that Gabriel's mojo still lingered on the place. It kept them safe... but it also weighed so heavy on Allegra. 
To Dean's surprise, she nodded her consent at his suggestion and drew back. He leaned in to kiss the tears away from her cheeks. Her frailness gutted him. 

"Did... Did you find anything on the prophecy?" she asked in a little voice.

"Maybe. There are some documents on the dresser."

Allegra inhaled deeply and allowed Dean to walk her over. Her expression hardened at seeing the medallion. She grabbed it and tossed it right in the bin next to the dresser. 

Good riddance, thought Dean.

They divided the documents between them. At first glance, it looked like everything Gabriel said on the DVD was right; Allegra was destined to have a child with one of two brothers, who in turn were the vessels of Michael and Lucifer. However, there was no mention anywhere that she could be with either brother before they became possessed. 
Dean threw a worried glance at Allegra when he heard her huffing. She was getting agitated again. Agitated and annoyed. It was only a very small step to the fiery fury from there. 

"Dammit!" Allegra threw the papers in her hands up in the air. "There's nothing here! Nothing I didn't already know!"

"Alley, you've barely read anything," reasoned Dean. "Calm down for two seconds here. Look, this room is messing with you. So let's get out of here. Let's take all this crap down with us, and we'll spread it out in the dining room. Treat it like any other case."

"Dean, this isn't some vamp or werewolf or ghost running wild! This is my life! Every single time I think I've got it figured out, or when I  finally find an ounce of happiness, this goddamn prophecy and those stupid angels have to screw it all up again! I'm sick of it!"

"I get that. But you can't give up now. We're so close, Alley. Gabriel might have been a lying, double-crossing bastard, but he..."

"Exactly!" Allegra rounded on him. "Dean, don't you see?! This can be the lie! All of this can be another of his schemes to stick it to God and his perfect design! Gabriel could be manipulating us into believing we're safe when we really couldn't be in more danger! You could be in danger!"

"I'm not!"

"You don't know that!"

"I do know!" Dean took her by her shoulders, eyes locking with hers. "Alley, I'm begging you; you've gotta stop letting those feathered goons control you. Stop having your actions decided by Gabriel, Castiel, Amore, and all those others. You know as well as I do that we belong together. And I know in my heart and soul that you won't ever hurt me."

Allegra pressed her lips together and shook her head. She looked away from him, gazing out the window. Suddenly, her stricken expression changed. A pensive streak crossed her face.

"I... never mentioned an angel named Amore."

Dean stiffened. Had he really said that name as well? Out loud? Oh, crap...

"Who's Amore?" asked Allegra as she faced him again.

"S-She's euhm... one of t-the..." Dean stammered and stumbled over his words. 

"One of what, Dean? Who the hell is Amore?!"  

She slapped his hands away from her shoulders and stepped back. Her hard glare was edged with distrust. Dean searched for any explanation, anything at all, but there was nothing he could come up with. He had no choice. 

"She's... your Cupid," he admitted with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, my what?"

"I met her the night I came back from Purgatory. She found me and brought me here to you. Or as close as she could, anyway. She said the same thing Gabriel did, Alley. That the power lies with the vessels, not with the Archangels. And... also..."

He hesitated, wondering if he should keep quiet about what else he learned. If he did, and Allegra discovered he knew all along... She would unleash every single plague on his ass. 

"As your Cupid, Amore's charged with amplifying... she called it your passion. It's brought out when you want to... ah, get physical with anyone who isn't mentioned in the prophecy because... your first time has to be with... me or... well, the destined vessels, in short."

Allegra stared incredulously at Dean. 

"S-So... you're telling me that I've had this Amore, or whatever the hell her name is, watching me and that she is actually responsible for killing Eric?"

Darkness. It was the only word that came to Dean's mind when he looked at Allegra then. Every single part of her was swept away by it. There was nothing but raw anger in her eyes. And murderous intent. He had never been so scared of her in all the years he knew her.

"Stay in the house," she spoke in a cutting voice. "I don't want them to come after you."

"Come after me?" Dean's heart jolted in panic. "Alley, what are you...?"

"What I should have done months ago."

"Allegra, no! ALLEGRA!"

***

A lightning flash split open the sky. Grey clouds packed together, darkening Heaven in less than a minute. The wind howled and blew wild, making the tree branches bend and break. 

"NAOMI!"

Another lightning strike hit the forest as Allegra's fury summoned a most devastating storm. 

"Naomi, I'm warning you! I will destroy every inch of Heaven if you don't show your face in the next five seconds!"

Rain poured down. The ground became a muddy mess, but Allegra couldn't have cared less. She hung her head, listening attentively for anything that would indicate an angel's presence. When no one came, she started to count down.

"One!"

The thunder shook the very ground she was standing on.

"Two!"

Lightning exploded overhead.

"Three!"

A tree caught fire and fell on the bridge leading to the home Allegra stayed in once upon a time. The flames roared and raged, threatening to devour the treehouse whole. 

"Four!"

She felt it. Deep inside her. Her grace was rising up and taking control. It was unlike anything she ever felt before. This was her true power. This was what everyone feared. The plagues, her grace... She wasn't a savior; she was a destroyer. 

"F-"

"Allegra, stop!"

The rain stopped as suddenly as it had started. The skies remained threateningly dark, but the clouds were no longer jam-packed. The fire that had started to consume the treehouse was subdued to only a few flames but didn't die out completely. 
Allegra turned slowly and looked up through the tresses of her wet red hair. Naomi stood ankle-deep in the mud, her two-piece pantsuit and her brown hair sticking to her from just a few seconds in the deluge Allegra caused. Absolute horror was the only emotion on her face.

"Where's Amore?" demanded Allegra.

"Please, Allegra, don't," pleaded Naomi. 

"Where is Amore?!"

Naomi gasped as the ground pulled her down. The rainwater changed into a thick dark substance when Allegra turned to her, but because there was barely any daylight, the angel hadn't noticed that the entire forest was now covered in blood. She sank into it until she got stuck to her knees. Allegra drew closer, almost floating over the ground. A bright white light shone around her hand, tiny specks of gold circling her fingers. 

"Tell me how to find Amore, and I'll make this quick," she spoke in a menacing tone. 

"You... You won't kill me." Naomi failed miserably at trying to make her voice sound brave. 

"Sure, I will. You and every angel I can find." Allegra hovered before her. "You wanted me to embrace my grace and be like one of the Archangels? Well, you got it, Naomi. I'll be the Archangel who killed God's mighty legion because they just kept on pushing and lying until they went too far. Don't expect anyone to come and help you; I can already feel some of them fleeing. They are terrified of me. Guess some of you do have brain cells left after all."

"If you kill us, you'll be giving all the power to Crowley and his demons! And what about Dean, huh?! What do you think he'll do when he finds out what you did?!"

Allegra's hand was around Naomi's throat in a heartbeat. 

"Don't you dare speak his name!"

She pulled the angel out of the blood-soaked ground and threw her away like she was a useless rag doll. Naomi hit the burned bridge and fell through as it collapsed. She was buried underneath the charred rubble and wet ashes. 

"I hear you're looking for me." 

Allegra whirled around at the calm voice behind. She narrowed her eyes at the woman with long black hair clad in a lavender dress. The little hearts at the bottom of the skirt were seeping with blood. 

"You're Amore?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes at the newcomer. 

"I am," answered the Cupid. "Let Naomi go. This is between us."

"Wrong." Allegra gritted her teeth. "My entire life, I've listened to you angels, thinking you were my guardians, and you've done nothing but lie and deceive me for some screwed-up scribbles on a stupid piece of paper! Did it not once occur to any of you that I would have chosen your side if you had just told me the goddamn truth from the very beginning?! Would that really have been so hard to do?!"

"You're right," responded Amore. "You're absolutely right. We've made grievous mistakes with you. And I can only apologize for that, Allegra. If I could change anything, I would. But I don't think that's what you want."

"You don't know the first thing about me! None of you do! You just want me to be good and wait for Michael so that my baby can be the next thing you mess around with!"

"I know you love Dean. I know you want to be with him more than anything. Those feelings you have for him? I feel them too, Allegra. And before you say that's a lie as well, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Dean; I didn't create your love as I do with others. Your love came to be before the two of you did, before the prophecy even did. And it is the strongest love I have ever felt in my entire existence."

Allegra glared at the Cupid. She didn't know what to make of this woman. She was different than any of the other angels she dealt with so far. But she'd been in on the plan from the start. Amore was the reason her powers had surged that night with Eric. She turned her into a weapon and a murderer. If that's really what they wanted her to be... fine, then. 
Allegra caught Naomi crawling out from the smoldering ditch where the bridge once stood. If she was going to do this, she had to do it now before Naomi did anything to stop her. But her body was frozen. All she could see was Dean's face, his reaction to hearing what she did to the angels. Would he still want to be with her if she went down this path? Castiel went dark side. He opened Purgatory, believing it was the right thing to do in his fight against Raphael, and then killed hundreds of angels. He went completely crazy. Dean suffered so much from that. They both had. So how could she do the same thing now? Her reasons were perhaps more justified than Castiel's, but it would still result in the same outcome. 

I can't do that to him. And I can't leave him. Not again. But the angels have to pay for this! They have to suffer as I have! They have to... lose something. 

A thought occurred to Allegra then. Of course, it was the answer to everything. She closed her eyes and felt the vial appear in her clenched fist. It felt so heavy in her hand when it was only just a tiny vial. Dean would understand why, wouldn't he? He knew of her threat to use it if the angels did one more thing to piss her off. He'd been right there when she made that promise to Balthazar. Yes... Yes, he would understand. 
She turned her attention from Amore to Naomi as she uncorked the vial and brought it up to her mouth. Naomi's eyes widened in shock as she realized what she was holding and what she was about to do. Amore figured it out as well.

"I can bring him back!" she yelled.

Allegra's hand froze, the vial resting against her lips. 

"I can bring Eric back," said Amore clearly.

"Amore, don't," warned Naomi. 

"We've done enough to Allegra, Naomi. Too much if she's prepared to do this to herself. We owe her Eric's life, and you damn well know it."

Ignoring the other angel, Amore approached cautiously and put her hand on top of Allegra's. 

"I can do it if you want me to. Eric will wake up in the hospital from a coma, the age he would have been if he had lived. I'll change the memories of everyone who knew him, and they'll tell him that they managed to save him in time but not you. He'll mourn you, and then, he'll forget you. He'll move on to live the life he was supposed to lead before he met you. Please, Allegra, I beg you, don't take that poison. Please don't throw away the future you can have with Dean because of what we did. Because you do have a future with him, I promise you that."

Allegra peered into Amore's eyes. She meant it. The Cupid was truly willing to break the rule that dictated a mortal shouldn't be brought back to life without a clear purpose just to keep Allegra from taking the poison that would ensure she would never have children. And she was using the only two men Allegra had ever loved in her desperate plea, hoping this would convince her to say yes. But... did she even want to consider that option?
It wouldn't take much to push Amore away and drink the poison. Allegra could end it all right then and there. No more prophecy, no more Michael and Lucifer... Eric was dead and only someone she used to know anyway; why should anything that happened to him at this point matter? And she already had a future with Dean. They would be together, with or without any children. Dean promised her he would support her in her decision if she did take this step. She wouldn't lose him over this.

What am I doing? Why am I even thinking about this? Eric deserves to live. And Dean deserves a shot at a family. One word from me, and it's done. Everyone gets what they want. So why can't I say it? Why do I feel like this is the one thing I shouldn't consent to? 

But then Allegra knew why. She knew why her mind was cautioning her against trusting the angels again. What if this was how they regained control over her? What if... it was all just another lie?