After her confrontation with the angels in the green room, Allegra really needed to recover. She checked into a motel close to the meadow where she escaped to (after makings sure the Winchesters were still alive and kicking). She slept for hours on end. All the while, the voices in her head grew softer until they were nothing but a slight murmur.

"Allegra, can you hear me? Wake up."

Allegra opened her eyes to a sliver to find Castiel sitting on the bed beside her. He had his hand on her shoulder. The one he touched when they got Dean out of Hell. Even after almost a year, his handprint was still pressed on her skin, a constant reminder of that day.

"How are you?" the angel asked. 

Allegra shoved him away and sat up, scowling at Castiel. She did not want nor need any of his crap.

"I realize you must be disappointed in us, but..."

"Gee, ya think?" Allegra interrupted harshly. "I don't understand, Castiel. Why did the angels allow this to happen? You guys had more reason than anyone to keep Lucifer locked away, and then you pull this on us?"

She scoffed as Castiel carefully avoided her judgmental stare.

"And you wonder why people lose faith."

A pair of sad puppy eyes looked up at her. She knew he was probably already ashamed of his and the other angels' actions, but that wouldn't stop Allegra from speaking her mind. Yes, she owed them a lot, and they helped her when she needed help, but clearly, it was only at their convenience and not because it was the right thing to do.

"You... should find Dean. You're safer with him."

Changing the subject, huh? Smooth... Coward.

"The Devil is walking the Earth, Castiel." Allegra sighed. "I don't think anyone is safe anymore."

"Maybe. But you are the one at risk, Allegra. Once Lucifer has his vessel, he will come looking for you. Dean is the Michael Sword, so he has some measure of protection around him. You must go and stay with him for now."

"Why would Lucifer come for me? And what the hell is...?"

"We have no time for this."

Castiel pushed Allegra, and the next thing she knew, she was sitting in the black Chevy Impala right next to Dean. He nearly jumped out of his seat, making the car swirl on the road.

"Jesus!" he exclaimed. "Woman, you have got to stop dropping in like that!"

"Like I wanted to appear in a moving vehicle! Goddamn angel..."

Dean frowned and scanned her over.

"You okay, though? What happened in the green room after Cas and I left?"

"Oh, let's just say Zachariah will be thinking twice before messing with me again."

Allegra glanced around the car, noticing someone was missing.

"Where's Sam? Is he okay?"

Dean's lips pinched at the mention of his brother.

"No idea," he answered curtly.

"You want me to find him?"

"No, I left him, I just... I had to get away. I can't trust him anymore, Allegra. I warned him plenty about that little demon-bitch, and he still..."

He tried to hold back his anger by gripping the steering wheel tightly. Allegra put a hand on his arm. She could've used her power to make him feel better, but in this case, it would've only masked the underlying problem. 

"Dean, I know nothing can justify what he did. And I'm not saying that you have to forgive and forget just like that. But Sam is still your brother. You two need each other. You stay apart like this, and things will just get worse. Don't ignore the fact that you're strongest when you have your brother at your side. Don't push him away."

Dean sighed and shook his head. He pulled over, parked the Impala on the side of the road, and got out. Allegra let him pace for a while before she got out herself to join him. She touched his shoulder, and he turned to face her. He looked so fragile; it nearly broke Allegra's heart.

"I don't recognize my own brother anymore, Allegra." His voice choked. "I feel like I lost him. Bobby got hurt and is probably gonna be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Those dicks up in Heaven are practically forcing Michael down my throat, and now we not only have to put up with demons and monsters but with freaking Satan too?"

"Ssh, it's okay." Allegra put her hands around Dean's neck. "You'll figure it out. I'll help you."

Dean brought his head down a bit and rested his forehead against hers. Allegra then noticed he put his arms around her waist, his hands resting on the small of her back. She once again sensed that warm fuzziness inside her. It was so... exhilarating.

"I think this is my favorite of your powers," Dean said. "Thank you."

"I-I'm... not doing anything," she stammered.

One more look was all it took. One glance into those brilliant green eyes to know they both yearned for each other. Allegra felt Dean's lips brush against hers. Very softly, and just for a second. Then again. Longer this time. Dean barely lifted his mouth from hers anymore and kissed her. His tongue traced her lips as he pulled her closer. She pressed against his warm body and was barely holding it together. Then, Allegra pushed Dean away with all her might. It hurt her to do it because she wanted it to go on - more than he could ever know. But it was too dangerous. 
Dean was taken unawares by her sudden refusal and looked at her in surprise.  

"Sorry, did I...? Did I do something? Was I...?"

"No, no, it's not you, I swear. I just... can't." Allegra shook her head violently and quickly backed away, staying out of reach. "I'm sorry, Dean. I... I can't."

She turned away, hiding the tears as they welled in her eyes. The buried memory of that fatal night was too much to take as it clawed its way to her heart. It would never stop hurting. That pain was a constant reminder that that could never happen to anyone else. Never again.

***

They drove in silence until the next town, where they got a motel for the night. The room had single beds, but the lady behind the desk said they could be pushed together if they wanted a more 'romantic evening.' Neither really responded to that not-so-subtle hint.
When they woke up the following morning, they found Allegra's backpack had magically appeared during the night. Dean took a quick shower and offered to get breakfast so Allegra could take all the time she needed to get ready. By the time he returned, some of the contents of the backpack lay spread out on her bed, and she was already in the bathroom. 

Dean tried to focus on the newspaper in front of him, but the words danced before his eyes. He couldn't get last night out of his mind. He still didn't understand why Allegra pushed him away like that. She was clearly into him. And he liked her. A lot more than he ever liked any woman if he was being honest with himself. His eyes traveled up to the bathroom door. He couldn't help but picture what Allegra would look like. Perfect. Wet. Naked. 

Okay, what the hell?

Dean got up from his seat and slapped himself to get the image out of his head, but in doing so, he suddenly noticed the bathroom door wasn't completely closed. He crossed the very short distance between the table and the door, freezing when he realized his hand was on the handle.

Winchester, what the hell do you think you're doing?! You trying to get your ass kicked?! Move away right now!

The shower stopped. Dean held his breath and stepped away. He heard Allegra humming and smiled when he recognized Stairway to Heaven. Against his better judgment, Dean positioned himself to the side of the door to peer through the small opening. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of Allegra brushing her red hair over her shoulder. He looked away, ashamed. Since when did he look at women, at a friend even, like he was some creepy stalker? That wasn't him. 

But the temptation was too strong to fight, and Dean looked again. It was then he noticed the scars peeking out from beneath the towel, running up her shoulder blades like crude lines on a paper. Some were already faded white, while others still had a pinkish-to-red color. 
Dean gaped at them, remembering the doctor in the hospital mentioned them. How could he have forgotten about that? He stumbled back against the bed and sat down, trying to remember Allegra's conversation with the doctor.

'How did you get the scars on your back?'

'Fell through a window when I was 13. Was in a coma for about a year.'

When she was 13... That's when she told me she was in Hell. But if she has scars on her body, that means...

The door opened, and Allegra came out barefoot, dressed in jeans and a black top, holding a blouse that she had meant to put on next. She stiffened when she caught Dean sitting on the bed. Her hair was still wet but hung loosely over her back now. His eyes fell on her right shoulder this time. Allegra carried a handprint on her skin, much like the one he had on his own left shoulder. 
She hastily tried to put her blouse on, but Dean moved faster. He grabbed it and threw it across the room. Allegra gasped at his action and meant to go back into the bathroom. Dean took hold of her wrist and pulled her to him. She stared at him with big terrified eyes. 

"Is this... from when you brought me back? With Cas?" asked Dean. "Allegra, why didn't you tell me you had one too?"

She pressed her lips together and hung her head. He let go of her wrist and slowly walked around her. With a swift swoop, Dean gathered her hair over her left shoulder. The scars on her back were worse than he thought. The more superficial and better-healed wounds appeared to be lashes, but the deeper wounds were knife lacerations. Not only had Allegra been flogged, but she had also been cut up like a piece of meat. Dean could only see her shoulder blades and upper back, but he suspected her entire back was like this. He very gently traced one of the cuts and felt her wince. 

"They didn't take your soul."

"No... A soul willingly given is worth a lot to them." His heart broke at hearing Allegra sob. "Mine is worth even more because of... what I can do. So instead of killing me, they...  Every day they brought me to him. To Alastair. He opened me up, and then he... I still feel that thing hit my body. I can hear it. Every day I said no. And every day, he would... Just over and over again."

Dean didn't know what to say. He always assumed she went through the same agony he went through, but it had actually been worse for her. Far worse.
He wrapped his arms around Allegra and held her against him. She put her hands on his, trying to get free, but Dean refused to let go and held her tightly. He tilted his head a bit so he could whisper in her ear.

"I'm not going to let anyone do that to you ever again."

"You can't protect me, Dean. Not from that."

"I'm damn well gonna try."

He kissed away a tear. Allegra turned in his arms and put her hands on his chest, still refusing to look at him. Dean couldn't bear her distress. He pressed his lips on her forehead. That small affectionate touch hadn't lasted for more than a second, but it was enough for Allegra to finally gaze up at him. The golden sparkles in her eyes drew Dean in.
Against expectations, Allegra answered his kiss eagerly. He felt her grab hold of his flannel shirt, pulling him down to her. Boldened by her response, Dean gingerly ran the tip of his tongue over her lips. She parted them. When their tongues met, it was like fireworks going off on the 4th of July. Dean completely melted away.

They tumbled onto the bed. Allegra moaned softly as Dean inadvertently ground up against her when he tried to keep his weight off her. That sound stirred everything within him. Lord, the things this woman did to him...
Dean kissed her fervently and let his hand slip under Allegra's top. She shivered and gasped at his touch. His hand slowly went up, the tip of his fingers caressing her hot skin. Suddenly, Allegra grabbed his wrist. She pushed him back, forcing Dean to break off their kiss. Just like the night before. 

No, not again.

He stared down at her, trying to catch his breath. 

"Allegra? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I"m sorry, but can't do this," she said, turning her head away.

"What? Why not?"

"Dean, please... don't." Her voice broke. "Don't force me to..."

He sighed. It seemed that after everything they had already shared and gone through, Allegra was still hellbent on keeping secrets. Dean could've pushed her to tell him what was going on, but he had never forced a woman to do anything she didn't want to, and he wasn't about to start now. Especially not with her. 
He rolled off her and just lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Allegra put her arm around him and rested her head on his chest. He held her, hoping she would at least let him do that. 
This was beyond frustrating. Dean wanted Allegra more than he had ever wanted a woman before. And he was sure that she wanted him too, so why was she pushing him away? Was he not good enough for her? If that was it, then why the hell was she messing with him? That little voice of jealousy and pride told Dean to kick her out, but what he really felt for Allegra made him swallow that pride. He held her closer, just needing to feel her.

"I'm sorry, Dean," she said in a tiny voice.

"It's okay," he said. "I didn't mean to push you. We can... take it slow."

"I do want this, but I can't... I would never forgive myself if you died because of me."

It was the last thing Dean expected her to say.

***

The tension between them was unbearable. They couldn't be in the same room, but neither could one leave the other alone for too long. Allegra was glad when Castiel appeared to ask for Dean's help to track down God, who was apparently playing hide and seek on Earth. She helped them find the vessel of the Archangel Raphael but didn't feel up to facing any other angels besides Castiel. Dean asked her to stay in the motel until he either came back or until he called her, so that's where she stayed.
Allegra grew restless as she kept waiting to hear from him. She tried to sleep but couldn't catch a wink. There was nothing on the stupid television, and she didn't feel like reading since she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the story. Eventually, she tuned in to angel radio in her head to see if she picked up something there, but it was eerily silent.

By late afternoon, she went to the internet cafe a little further down the street to do a little research on the Michael Sword. Cas mentioned Dean was the Michael Sword, and then Dean made that comment about the angels forcing Michael down his throat. Allegra suspected it meant Dean was Michael's vessel, though she hoped she was wrong. 
Frustrated at only finding paintings and images of the Archangel Michael holding an actual sword, she returned to the motel after sunset. Dean hadn't come back yet. Neither had he contacted her. Castiel was with him, so Allegra knew nothing bad would happen to him, but they were still tracking down an Archangel. And Archangels were the nastiest sons of bitches in Heaven.

Alone with nothing else to do again, Allegra's mind wandered to what had happened with Dean. She still felt the taste of his lips, his body on top of hers, his hands touching her skin... It couldn't happen again. She couldn't risk his life.
The safest option would be to leave, but Castiel's warning that Lucifer was after her gnawed at her.  There was no way she could stand against the Devil on her own. She was powerful, but not that powerful. 
Allegra knew she had to stay with Dean, but if he kissed her again... There was only so much she could resist. But maybe, if she procured some backup... If Dean wasn't alone with her anymore, he'd keep his distance. Castiel would be the obvious choice (he most likely knew why she couldn't be with anyone anyway), but she very much doubted the angel would agree to be the third wheel. That really left only one option.

***

By the time Allegra appeared in front of one of the rooms of the Great Plains Motel in Oklahoma, it was already well past midnight. The lights were still on, though. At least Sam wouldn't kill her for waking him up.
She knocked on the door and heard a scuffle on the other side. The curtain at the window drew back, revealing a fully dressed Sam. His hair was a bit ruffled like he had been sleeping earlier, but he seemed bright awake now. He drew back in surprise and hurried to open the door.

"Allegra? What are you doing here? Where's Dean? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Well, I think he is. He left on a case with Castiel."

Sam sighed in relief. He stepped aside so Allegra could enter the room. When she walked past him, she sensed he was different. The demon blood had left his body. His soul was still a mess, but not as much as before. She was glad things were improving, albeit slowly. The youngest Winchester closed the door and sat down at the table.

"Does Dean know you're here?" he asked.

"No, not really," said Allegra as she sat with him. "He told me that you guys split and that he... doesn't really trust you anymore."

Sam sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. 

"That was his choice, not mine."

"Sam, he can't just forgive and forget what you did. But he is your brother, and he does love you. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told him. You're strongest together. You need him, and he needs you."

"Why do you care? I thought you'd be glad to have Dean to yourself."

"Don't presume to know what I want or don't want," she reacted sharply. "And don't change the damn subject. You made mistakes, and now you're damn well gonna man up and set things straight. Unless you prefer to sit here whimpering like a little bitch."

Sam raised a brow, looking at her curiously. Allegra rolled her eyes and reached for his phone. She placed it on the table in front of him.

"Call your brother."

He shook his head and licked his lips.

"What can I possibly tell him?"

"Start with 'hello' and 'I'm sorry.' One step at a time from there."

Allegra got up and walked to the door. 

"Allegra..." She turned around when she heard Sam's voice again. "Thank you."

She gave him a short nod.

"I'll wait outside. You'll get to Dean faster with my help."