"What does grace even look like?"

"I don't know, Dad," Nadia groaned. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to steady her breathing as she paced in front of a small diner in South Dakota. The phone felt heavier than usual in her hand. She'd just finished telling her father about the conversation she'd had with Michael, but now she was left with more questions than answers.

She and the Winchesters had stopped in this quiet town for dinner and, hopefully, to find their next case. But as they sat inside, she could see through the diner window that Sam was grilling Dean about Hell. Uriel had sold him out after everything that happened in Minnesota, and now, despite Dean's insistence, Sam wasn't buying it.

"Come on, you didn't ask him?" Rufus's voice crackled through the phone.

"I didn't get a chance," Nadia muttered, frustrated. She stopped pacing for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"How am I supposed to know I've found it, then?" her father asked, sounding equally exasperated.

"I don't know..." Nadia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just need you to use your instincts. Look around. Raid the house if you have to. There has to be something... angelic. Something that just screams 'grace.' You'd know it when you see it."

Rufus's voice softened, his words lined with concern. "Easier said than done, honey."

Nadia's shoulders slumped. She understood; her dad was still processing that her mother had been an angel. He had just as many questions as she did, and trying to help her uncover her past wasn't something he'd signed up for. But he was trying, and that was all she could ask for.

"We've raided the entire house. It's been years since your mother..." His voice trailed off, hesitation thick in the air.

"Please, Dad." Nadia's voice was small now, barely a whisper. "Just check the attic again. Rip up the floorboards if you have to."

There was a long pause on the other end before Rufus let out a sigh. "Are you gonna put them back when you're done?"

"Dad!" Nadia snapped, irritation bubbling to the surface.

"Okay, okay," Rufus relented, though Nadia could hear the reluctant tone in his voice. "We'll keep looking. Just... please, no angel stuff, all right? I don't like seeing you pass out all over the place for God knows how long."

"Okay," she agreed quickly. "Promise, I won't do anything crazy."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Rufus was quiet for a moment before Ben's voice piped up from the background. "Can I talk to her?"

"Your brother wants to talk to you. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad."

"Nadie?"

"Hey, Ben," Nadia's smile widened. "How've you been, bud?"

"I should be asking you that, angel!" Ben's excitement was obvious, his voice practically vibrating through the phone. "I knew you were badass, but this angel thing? Takes the cake!"

Nadia couldn't help but laugh. "Watch your mouth, boy," Rufus snapped from the background.

"Yeah, I'm trying to keep him in line." Nadia chuckled. "It's not as exciting as you think, though."

"I know you don't have all the answers you want," Ben continued, his voice softer now. "But this... angel stuff? It can help you save a lot more people."

Nadia took a deep breath, her mind spinning with everything that had happened. "Yeah, you're right. I just... without my grace, I'm just a human who can do tricks."

"We'll find your grace, don't worry." Ben's voice was reassuring. "Are you coming to the cabin for Thanksgiving?"

Nadia froze. She had completely forgotten about her family's yearly tradition. Thanksgiving weekend was always spent at the cabin in Whitefish, Montana.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, her mind scrambling. "Yeah, of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Are Sam and Dean gonna come?"

Nadia glanced back through the window, her eyes landing on Sam and Dean. Sam looked frustrated as Dean stubbornly denied everything, while Dean downed yet another shot of whiskey. It was clear the Minnesota fallout hadn't left him yet. The weight of it hung heavy in his eyes, and Nadia could see the exhaustion in the way he moved. He wasn't sleeping.

"I don't know," Nadia replied, her tone thoughtful. "I'll ask them. But I gotta go. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"I love you," Ben said.

"I love you too," Nadia whispered before hanging up, a sigh escaping her lips as she put her phone back in her pocket.

The moment was interrupted by a voice that made her freeze.

"She is an abomination. She must be put down."

Nadia whipped around, her breath catching in her throat. The voice was clear, direct—too real to be imagined. It wasn't a whisper in the wind; it was as though someone had approached her on the street.

Another voice, different, spoke next. "Yes, nephilims are unlawful, but Nadia is useful. She can help Dean Winchester."

Nadia's hands went to her head, the voices reverberating in her skull. She didn't know if it was the stress of everything catching up with her, or something more... but these weren't just voices. They felt real.

"What if she doesn't help him? What if she influences him to rebel? Then we lose our greatest weapon."

"We should put her down before she finds her grace. She will only betray us just as her mother did. It's in their nature."

"I think we should give her a chance. Abomination or not, she helps people. She saves lives. We don't just need her. The world does."

"I agree. She shouldn't have to pay for the sins of her mother. Perhaps she could be even better than Aniela."

The conversation stopped abruptly, leaving Nadia with a deep, unsettling silence. Her heart raced, and a cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. Angels... it had to be angels. But how? Why? And why her?

Nadia took a moment to calm herself, breathing deeply as she processed what she'd just overheard. When she felt like she could move again, she headed back inside the restaurant, her mind still whirling.

She rejoined the Winchesters at their table. Dean looked up at her as she sat down, his eyes narrowing, concerned. "You all right?"

"Yeah," she said, forcing a smile. "We got a case?"

Sam pulled out his laptop, already typing. "Uh, it's been pretty quiet lately. No signs of demons, no omens or portents that I can see."

"That's good news for once," Nadia said, finishing off her beer.

Sam turned the laptop toward them. "Yeah, just the usual. Crank UFO sightings and one possible vengeful spirit. Here—check this out. Up in Concrete, Washington, there's been reports of a ghost haunting the showers at a women's health facility."

Dean choked on his beer.

"The victim says the ghost threw her down a flight of stairs," Sam trailed off, noticing Dean's sudden eagerness. "I can see you're very interested."

"Women and showers?" Nadia said knowingly, smirking. She wasn't at all surprised by Dean's enthusiasm.

"Damn right," Dean grinned, slamming the laptop shut. He quickly pulled out his wallet, shuffling through bills. "We gotta save these people."

Nadia shoved the EMF meter into her pocket as she exited the fitness center, the cold Washington air hitting her face. She scanned the quiet street, spotting Dean sitting on the steps, engrossed in the local newspaper. She couldn't help but smile when she saw the headline about a man winning $168 million in the lottery.

"Hey," she greeted him as she approached.

Dean looked up, folding the newspaper with a grin. "Find anything?"

"Nothing. No women either," she said, nudging him playfully.

"I'm tellin' you, Robin," Dean smirked, folding the paper up. "You missed a perfect steamy opportunity with me in there, if you catch my drift."

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "I think I'll live."

"Ouch," Dean clutched his chest dramatically, making her laugh.

While they were checking out the fitness center, Sam had gone to Lucky Chin's, the most popular Chinese restaurant in town. He was talking to the girl who had encountered the ghost in the showers. Nadia figured he was on his way back by now.

Dean glanced at her, noticing how quiet she'd been. "You've been quiet lately," he said, his voice softer than usual. "You okay?"

Nadia hesitated, glancing down the street for a moment before meeting his eyes. "I'm fine. Just... trying to wrap my head around this whole angel thing." She rubbed her temples. "It's starting to make sense why my mother fell, and I can't help but wonder where that leaves me. I don't think she wanted this for me."

Dean frowned, confused. "What do you mean, 'fell'?"

Nadia blinked, realizing she'd repeated Michael's words without thinking. "I mean... left, not fell. Sorry." She shook her head, trying to refocus. "It's just a lot to process. What about you?"

"What about me?" Dean's tone shifted, a hint of defensiveness.

Nadia shrugged, her gaze steady. "You've been drinking a lot. Not sleeping. And you won't tell Sam the truth."

Dean's jaw tightened, and he cleared his throat, standing up. "Truth about what?" he asked, his voice thick with tension as he shoved the newspaper into his jacket pocket.

Nadia followed him, a touch of frustration creeping into her voice. "About Hell. About what you told me."

Dean turned abruptly, narrowing his eyes. "Uh, I don't remember tellin' you anything."

She gave him a pointed look, her voice soft but insistent. "So you don't remember back in Rockridge, when you were sick and..." Nadia trailed off, her eyes searching his nervous green gaze. "Dean..."

"What?" He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't know what you're—"

"Stop," Nadia cut him off, holding up her hand. Her expression was a mix of anger and concern. "Stop lying to my face. If you don't want to talk about Hell, fine. Just say that."

Dean sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. He turned away from her, obviously irritated with himself.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute," he said, grabbing her hand to turn her back around.

Nadia jerked her hand away, crossing her arms. "What?"

"You're right, okay?" Dean's tone softened. "As you've probably noticed, it's not easy for me to talk about my feelings. But that doesn't mean I have to lie to you."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not Sam, Dean. You already confessed to me."

Dean winced, glancing away. "That's what scares me, Robin," he admitted. "I shouldn't have told you that. I was dying of literal fear, yet somehow, I had the confidence to confess something like that to you. I feel safe with you." His voice dropped to a quiet, almost vulnerable tone. "I've never felt like that with a woman before."

Nadia's heart skipped a beat as she reached up, cupping his face with both hands. "Look at me." Her touch was soft, gentle. "You don't ever have to lie to me about anything. Especially not your feelings. And not just because I'm an angel now and can sense things about you that you might not want me to. But because you matter to me."

Dean's lips twitched into a half-smile, though there was a trace of sarcasm in his tone. "How comforting."

"My point is, if you're not ready to talk, that's fine," she continued. "But lying to me? Pretending to be okay when you're not? I won't stand for that. I'd rather you be upfront and depressed than wear some stupid macho-man façade."

Dean looked down at their hands, his fingers entwining with hers. "Okay, okay," he relented. "I hear you, Robin."

"Do you?" she asked, looking at him intently.

He leaned down, kissing her hands softly, making her blush. "I do."

Dean couldn't help but appreciate the tough love. He liked that Nadia didn't allow him to treat her any kind of way. She was willing to be there for him, but not to the extent of being walked over. He let out a soft chuckle. "You really know how to put a guy in his place, huh?"

Nadia's lips curled into a sad smile. Instinctively, they closed the space between them, her breath catching in her throat. "Don't pretend you don't like it," she teased, but her smile faltered as she caught a glimpse of the exhaustion in his eyes. The weight of his past, of his guilt, was more than she could ignore. She could feel it, but couldn't fully understand it.

Dean's face softened, his voice low as he leaned his forehead against hers. "Don't worry about me too much."

She whispered, her lips brushing his. "Don't say such impossible things."

The moment lingered, thick with unspoken words. They were so close to kissing, the tension palpable, when Nadia suddenly noticed Sam walking toward them.

"Your brother," she muttered, quickly pulling away.

Dean gave a low groan, his back still turned as if to avoid facing the interruption.

Sam approached, giving them a curious glance. "Pick up anything?"

"Nope," Nadia sighed, rubbing her forehead. "No EMF in the shower or anywhere else. All clean."

Sam gave her a knowing look, continuing. "Yeah, I kind of got the feeling that crazy pushed Mrs. Armstrong down the stairs."

Dean snorted, looking over at Nadia. "I gotta tell you, I'm pretty disappointed."

Nadia rolled her eyes as Dean winked at her. "Pft, you wanted to save naked women," Sam teased.

"Something like that," Dean smirked, his eyes twinkling.

Nadia blushed despite herself, shaking her head. 

Concrete was a quiet waterfront town, its population barely breaking a thousand. Everything was within walking distance, and everyone seemed to know everyone else's business. The trio walked across the pier, taking in the calm, picturesque scenery. Two little boys ran by, chasing and taunting an even smaller one. 

"Run, Forrest, run!" Dean yelled after one of them.

Nadia chuckled. "Poor kid," she muttered, shaking her head.

Sam slid his hands into his pockets, his voice flat. "Sorry, Dean, but I don't think anything's going on around here."

Just then, they noticed a man arguing heatedly with a police officer. Nadia squinted, realizing that something was definitely off.

"How the hell was I supposed to get a look at it?" the man yelled. "It grabbed me from behind and threw me into a tree!"

Dean's eyes lit up. "Something's going on," he muttered, nodding toward Sam.

They moved in, readying their FBI badges as they approached.

The officer, a middle-aged man with a tired expression, looked confused when he saw the trio. "Yeah, okay, Gus," he said, clearly not buying the man's story. "I understand you got shook up. But don't you think it... don't you think it had to be a bear?"

"I know a damn bear track when I see one!" Gus retorted. "This thing didn't leave bear tracks! Its feet were huge!"

"Now, Gus..." Officer Hal sighed.

"It was Bigfoot, Hal – The Bigfoot!" Gus yelled, desperation creeping into his voice.

"You're not talking sense here," Hal replied, still trying to keep things calm.

"There's a Bigfoot out there, damn it, and he's a son of a bitch!" Gus shouted, his face red with frustration.

Dean and Nadia exchanged a quick look before stepping forward. "Excuse us. FBI," Sam interrupted.

The officer blinked, clearly taken aback. "What? FBI? In town and I'm just finding out now?"

"Yes, sir," Nadia smiled, flashing her badge. "We're here about the... that."

"About Bigfoot?" Hal looked at them as though they were just as insane as Gus.

"That's right," Nadia said, her voice calm and confident as she turned to Gus. "Sir, can you tell us where this happened?"

Gus nodded, crossing his arms and relaxing slightly. "Yeah, I can."