Nadia woke up in the attic, wrapped in a blanket, her jacket and boots neatly placed beside her. The space looked identical to the one in the present, except the walls were lined with her drawings, and a few of her toys were scattered on the floor, as if she'd just played there recently.

She instinctively clutched the vial around her neck, ensuring it was still there. It felt odd, the familiar weight of it in her hands, while also seeing it glow dimly as her nightlight.

She slipped on her boots, glancing out the window. Daylight poured in through the curtains. She grabbed her jacket and made her way down the attic ladder into the hallway. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the house, accompanied by the mouth-watering aroma of bacon.

Following the smells, she descended to the kitchen. There, her mother was cooking, standing at the stove, her back to Nadia.

Nadia opened her mouth to speak but found herself frozen, words lost.

Vanessa turned around, flashing a warm smile. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"Mom..." Nadia dropped her jacket on the chair, and before she could process it, she was enveloped in her mother's arms. She closed her eyes, holding her tight.

Vanessa squeezed her back, a soft sigh escaping her. "Hey, honey."

When they finally pulled apart, Nadia's tears flowed freely. She looked over her mother, every inch of her face, every small detail she had missed. "I can't believe this is possible! Where am I? Where's Dad?"

Vanessa turned back to the stove, flipping a bacon strip. "Dad's on a trip. I took you to Ms. Furches down the street."

"How long was I out?" Nadia wiped her tears away and picked up her jacket, hanging it over a dining chair.

"Two days. Really shouldn't time travel without your grace."

"Yeah, figured that out the hard way."

Vanessa kept her back to Nadia, focusing on the food. "Things must be bad if you've traveled all this way," she said matter-of-factly.

Nadia scoffed, surprised by how casually her mother was speaking. "Something like that."

Vanessa set two plates on the table, filling them with eggs and bacon. "I'm sure you have questions. But first—breakfast," she said, gesturing to the steaming plates. "Eggs, bacon, and coffee. Do you drink coffee?"

Nadia stared at the food, a surge of frustration rising in her chest. "Yes, but no thanks. I can't think about food right now. I need to talk to you. I—"

Vanessa turned, smiling faintly. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything you want to know. But first, let's eat. You've been off your feet for two days—"

"I don't want to eat!" Nadia snapped, her irritation flaring as she stood, her voice sharper than intended. "Why are you acting like this is normal? This is not normal! Do you have any idea what I've been through? How destroyed I've been since finding out that you're not who I thought you were? Who Dad thought you were! I don't want breakfast. I don't want coffee. I want to talk!"

Vanessa's expression softened as she sighed, placing the coffee pot back on the warmer. She slowly turned around, her face unreadable.

"So, Raphael followed through with his threat?"

Nadia nodded, heart pounding in her chest. "Yeah. Why aren't you going to fight back? Or let Gabriel help you?"

Vanessa's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Nadia said, her voice quiet but firm. "I found the letters. You left them for me, didn't you?"

"No," Vanessa said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I left them for me. They're mementos of my old life."

"Why?" Nadia pressed, her frustration building again.

Vanessa exhaled slowly, her eyes distant. "Why do you think I'm not fighting back? For you? For your father? Raphael wants me. And I know him—he would do anything to get to me. He would hurt you both if it meant I'd be out of the picture. I can't let that happen." She paused, glancing at Nadia. "I've concluded that the only way to protect you is to get myself out of the way."

"Oh, cry me a river," Nadia scoffed, her anger mixing with disbelief. "You're an archangel, Mom. You're unstoppable. You could have—"

"I could take my grace and kill Raphael," Vanessa interrupted, her voice strained, "but I won't. I can't, Nadia. I just can't bring myself to stoop that low. After Lucifer fell, I... I don't know, I just... I can't. Angels killing each other—it's not supposed to be this way. That's not how family is supposed to—"

"I'm your family! I'm your daughter, Mom! I needed you! Dad needed you, and you just chose to be a martyr for what?!" Nadia's voice cracked, her eyes brimming with frustration.

Vanessa's face softened, but the pain in her eyes was undeniable. "Nadia..."

"My powers started working, and Dad didn't know what to do. He took me to every psychiatrist he could find. They put me on meds. That was after I was kidnapped by demons."

"You were what?" Vanessa's voice trembled, clearly shaken.

"Yeah," Nadia whispered, her hands trembling. "Somehow, I survived. I can't even remember how."

Vanessa took a step forward, reaching for her. "What about Siona?"

"She goes by Anna now," Nadia said softly.

"Anna?" Vanessa blinked, surprised.

"She fell, Mom. We got her grace back, but now she's... she's gone."

"We?" Vanessa asked, her voice quiet.

"Some hunter friends and I," Nadia explained, her gaze steady. "We've been working together since this whole apocalypse thing started."

Vanessa put a hand to her face, as if fighting a headache. "Oh gosh..."

"You taught me about the seals," Nadia continued. "I remember that. But you never told me how to stop it."

Vanessa's laugh was hollow, almost cynical. "I didn't teach you about the apocalypse so you could stop it."

"I don't understand. Why would you—"

Vanessa took Nadia by the arms, her grip firm yet gentle. "Honey," she said softly, "there is no stopping the apocalypse."

Nadia shook her head in disbelief. "No. No, no, no. Mom, don't tell me that," she whispered, collapsing into a chair, her head in her hands. "What do you mean there's no stopping it?"

Vanessa sat beside her, her voice heavy with sorrow. "It's already written. The apocalypse—it's prophecies, Nadia. The angels have been preparing for this for a long time. It got a little chaotic after my Father was gone."

"What do you mean chaotic?"

Vanessa's gaze seemed distant, lost in thought. "Think about what happens when a government falls."

Nadia frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"People can't agree on how things should be run. Factions start to form. The people you thought you could trust? Now they're your enemies."

"Mom," Nadia said, frustration creeping into her voice. "Stop talking to me in riddles."

Vanessa met her gaze, shaking her head. "When my father was around, Lucifer aside, angels were mostly unified. But that changed. After my wings fell, everything changed. I'm not sure how Michael is running things now, but if you've met any angels, you should know... we're not all on the same team anymore."

"So, what are you saying?" Nadia asked, her tone sharp. "Some angels want to prevent the apocalypse and the others don't?"

Vanessa's face darkened. "Yes."

Nadia's mouth went dry. "You've got to be kidding me," she said, standing up abruptly. "How are we supposed to know who's on which side?"

Vanessa's shoulders sagged. "I wish I could say. I'm not a part of any of it anymore. You just have to trust your gut."

"Yeah," Nadia muttered bitterly, "easier said than done. I've met a few of you. So far, none of you seem very angelic."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "They giving you a hard time?"

"Just one so far. Uriel. He's a menace. Castiel's okay, though. The others can't seem to decide if they should accept me or kill me. Then there's Michael—"

"Michael?" Vanessa looked up sharply. "Wait... you've met Michael? In person?"

"No. We communicate in my memories. He asked me to take your place."

Vanessa froze. "Take my place doing what?"

"You tell me," Nadia replied. "He's very interested in my boyfriend."

Vanessa's eyes widened. "Your boyfriend?"

"Yeah..." Nadia's voice faltered. "Dean Winchester."

Vanessa let out a sharp laugh. "D-Dean Winchester?"

Nadia swallowed hard, her heart hammering. "You know him?"

Vanessa buried her face in her hands. "Do I? I... no," she whispered. "This can't be."

Nadia reached into her jacket and pulled out the photo. "So, this is you, huh?" she tossed it onto the table, watching her mother's reaction.

Vanessa glanced at the picture without emotion. "Yes. How'd you figure?"

"His parents. I had him show me pictures of them." Nadia leaned back in her chair, waiting.

Vanessa's expression darkened. "Are they still alive?"

"Mary went first," Nadia said quietly. "Fire. Yellow-eyed demon. John raised Dean and his brother as hunters. They got into a car accident in '06, hunting it down. Dean ended up in a coma. John made a deal to save him—gave his life so Dean could live."

Vanessa's face crumpled. "Oh no," she murmured.

Nadia scooted her chair closer. "Mom, I need you to tell me everything."