October 14th, 2015
Lebanon, Kansas

The basketball arched through the air, passing through the net with a faint swish. It hit the ground with a resounding thud, and Alex's grace snaked out to knock the ball towards her awaiting hands. Her sneakers squeaked against the wooden floor as she took a step back, lining her toes up against the white line. Her eyes lifted towards the basket, and her muscles moved automatically, wrist flicking as she released the ball. Swish.

"Nice shot." Sam's voice came from the doorway, and Alex's grace rolled the ball back towards her as she turned to face him.

"Thanks." She stopped the basketball with her foot. "I could do this in my sleep by now. I've been up here for literal hours." She pulled a quick, displeased face before adding, "Cas has been in my room all day."

"That's because I had to kick him out of mine." Sam stepped into the gym, and Alex crossed the floor to meet him halfway. "I don't think he wanted to leave until I told him I had to sleep. He was halfway through the Speed sequel."

"Great, which means he's scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as movies go." Alex shook her head. "I — I tried getting him to open up, Sam, but it's like he doesn't even what to talk to me. I don't know what to do with him. I can't be around him when he's all ... wilted like that. I've never seen him this bad."

Sam's shoulders deflated at the news, and his hazel eyes darkened slightly as he thought. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "There's nothing we can do except give him more time."

"It's been almost two months. We could drag him outside ourselves," Alex muttered, but she immediately dismissed the idea with a roll of her eyes. "What's up? You looking for me?"

"Yeah, actually." Sam's voice lightened at the change in topic. "So I think I've found us a case. It's out in Nebraska if you're interested." With a glance over his shoulder, he lowered his voice, adding, "I figured you could use the time away. You've been kind of ..."

"Grumpy?" Alex finished, and Sam shrugged. "You're not wrong. I mean, can you blame me?" She chuckled half-heartedly, but the humor quickly died away. "Well, you know me. I'm always up for a hunt." Alex crossed over to the wall as she spoke, stooping down to pull on her sweatshirt. Her wings pressed up against her body as she did so, twitching as the ethereal feathers passed through the thick grey material. "When are we leaving? Have you told Dean yet?"

"Dean's not coming. He wants to keep looking for Metatron and Amara. He's back downstairs digging through the lore some more." Sam shrugged, and at the sight of Alex's frown, added, "I know, I know. We've been through it a hundred times, but he's dead set on it until he finds a lead. So it looks like it's just going to be the two of us. You think Cas ...?"

"He won't."Alex brushed past Sam with a flick of her wing. "I can ask him, but he'll want to stay."

"Well, ask him. I'll meet you up by your car when you're ready." Sam disappeared off down the hall, and with a shrug, Alex descended the stairs. She felt out along her grace, unsurprised to find Castiel still in her room.

The interior of the bedroom was dark, and Alex reached over to flick on the lights. "Hey," she greeted, and she extended a wing towards her mate. "How are you feeling?"

The seraph was sitting reclined on her bed, his wings drawn in tightly around him. His eyes turned up from Dean's old laptop as she spoke, and Alex closed the door behind her. "Hello," he answered, and Alex flicked her grace out to pause his show. "I'm feeling okay. I was thinking about going outside today."

The lie in his promise was tangible, but Alex brushed it off with a shrug of her shoulders. "That sounds like a really good idea," she agreed, and the bed dipped as she sat down at his side. "Sam's found a case, and you ... you're welcome to come with. You know, to get back on that horse." She brushed her fingers across his feathers, and the bare vanes twitched. "It's not a great idea to stay hidden away like this."

Castiel was silent, his eyes landing on where her hand was resting against his wings, and Alex felt her grace draw away. "You three should go," he decided. "I'll keep looking for Metatron."

The laptop started playing again, signally the end of the conversation, and Alex frowned. Her grace twitched in frustration but, heeding Sam's words, she pushed it down. "Okay," she relented, and her grace slipped out to pause the show once again. "Well, Dean's staying, too, so if you need anything, talk to him." She leaned forward to press a kiss against his cheek. "Try and get up and do something, okay? Maybe ask Dean to take you to see a movie. Or, uh — I know I'm going to regret saying this, but ask Dean about torrenting. At the very least you could watch some higher caliber films."

She slid off the bed when Castiel didn't respond, and she set about gathering up her bag. A change of clothes was thrown atop her meticulously folded slacks and blouse, and the packing was completed by her laptop, tossed on top of it all. "See you in a few days," she promised, and she once more leaned over to kiss her mate as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Love you."

La Vista, Nebraska

"Agents Smith and Shaw." Sam flashed his badge at the front desk of the La Vista Police Station, and Alex did the same, her back straightened in an attempt not to appear so dwarfed next to the Winchester. The room around them hummed with life as police officers moved about their day, and the angel drew in her wings as a man brushed past her shoulders. The officer that sat at the desk in front of them raised his head, blinking rapidly as he looked the two of them up and down, but he barely took a moment to study their badges before he nodded. "We're looking for Deputy Hodge," Sam continued, and Alex shoved her ID back into her pocket. "Can you point us in the right direction?"

"Deputy's in a meeting right now." The man jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "You can wait in his office. Third door on the left."

His attention turned back down to the pile of folders on his desk, and Alex shrugged her shoulders as she followed Sam further into the station. "So, you're thinking this was an angel kill, huh?"

"Yeah." Sam pushed his way into the office, and Alex dropped down into the nearest chair. "Uh, I talked with Hodge on the phone, and he said that they ID'ed the body this morning. A Ms. Taylor Yang. Her eyes were burned out of her skull when they found her." Sam circled around the desk, his fingers brushing over the mess of files as he searched for their case. "Here."

A manilla folder landed in her lap, and Alex flipped through the pages to find the crime scene photos. "Yeah, that definitely looks like an angel kill," she reluctantly agreed, and she ran a finger along the side of the folder as she studied the burned, charred eyes. "Sam." She called the hunter over and pointed to the wound in the stomach, the torn flesh neatly cauterized despite the gruesome wound. "They were stabbed, too."

"Maybe an angel blade?" Sam leaned up against the chair next to her, a large hand planted on her shoulder to steady himself.

"It's got to be. The hole's pretty round, and there's no bleeding." Alex glanced up at Sam, eyes dropping back down to the file to find Sam's face close to hers. "This wasn't just a person who was killed. It was either a demon or an angel. A human would have bled, and their eyes don't burn like that when they're stabbed."

"Cas did that to Pamela," Sam reminded, and Alex frowned.

"Yeah, but that's different. And then why bother to stab them? Seems a bit overkill to murder them twice." With a shrug, she closed the file and handed it back to Sam, her grace flicking out into the hall. "The meeting's over. Put this back."

Sam returned the folder to the desk, and the door opened a few seconds later to reveal Deputy Hodge. He was a short, pudgy man, with thickset glasses atop a an equally thick nose, and Alex rose to her feet as he stopped short. "Can ... I help you two?"

"Robert Hodge." Sam extended a hand towards the deputy. "I'm Agent Smith. We talked on the phone earlier this morning."

"Oh, oh, right. About the Yang murder." The deputy crossed over to his desk and sat down, his eyes running across the mess. "I have the file here somewhere — ah." He picked up the file Sam had put down, and his lips pursed as he opened it up to the first page. "What can I help you two with?"

"We're just wondering if there's anything new you can tell us." Sam sat down next to Alex, tucking his hands in his lap. "Also, directions to the road where you found her."

"Here." Hodge held out the file to Sam with a shrug. "I have another copy somewhere. You keep it. We talked with Yang's parents out in Colorado. She's been missing for a month. They assumed she'd run off with her long-time boyfriend until about a week ago." The man's chair creaked as he leaned back in it. "There wasn't much on her to indicate where she's been. No phone, no credit cards. No one at any of the hotels in the area recognized her, either."

"Yeah, that's, uh, that's weird," Sam agreed. "Do you have any leads on who killed her?"

"Nothing." Hodge shook his head. "No one's come forward about seeing anything that night, and there's no security cameras anywhere near the ravine where the body was found. I've got the techs working to see if there's some trace evidence, but ..." He trailed off with a shrug. "I'd appreciate any help you two can offer."

"Of course." Alex leaned forward. "Is there any chance that we can see the body?"

Deputy Hodge clicked his tongue. "Sorry, Agent Shaw, but coroner's got a tight lynch around visitors. I'll talk to her and see if I can get the two of you in later, though."

"Works for us." With a shrug, Alex pushed herself to her feet. "I suppose if you learn anything else, give us a call. We'll be in town for a few days." She tapped Sam on the shoulder, and he stood as well. "Thanks for your time." She stepped aside, and Sam took the lead out of the office and down the hall.

Alex pushed her way into the hotel room, her grace flicking on the lights as she stepped across the threshold. A wooden door to her right led to the bathroom, and beyond it lay a tv and a single bed. "Just one bed, huh?" she joked, and she heard Sam kick the door closed behind him.

"It was cheaper than two beds." Sam pushed past her to place his bag on the mattress, and Alex dropped hers next to the small wooden table. "I mean, you don't need to sleep, anyways."

"I suppose." Alex dropped down in the chair, her wings draped over the back. "I guess there's stuff I can do." Sam tossed the case file onto the table next to her, and Alex flipped it open. "So, crime scene was a bust," she began. "No EMF, no sign of a fight, nothing."

"Yeah." Sam dropped down onto the bed, and the mattress creaked under his weight. "We've hit a wall already." He pulled out his phone, and Alex's eyes dropped down to the folder.

"So, do we just hang tight and hope they strike again?" Sam didn't answer, his teeth chewing on his bottom lip as his eyes flickered to the ground, and Alex flipped the folder shut with a sigh. "Something's up. What's going on, Sam?"

"I had another vision." Sam swung his legs over the bed so he could sit facing her. "I've been praying, but I don't ... I don't know what it means."

Alex blinked, her eyes stretched wide as her wings curled forward. However, she managed to keep her voice under control. "What did you see?"

"It's ... it's not so much about what I saw as much as how I ... felt." Sam's brow furrowed as he spoke, and his fingers drummed nervously on his thigh. "I saw the Cage," he finally said. "I saw ... I don't know what I saw, but I thought ..." He fell silent, and Alex leaned forward in her chair, patiently waiting for him to collect his thoughts. "I know it was the Cage. From the outside. And I wasn't scared. I felt a ... calmness."

"Was that all you saw?" Alex asked as he fell quiet once again. "You didn't, you know ... see him?"

"No." Sam shook his head, and the angel pushed down the sharp pang of disappointment that flashed through her. "It was just the Cage. What do you think it means? Have you spoken to him?"

Alex scoffed. "I haven't spoken to Lucifer in almost two years," she reminded. "And I didn't ... I heard him when the Darkness escaped — I could swear that I heard him, but it was only one word, and I don't know if it was actually him or if it was some sort of ... echo." She shook her head, unsure of what she was trying to communicate. "Maybe it's not about Lucifer at all." She moved so she could sit on the bed beside Sam. "He's not the only one in the Cage, remember? Maybe this is about Michael."

"Maybe." Sam sounded less than convinced. "But then why send visions of hell at all? And why to me?"

"Because you're the only one praying about it?" Alex gave a quick, half-hearted shrug. "Because the Darkness already has Dean wedged under her finger, and no one wants to talk to the angel with the devil in her head." Alex spat out the last few words, and her wingtips flicked angrily. "Anyways, it doesn't matter, because we can't even talk to Lucifer without opening the Cage and letting him out."

"But what if that's what the visions means?" Sam leaned forward, planting his elbows on his knees as he stared at the blank wall. "What if ... what if Lucifer is the solution?"

"Lucifer can't be the solution." Alex almost cut him off too quickly, and she shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "He can't come back. Not when Cas and I are finally ..." She trailed off again, and Sam's hand hesitantly came to rest on her knee.

"How ... things are still going well between you two, right?" he asked. "I mean, I know Cas isn't doing well —"

"Things are fine, I think." Alex brushed off his concern with a shrug of her shoulders. "We're just hitting a bit of a rough patch between my deal and Cas' ... what do you even call it? Avoidance? Depression? Can an angel even get depression?"

"I think Cas is more human than you think." Sam rose up off of the bed, and Alex watched him cross over to the bathroom.

"Well, great timing on his part, because I'm definitely not human anymore." Alex fell back on the bed with a sigh, her wings stretching out across the sheets. "Oh well. I won't bore you with the details. You probably don't care too much about my relationship troubles." She rolled onto her side, her head propped up by her elbow. "Should we talk about Dean?"

"Of course I care." Sam stuck his head out of the bathroom with a frown. "And what do you mean? What about Dean?" He ducked back out of sight, and Alex rolled onto her stomach to try and catch sight of him again. "You seriously think he let the Darkness go?"

"All I'm saying is that I didn't see him try and fight back once. I don't know if he's even aware of it," she added, frowning pensively as she traced the seam of the white comforter, "but he fell off his game the minute he saw her. You think it might be something to do with both of them having the Mark?"

"The Mark was the key to her prison." The lights flicked off, and Sam returned to the main room. "Dean said she sees him as the one who set him free, and that they were bonded or something. I don't know what he meant." He dropped down on the bed, and Alex rolled out of the way, pushing herself to her feet with a glance at the clock. "We can talk about this in the morning, okay? Maybe I can get a good night's sleep without Dean breathing down my neck."

He mumbled the last few words, and Alex dropped down into her chair at the table. "Good idea. I'll ... I'm going to go take a walk, and then I'll take another look through the files, see if there's anything we skimmed over." She drummed her fingers on the table before she sighed and rose to her feet. "Night, Sam. I'll see you in the morning."

The red and blue flashing lights caught on the side of the Marquis as Alex threw open the door. The air was damp, a remnant of that afternoon's storm, and she shook out her wings as raindrops dribbled off of the trees and down the back of her neck. "It's about time we got another body," she muttered in Sam's direction, ducking beneath the yellow police tape. "I was ready to throw in the towel." She paused on the other side, waiting for Sam to join her before she added, "Hodge said he'd be here, right? I don't see him."

"Maybe he's further down the path." Sam started into the woods with a shrug, leaving Alex to follow. Foliage dripped around her, and the dirt trail squished with each step. The sirens faded away as they descended the muddy hill, and Alex's wings cocked forward slightly at the sound of voices through the trees. "Deputy Hodge." Sam lifted his voice to announce their presence, and the small congregation of officers came into view as they stepped around a bend in the trail. "Thanks for inviting us."

"Not a problem, agents." Hodge was squatted next to a sheet-covered body, and he rose to his feet to greet them. "I'm not going to lie, this one has us as stumped as the first one." He slipped past two men to come stand in front of them, adjusting his hat as he glanced up at the drizzling sky. "A pair of hikers stumbled upon our latest homicide about an hour back. The body's drenched but the ground under him is dry, so it's probably been out here since last night."

"And you said it was the same MO as with Yang?" Sam asked, and Alex moved past him to study the body.

"Exactly the same," she heard Hodge confirm as she crouched down near the head. Her wings flicked as a fat raindrop landed on her outstretched hand, and, with an upwards frown towards the grey sky, she pulled back the sheet to reveal the corpse. The eyes were burned from the skull, leaving only charred flesh in its wake, and a puncture wound rested just below the sternum, the flesh black and cauterized. "The rain washed away a lot. Footprints are gone, there's no blood. "

"No signs of a struggle," Alex added. "You think this is just a dumping ground?"

Hodge nodded. "Just like the last one." He followed Sam over to Alex, and the angel held the sheet back so they could see. "Either you ever seen something like this before?"

"Never quite like this," Alex lied, and she dropped her eyes back onto the corpse with a grim shake of her head. She hesitated, and her nostrils flared as she drew in a deep breath. Rain had washed the dust from the air, but something still lingered, clinging to the damp clothes. Sulfur.

The angel let the sheet fall back across the corpse, and her eyes turned onto the array of small plastic bags that lay next to the victim. She recognized a set of keys and a wallet, but a small cloth ball caught her eye. "Was there anything on him?" she heard Sam ask as she reached for the evidence bag. "Do we know who he is?"

"We got a name and ID from his wallet. A Daniel Mayes from Greenwich, Connecticut. I already called the local PD," Hodge added, and Alex tipped her head as his tone dropped lower. "They say Daniel Mayes has been missing since 2011." He shook his head, confusion darkening his pale eyes. "We're sending over a photo for confirmation, but ..."

"Smith." Alex waved Sam over, and the hunter quickly excused himself to go stand by her side. "This man was a demon," she murmured, loud enough for only him to hear. "The rain washed most of it away, but I can still pick up a smell of sulfur on him. Not around, but on. He, uh, he had this on him." She handed over the small burlap ball, and Sam's jaw tightened.

"Hex bag. So we're looking for a witch. One that's killing demons." Sam frowned pensively, eyes focused on the corpse at his feet. "I guess possession would explain why this guy's been missing for so many years."

"Yeah. But a witch doesn't explain the deaths. That's classic angel blade. Maybe they managed to get their hands on one," she begrudgingly added after a moment.

Sam shoved his hands into his pockets as his phone started to ring, and Alex watched as he glanced down at the screen. "It's Dean," he announced, and Alex grunted in understanding as he moved away to speak to his brother.

She crouched back down next to the body, head tipping as she once again pulled back the sheet to study the empty face. "It's sad, isn't it?" she heard Hodge begin. Alex glanced up, eyes squinting against the drizzling rain, and with a sigh, the man shoved his hands in his pockets. "I can see it in your eyes. Something like this ... it's horrific, but you don't even see it."

"I've seen a lot," Alex admitted, and she let the sheet fall back over the body. "You get used to those kind of things."

"No, you don't." Hodge adjusted the sheet to it lay smoothly across the corpse's face. "At least, you shouldn't. Hell, I must be twice your age, and I still feel sick looking at that."

"Well, I'm sure we've both have very different life experiences." Alex leaned back on her haunches, lips pressed together to hold back a small smile. "Bad things happen in this world, Deputy. I've seen my fair of them." She pushed herself to her feet with a glance towards Sam, who was halfway up to the car. "We'll leave you guys alone to finish up here. Please, give us a call if you and your squints find anything unusual. You have our number." With a quick, departing nod, the angel excused herself and hurried after Sam.

Alex dropped down into the chair across from Sam, wings drawn in close as she put her hands onto the smooth oak table. The restaurant around them bustled with life, the neon lights from the bar catching on the lacquer. "What did Dean want?" she asked, shrugging off her jacket as she spoke. "Everything okay back home?"

"Uh, yeah. Everything's fine." Sam reached up to tuck his hair behind his ear, his teeth tugging at his bottom lip as he studied the menu. "He was just checking in. He says hi, by the way."

"Good for him." Alex leaned back as the waitress brought them their drinks, and she let her eyes turn out across the restaurant. Once the woman was gone, she added, "Did he say anything about Cas?"

"Nothing much. I guess he's moved back into my room, though. I think he likes the tv." Sam shrugged, unsure what else to say. "Has he even tried to go outside? Maybe some sun would do him good."

"That's what I keep telling him." Alex heaved a sigh, and she reached out to draw her beer close. "He swears he's tried, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. I think ... I think it's like PTSD or something from that spell. I get the feeling he's afraid that if he goes back out, he'll hurt people again." She expected Sam to scoff, and when he didn't, she added, "I mean, it's ridiculous because he's not under the spell's control anymore. Nothing's going to make him do anything he doesn't choose to do."

"Yeah," Sam hesitantly agreed, "but just because it's not rational doesn't mean his fear isn't real, you know? Come on — don't tell me there's nothing you've done that made you feel like that."

"Nothing that made me hide in my room for months, no," Alex retorted, and her blunt fingernails clinked on her beer bottle. "But ... I know how it must feel. Sorta." The angel leaned forward, lowering her voice so others couldn't overhear. "Listen, I haven't told Dean or Cas about this, but back when Cas and I were staying with Jody — just after I made my deal — Crowley made me track down some demons."

"Demons?" Sam repeated, his eyebrows lifted, and Alex shrugged.

"Abaddon loyalists," she explained. "They were in Sioux Falls, and Crowley had me hunting them down. I don't know why — for fun, maybe. He said a man and his wife were possessed. I went in, killed the husband no problem, but the wife ... she was clean. She and her two year old daughter had been sleeping upstairs. So I let her live." Alex's eyes fell onto the lip of her bottle, and her wings drooped at her side. "Crowley was there when I got out. When I told him I let her live, he ... he set the entire house on fire." Her eyes flickered shut briefly, her grace twitching at the memory. "It just ... exploded into flames. Everyone inside died."

Sam's voice was quiet. "That wasn't your fault, Pip."

"It was. If I had just done what I was told, that little girl would still be alive. Crowley only killed them to make a point. That moment — it was like a switch just went off inside of me, like my conscious just turned off." Her hand went out to gesture to the patrons at the bar. "If Crowley told me to, I would kill every single one of them, and I wouldn't even care."

Silence followed her words, and Alex took a sip of her drink as Sam thought. "What if I asked you to?" he finally said, and the angel blinked.

"You wouldn't do that," she promised with a scoff.

"Yeah, but if I did. Would you do it?"

Alex hesitated, her eyes flickering back to the bar as she sized up those around her. "I might, yeah," she finally admitted, and her gaze turned back to Sam in time to see his hazel eyes darken a shade. "What? You're the one who asked, Sam. I'm not telling you this to make you upset."

"No, no, I know," Sam quickly backtracked. "And I appreciate it. It's just ... good to know. Dean and I have definitely noticed. Thanks for telling me."

"Yeah, no problem." Alex leaned back into her chair with a half-hearted shrug. "Anyways. Did you hear anything from the cops about our second body?"

"No, but it's only been an hour or two." Sam mimicked her, leaning back in his chair as he reached for his glass of water. "I'm not sure what they can learn that would help us, though. We know the when and the how. The only thing we're missing is the who and why." His eyes turned upwards, and Alex followed his gaze, frowning when all she saw was the ceiling. "Hey, you ever listened to the Cranberries?"

"Uh, no? Who are they?"

"Band that's playing right now." Sam gestured up towards the speakers peeking out from the wooden ceiling panels. "I guess my mom used to listen to them a lot back in the day." He took a sip of his water. "You know what, never — never mind."

Alex grinned, mouth half open to respond, but a brush of fire against her grace had her pausing. The touch had been faint, barely a pinprick, but it had been there. Her chair scraped as she pushed herself to her feet, and she almost didn't hear Sam's confused question. Her legs carried her towards the kitchen, breaking into a sprint as she wove between the waitress until she could throw open the back door and jump out into the alleyway.

She almost lost her footing as a man rushed past her, running in a frenzied panic, and the angel could taste blood and sulfur in the air. "Wait!" She spun towards the disappearing demon, but her head twisted at a second set of footprints that came from behind her.

A darkly-clad man stood in the alleyway. He was young — tall and lanky with a smooth, childish face, and Alex's wings rose hesitantly as she turned to face him. "Were you ... were you chasing that guy?"

"Ventus formidulosus!" A rush of wind pushed past her, almost knocking Alex from her feet. Her feathers fluttered wildly, the bare vanes rattling from the force, but her grace kept her firmly rooted to the ground.

The man's eyes stretched wide, and it took him mere seconds to flee, leaving Alex standing in the alley, confused and alone. The back door flew open with a bang, and Sam stumbled out onto the pavement. "What the hell? Why'd you run?" The questions tumbled out of his mouth, and Alex scowled as she shoved her hands in her pockets.

"I think I just met our witch," she muttered, turning to face Sam as she shook her feathers out so they could lie flat. "He, uh ... he looked like a kid." She eyes slid past Sam as the shadows shifted, and the angel sighed. "Hey. What are you still doing here?" she demanded, pushing past the Winchester to confront the demon.

"You — you're Alex, aren't you?" The demon stumbled slightly before he composed himself.

"Yeah, I am. Now get out of here before I call Crowley on your ass, okay, punk?" Alex dismissed him with a flick of her wing, and the demon bolted off down the alleyway. "Sorry." She glanced over her shoulder at Sam with a tight-lipped frown. "Anyways, I got a good look at our perp. Think the cops can help give an ID?"

"It's worth a shot," Sam agreed. "We can head there after dinner. I don't know about you," he added when Alex opened her mouth to protest, "but I need food. I haven't eaten since breakfast." He pointed towards the door, and, with a roll of her eye, Alex lead the way back into the restaurant.

"James Chapman." Alex spoke the name over the roar of the Marquis' engine, eyes narrowed as she stared down at the picture on her phone. "Age nineteen. This is definitely the guy that I saw." She held it out so Sam could see, and the hunter's eyes flickered from the road for a moment to study the image. Thunder cracked in the distance, and Alex peered out the windshield up towards the sky.

"Great." She almost missed Sam's reply, and she quickly returned to her seat with a nod. "Uh, did Hodge send an address with the photo?"

"Yes he did. Sent over everything they had. I guess James has been causing trouble around town. He's had two search warrants a couple years back in relation to, uh, theft apparently, but no charges ever stuck." Her lips pressed together, and she glanced over at Sam. "Why would a witch bother to resort to stealing?"

"Who knows. The thrill, maybe?" Sam shrugged, uninterested in the rationale. "Where's the house?"

"Corner of Vauxhill and Brampton. I'll find you a map." Alex held out her hand, and after some shuffling, Sam handed her his phone. "I, uh, I think I got some witch-killing bullets in the trunk. Unless Dean dug them out for some reason." She quickly typed the address into Sam's phone and dropped it back into his lap before returning her gaze to her phone. "Anyways, none of the charges ever amounted to anything, and the cases ended up going cold."

"Is that all?" Sam turned the Marquis down a suburban road, and the angel shrugged. "I mean, robberies? That's it?"

Alex scoffed. "What were you expecting? Complaints about cauldrons and late-night rituals? We're lucky the cops recognized this asshat at all." She leaned over so she could peer at Sam's phone. "We're close. Slow down."

The headlights flickered and died as Sam slowed the Marquis to a roll, and Alex leaned forward, her grace rising to her eyes as she looked out into the darkening street. A small one story rambler lay at the end of the road, the windows dark and covered by a thick curtain, and the engine died as the car stopped on the far curb. "Let's go." Sam slipped out of the car, circling around to the trunk, and Alex followed at a slower pace, giving him time to dig around for his bullets and snap the clip into his gun.

She fell in at his side as he led the way up to the front step, her grace sneaking out to survey the property. "I don't feel anyone." Her voice was thick with disappointment, her shoulders falling as she stopped at the door. "I don't think he's here."

"That's fine. Let's just take a look around the inside." Sam gestured towards the door, and Alex let her grace stretched out to undo the lock. "Maybe there's something there that'll tell us where he went."

"There better be." Alex led the way into the house with a disgruntled flick of her wings. "I want to get out of town before Crowley hears about it. I haven't heard from him since Connecticut. And personally, I hope he never talks to me again." Her grace rising to adjust for the darkness of the room, and she added after a moment's pause, "There's no one here. House is clean."

"Great." Sam closed the door behind him, and Alex sidestepped to give him room. "I'll check the living room. You start in the bedroom." He pointed off down the hallway, and the angel nodded, slipping off towards the closed door.

Her grace twitched as she reached it, and Alex paused, feeling out towards the twinge. It hadn't come from the house, but from within. Cas? She shot the quick prayer towards her mate, concern lacing each word. You okay there, buddy?

The feeling disappeared, fading back into silence, and when no answer came, Alex gave a reluctant shrug. The door opened easily beneath her touch, swinging open to reveal a small, sparse bedroom. A pile of clothes sat in the far corner, half-hidden by the bed frame, and beyond it lay a nightstand.

Its drawer creaked as it opened, and Alex flipped through the sparse contents with a thin frown. Post-it notes, a handful of pens, and an unopened box of condoms. Nothing out of the ordinary. She slammed the drawer shut and crossed over to the closet. "Holy hell." Alex stepped back to get a better view of the packed space, filled to the brim with clothes. "It's like a department store."

Silence met her comment, and Alex glanced over her shoulder towards the closed door, her grace flicking out to make sure Sam was still alone. A glimmer of white caught her eye as she turned back, and the angel tipped her head. She shoved the clothes aside to see the back of the closet, where papers were tacked haphazardly to the drywall. There were photocopies of book pages, all connected with twine, and Alex squinted to read the headlines. "Demons, huh? I guess that makes sense."

She let the clothes fall back into place, hiding the handiwork as she stepped back. As interesting as it was, it held no indication of where the witch could be. "Hey." Sam's voice rang through the empty house, and Alex's wings perked up. Two steps carried her across the bedroom and out through the door, and she hurried down the hall in search of the Winchester. "Over here." Sam waved at her from inside the living room, his flashlight illuminating a cheap pine desk. "Find anything in the bedroom?"

"Whoever this witch is, he was digging deep into the demon lore. He had it all hung up in the back of his closet." Alex's shoulders rose and fell in a shrug as she crossed the carpet to stand beside the desk. "That was it, though. It was pretty empty. What did you find?"

"Legal documents." Sam motioned down to the desk beside him. "It looks like James Chapman was leasing a property just outside of town. Did Hodge say anything about that?"

"No, he didn't mention it at all." Alex took the paper that Sam held out to her, eyes scanning the fine print. "We got an address?"

"Yup." Sam rifled through the rest of the desk's contents, but, finding nothing, shut the drawer. "We can be there in half an hour." He took the lease back from Alex, who reluctantly let it go, and after a second's pause, he asked, "You think James is going to be there?"

"Dunno. I guess it's our best shot, though." Alex sidestepped the Winchester to peer into the small kitchen, adding, "If we're lucky, he'll be there, and we can kill him quick and call it quits. I'm starting to get weird sad-vibes from Cas, so ..." She trailed off at the sight of Sam's pensive face. "What?"

"Do you ... do you actually think we should kill James?" Sam spoke slowly, hesitation drawing out each word. "I mean ... killing demons — that's not exactly bad, and we can't just go around killing people. We're supposed to be saving them, remember? That's our job."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Alex's head tilted as she looked up into his face. "That we just talk to a witch?"

Sam mimicked her frown. "Killing demons is a good thing. Maybe all he needs is someone to show him how to do it tactfully. Plus, having a witch on our side could actually be useful."

"Yeah, except after Rowena, I wouldn't trust a witch for half a second." Alex's wings flicked at how Sam's jaw hardened, and with a sigh, she relented. "Fine. You could have a point, so we'll go with your plan. But if he goes sideways — even a little — I'm calling it. Witches are witches."

"Okay." Sam gave a nod, his eyes flickering across her. "Well, come on. We should get going before James tries to leave town." He crossed over to the door, and, with a shrug, Alex trailed after him, locking the front door behind her as she followed Sam towards the car.

The paved road that led up to James' property wove through the open prairies before it ended abruptly, giving way to tall grass, and the Marquis lurched to a stop. Alex leaned forward in her seat to peer through the darkness as the engine died, trying to catch sight of some sort of man-made structure, but the land was obscured from sight by a wooden fence, the boards rotten near their base. "Creepy." Alex threw open the door and stepped out into the night, cursing under her breath as her boot found a puddle of mud. "You sure this is the right place?"

"It's what the signs said." Sam followed her out, his body outlined by the faint moonlight. "Let's check it out." From his pocket he produced a small flashlight, and Alex fell in step behind him as he started to pick his way down a worn dirt path. The opening in the fence was barely wide enough for a small car to pass through, and Alex could make out faint tire tracks in the dirt beneath her feet.

The path stretched out beyond the fence, leading down a small, grassy hill to a barn. A light shone through the thin window, a dark orange glow, and Alex stretched her grace outwards to feel inside the building. "Someone's there," she murmured. "One human, one demon."

She pushed two paces ahead of Sam as they crossed the yard, and her fingers reached back to feel along the outline of her angel blade beneath her shirt. The barn door creaked open beneath her touch, and Alex flattened her wings against her back as she slipped through.

She recognized James Chapman's lanky form against the candlelight, his back to the two hunters, and her eyes slid past him in search of the demon she had felt. There. He sat in a chair in front of the witch, bound with ropes. "Nice setup." Her voice had Chapman turning around, and surprise and alarm flashed through his pale eyes. "You got a license for that?"

Sam knocked the back of his hand against her shoulder, a silent signal for her to be quiet, and the angel let him step forward to take the lead. "James, my name is Sam." He moved slowly, one hand extended in a show of innocence while he carefully tucked his gun back into his jeans. "We're just hear to talk."

"How — how do you know my name? How did you find me?" The witch tripped over his words, and it took him a moment to compose himself. "Who are you?"

"We're hunters." Sam pointed to himself and Alex in turn. "My name is Sam Winchester. This Alex. And that's a demon." He pointed to bound man, and Alex lips pursed into a thin frown as she recognized him as the demon from earlier that night. "Two dead demons turned up in town. That was you, wasn't it?"

James Chapman hesitated, his gaze flickering between the two, and Alex forced her shoulders down into a neutral position. "How did you find me?" he repeated.

"Like he said, we're hunters." Alex hid an amused smirk as she looked up at Sam. "And you're a witch, right? I know spellwork when I hear it," she added when Chapman's mouth fell open in the start of a defense. "It's fine. We hunt demons as well. Like Sam told you, we just want to talk."

She let her grace rise up as she studied the demon, eyes narrowing as she tried to pick out the spell that held the demon fast. Hazy lines trickled around his vessel, keeping him in place, and Alex was so intent on studying it that she almost missed Sam's question. "Why exactly is a witch out hunting demons?"

The barn fell silent as Chapman studied them, and it took a moment before the reluctance slipped away. "They killed my mom." His pale eyes darkened as he spoke, and the demon behind him scoffed. "She taught me everything she knew before she died, and now I'm going to avenge her, even if it kills me too!"

Alex felt Sam stiffen, surprised by the confession, and she tilted her head. "Your mom was a witch? And she died? Recently?" Chapman nodded, and Alex's lips pressed together as she thought. "Why would demons be killing witches?" she murmured, her question directed up to Sam. "That doesn't sound like something they normally do ... I mean, unless Crowley put them up to it, but he's been too occupied with Amara to worry about Rowena."

"Rowena?" James spoke up, surprise in his voice, and Alex turned away from Sam. "You know Rowena?"

Alex frowned. "Unfortunately. How do you know her?"

"I don't. My mother just talked about her. A lot." James took a step towards them, his interest piqued, and Alex's eyes flickered past him to the demon. "Do you think — do you think she was involved?"

"She was probably the damn reason," Alex admitted scornfully. "Crowley put a hit out on all of her coven friends about a month ago." The demon scoffed once again, and Alex scowled in his direction. "And I thought I told you to beat it," she snapped. "The hell you still doing in town, dipshit?"

"Tracking spell." The demon spat out the words. "And this." He lifted his hand against his bond to show off a symbol burned into the flesh of his palm. "Keeps me from smoking out. Now get me the hell out of here, you hear?"

His eyes flashed black, but Alex merely flicked a wing. "Clever," she mused, and her gaze flickered over to Chapman to find him staring at her, his muscles tense. "But I'm not letting you go. One of us —" She motioned between herself and the witch "— is going to kill you."

"Or we could just exorcise them," Sam corrected, and he turned towards Chapman, his hazel eyes wide in a plea. "Listen, these people that the demons are possessing — you don't need to kill them, too. There's other ways."

"You want to exorcise me?" To Alex's surprise, the demon's eyes stretched wide, and even in the candlelight, Alex could see the blood on his face, evidence of torture, and James turned back to him, his shoulders hunched in digust. "Pathetic. Do you really want to know who killed your mom, kiddo? Cause I know exactly who it was. It was her." He jerked a chin towards Alex, and the angel stiffened in surprise at the accusation. "Cafe Eltra, Colorado? That was her. She was there." His eyes darted over to Sam, his thin lips curled up in a smirk. "They both were. They're hunters, Jimmy. Killin' witches is what they do."

Chapman froze, and Alex's hands tightened at her side as the witch turned back to her. "Is that true?" He stepped towards them, his eyes narrowed as he looked between the two hunters. "Were you there?"

"Cafe Elta?" Sam's brow furrowed as he thought. "Yeah, that was —" With a flick of James' wrist, Sam went flying across the room. His back slammed into the barn wall, which shook under the impact, and the Winchester collapsed to the ground.

"Hey!" Alex's wings flared, and her feathers rustled in anger. Her hand went back to grab her angel blade, the slick metal shimmering in the candlelight. "You've got it all wrong." James ignored her, taking a step towards Sam, and Alex darted forward to place herself between the two men. "Sam went there after everyone was dead," she insisted, her words rushed as she held out a hand to stop James. "He didn't kill anyone. I did. I was there when they all died —" Kill him. A voice echoed in her head, a harsh, demanding whisper, and Alex cut off with a choked noise of surprise at its presence.

James froze, and the angel steeled herself for whatever was to come next. "You're one of them, aren't you?" His shoes scuffed against the ground as he took a half-step back. "Adiuro vos corpis tuum, daemon!"

Alex forced her grace up to her eyes, her irises glowing in warning. "I'm not a demon." She could feel her deal rise as she spoke, oozing across her grace like oil. "And I didn't have a choice, okay?"

"You didn't have a choice? You killed my mother! You — you —" James' voice shook with anger, but Alex barely heard him. Kill him now! The voice filled her ears, resonating across her deal, and Alex's fingers tightened on the handle of her blade, her muscles tense to keep it stiffly at her side.

The flashing of a metallic weapon snapped her back into reality, her wings flapping violently as she reeled back in surprise. Her own blade went up, and she felt tip slide through fabric. A cry of pain told her she hit flesh, and the angel spun out of the way. "Hey!" she snapped, her grey eyes stretching wide. "Stop! I don't want to —"

KILL HIM!

Alex threw herself forward. She ducked beneath a blow aimed towards her head, and her blade flashed up to parry a swipe at her ribs. she threw a punch into the witch's chest, and James fell back with a wide-eyed grunt. "Alex!" Sam struggled to his feet, gripping his head with a scowl as he took a step towards the two. "Wait!"

"Redipiscor!" James sent Sam back into the wall with one hand, and the Winchester hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"Sam!" Alex's wings flared out, and she took a step in his direction, the witch forgotten.

"Cadunt ad solum!" The ground pitched beneath her feet, and Alex's hands went out to catch herself, her grace snapping in surprise as her palms collided with the wooden floor. Black flashed in the corner of her eye, and she rolled. A body crashed into her, grappling for control, and Alex fought back, fingernails digging into cotton as her grace spiraled out, poised to kill.

A flash of gold caught her eye, and Alex twisted her head to the side as a blade plunged down. She felt it tear through the flesh beneath her brow, grazing past her eye. And she heard her own scream of surprise as her vision bled red and her arms flung out.

Her palms connected with a solid chest, and the force knocked James away. She scrambled to her knees, hands lifted to defend herself from another attack.

It never came. A gunshot echoed through the barn, and James collapsed in front of her. The angel blade fell from his hands, and the sound of it clattering against the wood filled the silent air.

She barely heard the footsteps until Sam was at her side, and his large hand cupped the back of her neck as he dropped down onto the ground next to her. "Hey, hey." His voice was thick with worry, and Alex tilted her head in confusion. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm ... fine." Alex could feel the blood dripping from her chin, and her grace rushed up to her face, trying to control the damage and suppress the pain. "It's just a flesh wound. I can't ..." Blackness crowded half of her vision, and Alex paused to steady her breath. "I can't see. There's too much blood." She tried to blink the blood away, but the pain sucked the air from her lungs, and her chest constricted in a soundless gasp.

"Move your hand." Sam's wrist tugged on her arm, and Alex let her hand fall away from her left eye. When had she covered it? The blackness persisted, and the angel squared her jaw as she felt Sam lean in. "I can't ... I can't tell how bad the damage is."

"It's okay." Alex reached up to gently push Sam's hands away, and she turned her head so she could look him in the eyes. "I'm an angel. It will heal." Her hand went back up to cover her eye, grimacing at how wet the skin felt. She could feel a twinge of fear rising from beneath the adrenaline that coursed through her veins, making her numb, and she forced the fear down the best that she could. "Don't worry about me."

"Alex, he just stabbed you in the eye." Once again, her head was in Sam's hands, the pads of his fingers gently pressing against her cheeks to hold her steady. "No, no, don't try and get up," he snapped when Alex shifted, and the angel immediately stilled.

"He didn't stab my ... my eye." Alex's brow furrowed in confusion, an action that immediately had her flinching at the pain. "I — I think he missed." Had it?

She reached up, but Sam slapped her hand away before she could probe at the wound on her face. "I don't ..." Sam's lips pursed together tightly, and his gaze flickered past her to the barn door. "I'm going to get some things from the car. Can I leave you here alone?"

"Of course. I'm fine." The blackness around her vision shifted, and the angel narrowed her eyes. Was it growing larger?

"No, you're not. You're in shock —" Sam cut off with a sharp shake of his head. "Just sit here and don't move. I'll be right back."

Back? Alex turned, but Sam was gone. Where did he go? The question was a whisper in the back of her mind, and Alex opened her mouth to call out before the answer came back. The car. He had gone out to the car. She pulled her hand away from her face to stare at the thick ruby rivulets that ran down her wrist, dripping onto the floor. Her grace was hot against her skin, burning at the cells as they raced to fix whatever damage that they could, but the wound felt stubborn, like dried rubber that refused to bend.

A glitter of gold caught her good eye, and the angel turned her head, her wound momentarily forgotten. An angel blade lay beside James' body, and Alex felt her limbs move on their own accord, moving her towards the discarded sword.

"Hey, hey, hey!" That was Sam. "What did I say?"

"Look at this." Alex picked up the weapon, holding it out so Sam could see. "It's different. Not like mine." She turned it in her hands, staring at the golden twisting blade.

"Alex, stop moving. We have to get this bleeding under control —"

"I'm not going to die, Sam." That thought rang through her head, sharper and clearer than anything else, and Alex sat back on her haunches as she repeated herself. "I'm not going to die, otherwise Crowley would be here." Her grace was thrumming hotter than ever before, and she could feel the heat spreading through her cheeks and neck.

Sam sat quietly for a moment, formulating his response, and Alex took the silence as a chance to study the angel blade again. "Just let me help you stop the bleeding," he finally said. "You're not healing fast enough without it." Something pressed up against her face, and Alex flinched away in surprise at the sharp, shooting pain as the gauze brushed up against her open flesh. "We'll take a better look later when you're feeling more like yourself."

"Okay." Alex blinked her good eye in agreement, careful not to move her head as Sam continued his work. "Okay, I ... that sounds good to me." She winced again at the pain, and her good eye fell down onto her bloody clothes. There was a lot; far more than she was comfortable with, but the face always bled a lot. And she was an angel — she didn't need blood, right?

Sam grunted in agreement, and Alex's eye snapped up to him. Which of those thoughts had she said aloud? She felt the air swim around her, hot and vicious, and the angel stifled a nervous shiver. Maybe she really was in shock. She could still feel her grace against her eye, working to the point of exhaustion, and she reluctantly pulled it back, teeth clenched at the pain that followed. Slow and steady. If it wouldn't heal quickly, then she needed to pace herself. She let some trickle back upwards, surrounding the nerves and shutting down the pain. There we go. Slow and steady.

Lebanon, Kansas

Alex reached up to gingerly touch the stitches, shivering as her fingers brushed up against the thick, tender threads. "Is it ... is it bad?" The words came out as a whisper, and she turned her good eye onto Sam.

He was standing in front of her, his face partially hidden by his hair that fell across his forehead. He brushed it away with his forearm, and Alex felt her bottom lip tremble slightly at his hesitance to respond. "I don't know." He dropped down onto the bed next to her, and Alex's fingers toyed with hem of her sheets. The lights in her bedroom had all been turned on to aid the Winchester in his work, but it still seemed dark to her. She felt a hand tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she jumped, head whipping to the side to watch Sam lower his hand back to his lap. "I don't know what that weapon was, but it ... if your grace can't heal it ..."

"I can heal it." The insistence sounded hollow and defensive as Alex shrugged off Sam's concern. "It might take a while, but I can fix it." She reached up to cover her good eye, and the world plunged into darkness. A hint of gray tinged the black, but it was faint and barely there. Alex reluctantly lowered her hand, and the world returned. "Thanks, Sam."

"No problem." The bed creaked as Sam pushed himself to his feet. "I guess I better go face Dean. He'll want to know what happened." Alex winced; she remembered Dean's concern as Sam had carried her through the bunker doors; she could still feel the memory of his panic against her grace at all of that blood, but Sam had shooed him away, and the Winchester had retreated back to the library for a drink.

Sam hesitated in the doorway before he stepped out, and before he had time to close the door behind him, Castiel was stepping into the room. Alex's wings drew in closely at the sight of him. She turned her head away to hide her face as he closed the door behind him, and she felt his grace reach out. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine." Alex chanced a look up into the seraph's face, head tilted to only show her good eye. "How are you?"

Castiel didn't answer, and he crossed the room to kneel in front of her, his eyes level with her face, and Alex reluctantly lifted her head so she could meet his worried gaze. She watched how he carefully catalogued her features, the blues of his irises darkening with each passing second. "I'm sorry." When he spoke, his voice was a low murmur. "I ..."

"There's nothing you could have done." Alex felt his grace push up against hers, and she undid the knot that separated him from her. His face furrowed in pain as his grace delved inside, entwining with hers, and his wings folded forward. "It's ... I probably deserved this. I killed his mother."

Her words went unheard by the seraph. "I should have been there." He reached up to cup her cheek, his fingers running gently across the coarse stitching. "I thought ... I thought if I kept myself locked away, I could somehow keep you safe. That you wouldn't be hurt like how I had hurt you." His other hand came up, resting against the unmarred flesh of her right cheek, and Alex closed her eyes as his thumb brushed against her lashes. "I never thought ..."

"You can't stop me from getting hurt." Alex reached up to take his hands, digging her fingernails into his wrists slightly to encourage him to let her go. "Not in this line of work." She smiled, a grin that faltered at the pain as her injured eye squinted. "I'm sure this will heal, given time. I, uh, I grabbed the witch's weapon." She reached behind her, her fingers feeling along the sheets for the handle of the angel blade. "I've never seen anything like it."

She held out the weapon, her fingers curled tightly around the black handle. The twisted golden blade glimmered in the lamplight, and Castiel's face tightened at the sight. "He ... had this." The seraph carefully took it from her, and Alex managed a nod, confused at his reaction.

"Yeah. What ... what is it? It feels weird. I remember that, uh, Grigori we hunted had a weird looking sword. But it wasn't anything like this," she quickly added. "I didn't realize that they came in different shapes."

"This isn't a Grigori sword." Castiel's eyes didn't leave the weapon in his hand. "This ... this is an archangel blade." His gaze snapped up to her, and Alex felt his grace wince at the sight of her gauze-covered eye. "Where did he get this?"

"I, uh, I don't know." Alex reached out for the weapon, and Castiel reluctantly handed it back. "An archangel blade, huh? So it can, uh — I can kill an archangel with this?"

"Only an archangel can wield it against an archangel, but anyone, even a human, can wield it against demons. And other angels, apparently." Castiel's hand went up to cup her left cheek, and Alex flinched at the touch. "If this was inflicted by an angel blade, it would heal, but ... I don't know if this ..." He paused, taking the moment to collect his thoughts before he started again, and Alex felt her heart start to sink. "I don't know if our grace can heal a wound inflicted by an archangel blade. No angel who has ever encountered one has lived to recover."

"So we just don't know." Castiel nodded in agreement with Alex's statement, and she flashed her teeth in a grin; from the look on Castiel's face, the expression had come out more like a grimace. "Maybe it'll just take time. That's not bad news."

The seraph nodded. "Only time will tell," he agreed, and he settled back onto his heels, his hands in his lap. "I don't think you should go hunting until it heals," he decided. "Even if you don't retain ..." He trailed off, his eyes sliding onto the ground, and Alex prompted him on with a push of her grace. "I found a lead on Metatron," he finally said, and Alex leaned forward at the change in conversation.

"You did?" She pushed herself off of the bed to drop onto the ground next to him, ducking down so she could meet Castiel's lowered gaze. "Where? Does Dean know?"

"No. If Dean knew, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him. I was waiting for you and Sam to return to ... to go after him, but ..." He lifted his head, determination hardening his gaze. "You should stay here. I'll go talk with Sam myself."

Alex sank backwards, pressing her back against the mattress. "You're going to leave the bunker?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. "Are you sure?"

Castiel hesitated, his grace rippling with indecision, but the determination remained. "Yes. You were hurt because I was too afraid. I won't let that happen again." He leaned forward, and Alex closed her eye as his lips pressed against her temple. "You need to rest. I need to speak with Sam." He helped her to her feet, and Alex slipped into bed, her wings curled in tightly around her. Castil hesitated at the bedside, his lips parted as if there was something more he needed to say, but it never came. The door closed behind him and, with a heavy sigh, Alex let her grace pull her down into sleep.