March 11th, 2015

Alex sat in the corner of the white room, her broken wings curled around her as she studied the small stone in her hands. The jagged edges were worn smooth, evidence of many years of handling, and she tossed it back and forth between her hands with a frown. Some much work for such a small prize. She dropped it into her lap as she looked around, her eyes drifting towards the hallway that lay off to her left. She could feel the movement of angels even though they were out of sight; the air thrummed with their presence.

The rustling of feathers was all the warning she had before Lucifer was standing in the room, his blue eyes locked upon her. "There you are." He crossed over to her side and crouched down, pulling the Hand of God out of Alex's hands before the angel could hide it. "You shouldn't be playing with this," he chided, and Alex's fingers reluctantly relinquished their hold. "How did you even get a hold of this?"

"I took it from your pocket." Alex adjusted her position so she was sitting up straighter under the devil's stare. "It wasn't hard."

Lucifer's teeth flashed in a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and he tucked the stone back deep into his pocket as the grin faded. "I'll have to keep an eye on you more than I thought." One of his wings curled forward, brushing against her side, and Alex reached out to straighten his striped tie with a half-hearted huff. "I'll just hold onto this until we find Amara."

"Speaking of. Any news of her yet?"

"Nothing." Lucifer shook his head, his voice resting on the edge of frustration. "I have the angels looking for her from up here, and I still have the demons scouring the earth. If someone does see her, I'll be the first to know." He settled down on the stone next to her, his legs crossed. "Ashiel is doing better, by the way. Oriel says he's pretty much stopped worrying about the black smoke."

Alex screwed her face up in concern. "Great. Thanks for checking up on him, Luce."

"Of course." Fingers brushed across her cheek, slipping under her chin to lift up her face. "I'll keep him safe. You can visit him anytime you want, you know."

"Maybe I shouldn't." Alex turned her head to escape his hold, and she withdrew her grace from his. "I just feel like I ... I barely get to see him — is it confusing for him that I just disappear for so long? Maybe it's better if I just stay away."

"Or you can stay here with him." Lucifer's grace shifted to press against hers, cold and calm. "You shouldn't be walking around earth with Amara loose, anyways. She's not your problem."

"She became my problem when she decided she wanted to destroy the earth — where I live, by the way." Alex pushed herself to her feet, and Lucifer followed, smooth as a snake. "How can Amara just drop off the grid like that? She's gotta have someone helping her if heaven and hell can't find her."

"It's possible," Lucifer agreed. "It's also possible that she's curled up somewhere wounded. The angels hit her with all their combined strength," he reminded when Alex frowned. "I doubt even Dad in all his glory could walk away from that unharmed." Lucifer's hand snuck into his pocket, and although Alex couldn't see it, she knew he held the stone in hands. " If we can find her before she's recovered, we can do a lot more damage."

"Okay, great. Even more of a reason for me to go back to earth." Alex tried to step past Lucifer, but the archangel caught her by the waist and pulled her close, scoffing as his wings curled around her so she couldn't see the outside world.

"There's no point in you going down. If heaven can't find her, you can't on your own." His lips brushed against her ear, and Alex stifled a shiver at his cold touch. "Come on. I have a surprise for you."

His wings carried her away before she could protest, and in the next second, Alex found herself standing in the kitchen of her old home. She felt her grace tremble as her surroundings came into sight, and Lucifer's grace rose up to steady her.

"Well?" The archangel stepped away to lean up against the kitchen island, his head tipped as he watched her. "Is it just like you remembered?"

"How ..." Alex drew her wings in tight to hide her surprise as she turned to face Lucifer. "How did you find this place?" She stepped into the living room, eyes flickering up the staircase as she ran her fingers along the back of the couch. "I didn't think I'd ever be back here." Her grey eyes turned onto Lucifer, and she added, "Not without Cas."

"I have my tricks." Lucifer smirked, and he sauntered over to her. "I had Oriel move Ashiel into this heaven. It's safer in here in case Amara decides to strike again." His wings flicked upwards towards the bedrooms, and when Alex stretched her grace out, he stepped closer. "I suggested that the two go out for a bit. Just to give us some privacy." His arms wrapped around her, his fingers splaying across her back, and Alex shivered as the coolness of his touch seeped in through her shirt. "This place brings back a lot of memories, am I right?"

"Yeah." Alex's back hit the couch, and she hesitated, pinned there by Lucifer's body, and she craned her head up to find his face. "It's just weird ... with you ... in Cas." She leaned into his touch as his hand came up to cup her cheek, and she felt the archangel's chest rumble in pleasure. "It's hard to see past it."

"Then just close your eyes." Lucifer's hands slipped lower as he kissed her, and Alex's wings draped over the back of the couch, her eyes drifting shut. Her hands found the back of his neck, holding him close, and she gasped in surprise as his fingers found the base of her wings. She felt him smirk against her lips, and Alex reluctantly pulled her head away. "Wait," she started, "we shouldn't ..."

She trailed off, her insistence already losing steam, but Lucifer gave a curt not. "You're right." He shifted back, moving just enough so that his coat barely bushed up against her stomach. "We've got bigger things to worry about at the moment." He shook his wings out, and Alex slipped past him to stand in the kitchen.

"Hey." She reached into her pocket for her phone with a small frown. "Does heaven have reception? Because I haven't heard from either Winchester in a long time."

"Let me see." The archangel held out his hand, and Alex tossed the phone towards him, one eyebrow cocked in interest. She felt his grace twitch, and then Lucifer was holding it back out. "Here."

"Thanks, Nerd-Herd." Alex stepped forward to take it from his hands with a small laugh at her joke. "Here I was thinking you barely knew what a phone was." She tapped the screen as Lucifer scoffed, and she felt his crimson wings brush against his side. Her amusement immediately fell away at the notifications on her screen. Three missed calls from Dean. Four text messages.

Alex, pick up the damn phone. This is important.

Please.

Sam's dead.

"What?" Alex scrolled through the messages, her wings snapping up against her back in tentative fear. "Luce ..."

Pick up dammit! I'm in Grangeville, Idaho, at the hospital. We need to talk.

Her phone buzzed again, and Dean's fifth message appeared. I'm going to talk to a reaper. If I don't make it back, you know what to do.

"Fuck." Alex pressed her phone up against her ear, eyes squeezed shut in a prayer that the Winchester would answer, but all she got was his voicemail.

"Something wrong?" Lucifer moved closer, his wings curling forward to brush against hers at her curse.

"Dean ..." Tears stung her eyes, but disbelief kept them from spilling over. "Something's wrong with — with Sam." She tore her gaze away from her phone and forced it up to find Lucifer's face. "Dean said that Sam is dead." Her pronouncement was met with silence, and Alex's wings drew back from his. "N-Nothing? You've got nothing to say."

"Trust me, le mohaoth." Lucifer held back a chuckle behind a toothy smile. "If a Winchester were to die, I would be the first to know." His grace pressed up against hers, chasing away Alex's fear, and she let her eyes momentarily fall shut before they snapped back open.

"I need to get down to Grangeville right now. Dean's about to do something really, really stupid." Alex shoved her phone into her pocket as she spoke, tripping over her words in her haste. "Please, Luce, can you take me there?"

The archangel paused, and Alex stepped up to him, toe-to-toe as she looked up into his eyes. "Alright, princess. I'll take you down, but I can't promise I can pick up up whenever you want — I have heaven and hell to run." He dipped his head to kiss her as Alex mumbled out her gratitude, and his arms pulled her close as his wings carried them away.

Grangeville, Idaho

Alex stepped through the Urgent Care Center's back doors, her grace stretching out worriedly through the empty halls. "Dean?" Her voice echoed off the white walls, and Alex's feathers ruffled warily. "Dean? Where are you?" She turned a corner, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker in the shadows.

It disappeared almost instantly, but Alex hurried after it. She ducked past a nurse and rounded the corner to find Dean standing in the middle of a room at the end of the hall. He flickered once, then twice, and Alex's eyes fell onto the body that lay at his feet. His body. Doctors knelt around him, the air thick with panic, but the air stilled as she rushed across the threshold.

Everything stilled; Alex felt the change immediately, and her eyes turned across the frozen nurses to rest on Dean. The Winchester's attention snapped onto her as she stepped into the room. "Alex?" His mouth hung open, eyes wide as they locked on her wings, and Alex's wings twitched uncomfortably at his stare.

"Great. The angel is here." Billie's voice had Alex turning, a scowl darkening her face at the sight of the reaper. "You're too late. Dean's dead." She turned back to Dean with a shake of her head. "It's cute, though. You pretending you're trying to save Sam for the greater good, when we both know you're doing it for you. You can't lose him."

"Dean, we need to get out of here." Alex flicked a wing, and Dean's gaze snapped over to her. "This isn't going to work out like you're thinking it might."

"Thank you." Billie strolled forward, her dark eyes glinting. "You see, Dean? Even if Sammy could win the title bout against Amara ... the answer would still be no. The answer will always be no." She chuckled as Dean's jaw tightened. "Game's over, Dean. No more second chances, no more extra lives."

"Please." Dean's voice trembled, his eyes shining with desperation. "I'm asking you ... I'm begging you, please. Bring him back. Bring him back and take me instead."

Alex's eyes dropped down onto Dean's body; foam frothed his lips, and his eyes were rolled back into his skull. She shifted closer to it, grace rising and ready to snap the Winchester back into life, but Billie stopped her with a click of her tongue. "Don't bother, sweetheart. I'm taking him to the Empty one way or another." Dean and Alex exchanged looks, and the reaper smirked. "That's right, Dean-o. I'm taking you someplace you're never going to get back out of."

"You touch him, and you die." Alex's broken wings lifted in warning, and she squared up against the reaper. "And you're sure as hell not coming back, either."

"I don't doubt it." Billie planted her hands on her hips, her eyes growing cold as she regarded the angel. "Look at you. You've always been a bit unstable, but there's a whole new type of evil in you now, isn't there? I can see it in your eyes."

Lucifer's grace rose up within her, and Alex's eyes glowed as her grace snapped out, weaving alongside his as she channeled it down and into Dean. The hunter's body convulsed, and then the Dean beside her disappeared, yanked back down into its physical form. Billie's demeanor darkened, and the nurses around her leapt to life as the reaper snarled. "This isn't over," she warned. "The natural order has to be followed, and I'm going to make sure that's the case."

Billie vanished in a flash of white light, and Alex finally let her wings lower with a throaty growl. She heard Dean wretch, and she stepped back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire of Dean's spluttered vomit. "You idiot."

"Where — who are you?" A young woman was curled up in the corner, her eyes wide as watched Dean convulse. "Where did you come from?"

"Not important." Alex dismissed the question with a flick of her wing, and she circled around to crouch down at Dean's side. "How is he, doc? Is he going to be okay?"

"He — he's alive." Dean gasped out the words, and the woman in the corner perked up, her eyes going wide.

"He?" she repeated, shifting forward so she could be in the Winchester's line of sight. "Sam? Oh — thank God." She smiled in relief, but the grin faded away at the sight of Alex's dark face.

Dean struggled to push himself up, but Alex pushed him back down against the tile with one hand on his shoulder. "Stop." Dean batted away her hand with a pained grimace. "I — I need to get back to Sam. I need — I need a car."

"No." Alex and a man spoke together, and the angel looked over at him for the first time. His brown uniform and holstered gun made his occupation clear, and Alex scowled; great, a cop. "No," the sheriff repeated. "Not a chance."

Dean let out a half-hearted scoff, and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Look, pal, I'm not asking." He grunted as he rose to his feet, using Alex's shoulder to balance, and the angel rose up alongside him with a tight-lipped frown.

The moment he was up, however, the sheriff stepped forward, twisting the Winchester's hands behind his back and handcuffing them in place. "Hey, look, psycho," he warned, "I got you for stealing and consuming a felony's worth of Schedule IV drugs, plus assaulting a police officer. You ain't going anywhere. Sedate him," he ordered the doctor.

"No."

"No?" The sheriff's jaw ticked, and Alex caught Dean's gaze as the Winchester's chest convulsed in a cough. "Can we have a word outside, please?"

The two left, and the moment the door closed behind them, Dean turned around. "Come on, get these off," he hissed, and Alex crossed her arms.

"What the hell happened here, Dean?" she snapped, keeping her voice equally low as not to be overheard. "You were supposed to be in Michigan working a kid coma case. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"That was four days ago." Dean jingled the handcuffs impatiently, and his eyes turned onto the other woman in the room, and she gave a single nod before she began digging through the cabinets. "I'll explain more once I'm out," he added over to Alex. "We need to get to Sam!"

"Who's she?"

"Oh!" The woman immediately froze and turned around. "I'm Melissa." She hurried across the room to hurriedly shake Alex's hand, and the angel grunted in acknowledgement. "My — my husband Corbin — we were hiking, and these werewolves —"

"Can this wait?" Dean spun so his cuffed hands were facing Alex, and with a roll of her eyes, Alex reached out to undo the metal lock. They sprung open with a click, and Dean immediately pocketed them before pointing to the far window. "That way."

Alex followed him out the window, her wings drawing in tight as she slipped to the ground. "Dean, what the hell is going on?" A glance behind her showed that Melissa wasn't following, and the angel paused with a thin frown.

"Werewolves up in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. They caught us off guard, Sam got shot. I tried — we tried to get away, but he ..." Dean let out a low growl, a mixture of pain and confusion. "I left him there. His heart — I thought he was dead. So we need —" His phone rang, and the Winchester jumped to answer it, his face lighting up at the name on the screen. "Sammy?"

A shout came from the open window, and Alex tugged Dean around the corner before they could be spotted. "Sam?" she repeated. "Is he okay?"

"I — what happened?" Dean listened for a second with a frown, and he answered, "I'm, uh, at the Urgent Care on 54. Alex is here, too. Sam? Sam?" He pulled his phone away from his ear and scowled down at the screen. "Dammit. Lost him. He's at the ranger station in the park. I can ..."

He cut off with a low groan of pain, and Alex reached out to steady him. "Sorry, I didn't know how hard to shock you. Might have overdone it a bit." Her head lifted as a scream echoed through the hospital. "That didn't sound good."

"I didn't hear anything." Dean's eyes turned out across the parking lot. "We're gonna have to jack a ride. Baby's still back at the park entrance." He straightened up and stepped forward, but Alex held him back.

"Hold up. First off, you ain't driving, champ. Secondly, are we sure this isn't a trap? Where exactly did you find that girl?"

"She and her husband were hogtied in an old cabin — not exactly trap material, you know? Besides, we tested both of them, they're clean." The scream came again, and the Winchester paused.

"I'm going to check that out. Just in case." Alex stepped away from Dean with a shake of her head. "Come with, stay here — I don't care. I'll be right back." She didn't wait for an answer before she hurried back to the open window and pulled herself back inside.

Everything okay? Lucifer's voice echoed through her head, and the angel paused in surprise.

Yeah, everything's fine. Both Winchesters are alive, so I'm counting that as a win. The smell of fresh blood permeated the air, and Alex's wings twitched uneasily. A sound from the window behind her had her turning in time to see Dean struggling to pull himself through the window, and she grabbed him by the jacket to help him through and onto the counter. "Good choice. Something's wrong."

"C-Corbin?" A trembling voice came from the hall, and Alex glanced out the door to see Michelle standing in front of a man. Blood matted his hair, but he stood on steady, confident feet. "Hey, baby." Even his voice was strong, and Alex curiously reached out with her grace. "Please don't be scared of me ..."

"Werewolf." Alex pulled Dean back as she spoke, and Dean's face darkened.

"Son of a bitch. He wasn't when we found him. Fuckers must've bit him." He felt his jeans in search of his gun, muttering out another curse when he came up empty. "Cop must have taken my gun when he tased me."

"Tased?" Alex pushed away her surprise with a quick flick of her wing. "That's fine. You're not in any shape to take on a werewolf ..." Dean rushed past her, his boots thudding on the tile as he charged Corbin, and Alex's wings drooped. "Or you could just do that."

"Run!" Dean shouted out the word as he tackled the werewolf, but he was no match for Corbin's strength; the creature tossed him to the ground and leapt onto him, his fingers wrapped around Dean's throat.

"Hey!" Alex's grace pulled her weapon down into her hand as she threw herself after the two, but a gunshot had her pulling up short. Michelle screamed, and the werewolf collapsed on top of Dean, his eyes rolling up into the back of his skull.

Sam stood at the end of the hallway, the muzzle of his pistol shaking. The hand not holding the gun was pressed tightly against his side, which was slick with blood. "Sam?" Alex broke into a run down the hall, her eyes stretched wide at the sight of the hunter. His dull eyes lit up faintly at the sight of her, and he stepped forward, but his legs gave out; he stumbled, reaching out for the wall to steady himself. Alex grabbed onto his shoulder to keep him upright, a silent offer of support. "Sam? Are you okay? You look awful!"

"I — I'm fine." Sam's gasp of pain contradicted his lie, and Alex reached down to put a hand on his side, internally wincing at the hot blood that seeped past her fingers. "Dean? Dean, you okay —"

"Dean's fine. Just sit down for a moment —" Alex cut off with a grunt as Sam sagged, slumping against the hospital wall until he was seated on the tile floor. "Let me help, Sam. I can fix this."

"No, d-don't." Sam's large hand moved to cover hers, and hazel eyes stretched wide. "You don't have enough strength, not — not with Crowley's deal a-and your grace —"

"I'm strong enough." Alex let her grace sneak inwards, seeking out the extent of the injury. After a moment, she drew Lucifer's alongside hers, and the flesh began to knit itself back together. "You'll be a little weak," she warned as she reached in further, "at least until you get some of your blood back." She felt the last of the damage disappear, and she momentarily rested her forehead against Sam's shoulder before she pulled back with a low breath. "Try that out for size."

"Thanks." Sam pushed himself to his feet, using Alex's shoulder to balance as he wobbled. "Dizzy," he muttered. "Dean, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Dean had gotten to his feet, and Alex stepped aside so he could pull his brother into a hug. "What the hell happened, man? I thought — I thought you were dead."

"I don't know. I just woke up in that station, and you were gone. The, uh, the car's out front. I drove it in." Sam patted his brother on the back before he stepped away to lean against the wall with an exhausted huff. "Michelle?"

Dean glanced back at the woman, who was on the ground beside Corbin's body. "I'll talk to her," he said. "Go sit down, okay? Get some rest." He glanced over at Alex, and the angel nodded before she nudged Sam off down the hall.

Sam's hand came to rest on her shoulder as he walked at her side. "So, what'd I miss?" he asked, and Alex's wings twitched sharply as his hand shifted, his fingers sliding downwards and resting against the base of her wing. "When did Dean call you?"

"After you died. I got up here as soon as I could." Alex glanced over her shoulder towards Dean, hesitating to reveal the nature of his overdose. "I only got here maybe ten minutes ago. You should ask him what else happened." She motioned for Sam to sit down on the bench, and the Winchester obliged, sinking down with a grunt. "How are you feeling? Still dizzy?"

"I just ... I just need to sit for a while."

"You're still hypovolemic." Alex pressed her hand against Sam's forehead with a frown. "I can't just make blood appear out of nowhere, Sam." She looked around, and her wings flicked as her gaze came to rest on the doctor who had treated Dean; she was crouched down beside Corbin's body, her face deathly pale. "Well, this is a hospital. Let's see if I can find you some blood. Hey, doc." She stepped away from Sam towards the doctor, and the woman's hands trembled as she looked up. "I need help. This guy —"

"He attacked me." The doctor's voice shook unsteadily as she looked down at Corbin's body. "His eyes ... what was he?"

"I, uh, I don't know." Alex placed a hand on her shoulder to focus her, and the woman's eyes turned up onto Alex's face. "Listen, this guy over here, he's lost a lot of blood and he needs your help." She pointed back towards Sam, who was still slumped over on the bench; his head was tilted back, his eyes closed, and the doctor slowly rose to her feet.

"Right, right. Where is he?" She followed Alex's gaze over to Sam, and she nodded. "Okay. I'll go take a look at him." She hurried away, and Alex turned in search of Dean. The Winchester was deep in conversation with Michelle, and Alex hung back until the widow walked away. "How is she?"

"She's strong. She'll be alright." Dean's eyes flickered over to Sam with a tight-lipped frown. "He's gonna be okay, right?"

"Yeah. Doc's taking a look at him now. He'll be fine." Alex shoved her hands into her pocket with a shake of her head, and after a moment, she added, "Listen, I think you and Sam should head back to the bunker. He's going to need his rest. I can stay here and see if there's any werewolves that you guys missed."

Dean hesitated, then he shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Even if there's any left, they'll have gone deep into hiding. You could search that forest for a year and still not find anything."

Alex tugged on Lucifer's grace, but the archangel remained still. Busy, his voice reminded before quickly disappearing, and Alex flicked her wing as she stifled a frown. "Okay," she reluctantly agreed. "Once Sam is given the all-clear, we'll head out." She watched Dean nod before he headed off in search of Sam and, unsure of what else to do, she wandered off down the hall.

Lebanon, Kansas

The lights flickered above her head, and Alex paused, glancing up from her show with a curious frown. Her grace snuck out in search of the source, twisting through the ceiling, but she found nothing. She could feel Sam and Dean in the library, still and silent, and the angel closed her laptop with a sigh. "Luce?" She plucked on the archangel's grace, and she felt it tug back; the tug was sharp, the line between them thick, and Alex yanked her earbuds out of her ears. "I know you're here. I can feel you."

"I'm impressed." Lucifer's voice came from the corner of the room, and Alex's head whipped around in time to see him step out from the open closet, a toothy grin lighting up his face. "Is it just me, or is this getting stronger?"

His grace twisted playfully within her, and Alex shifted sideways on the bed as the archangel dropped down next to her. "I don't know," she lied. "I haven't really noticed." She slipped her laptop onto the floor so it wouldn't get jostled as Lucifer's wings folded against her stomach, and she reached up to stroke at the crimson feathers. "What have you been up to? Any sign of Amara?"

"Nothing yet, but she'll have to show herself eventually. I've been keeping an eye on heaven. I never thought I'd say it, but maybe Michael was good at something after all." Lucifer's hand slipped under her head, nudging her closer, and Alex rolled onto her side to watch him stare up at the ceiling. "Don't tell them I said this, but they have no idea how to run anything bigger than a pig farm. Do you know how many of them are left?"

He rolled onto his side, his head propped up as he stared at her, and Alex pressed her lips together in a small frown. "Not a lot," she admitted. "Not after ..."

"Not after ... what? After Cas slaughtered half of them all hyped up on soul juice? Or after Cas worked with Metatron and kicked everyone downstairs?" Lucifer snorted, and his eyes momentarily narrowed. "And they called me dangerous."

"I know what you're trying to do —"

"Do?" Lucifer cut her off with a twitch of his wings, and Alex felt his grace thrum displeasingly. "Hey, don't forget, they were my family, too. Even if they did kick me to the street. And even if they still don't want to see my face," he added sourly. Alex reached out to run light fingers through his hair, and he caught her hand in his. "At least I have you. Right?"

"Right." Alex's eyes dropped down onto the sheets between them, tugging her hand back as his grip grew too tight. "How's Ash doing?"

"Good, as always. He asked me to give you this." Lucifer sat up, leaning back against the headboard as he reached into his coat pocket for a small, folded sheet of paper. "Kid's taken up crayons." With a smile, Alex unfolded the paper. Two stick figures were drawn in the center; the taller one had black sticks coming out of its back. "I think that's supposed to be you. Maybe realism isn't his calling."

"He's only four." Alex playfully smacked his shoulder, and she turned her attention onto the smaller stick figure with grey wings, his stick hand tightly gripping hers. "I think it's cute." She tucked the picture onto her nightstand with a smile.

"He gave me one, too." Lucifer pulled out a second sheet paper, unable to hide his grin as he unfolded it and dropped it in her lap. "Look at that." He pointed at the black stick figure with large, red wings that extended from its back, the crooked red feathers tipped with sharp black lines. He scooped the drawing back up and folded it into quarters before he tucked it back into the inside pocket of his coat.

"It sounds like you and Ash are really getting along." Alex drew her legs up, twisting slightly so she could face the archangel beside her. "I'm glad he likes you. Sorry that the rest of the angels are still giving you trouble."

"Don't worry about it. I told Duma to see if Heaven had enough power to create more Enaiish. They're going to kill themselves off if they don't do something." Lucifer tucked his hands behind his head as he lounged back on the bed. "I don't know what their standard procedure is with that sort of thing ... but I think I got my point across."

"Ominous." Alex slid off of the bed, and she felt Lucifer's eyes follow her across the room as she locked the door. "And here I remember you calling my kind an abomination."

She listened as the archangel snorted. "Did I? That was a long time ago." The bed creaked as he readjusted his weight, and his grace reached out to beckon her back. "I remember you not being too hot about the idea of me, either, but here we are." His eyes burned into her back, a cold, piercing fire, and after a moment, he heaved a sigh. "Come on, Alex. You said you'd give me a chance."

"That doesn't mean I'd be your mate." Alex joined him back on the bed, perched on the corner as the archangel twisted so he was sitting crosslegged beside her. "You know that can't happen, right? The Winchesters know you're out and they're set on getting you out of Cas, Crowley's in the wind — best case scenario, they put you back in the Cage forever. Worst case, they kill you. And where does that put me?"

"Nowhere good," Lucifer murmured, and Alex turned her head, surprised at the honest concession. His grace stilled only for a moment, and then his quiet demeanor vanished. "Don't worry about that." His wings pushed him forward, and Alex's shoulders hit the backboard as he loomed in front of her, his hands planted on either side of her hips. "The Winchesters got lucky once. It won't happen again." His lips brushed across hers, and Alex's eyes flickered closed. "Crowley ... he might be more of a challenge, but he's still just a demon. And next time I see him, he won't be walking away." He paused, his head lifting as he listened, and his eyes flickered orange in displeasure. "I'll be back soon. See if you can get away for awhile again, huh?"

His lips collided with hers, a quick, sharp kiss, and then he was gone, vanished into thin air mere seconds before a fist pounded on her door. "H-Hello?" Alex stammered out the word, scrambling to pull her laptop back up onto her lap as her grace snapped out to unlock the door. "Come on in."

The door swung open to reveal Dean Winchester, and Alex made a show of closing her computer and setting it aside. "Hey." The Winchester flicked his head up in a nod. "Whatcha doing?"

"Uh, not much." Alex cleared her throat, her feathers rustling as she sought to calm her nerves. "I'm just killing time for a bit, I guess. Why? What's up?"

"Sam and I found a case." Dean opened the door further so he could lean up against the wooden frame. "We were thinking maybe you'd like to come with."

"A case?" The shadows shifted in the corner of her eye, and Alex's grace snapped out towards the closet in fear that the archangel was lingering, but she found nothing; Lucifer was long gone. "Um, I don't know. Could be interesting, but maybe I should hold down the fort here and keep an eye on anything related to Amara."

Something dartes through Dean's eyes, and he took the time to cross his arms before he spoke again. "We, uh, we're actually thinking it might be Amara," he finally said. "Could be our first real lead since Massachusetts." His eyebrow cocked, waiting for Alex's response, and when she hesitated once again, his lips pursed. "Okay, honestly, look. I don't want to pull this card, but you've been locked up in your room pretty much since the minute we got back. You need to get up off your ass, and this is the best way to do it."

"Fine." Alex slipped out of the bed with a roll of her eyes. "You had me at Amara, Winchester." Her grace flicked out in search of Sam, surprised to find him already in his room. "Give me a few minutes to get ready, and then we can head out."

St. Louis, Missouri

The Impala rolled to a stop in front of an old, dark church, and Alex leaned out the window to study it through the darkness. "This is where we're stopping?" Her wings flicked disdainfully as the engine died, and she turned her eyes up onto the moonless sky. "This is miles from the nearest town, guys." Neither Winchester answered her, and Alex frowned as she followed them out of the car. "Dean? Sam?" The ground beneath her feet was mud, and Alex scowled as she hurried to stand on the dirt path.

"I told you this is a bad idea, Dean," Sam murmured, too quiet for Alex to hear without her grace. "We should just ask her."

"You and I both know we're past asking." Dean pushed open the church door, and it squealed in protest.

Sam's shoulders fell, and he hesitated in the doorway. Alex did the same, her grace flicking warily through the building, but wardings blocks her path. "Hey." Sam's hand came to rest on her shoulder, and Alex shoved down her fear as she looked up into his eyes. "Look, no one's going to hurt you, okay?"

"What do you mean?" Sam didn't answer as he stepped inside, and Alex's wings drew in tight as she reluctantly followed, his promise a sour taste in her mouth. The church inside was dark, and her grace rose up to combat it, but before it could, a sharp shove to her back had her stumbling forward. "Hey!" A guttural shout erupted from her throat, but it was lost beneath the whoosh of flames. The fire rushed around her in a tight circle, and Alex's grace twisted wildly as she jumped back. "W-What?" The angel spun around in search of who had shoved her, and her eyes came to rest on Dean Winchester. The firelight reflected in his eyes, flickering with fury, and Alex couldn't help but step away.

"Hey!" Sam jumped in front of Dean, his hazel eyes flashing as he cast a worried look in Alex's direction. "I told you we didn't need the fire, okay?"

"Oh, trust me, we needed it." A dark, familiar voice had Alex's eyes flashing, and she turned to find Crowley, her jaw squaring at the smug look upon the demon's face. "Oh, don't worry, kitten. I told them everything." He sauntered forward, and Alex's jaw trembled, eyes narrowed as she watched him approach. "Maybe you couldn't tell, but they're not particularly pleased that you've been lying to them about Lucifer. You really thought you could get away with it?"

"I wasn't trying to get away with anything." Alex sought on Sam's gaze, but the hunter's eyes were darkened with disappointment, so much so that Alex had to turn away. "What is this about?"

"About?" Dean's voice rose in a shout. "How about the fact that you knew Lucifer was out from day one and you — you —" His anger grew too great for words, and Sam put a hand on his brother's shoulder to calm him down.

Alex clenched her jaw to keep from shying away. "Okay, look, I knew ... Lucifer is the only one who can stop Amara. None of us stand a chance without him. He's not the bad guy here. He healed my eye — he broke my deal, Sam!" she pleaded, and Sam's jaw trembled as he looked away. Alex shifted forward, but her grace pulled her back as her toes brushed against the circle of fire. "And this — this wasn't necessary." She turned her eyes back onto Sam. "You know me. I'm on your side ..."

She trailed off as a fourth figure stepped into view, her red hair catching in the flickering firelight. "The wardings are ready to go." Rowena stopped in front of Sam, her eyes passing cooly over Crowley before coming to rest upon Alex. "They'll hold Lucifer, no doubt."

"You're alive?" Alex ground out the question to hide the surprise that replaced her fear. "Lucifer said he killed you."

"Aye, he did," the witch agreed. "But a hard life has taught me to be prepared. I, long ago, secreted within my person a wee casket of powerful magic." Smug satisfaction flickered across Rowena's face, quickly quelled. "When the spell inside me sensed my life-force ebbing ... it went to work. And I was revived."

"Great. I'll keep that in mind for next time we kill you." Alex flicked a wing in anger as she looked around. "Okay, so what's the plan here? I plan on fully cooperating, by the way, so feel free to let me out of here."

"Crowley has a Hand of God." Dean suddenly spoke, his voice venomous, and Alex frowned; there was no doubt in her mind that his anger was directed at her, not at Crowley.

She turned her gaze away from Dean's seething face and onto the demon, head tipped in wordless curiosity. "The Horn of Joshua." Crowley nodded. "And I'll give you the Horn if you help me exorcise Lucifer from Castiel's vessel and then immediately return him to the Cage."

Alex met his level stare, and she flicked her wings dismissively. "Pass. We don't need your Horn, Crowley. We have our own weapon."

Satisfaction bubbled up within her as Crowley's confidence faltered, and she turned back to Sam and Dean as she pointed to the fire. "Put this out before Lucifer shows up and gets the wrong idea, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

Sam moved forward to stamp out the flames, but Dean remained where he was, his arms folded across his broad chest. "Where'd you guys find one?" he demanded. "I thought they were supposed to be rare."

"Today they are, yeah. But it's a different story two thousand years ago." Alex shoved her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt as the fire died around her. "Thanks, Sam," she added before turning back to Dean. "Lucifer and I went back to Greece to find a fragment of the original ten commandments in Hephaestus' temple."

"You went back in time?" Dean's eyes flashed, and Alex mimicked him by crossing her arms. "What the hell? Did you even think that you could change the future?"

"Well, everything seems pretty normal to me, so I'm guessing we didn't affect things that much." Alex stepped away from the ring of holy fire, not bothering to hide the frown as Sam began relaying the oil. "It was something we had to do, okay? It's our one shot against Amara."

"Our best shot," Crowley corrected. "We don't need Lucifer to use it — let's kill Amara without him."

"What?" Alex's wings rose defensively. "He's arguably the strongest thing on this planet apart from Amara. You can't put him back! If we want to hit her, we need to move fast." Her eyes turned back onto Sam. "Listen. Lucifer thinks she's damaged from heaven's attack, so we need to find her before she recovers."

"Why do you want to bring Lucifer?" Crowley hissed. "He's spent years marinating in hate against us! He has to go."

Alex rolled her eyes, and to her surprise, even Dean scoffed. "He's been down this road with Amara before," he reminded; his thin frown conveyed his reluctance to side with Alex. "He might be the only one powerful enough to use the Horn against her."

"He made me clean the floors with my tongue!" Crowley's eyes flashed indignantly, and he drew himself up higher. "He called me 'puppy'! He made me beg." Alex snorted, and the demon's wide eyes turned onto her. "Worst of all, I had to listen to the two of you snogging —"

He cut off when Alex's grace snapped angrily against him, but his scowl didn't die. Rowena sniffed in disdain, and Dean threw his hands up in exasperation. "Great! Of course you're fucking him, too. I told you, Sam. I —"

"It's not like that!" The electric lantern that provided the light flickered as Alex's grace snapped — her voice cracked in desperation to be heard. "And that's not the point! Lucifer is the only one who's done this before We should be working with him, not trying to put him back."

"Alex is right." Sam's words had Alex's head recoiling in surprise, and she looked up at Sam, unable to keep her jaw from falling open. "The priority should be to put a Hand of God into Lucifer's hands and set him loose on Amara."

"After we exorcise him out of Cas and put him in a new vessel," Dean added, and Sam blinked. "We're not gonna send Lucifer into battle inside Cas." Dean's face darkened as he spoke, and Alex tightened her jaw as his eyes dropped onto her. "What if he doesn't make it? He's your fucking mate."

"Yeah, he was. And then he chose to let Lucifer in knowing our history, and now all he's doing is hiding. He won't even let me talk to him." Alex's teeth ground as she paused, her wings snapping up in a brief show of her anger. "I don't know if I'd even want to go back to him anymore!"

"You're mad." Sam put a hand on her shoulder, warm and comforting, and Alex's wings dropped. "I get that, okay? And Dean, look — Cas' vessel is strong. It's held Cas for years, and we know what he's been through. I'm guessing it can hold Lucifer."

" 'It'?" Dean's eyes stretched wide. "It's not an 'it,' guys. It's Cas!"

"And he's the one who chose this," Alex countered. "He knew that Lucifer would face Amara, and he still said yes. He wanted to do this."

"Yeah, well, there's times I want to get slapped during sex by a girl wearing a Zorro mask. That doesn't make it a good idea."

"What the fuck?" Alex hissed out the curse, her wings flicking in surprise, but she was saved from further responding by an ear-splitting howl. She whipped around, wings flaring out as she searched for the source. "Did — did you hear that?"

"Hellhound." Crowley's face visibly paled, and he took a step backwards as his eyes swept across the building. "Lucifer must have sent it. We need to get out of here."

"Oh no." Alex's wings trembled, and she felt four sets of eyes turn onto her. "It's Ramsey." She glanced back at Crowley, her face darkening at the fear that flashed through his eyes. "Stay — stay here. I'll go calm her down."

She stepped towards the church door, but the door exploded inwards under the weight of a beastly black figure, its eyes glowing red with hellfire.

The beast's jaws gaped in a bloodthirsty snarl, and Alex leapt back. "Whoa, whoa." She threw out a hand to keep the hellhound back. "Ramsey, c-calm down. Look at me, look at me!" She stretched out her grace towards Ramsey, and the creature's head tipped. The snarl died as ears pricked forward, and Alex let out a shaky breath as the monster's hackles lowered at the sound of its name. "Calm down," she repeated. "Good girl. I know you're after Crowley, right?" The hellhound's eyes drifted past her onto the demon, a growl rumbling through its chest, and Alex jumped to put herself back in its line of sight. "Cause Lucifer sent you. Lucifer," she repeated when Ramsey's gaze flickered back onto her. "Yeah, I-I know him. See?" She lifted Lucifer's grace to her eyes, letting them glow orange, and she felt Lucifer's grace twist.

"Ramsey." His voice sounded behind her, a low, warning rumble, and the hellhound's ears pricked up at his presence. "What's my good girl found for me?" Ramsey chuffed, and Lucifer waved his hand dismissively. "I'll see you back in Hell, sweetheart." With one last glare at Crowley, the hellhound loped away, and Lucifer finally turned his attention onto the demon behind him. "Crowley, Crowley, Crowley. Imagine my surprise."

Flames leapt upwards with a hiss, and Alex yelped as Lucifer pulled her away from the fire and into his chest. "I'm okay," she promised, but the archangel didn't relinquish his grasp, holding her tight around the waist.

"Sam. Dean." Lucifer greeted each brother, and despite the casual, playful tone, Alex could feel the frustration boiling beneath his skin. "I'm sorry. I thought we were on the same team, but ... I'm just not feeling the warm and fuzzy here."

"What is he doing here?" Dean's head whipped around to find Rowena. "You said he shouldn't be able to find us until we summoned him!"

Rowena didn't immediately respond, fear flickering in her eyes. "Aye, he shouldn't have," she agreed. "I don't know where the wardings failed."

"Oh, no, they didn't fail, per say." Lucifer's grace sparked, surprised and curious at Rowena's presence. "But when part of me is already within their boundaries ..." His fingers dragged up Alex's arm as he paused, and Alex felt his grace rise within her, forcing her eyes to glow orange. "It isn't hard for the rest of me to follow." The fingers tucked her hair behind her ear, lingering only a moment longer before they fell away, and Alex shivered as his grace finally subsided, sinking back down to rest within her gut. "Rowena. You're looking ... alive."

"They have another Hand of God," Alex blurted out, and she flicked her wing off towards Crowley. "It's Joshua's horn."

"Mm." Lucifer reluctantly turned his eyes away from Rowena and onto the ram's horn that sat propped against the wall behind the demon. "Well, look at that. Powered up by Dad himself. Let me guess. You want to put our differences aside and have me use it to take on Amara, hmm? Way ahead of you." From his pocket, he produced the stone fragment from Hephaestus' temple, holding it up so it caught in the flickering light. "Already got one of those bad boys for myself." He tucked it away before he clapped his hands together. "Well? What are you waiting for? Douse the flames and let's get this party started."

The Winchesters exchanged looks, and Alex's wings flicked impatiently. "Let us out," she snapped. "He's no good in here."

"Since when are you on his side?" Dean's green eyes flashed, and Alex squared her jaw. "He's the fucking devil."

"You still don't get it, do you? I'm not on 'your' side or 'his' side. We're all on the same team here, Dean!" Alex's chin lifted in defiance to Dean's anger. "It's us versus Amara. That's my side!"

"Well said." Lucifer's cold breath stirred her hair, and his wings curled around her, feathers brushing against her side. "Come on, guys. I just want to be a team player." Crowley scoffed, and the archangel rolled his eyes as he flicked a wing towards the demon. "Alright, I'll come clean — I'm still going to end you. And maybe you," he added to Rowena, "but Sam, Dean — you're free to walk away at the end of it."

Dean stepped back, and Alex tipped her head as the Winchester suddenly slammed his palm into the wall; the wood panels began to glow with an orange light, illuminating the circular spellwork around his hand. The wooden floor beneath their feet began to glow, and Alex jumped in surprise at the heat that washed over her. Lucifer's wings shuddered beside her, the tremors running up to wrack his whole body, and Alex leapt back as his arms fell away from her waist. "Cas?" Dean stepped away, his face darkened in concentration. "Castiel, show yourself!"

"Dean, what are you doing —" Alex cut off with a yelp of surprise and pain as Lucifer's grace snapped within hers, the tight net woven around Castiel's grace shattering. She could feel the seraph's grace reluctantly stir, the connection between them rising up as the seraph was pulled to the surface.

Crimson wings flickered and disappeared, fading into broken, burned feathers. "Dean?" Castiel stumbled slightly, his breathing heavy as he fought to keep Lucifer at bay; Alex could feel his grace churning angrily beneath his skin, fighting against Dean's spell. "What are you doing? What ... what's going on?"

"Cas, listen to me." Dean stepped forward, his toes against the flames. "We don't have a whole lot of time, okay? You have got to —" Lucifer's grace rose up, and Castiel shuddered, gasping in pain as their graces collided. Alex shivered, their fight extending into her own body. Lucifer wrapped around Castiel, dragging him back below the surface, and Alex clenched her teeth at the discomfort as Dean repeated the command. "C-Castiel, show yourself!"

The spell binding Lucifer shattered, and his cold grace swept through Alex; she stiffened as it washed over her, her eyes glowing until it subsided. Lucifer's wings were back, reaching towards the ceiling as he stretched them high above his head. "Whoo!" He shook out his wings with a laugh. "Uh, he's got to what?" He grinned as both Sam and Dean stepped back, and Alex cupped her temple with a low, pained groan. Crowley was in the corner, Rowena nowhere in sight; hiding, no doubt. "You boys ... ooh, you almost had me there for a minute, but these mail-order spells ..." Lucifer clicked his tongue, "they're not what they're cracked up to be, are they?"

"Cas, expel him!" Dean shouted out his plea. "You got to kick Lucifer out! Do you hear me?"

Alex curiously probed at Castiel's grace, but it had drawn back into its corner. It took Lucifer a moment, but his own grace returned to wrap around it, hiding it from her touch. "Honestly, I think he's happy with the arrangement," he admitted, ushering Alex close with his wings. "I mean, he did invite me in and all, Dean."

"Cas!"

"Cas!" Lucifer mocked Dean's call, and Alex smacked him in the stomach with her wing. "He's not coming out, Dean. So how about you just hand over the weapon. Or, we can just wait for this warding to fail and I'll just take it." His grace rose within him, and the glowing sigils on the wall began to flicker.

"Bloody hell." Crowley's curse was all the warning that Alex had before red smoke poured out of his mouth and billowed through the air, flying past the flames and into Lucifer's mouth. The force of it knocked Alex off balance, and she hit the ground with a thud. Lucifer's grace pulled away from hers, drawing back and falling uncharacteristically still, and Alex rubbed at her temple as she looked up at the archangel through squinted eyes.

He was still on his feet, but his head was hung, eyes closed. "What did you do?" Alex scrambled to her feet, eyes wide as she looked between Sam and Dean. "What did he do?"

She pressed her hand into Lucifer's chest, feeling inwards, but the turmoil inside had her pulling back. "Guys, I don't know how long this vessel's going to be able to hold all three of them."

She met Sam's gaze, and the Winchester's eyes darkened sympathetically. "What ... what do you think is going on?" he asked.

"I think Lucifer's kicking Crowley's ass." Alex pulled away with a disgusted shake of her head, her anger sharpening her tongue. "I already told guys. Cas doesn't want to come out and play. He doesn't want to talk with you, and he definitely doesn't want to talk to me. All you're doing is pissing off our one weapon against Amara!"

"Can't you people do anything right?" Rowena's voice came from the corner of the room, and Alex's lip curled at the witch's reappearance. "Whilst all this dithering goes on, we're losing time! Look ... the warding is beginning to fail." She pointed at Alex's feet, and the angel shifted back to see the spellwork flicker.

"Shit." Dean's curse had her eyes lifting back onto the brothers. Dean was pointing towards Crowley's body, where the words Help Me was burned into the vessel's forehead.

"Shit," Alex echoed, and she pressed her hand back into Lucifer's chest. "Luce, stop it!" She closed her eyes and drew herself in along his grace. The further she pressed, the more it pulled her inwards, and Alex shivered as she felt Lucifer, Castiel, and Crowley all in one. The darkness that surrounded her eyes gave way to light, and Alex hesitantly let them flicker open.

She was standing in the bunker's kitchen. The ground didn't feel completely solid beneath her feet, and she could still feel her body — her real body — outside in the church, but somehow, her surroundings almost felt real. "You wanted my throne. You plotted to replace me!" Lucifer's growl had her spinning around. The archangel had Crowley by the jacket, and Alex barely ducked in time as he threw the demon across the room, soaring over her head to tumble across the kitchen table.

Castiel sat there, his eyes on a small box tv. "Guys, you're gonna break something," he warned, moving the tv out of the way of Crowley's feet.

"Cas?" Alex cast Lucifer a quick look before she hurried to her mate's side; the archangel had paused, confusion darkening his face at the sight of her. "What's going on in here?"

"They're fighting."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm here." Castiel's eyes didn't leave the flickering tv and, with a frown, Alex shoved it aside. "Look at me when I'm talking to you," she snapped. "What the hell happened to you? We're supposed to be mates."

"I think Lucifer has made it ... exceptionally clear that that's not the case." Castiel shifted uncomfortably, his eyes seeking out his television. He must have sensed Alex's scowl, because he gave pause. "Other than that, he mostly just leaves me alone," he promised. "He really only comes by to ask questions about you."

"You shouldn't be here, man." Alex drew her wings in as Lucifer hauled Crowley back to his feet. "Why — why the hell did you let Lucifer in?"

"Because he told me he could stop the Darkness. And he promised me he could break your deal." Castiel reached back for his tv, and Alex reluctantly let him have it, her wings drooping at his disinterest in their conversation. "Lucifer's right. You and I would have never worked. I was just too blind to see it."

"Cas —" The words died in Alex's closed throat, and her feet carried her a step back at the confession. Her grace went slack in surprise, and the ground beneath her pitched as Alex suddenly found herself back on the church floor. Her palms slapped against the rotting wood, and a gasp left her lips as her grace coiled back up within her body. She could hear Sam shouting — even in her daze, she recognized the exorcism — and red smoke poured out above her head as Crowley finally fled.

"Alex?" Sam dropped down onto his knees on the other side of the flames, his voice sharp with worry. "What happened in there?"

"It's useless," she heard Crowley hiss. "Lucifer's hold on him is too strong."

His mutter was overshadowed by Rowena's shriek, and the fire around Alex softened to glowing ashes. Hands hauled her to her feet, pulling her into a cold chest, and Alex shivered as Lucifer's grace rose within her, prodding for the source of pain that quivered against her grace. "What did they do to you?" The words were growled out, loud enough for all to hear, and Alex felt Crowley vanish as he fled.

Alex shook her head, and she planted her hands against Lucifer's chest as she pushed herself away. "I'm okay," she promised, adding, I'll tell you later as a prayer. She could feel the archangel's anger; it burned at his grace, and she reached out to try and soothe his rage. "They didn't do anything."

Lucifer's grace snapped out, and Sam and Dean gasped as the air was crushed from their lungs. They dropped to the ground, writhing in pain, and Alex jumped forward to put herself in front of Lucifer, her own grace stretching out to fend his off. "What are you doing?" Lucifer pulled back, his words spoken with a scowl, and Alex heard the Winchester draw in deep, ragged breaths. "They lied to us, and they just tried to kick me back into the Cage. I'm not going to let these ... imbeciles get between me and Amara —"

The far wall of the church erupted, and Alex hit the ground, her hands covering her head as rubble flew through the air. Only Lucifer remained unaffected by the explosion, his crimson wings lifted threateningly as a figure appeared through the settling dust. "Lucifer." Amara's voice rang through the still air, and Alex scrambled to her feet. "Dear nephew, my, how you've changed." The Darkness stepped into the church, weaving her way through the fallen beams as her eyes turned across the darkened room. "I was tracking her," she began, one pale hand waving dismissively off towards where Rowena remained hidden, "when she left my side."

Lucifer followed the gesture, and his teeth dug into his bottom lip in a cold smirk, but Alex could feel the surprise and frustration that lined his grace, buried beneath a cool blanket of confidence. "You were safely sealed away." His hand dipped into his pocket, and the air around him began to hum as his fingers closed around the Hand of God. "You're gonna wish you'd stayed there."

The weapon's power flowed through his grace, burning colder than ever before, and Alex felt her legs shake under its force. Lucifer's wings glowed, a blinding white light that spread upwards into his eyes, and Alex had to shy away as it grew too much for even her to handle. She could feel it growing and growing, molded by Lucifer's grace until it released with a blinding snap and a whoosh of flames. It faded away, leaving only Lucifer's grace behind, and Alex's hands went out on their own accord to find the archangel as she cracked open her eyes.

She wasn't sure what she expected to see — maybe nothing, or just a pile of ash — but Amara hadn't appeared to even flinch at Lucifer's attack. She beckoned the archangel closer with two fingers, and the Hand of God fell from Lucifer's fingers as he was pulled across the floor. He stopped in front of Amara, and Alex could feel the heat radiating from her skin through Lucifer's grace as she cupped his face in her hands. "I think you and I need to have a nice, long chat," she murmured.

Dean shouted out Castiel's name, but it was lost beneath Alex's shriek. "Wait! Luce!" She threw herself forward, her grace rising up in panic, but Amara and Lucifer vanished in a flash of light.

Her foot caught on a fallen beam and Alex tripped, her palms slapping against the floor as she caught herself on her hands and knees. Hurried footsteps sounded behind her, a single pair, and Alex turned her head to watch Rowena bolt, her dress hiked up above her ankles as she hurried through the door. Alex pushed herself to her feet, her broken wings beating angrily as she charged after her, but Sam blocked her path. "Let her go." His voice was devoid of emotion, his eyes still locked on where Amara and Lucifer had disappeared, and Alex's wings trembled as she watched Rowena vanish into the night.

The church fell silent, the quiet only broken by Dean. "We should go. Now," he added when his brother hesitated, and Sam reluctantly stepped away from Alex. The angel shifted forward, reaching out along her grace towards Lucifer, but the archangel was far, far away; the link between them was pulled thin.

Her foot caught against something hard, and she looked down to see the discarded Hand of God, dull and powerless. She reached down to pick it up, brushing off the dust as she looked around. The Horn of Joshua was gone; Crowley must have taken it with him when he fled. "Alex." Sam's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and Alex reluctantly turned her eyes onto him. "It's time to go."

Lucifer? Alex sent up the prayer as she followed Sam out of the church, tucking the stone into pocket. Where are you? We'll be there — Pain shot along her grace, thick and hot, and Alex screeched, her legs giving out as she collapsed into the dirt. The feeling lasted for only a split-second before Lucifer's grace twisted, pulling back into a deep, sharp knot that separated him from her. The icy coldness of his grace retreated, and Alex writhed in shock at the sudden heat that boiled through her skin.

She didn't notice she was in Sam's arms until large hands pressed against her, holding her head against his neck. "It's okay, it's okay." His soothing words fell on deaf ears, and a tremor passed through Alex as she desperately sought out Lucifer. "You're going to be okay."

Some of his grace still remained; relief rushed through the angel, deep down into her bones. He was alive, and so was Castiel, whose grace still sat tucked away in the pocket of Lucifer's cocoon. They were alive, but that pain she had felt — that had only been through a fraction of the archangel's grace. How much agony must he be feeling right now?

Lebanon, Kansas

"So, what exactly happened in there?" Dean's words broke through the quiet bunker, and Alex lifted her head at the sound of his voice. His eyes were locked on her, dark and narrowed, and the angel shifted uncomfortable under his stare. "Back when you went inside Cas — er, Lucifer." His voice was calm, but Alex could spot his frustration in how he leaned forward in his seat, how his fingers gripped his bottle a little too tightly.

Her eyes darted over to Sam to see that the Winchester had also lifted his head, his interest piqued, and Alex dropped her gaze to the table. "Uh, well, I saw Lucifer, who was kicking Crowley's ass," she began. "And I saw ... I saw Cas. We talked, and ... I think he broke things off with me." She let her eyes shift upwards to watch the surprise that flashed across the brothers' faces before she dropped her head to the table, her forehead colliding on the wood with a crack. "I can't believe he's gone."

"Cas or Lucifer?" Dean's question was pointed, and Alex heard him grunt in pain as Sam kicked him under the table.

"Both." Alex reluctantly lifted her head, and her eyes fluttered closed as her shoulders slumped. "Amara's going to kill them. I —" She pushed herself to her feet with a shaky breath. "I need to find them."

"We're going to find them." Somehow, Sam was already on his feet and at her side, and Alex let herself sag into his chest as he pulled her into his arms. "You're not alone, Pip. We're going to get them back."

"We're going to get Cas back," Dean corrected sourly. "Come on, Sam, we both know Lucifer can fucking rot for all we care. Hell, I wouldn't even think twice about leaving him there if he wasn't wearing Cas." He slammed down the last of his beer with a muttered curse.

Alex could feel Sam's frustration building up within his chest but somehow, he managed to push it down. "We'll found both of them," he promised, and his chin rested against Alex's head. Dean scoffed, and Sam's arms fell away. "Hey, uh, why don't you go get another drink? It might help you calm down."

"I'd be surprised if it did anything," Alex muttered, but she stepped away from Sam all the same and made her way out of the library. She plucked fruitlessly at Lucifer's grace, but it remained as still and as hard as a ball of ice within her gut.

With a sigh, she let it go, and she lifted her grace to her ears to listen in on the Winchester's conversation. "You're seriously on board with rescuing Lucifer?" she heard Dean hiss. "What the hell, Sam? Am I the only one who remembers everything he did to you? He tortured you until you broke your fucking gourd!"

"I remember." Sam's voice was tight and quiet, and Alex hesitated in the doorway of the kitchen. "But obviously Cas trusts him enough to let him jump his bones, and if Alex says —"

Dean cut him off with a snort. "Alex is making a huge mistake. Just admit it, man. The Alex we knew — she's gone. Okay? She's gone to the dark side, and you know what that means."

"No, Dean, I don't think I do!" Sam's voice rose, only quieting at Dean's hissed shush. "Because usually when you say that about someone, you want to put a bullet in their head!"

"I don't —" Dean's voice lowered into a growl. "I don't want to kill her, okay? All I'm saying is that we can't trust her." Sam must have done something, because Dean scoffed. "She's working with the devil, Sammy. If she were anyone else, we'd have put her down months ago. We can't keep playing favorites like this! Because every time we do, it turns around and bites us in the ass."

"So you want to, what? Kill her? Lock her up and throw away the key? Come on, Dean. Imagine if this was Cas —"

"Imagine? I don't have to imagine, because we've been down this path with him before. He broke open your head, and then he went off with Crowley and opened Purgatory. And what did we do? We hunted that son of a bitch down." Alex heard Sam huff, and there was a thud as Dean slammed his hand down upon the table. "Think with your head for once about her, Sam!"

Sam started to protest, but Alex drew her grace away with a wince. A half-empty bottle of whiskey sat on the kitchen counter, and Alex paused, her fingers tapping on the steel countertop as she contemplated her choices. There was beer in the fridge, but one beer couldn't fight back against her grace; judging by Dean's anger, she would definitely need something stronger. Without a half-hearted shrug, Alex tipped the whiskey bottle back and started to drink. The liquor burned at the back of her throat, but the heat was welcomed as it settled in her stomach.

The warmth ceased as the liquor stopped coming, and Alex frowned to find the bottle already empty after only a few large gulps; that clearly wouldn't do. She dug around in the cabinet for an unopened bottle of vodka, and her grace flicked off the cap as she took a sip of the pungent liquor. Gross, but it would suffice.

The Winchester's argument had ceased by the time she returned to the library; Sam had retired to his chair, and Dean had cracked open his third beer. "— like mother like son, huh?" Sam was saying; he paused at Alex's reappearance before he explained, "Rowena and Crowley. They both took exactly one split second to take off when things started to go south." Dean grunted, and Sam heaved a sigh. "Question is, what's Rowena doing with Amara?"

"My guess ... she's playing the odds. When sucking up to Lucifer didn't work out, maybe she thought Amara was the best bet." Dean shrugged, stopping only long enough to take a long drink before finishing, "Then she heard Lucifer had a shot, so she switched horses again."

"I thought Lucifer had a shot," Sam admitted after a moment. "Apparently, uh, archangel plus God power doesn't trump God's sister." The words came hesitantly, and Alex felt his eyes upon her as he spoke. She dropped down into her seat, taking a sip from the bottle before setting it down upon the table. "Are you planning on drinking that whole thing?"

Alex snorted. "Hell yeah. And, uh, yeah, that didn't go as planned." She traced the clear label on her bottle. "Lucifer knew he couldn't beat Amara on his own, but he — he was convinced that he could do it with a Hand of God. He was!" she insisted when Dean rolled his eyes. "He wouldn't lie to me, Dean. Especially not about something like that."

"Well," Dean muttered, "then since this thing needs to be wielded by one of God's chosen, apparently being an archangel who got the boot doesn't qualify. At least Crowley still has the Horn ... if he ever speaks to us again."

"One of God's chosen." Alex narrowed her eyes as she thought, and she took a moment to take a long drink from her bottle. "Well, if God's chosen is what we're looking for, maybe we should go grab ourselves a prophet. Hell," she added after a second, "maybe a prophet can be a Hand of God. You don't get more 'touched by God' than that, you know? Too bad we can't go back in time and grab Chuck." Neither brother responded, and Alex let the silence hang in the air before she pushed herself to her feet. "Fine. I'm going downstairs to start reading. The sooner we find Amara, the sooner we find Cas." And the sooner we find Lucifer.