Hell

Alex shifted on her stone seat, fingers drumming on the chilled armrest. Hell's throne room lay out before her, silent and empty, and the hunter shifted as her drumming increased. Her phone vibrated loudly from where it rested on the seat beside her, but she ignored it; it was Sam, no doubt. He had been calling her for hours.

The heavy double doors swung open, and Crowley stalked through, followed closely by Dean. The Winchester's eyes flashed black, and Alex shoved down the discomfort that arose in her stomach. "It's about time." Her fingers stopped their drumming, and she straightened up in her seat. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I believe that's my throne."

"I believe that it is." Alex brushed off Crowley's words with a noise of disinterest, but before she could continue her retort, she felt a strange twisting in her gut. Her gaze turned to Dean; the demon's eyes were narrowed in concentration, and Alex scoffed. "Stop that. You don't have the strength yet to control—"

She cut off with a surprised squeak as she was flung from her chair, and she hit the ground with a loud thud, groaning in pain as her chest hit the stone floor. Crowley chuckled, and Alex pushed herself into a sitting position, still dazed from her fall. "Dean and I have been practicing. He's getting good, isn't he?" The King of Hell crossed over to his throne and sat down, leaving Alex scowling after him. "What is it you want?"

"Sam's been calling me." Alex pushed herself to her feet, brushing off the dust from her jeans as she tried to ignore the pain in her limbs that was sure to result in brusing. "He's not going to stop, so what do you want me to tell him?"

"Block his number."

"He's got a million phones, dumbass," Alex retorted, throwing a glare back towards Dean. "I'll have to tell him something eventually."

"You tell him nothing." Crowley snapped his fingers, drawing Alex's attention back onto him. "No, you don't know where Dean is. No, you don't know where I am. You don't even know where you are." Crowley crossed his legs as he reclined in his seat. "And let's be clear that this is an order; you tell him and Castiel nothing."

Alex's scowl darkened, but she knew what the demon wanted. "I understand." She pushed her phone into her pocket, and added, "I've been here for three days now; how much longer do I have to stay here? Cas is getting worried."

"You'll stay until I say so." Crowley's eyes glittered, and Alex squared her jaw. "And until Dean gets stronger. Speaking of." He motioned towards the Winchester, whose eyes had returned to their original green. "You're in charge of keeping Squirrel out of harm's way." An angel blade appeared in Crowley's hands, and he tossed it to her feet where it clatters against the stone. "Don't let him out of your sight."

Dean scoffed loudly as Alex stooped to pick up the weapon. "I don't need a babysitter."

"You need what I say you need." Crowley's voice rose, deep with authority. "And if you think I'm giving you free reign of the world, you're madder than I thought."

Alex glanced over at Dean, curious as to how the newly-turned demon would respond, but the Winchester only stalked away, pushing through the double doors and out of sight. "Yeah. There's no way this isn't a stupid idea." She looked over at Crowley, expecting a rebuke, but the demon merely waved her after Dean. With a roll of her eyes, Alex left.

One Week Later
Beulah, North Dakota

The club was loud, filled with sweaty bodies and alcohol. Alex sat at the bar, toying impatiently with a glass of whiskey as she tried to ignore the masses around her. Her gaze was locked on Dean, who was leaning against the counter on the other end of the room, openly flirting with a busty blonde. "You're staring." The counter creaked as the bartender leaned up next to her, and Alex snorted in amusement.

"I'm not supposed to let him out of my sight," she replied with a grumble. "I'll be dammed if he gives me the slip again."

"Tell me about it. Babysitting sucks." The bartender refilled her glass, his brown eyes sparkling, and Alex chuckled as she took a sip of her bitter drink. "If you ask me, Crowley is severely underestimating my talent."

"Yeah. You and me both." Alex motioned to the crowd around her, lowering her voice so only the demon in front of her could hear. "Mind helping a human out? How many does Crowley have stationed here?"

"Apart from you and me? Three." The bartender held up his fingers, and he pointed towards the woman beside Dean. "There's one. Haven't seen the other two yet." He frowned in Dean's direction before adding, "Crowley's gone mad if you ask me. It's like that Winchester has become his pet project or something — can you believe that? A Winchester."

"Yeah, it's crazy." Alex slid her glass back and forth along the smooth wooden bar with a shake of her head. "But I guess buddying up to the guy with the Mark of Cain isn't a bad idea; having him in your pocket is even better." She took a sip before adding, "I don't see why we had to be dragged into this mess, though." Her phone rang, and she pulled it out with a frown. "Hang on. I should take this."

"Sam?" The bartender's face darkened, and he leaned forward. "You sure you're supposed to be talking to him?"

"I'll talk to whoever I damn please." Alex pushed herself off of the barstool and nodded towards Dean. "Keep an eye on him for me. I'll be right back." The bartender nodded, and Alex pushed her way out of the club and into the back alleyway. "Hello?" She answered her ringing phone, suppressing a shiver at the cool night air. "Sam?"

"Alex? Thank God." Relief filled Sam's words, and Alex leaned back against the brick building as his voice grew sharp. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I ... uh ... I can't really tell you that." Alex nudged at a discarded beer bottle with her foot, and she watched it roll away.

"O-Okay. Uh, uh, have you seen Dean? He's gone, he's not answering his phone — I don't know if he's dead or alive or possessed —"

"I can't tell you that either, Sam." Alex pushed herself off of the wall, quickly adding, "How's Cas doing? I missed his last call."

"You missed all his calls." Sam's voice grew sharp, and Alex winced at the accusation in his tone. "Are you working with Crowley or not?"

"I said I'm not allowed to say!" Alex's own tone rose, and she straightened up from the wall. "So what do you think? I'm not doing this by choice, Sam. I just want to come home, but I can't." She heard voices as a couple walked out of the bar, and she dropped her voice. "I really need to go. I'm sorry, Sam. Don't call me again." Alex hung up before the Winchester could respond, and she pressed her phone up against her chest as she drew in a deep breath, steeling herself and regaining her composure.

After a moment, she pushed her way back into the club, weaving her way back to her seat at the bar. She craned her neck, searching for Dean; the Winchester hadn't moved from the blonde, unaware that she had even left. Satisfied, Alex continued on, pushing through the jostling crowd before she stopped with a frown.

Her seat was gone, her stool occupied by a dark, skinny man with hunched shoulders. Alex watched as he slammed down a shot and waved the bartender over for another. With a deep-set scowl, she stepped forward, tapping him on the shoulder, and as the man turned, she reached out to bury her hands in his shirt and pull him off of the stool.

Her free fist lashed out, connecting with his jaw, and the shock of the sudden blow send the man falling to the ground. "That's my seat." Alex stepped over him and sat down; she heard the stranger scramble to his feet, but she paid him no attention as two demons stepped between her them, blocking any form of retaliation.

Alex slammed down the shot of whiskey, her eyes narrowed in grey slits as the bartender cocked an amused eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing." The demon nudged her whiskey glass back towards her, and Alex watched as it stopped beside her hands. "Hard to believe you were an angel not too long ago. We'll make a demon of you yet." He refilled her glass with a hearty chuckle and walked away, leaving Alex to glower after him. He was wrong; she might be Crowley's bitch, but that was temporary. She glanced over at Dean as she took a sip of her drink, and disgust flashed through her as black eyes flashed back at her. No. That wasn't going to be her. She'd get her grace back, save Dean, and kill some demons in the process.

Her glass shattered in her hands, and the ex-angel looked down at the shards in surprise, unaware that she had been gripping it too tightly. Dark eyes turned onto her, and Alex dropped her gaze, brushing the fragments further down the bar with her bloody palm. She'd do all of those things, one day. But not today.

Footsteps approached, and Alex pulled herself into wakefulness, fighting off the sluggish hold that sleep still had on her limbs. Her back ached, having spent the night reclined against the stiff back of a wooden chair, and the ex-angel groaned out her discomfort. "What time is it?" She reached down towards her phone, which had fallen from her lap, as she looked up and down the hallway. Her gaze landed on Crowley, and she squinted up against the harsh hallways lights as looked into his dark face. "What do you want?"

"I thought I told you not to let Dean out of your sight." The demon's voice was cross, and Alex scoffed, dropping her gaze back down onto her phone. It was almost six in the morning, and she groaned again.

"I'm not an idiot, Crowley." She slowly pushed herself to her feet, hissing as her hand clamped around the back of the chair. She yanked away, staring down at the lacerations — it took her a second to place them with last night's accident with her glass. "Dean took that blonde chick back to his room here," she explained, continuing on as if she hadn't taken a second's pause.

"And ...?" Crowley's eyes flashed. "Last time he did that, he snuck out the bathroom window. It took us almost a full day to find him."

"Yeah, thanks, Einstein. I remember." Alex pointed to the door she was guarding, hand directed towards the ground in front of it where a thick line of salt stretched across the carpet. "I fucking salted the window and fire escape while he was at the bar last night," she added. "He and that whore of his are still inside."

"They better be." The King's tone left no question about the underlying threat, and Alex bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping out a retort. "Well? Let me in."

Alex kicked aside the salt, and the door swung open. Crowley stepped inside, and Alex followed, shoving her hands into her pockets as they stepped into the dark room. Dean was inside, reclined against the bed, and his eyes flashed black at their entrance. "What do you want?" He rose to his feet, arms crossed as he glared down at Alex. "You salted the door? Fuck you."

Alex scoffed, but she didn't waste her breath on a response. "And where, pray tell, were you planning to go?" Crowley asked, and his eyes flickered to the closed bathroom door; Alex tipped her head at the sound of a shower running.

"Out." The Winchester's answer was vague as he pulled on a shirt. "Why should you care?" He picked up the First Blade, his eyes flickering closed for the quickest of seconds as the Blade's power rushed through his veins.

Alex frowned at the sight, and Crowley cleared his throat. "How would you like a job to do?" he offered in a low voice. "Some of Abaddon's minions are holed up in Missouri. I need them neutralized." He nodded towards the First Blade, and Dean's hand tightened his around the handle. "What do you say?" When Dean's gaze only sharpened, he nodded. "Good. Glad that's settled. Take Alex with you."

"Oh come on." Alex and Dean spoke at the same time, and they both exchanged a scowl as Alex added, "Why me?"

"Because I said so. And until Dean shows he can be trusted," Crowley added, turning to the Winchester, "I'm not letting him off on his own. Understand?" He waited until both nodded before he straightened the cuffs on his suit. "Good."

He led the way out into the hall, and Alex stalked after him. She heard Dean follow, but was unprepared for the shove that sent her crashing into the doorframe as the Winchester pushed his way in front of her. Her chin collided with the wood, and she bit back a cry of surprise as the impact split her lip. Blood washed over her tongue, and Alex spit onto the floor as she scooped of a handful of salt in revenge. The crystals flew through the air, burning wherever they landed on Dean's skin, and the Winchester flinched away with a hiss. "Don't push me," Alex growled and she lengthened her stride to pass Dean and follow Crowley down the hall.

The Impala rolled to a stop in front of a gas station, and the squeal of the brakes jolted Alex into wakefulness. She groaned at the stiffness in her spine as she looked around, rubbing tight circles in the back of her neck. "What's going on?" She blinked as she looked around, and the ex-angel let out a long exhale at the sight of a dingy gas station. "Ah."

"Gas." Dean threw the car into park and got out, slamming the metal door behind him with a force that shook the entire car. "Got a problem with that?"

"No, I don't have a —" Alex's lips set into a tight line, and she undid her seatbelt and got out as well. "Just ... stay here. I'm going to go get myself a snack, because unlike you, I still need to eat." She crossed the parking lot, pausing only long enough to shout back, "Don't you dare leave without me."

The demon gave no sign that he had heard, and Alex stormed into the small brick building with a dark, muttered curse. The clerk greeted her, but she ignored him, making her way into the back of the store to where the dark refrigerators hummed quietly. She grabbed an energy drink and stuffed it under her arm as she stalked down the chip aisle to grab a snack.

Dean was still standing beside the gas pump as she returned to the counter, and she dropped her purchases down onto the counter as she dug out her wallet. "I don't need a bag," she mumbled as she pulled out a ten dollar bill, but the cashier's response was lost under the loud roar of an engine.

The Impala's lights flickered on, and Alex looked up sharply to watch as the car began to roll away. "No, no, no. Hey!" She grabbed her food and rushed out the door, but the rusty car was already pulling onto the street, engine revving as it sped away. "Dean!" Alex slid to a stop at the edge of the parking lot, watching helplessly as the car disappeared into the night. "Dammit!" Her chips fell from her grasp as she kicked angrily at a rock, sending it skittering out across the road. "Dammit!"

The sound of the car faded into the night, and Alex looked up and down the darkened road. Dean wasn't coming back; that much she knew. "Crowley?" Her words rang through the dusty night air, and the ex-angel stooped to pick up her dropped food before she shouted out the demon's name. "Crowley! Dean's gone."

"He's what?" Crowley appeared behind her, and Alex spun around. "And how, pray tell, did that happen?"

"I got out to get food when he was getting gas and he just drove off without me." Alex's jaw squared angrily as she glared off down the road, and she took a moment to inhale sharply before adding, "Is this even worth it? Have one of your minions babysit. I just want to go home."

"You'll go home when I say you can." Crowley lifted his fingers in a snap, and cold, dark energy enveloped her, crushing her ribs and blacking out her vision. It faded within a second, and Alex found herself seated in the front seat beside Dean.

The demon reacted violently, the car swerving in surprise as he let out a curse, and Alex angrily shoved the back of chips between her legs as she cast him a dark glare. "Forget something?" she snapped.

Dean opened his mouth to respond, but Crowley cleared his throat, drawing their attention onto him. The King of Hell was seated in the back, leaning forward slightly between the two of them, and Alex's lips set in a tight line. "I thought I told the two of you to work together."

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to work."

"You don't get a choice." Crowley's voice grew sharp and scathing. "Not until I can trust you, do you understand me?" His fingers snapped, and Alex flinched at the coldness that settled over her skin.

"The hell did you do to me?" she snapped, whirling around to glare at the King of Hell.

"Consider it a demonic shock collar." Crowley's brown eyes flickered between her and Dean, his face twisted in displeasure. "If either of you go outside of fifty feet of each other ..." He trailed off, and was unprepared for the jolt of electricity that shot up her spine. She twisted in alarm, and black spots flashed across her eyes — from the way the car violently swerved, she was not the only one that felt the effect of Crowley's spell.

"Son a bitch," Dean cursed as he fought to regain control of the speeding vehicle, and Alex echoed him, venom filling every word.

"I'll take it off once the two of you learn to play nicely." The demon leaned back in his seat, satisfied at their reactions, and he was gone before Alex had the chance to snap.

The ex-angel whipped back around to glare at Dean. "Great." She angrily shoved her drink into the cup holder. "Great. Thanks a lot, asshat."

"Oh, so it's my fault —"

"Yeah, you fucking left me at the gas station! And now I'm stuck with you until Crowley takes the leash off. You think I want to be here? I want to go home, Dean." Alex slumped down in her seat, her anger fuming beneath her skin. "And now thanks to you I'm literally going to be with you until — until who knows when."

The car screeched as it turned onto a dirt road, and Alex barely had time to brace herself as Dean slammed on the brakes, sending the vehicle skidding to a stop. "We're here." The Winchester growled out the words as he climbed out of the car, and Alex followed. "Stay out of my way."

"Not a chance." Alex pulled her angel blade out of the glove compartment, eyes narrowed as Dean picked up the first Blade. "We're going in together."

Her back hit the tree with a thud, and Alex grunted in pain as Dean's arm pinned her there, a solid iron band across her chest. "What the hell?" Her angel blade clattered to the ground, and fire danced in her eyes. "What's your problem? Why do you hate me, huh?"

"You know why." Dean's eyes flashed black. "I can't trust you."

"Can't trust me my ass." The ex-angel's lips curled up into a snarl. "Is this because of Sheol? Or because of Crowley's deal? Because let me tell you — the last thing I wanted to do was to become Crowley's bitch." Dean's grip tightened, constricting her chest, and Alex gasped in surprise. "And yet somehow I'm still better than you. Look at you, a fucking demon, letting your brother think that you're dead while you run around, what? Banging hookers and getting drunk? What I did, it's nothing compared to what you are."

"Shut up!" Dean's shout made her flinch, but confidence rushed through her as she stubbornly held his gaze.

"No! You've been pushing me around for years, and you know what? I let you do it because you were right. Every hit, every shove, every sharp word was justified because I'd screwed up, and I knew it. You want to punch me because I sold my soul, lock me up? Fine by me — it's nothing I wouldn't have done myself. But this? This unwarranted bullying? I'm sick of it."

She watched as Dean scoffed, and she reached up, burying her hands in his shirt, fingers clenching tight as she pushed back against his sturdy chest.

"You know why you really hate me, Dean? It's because when you look at me, you only see yourself, and you hate it. That's why Crowley put us together; we're the same, you and I. Crowley once told me that all demons are built off one of the seven deadly sins. You and me, ours is anger. That's all you feel right now, the foundation of all you'll ever feel." She drew in a deep breath against Dean's tight grip. "You don't know how to control it, not yet. And without me, you never will."

Energy pulsed through her veins, a sudden rush of adrenaline, and the ex-angel shoved Dean, sending the demon reeling away. "So let's get something straight, alright? You want to get pissed, take your anger out? You do it on them." She flung her hand out towards the cabin as she stepped forward, her grey eyes flashing in the moonlight. "Not on me. You never take your anger out on your own team, you understand me, Winchester? I'm fucking tired of you pushing me around, using me like your personal punching bag. This stops now."

Dean's eyes blinked to green, but the snarl on his face didn't fade.

"You hear me?" Alex's voice grew, and another step brought her into his personal space, face inches from his. "You push me around, I put a bullet in your brain."

"It won't kill me."

"No," Alex agreed, "but trust me, it'll fucking hurt. We clear?" Her grey eyes flickered, searching his for any sign of mutiny, but there was nothing. "Good." She stepped away and retrieved her fallen weapon from the dirt. "Then let's go."