November 12th, 2014
Langton, North Dakota

The room vibrated with the music, the hazy air shimmering with each pulse of the beat. Alex sat in the corner, light grey eyes glowing in the dim light. The strip club was half empty, with only a few patrons milling around the rundown bar, and Alex stifled a harsh cough when a man with a cigarette brushed by. Her eyes blinked at the acrid sting before once again settling on her charge.

Dean sat down at the front of the stage, eyes trained on the brunette in front of him, but Alex paid both the woman and the pole little attention. They had pulled into town around noon, and Dean had made a beeline for the doors before Alex could even think about stopping him.

That had been almost forty minutes ago. Now, Alex was almost at her wits end. She leaned back in her seat as a half-naked woman walked by, eyes narrowing in disgust at the baseness of the club. This was a den for demons. Not for angels.

"No touching." The voice had Alex looking back towards Dean. The demon's hand was extended, batted away by the dancer, and his eyes flashed in surprise. "House rules."

"You sure about that?" Dean reached into his wallet and pulled out a bill, shaking it enticingly before placing it on the stage. He watched the woman, eyes unblinking as a smirk curled his lips upwards. "Go ahead," he dared. "Pick it up."

"And we're done." Disgust filled the woman's voice, and she turned to go, but Dean was quicker.

His hand wrapped around her slim wrist, pulling her back. "Hey, hey, hey," he protested smoothly. "Song's not over, sweetheart."

Alex pushed herself to her feet, ready to intervene, but the security guard was there first, harshly pulling Dean away with a dark frown. "Time to go, jerkwad," he announced, and Alex pushed her way past one of the patrons on her way down to the impending skirmish.

The dancer screamed as Dean lashed out, breaking the guard's nose and sending him stumbling back. Panic rushed through the club, spreading out like a tidal wave, and Alex ducked in between two fleeing strippers to make her way towards the demon. "Code red, Crowley," she muttered, and then she lifted her voice above the chaos. "Dean!"

The Winchester didn't stop his brutal assault, and the ex-angel reached out, grabbing a fist that was coming down to land another blow. She grunted under the impact, her arm aching at the strain to hold back the demon's attack, but her actions were enough to at least give Dean pause, and he scowled down at her. "Get out of the way." He dropped the near-unconscious man, and Alex watched with a frown as he hit the tile floor with a thud.

"Stop it, you child." Alex let go when Dean ripped himself free of her hold, and she slipped forward, positioning herself between the demon and the bouncer. "He's down, so that's enough." She watched how his fist tightened at his side, and she narrowed her eyes, wary at the possibility of another attack. "I think it's time for you and I to leave," she finished, chin lifted defiantly as she held Dean's black glare.

She half-expected retaliation, but the demon merely turned up his nose and stalked away. Alex followed, not bothering to glance back at the bloody scene behind her. The door to the club closed behind her, and the ex-angel blinked at the sharp, cold sunlight. "Move, grandpa." A teenage boy brushed past Dean, and his friends jeered alongside him.

Alex put a hand on Dean's arm, jaw set tightly. "Don't," she warned as she felt the demon's bicep contract beneath her fingers.

"Kids." Crowley appeared before them, eyes following the teenagers as the disappeared around the corner. "Am I right? In my day, we respected our elders. Of course," he mused, "back then, anyone over thirty was ancient. Now forty years olds are still living with mommy, lying on OkCupid, and taking pictures of their food."

"What do you want, Crowley?" Dean's voice was flat, unamused at the King of Hell's sudden contemplations.

"A chat." Crowley's gaze turned down onto Alex, and the ex-angel gave a small, curt nod. "We need to talk about your ... anger management issues."

Dean followed the demon's eyes down onto Alex, and his face darkened in a scowl. "What? So now you've been snitching on me?"

"He's my boss," Alex retorted coldly. "You're just my hobby." She nodded towards Crowley, adding, "There's a bar two blocks down that we passed on the way in. I doubt we'd be welcome back there." She jerked a thumb towards the club behind them, and Crowley hummed in understanding.

"Fine." With a snap of his fingers, darkness surrounded them, and the ground pitched beneath the ex-angel's feet. When it returned, it was the smooth tile floor of a bar, and Alex's pupils dilated to let in the dim light. Dean and Crowley were already seated on their stools, and Alex cast a look around the clean establishment as she sat down next to the King of Hell; the wood beneath her hands was smooth and polished, free from grime; a welcome change from the past string of their recent stops.

"Two shots here." Dean waved over the bartender before pointing to Crowley. "He'll have something fancy, with your tiniest umbrella."

"So," Crowley began, ignoring the Winchester's deriding joke, "how have you been feeling? On edge? Pent-up? Unfulfilled?"

Dean scoffed, green eyes rolling at the King of Hell's question. "You sound like a Viagra commercial," he retorted. "You know that, right?"

Alex watched as Crowley's lips pursed. "This isn't about ... little Dean. It's about the Mark." His eyes flicked down towards Dean's forearm, to where the Mark lay, shielded by his dark jacket. "It changed you."

Dean blinked, and blackness slid over his eyes. "I've noticed." Alex snorted, amused by the Winchester's quip, and his eyes flashed back to green.

"And I know you want to keep the party going," Crowley continued, ignoring the interruption. "You want to have fun, fun, fun till daddy takes the black eyes away. The fact is ... you need to kill now. Not want to, not choose to — need to."

Glass clinked as the bartender handed them their drinks with a quiet, "There you go." He slid Crowley's drink over to him, and the King of Hell frowned at the small, pink umbrella that decorated his drink.

"Face it, darling." The demon turned back to Dean as his fingers closed around his glass. "You're an addict. Death is your drug. And you're gonna spend the rest of your life chasing that dragon."

"So?" Dean slammed down one of his shots, his lack of denial as telling as any sort of confirmation.

"So ... I'm here to facilitate."

"You want me to kill for you." Dean's voice was flat, and he reached for his other shot, but Alex was faster, lifting it to her lips before the Winchester could stop her. She felt his glare upon her cheek, and she slid the empty glass back over to him with a half-suppressed smirk.

"I want you to kill for us." Crowley's words drew Dean's attention back onto him. "Look ... you're going to snap eventually. The anger, the bloodlust is gonna build up in you until you can't take it anymore, and then ..." He trailed off, letting his companion fill in the blank. "So, the question is, do you want to spike a civilian or someone who has it coming?"

Silence followed his words, and Dean drummed his fingers on the bar for a moment before he begrudgingly asked, "Like who?"

"Like Mindy Morris. Caring mother ... loving wife ... cheating trollop. After her husband Lester discovered Mindy's liaison amoureuse, heated words were exchanged. In the end, Mindy wanted a divorce ... and fifty percent of everything. But Lester —"

"Lester would rather give up his soul than half his junk," Dean finished in disgust.

Crowley gave a shrug, and he lifted his fruity drink to his lips. "We live in a very materialistic world. Mindy's gonna die one way or another. Why not take the job — feed the beast?"

"Fine." Dean's jaw set, his frustration clear, but he gave in to Crowley's offer. "One-time deal." He pushed himself to his feet, running a hand through his hair. "Where is she?"

"Roosevelt, Montana. I'll have one of my men send you the address. Oh, and one more thing." Crowley's eyes sparkled, and Alex shifted in her seat, curious as to what else could have caught the demon's interest. "As you probably know, your brother has been looking for our scent for months. I, of course, had my demons stop dealing with him, but he's found a loophole. He's the one who told Lester to summon one of my men, and he's the one who was too late to stop Lester from making that deal."

"So?"

"So keep your head up. Who knows where that plaid-ridden neanderthal might be lurking." Crowley took a sip of his drink as Dean stalked away, and Alex rose to her feet, ready to follow. "Alex." The King of Hell turned to face her, and Alex paused as his voice lowered so Dean couldn't hear. "Make sure it gets done."

"Yes, sir." Alex gave a curt, professional dip of her head, and when Crowley turned away, she made her way out of the bar and after her charge.

Roosevelt, Montana

The sun had disappeared beneath the horizon when the Impala finally pulled up alongside the softly lit one story rambler. A red sedan was parked in the driveway, and Alex could make out a shape of a woman through the bright kitchen window. Her eyes followed it as they rolled past, and the engine died as Dean parked the car two houses down. "Alright, here's the plan." Dean threw open the door and got out, and Alex followed, tucking her gun into her pants as she half-listened to the Winchester's idea. "Stay behind me, let me do all the work."

"Yeah," Alex retorted, "I thought that was the plan we already made." She watched as Dean snorted, and she added scathingly, "But thanks for reminding me; I'd almost forgotten."

"Shut up."

Alex shoved her phone deep into her pocket as she followed Dean across the dark lawn. The kitchen light cast warm shadows on the ground, and Alex paused at the Winchester's side to watch the blonde, busty woman move between the stove and the countertop. The woman didn't seem to notice the two peering in through the glass, and Alex reached back to draw her gun. "Whenever you're ready," she ordered. "I'll keep an eye out for any trouble from the neighbors."

Dean grunted out his agreement, hand coming up to reach for his weapon, but the flashing of approaching headlights had both hunters pausing. A silver car rolled to a stop across the seat, and, while the engine died, the passenger stayed inside, causing Alex to cast Dean a small frown of confusion.

The demon beside her had let go of the First Blade, and he studied the car with a scowl before he stalked towards it, their target forgotten. Alex hurried after him as Dean crossed the street and threw open the passenger side door, disappearing into the car. The ex-angel hurriedly did the same, sliding into the backseat with balled fists as the driver let out an exclamation of surprise. "Let me guess," Dean began. "Lester?"

"I ..." The man looked between Alex, his brown eyes stretched wide. "Who are you?"

"Who do you think?" Dean blinked, and even in the darkness Alex could see the darkness sliding over his irises.

Lester's own eyes stretched wide as he let out a noise of surprise and sudden understanding. "Ohh. You — you're that — you're here to —" He looked back at Alex, his eyes searching hers for any sign of the same inky blackness. "Are you one, too?"

"No. I'm an —" Alex cut herself off before she corrected, "I'm human. And you ... what the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, my contact ..." Lester cleared his throat, casting a glance towards the house as he hesitated. "Yeah, he, uh — he told me that, uh, this was happening, so I just wanted to come down and make sure it gets done right."

"Hey, I, uh, I'm no expert here, but ... " Alex leaned forward, exchanging a frustrated glance with Dean, "But murder lesson number one? You don't want to be anywhere nearby when the hitman comes to kill your wife, alright? Go to a bar. Visit a friend. It's called an alibi."

"Yeah, I know what an alibi is," Lester retorted hotly, and his fingers came up to run down the sides of his mustache. "I watch 'Franklin & Bash.' "

"Great," Alex muttered, and Dean echoed her with a, "Super," before adding, "Listen, you sold your soul for this crap, so —"

"It's not crap." Lester jumped to cut Dean off, and the demon's eyes narrowed. "It's my life. And she flushed it down the toilet."

"Les ... I'm gonna say something to you." Dean's fingers closed around the handle of the First Blade, and Alex placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head when he shot her a glance. "I need you to really listen to me." The demon's hand pulled away, and he turned in his seat to better face the man. "You're a loser. Your lady in there — she's a North Dakota eight. You're a four and a half. Tops. Now, I don't blame her for stepping out — especially if she found you were messing around first."

"No. Oh, no. I-I wasn't ..." Lester trailed off, his face flushing slightly. "Uh — how do you know?"

"Well, you just got that, uh, pervy 'I'd do anything to nail my secretary' look," Dean said, and Alex hummed out her agreement.

"Oh. No. T-That's — it's different when guys do it." Lester's face flushed again, and Alex drummed her fingers on the seat, drawing his attention onto her.

"Really?" she asked, and her grey eyes flashed in the darkness, amused at the weak plea. "Because last I checked, that, uh, was total bullshit." She glanced over at Dean. "Back me up here."

"No, it — it's science," Lester insisted. "Men aren't built for monogamy ... because evolution. We're — we're — we're programmed, you know, to — to spread our seed—" He cut off in surprise as Dean's fist flashed out, and his head jerked back at the force of the blow. "Ow!"

"Good one." Alex leaned back in her seat, giving Dean a quick nod.

"Like I said," Dean snapped. "Loser with a capital 'L,' rhymes with 'you suck.' "

"Y-Yeah, well, you're a punk-ass demon!" Lester's voice rose angrily, and when his hand pulled away from his nose, it was red with blood. "And you work for me now! So get in there and do your job, you freak!"

His words struck a chord, and Dean's eyes narrowed into chips of emerald ice. "And what are you gonna do?" he challenged "You gonna watch, huh? Is that what you like to do, Lester? Watch? Well watch this." The First Blade plunged into the man's chest, and Alex reached forward, trying to push Dean away, but her reaction was half-hearted; the man was already dead.

"You idiot." Alex cast a disgusted look down at the corpse before she scowled over at Dean. "We were supposed to kill Mindy, not this asshole!"

"He deserved it." Dean pushed his way out of the car, and Alex followed, her anger not dispersing despite the truth in his words.

"Yeah, but he wasn't our target! Now the deal's forfeit, and we don't get his soul!" Alex shot a glance back towards the house where Mindy was, unaware of the events transpiring outside. "Now what do we do about her?"

"We walk away." Dean stalked off towards the car, but Alex stood her ground, fists clenched.

"We're here to do our job, Dean." Her voice grew sharp, and Dean turned back to look at her. "If you're not going to do it, then I'll have to."

"Fine." Dean's eyes flickered black. "Then go take care of it."

Alex studied his face, surprised by the dare that sat in his gaze. "You're really turning down the opportunity to kill?" she jeered. "Is that a hint of morality that I hear?" Dean's only answer was a scowl, and the angel mimicked it before she forced a disinterested shrug. "Fine." She reached into her jeans to pull out her gun "I promised Crowley that I'd get the job done, so if you don't want to, then that's your loss. Go wait in the car."

She stalked away, not bothering to glance behind her to see if the Winchester was following. Stupid Winchester. This was his job, and he's too stubborn to even do it.Her canvas shoes carried her across the lawn and up to the porch, and the angel scowled darkly as she heard the Impala door slam shut. Why can't he see we're were just trying to help? The door opened easily beneath her touch, the hinges creaking in slight protest as she slipped into the home. The warm smell of home-cooking reached her nose, and the ex-angel drew in a deep breath as she pulled back the hammer on her Colt. She's dead meat anyways. Better I put her out of her misery now.

"Lester?" The exasperated voice came from the kitchen, and Alex crossed the hall in three quick steps. "Is that you? I told you not to —" Mindy's eyes stretched wide at the sight of the hunter, and she took a step back, eyes focused on the gun. "You —"

Alex lifted her gun, finger closing around the trigger in one swift motion. The bullet left the chamber with a bang, and the ex-angel was turning away before the body even hit the ground. Cleaning up his messes once again. Typical. She tucked her weapon back into her jeans as she stepped out of the house, pausing only long enough to close the door behind her before she crossed the street and slide into the car. "There. Happy?" Alex reached for her seatbelt as the Impala roared to life. "You know, I'm not the one who needs to kill to be under control."

"And I'm not the one who's Crowley's bitch." Alex felt Dean's gaze come to rest on the side of her face, and she purposefully kept her eyes trained on the road before them. "But yeah. I'm happy." He reached over to turn up the music, and Alex rolled her eyes as the bass drowned out their conversation.

Beulah, North Dakota

Alex kicked the Impala door closed behind her, tugging her sweatshirt tighter around her thin frame as she made her way across the street. A bar stood in front of them, and, unlike the Black Spur across town, the was outside pleasant and unassuming, but the chill that prickled along her skin was evidence enough for the ex-angel to know what lay inside. She fell in step behind Dean as they entered, and she felt her angel blade shift slightly from where it rested at her side. There were voices, unrecognizable, and the ex-angel frowned as they made their way towards its source.

Two demons stood in the room, in the middle of some sort of presentation, and Alex lifted an eyebrow at the look of boredom that was written across the face of Crowley, who sat in the corner booth. He rose to his feet at their entrance, thankful and eager for their distraction. "Dean!" The demons parted as the Crowley sauntered forward. "How did it go?"

"Fine. Fine." Dean gave a shrug. "Uh ... he's dead, and you're right. I — I feel amazing."

Crowley nodded, but something in Dean's words gave him pause. " 'He?' " he repeated, and his gaze flickered down to Alex.

"He," Alex confirmed with a scowl. "As in Lester."

"The client?" Crowley's mouth was agape as he turned back to Dean, and anger twisted his voice. "You killed the client?"

"Does it matter?" Dean shrugged again, unperturbed by the King of Hell's rage. "He was a douche. Now he's a dead douche."

"Of course it matters!" The King of Hell almost spluttered the words, and his cheeks flushed red with fury. "The deal was one dead wife for one soul. The wife's not dead, I don't get the soul. It's math."

"Well, the wife is dead if that helps at all," Alex put in, and she ignored Dean's scoff. "So, I mean, the job did get done. No thanks to you." She shot the Winchester a dark glare. "Some demon he is — he can't even off one whore."

"And you still call yourself an angel," Dean shot back. "Pathetic."

"You." Crowley's finger pointed in Alex's direction, and the ex-angel lifted her head as she purposefully ignored the Winchester's retort. "Consider yourself promoted. As for you ..." His eyes flickered back to Dean, but the demon had already turned to go. "Hey!" he snapped, and Alex shifted out of the way as the King of Hell reached forward to stop the Winchester. "Don't turn your back on me!"

Dean spun back around, his eyes coal black, and he shoved Crowley away, sending him sprawling across the floor. Alex jumped away as he hit the ground at her feet, and she turned onto Dean with narrowed grey eyes. "Hey!" she snapped. "What's your problem, you asshole?" Her head snapped over to one of Crowley's henchmen, lips pursed as she searched for the source of a low chuckle. "Is something funny?"

The two demons quickly shook their head, and Crowley pushed himself to his feet, brushing the dust off of his suit to regain some of his composure. "Good." He glared over at Dean, bristling as he snapped, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, whatever I want." Dean's eyes flickered back to green as he smirked, and Alex's hand came back to draw her weapon, ready for a fight.

Crowley extended a hand, a small and silent command for her to hold her ground. "Really?" he taunted. "Because I think you don't know what you want. Tell me, Dean — what are you? A demon? If so, why couldn't you bring yourself to kill Lester's wife? Did you feel sorry for her? So maybe you're human. Except you have those pretty black peepers and you're working alongside me. Why don't you do us all a great big favor and pick a bloody side!"

The King of Hell's voice boomed throughout the small bar, and Alex lifted her chin as Dean's gaze swept across them. "Or what?" he challenged. "Hmm? Go ahead. Make a move. See how it ends." His fists clenched at his side, but no one moved. "I ain't your fucking bestie, and I ain't taking orders from you. When I need to kill, I'll call. Until then, stay out of my way."

Alex shot Crowley a glance out of the corner of her eye, unsure of how the demon was going to take command of the situation. To her surprise, however, the King of Hell merely shrugged. "Fine. It's over. What can I say?" His eyes slid over to Alex. "Crazy ones — well, they're good for a fling, but they're not relationship material."

Alex grunted, unsure what response he was looking for, and Dean's frown deepened. "Are you done?" he demanded.

"We're done. You know what, Dean? It's not me. It's you." Crowley lifted his chin, and after a second of silence, Dean stalked out of the bar. Alex watched him go, unsure what to do, and the moment he was out of sight, she took a hesitant step after him. "Ah." Crowley's voice had her stopping, and Alex turned in confusion. "We don't need him anymore." The demon's fingers snapped, and Alex felt the coldness lifted from her skin as he removed the demonic chain between her and her charge.

"Great." Alex frowned as she heard the Impala roar to life, and she turned to watch the car tear off down the street. "So ... now what? Because I have a mate I should get back to."

"All in due time. First, you're going to come with me." Crowley snapped his fingers, and a clammy darkness encircled her, her stomach roiling as the ground shifted beneath her feet. "Hello, Bullwinkle." The light returned as the King of Hell spoke, and Alex blinked until her eyes adjusted. They were outside, standing beside a motel. "You miss me?"

"So much." Sam's voice was scathing, but it cut off as hazel eyes met grey. "Alex? What?"

The ex-angel lips twitched upwards in a brief, half-hearted smile of acknowledgement. "You're here for Dean," Crowley continued. We're here to give him to you." He ignored Sam's noise of surprise as he explained, "The little prat's bad for business. He's ... uncontrollable. Must be the Mark. Anyways, Dean's your problem now — again, forever."

"Then where is he?" Sam's voice rose in desperation, and Alex opened her mouth, ready to respond, but Crowley held out a hand to keep her quiet.

"First," he began, "there's a small matter of my finder's fee."

"Alex." Sam's gaze turned onto her. "Where is he?"

Alex glanced over at Crowley, and the demon clicked his tongue. "She won't tell you anything until I say so. You see, Moose, we've finally reached an understanding, her and I. If I want something done, she does it, no questions asked. In return, I give her what she's always wanted; a guiding hand, firm discipline. A structured upbringing goes a long way."

Alex scoffed, eyes rolling at his words, but she held her tongue from a strong retort. "Just tell him what you want," she said instead, impatience sharpening her voice.

"I want the First Blade." Crowley ignored her pointed words. He watched as Sam's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and he added, "Trust me. This is in the interest of both of us. The sooner we separate the Mark from the Blade, the better off we will all be."

Apprehension danced in the Winchester's hazel eyes, but after barely a second, he nodded. "Okay, fine. Where is Dean?"

"He's headed back at the Black Spur." Crowley motioned over to Alex. "She'll take you there. Harvey is there with him," he told the ex-angel, and Alex blinked to show that she understood. "I'll see the both of you afterwards."

The King of Hell disappeared, and Alex finally turned her full attention onto Sam. "So, uh, hey," she began, and her gaze flickered down to the black sling around his right arm. "What happened to you?"

"Demon." Sam shrugged her question off. "Dislocated it when Cas and I were questioning him about Dean. The thing got loose and ..." He trailed off, ending in another shrug, and Alex frowned. "Hey. Come here." He held out his good hand, and Alex stepped into him, pressing her cheek into his chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around the Winchester. "How have you been?"

"About as good as anyone working for Crowley can be, I guess." Alex stepped back and followed Sam down to a silver Honda, and she slid into the passenger seat. "I've been with Dean the whole time — literally the whole time. Crowley had a leash on us. We couldn't go outside of like fifty feet of each other. He only took it off a few minutes ago when he and Dean broke up." She slammed the door closed behind her as the car came to life. "Uh, the bar's just down the street a couple blocks. How's Cas?"

"I don't know." Sam guided the old car down the road, his tone troubled. "I haven't seen him since my shoulder was busted. I think ... I think he blames himself for it."

"I talked to him a bit a few days ago," Alex admitted. "He said that he was working with heaven to track down some rogue angels or something. Left up here," she added as she pointed down the road. "It'll be on your right." Her fingers drummed on her thigh, and after a second she hurriedly asked, "Sorry, but I-I need to know. This guy called us, said he was going to kill you —"

"You mean Cole." Sam's face darkened at the memory. "Yeah. Apparently Dean killed his dad a decade ago — guy must have been a monster of some sorts. Cole was looking for revenge." His good hand came up for a moment to touch the side of his face, drawing Alex's attention to the dark purple bruising around his eyes. "I'm lucky I got out alive."

"Yeah. I'm sorry we couldn't come. I-I tried to convince Dean, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it, and when I tried to leave on my own ..." She shook her head with a sigh. "I'm glad you're okay."

"It's fine. The important thing is that we find Dean." The silver car pulled up alongside the bar, and Alex climbed out, ignoring how her skin prickled at the feeling of demons. She reached back to make sure that her angel blade was still at her side, and with one last glance up at Sam, she followed the Winchester through the front door.

Dean sat off to their right, the a glass of tequila resting on the top of the piano as the demon sat upon the bench, fingers resting on the old ivory keys. "Hiya, Sam." He spoke without looking up, and Alex watched as he placed the First Blade on top of the piano. His eyes lifted, turning to the man behind the bar, and he said, "Hey, Harve, why don't you go grab a smoke?"

The demon nodded in acquiescence, and he hurried away, pausing only briefly to mutter out a low greeting to Alex. "Hey, Harvey," Alex echoed back, and she watched the bartender disappear before she turned back to Dean.

The Winchester's eyes had fallen onto her. "Should have figured you'd be back." His eyes flashed black before his gaze moved onto his brother, focusing on the black sling around his arm. "Who winged you?"

"Does it matter?" Sam's retort was sharp, but Alex could hear the note of apprehension in his tone.

"Not really." The demon's fingers tightened around the First Blade, his green eyes darkening as he picked up his drink. "I told you to let me go."

His brother shook his head, shifting nervously as he watched his brother take a sip of his drink. "You know I can't do that. By the way, your, uh, pal Crowley ... sold you out."

Dean grunted. "Sounds like him." He nodded towards Alex, and the ex-angel lifted her head. "She wouldn't be here unless Crowley was behind it." He rose to his feet, the First Blade held tightly in his hands.

Sam's good hand went out, shifting to keep his brother back, and Alex's weapon was drawn within the second. "Dean, hold on a second," Sam started, and his voice trembled slightly in surprise and fear before it steadied. "You don't have to do this. Look, we know how to cure demons. You remember that?"

Dean walked past them, his eyes coming to rest on Alex's angel blade before he continued onto the bar. "You gonna stab me, Pipsqueak?" he challenged, and the ex-angel's eyes narrowed scornfully at the touch of dry humor in his voice. "After everything we did?"

"Crowley took off the leash," Alex retorted. "My new job's to either bring you in or put you down. Whichever is easier, I suppose."

Her words only seemed to fuel the demon's amusement, and he chuckled before his eyes turned back onto Sam. "Yeah, I remember," he began, addressing his brother's question. "Little Latin, a lot of blood. It rings a bell." He turned back to the bar as he searched for a bottle of liquor. "Did you ever stop to think that if I wanted to be cured, I wouldn't have bailed?"

"That was Crowley."

"It really wasn't." A smile flickered across Dean's face as he refilled his drink.

Sam's confidence faltered, and Alex felt his gaze come to rest on the side of her face. "I-It doesn't matter, alright?" he finally said, and he stepped past Alex to move towards his brother. "Cause whatever went down, whatever happened, we will fix it."

"We will?" Dean eyes narrowed as he leaned against the bar, carefully watching Sam's approach. "Cause right now, I'm doing all I can not to come over there and rip your throat out ... with my teeth." His eyes flashed, and Alex slipped forward, silent as a mouse, to stand between the two Winchesters. "I'm giving you a chance, Sam," the demon warned. "You should take it."

"I'm gonna have to pass."

Dean slammed down his drink and poured himself another with a small shake of his head. "Well, I'm not walking out that door with you. I'm just not. So, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna kill me?"

"No."

"Why?" Dean straightened up, and for a brief second, his face grew serious. "You don't know the things I've done. I might have it coming." His arms stretched out, a challenge for Sam to make the first move, but his brother merely shook his head.

"Well, I don't care." Sam's voice caught in his throat, and he stepped past Alex, his hazel eyes watering as he pleaded with Dean. "Because you are my brother. And I'm here to take you home."

Dean hummed as he sipped his drink, and his eyes sparkled as he chuckled under his breath. " 'You're my brother, and I'm here to take you home,' " he mocked as he went to refill his glass once again, and his chuckle grew into a full-fledged laugh. "Yeah, what is this, a Lifetime movie? Huh? With your puppy-dog eyes?" He motioned towards his brother with his glass as he deridingly shook his head. "Oh, thanks, Sammy. I needed that."

Sam shifted, hurt by his brother's scorn, and he silently reached for his back pockets. Chains clinked as he pulled out the sigil-etched handcuffs, and he held them out towards his brother.

The amusement fell away from Dean's face, replaced with a cold challenge. "You really think those are gonna work?"

"There's one way to find out." Sam stepped forward, and Alex opened her mouth, ready to intervene before Sam got in over his head, but the sound of shattering glass had her immediately flinching away, weapon flashing in the light as she spun towards it source. Something metal flew through the air, and the moment that it hit the ground, smoke poured forth. The acrid smog stung at her airways, and Alex coughed, weapon falling from her grasp as her hands went up to cover her nose. Sam wheezed beside her, leaving only Dean unaffected by the gas, and Alex shoved the younger Winchester towards the back door before stumbling after him.

She felt Dean brush past her, making his way towards the other exit, and the ex-angel hesitated, unsure who to follow. Through the smoke she could see that Sam had made it outside, and, after drawing in one last painful breath, she staggered back after Dean.

She emerged through a side door, tears stinging her eyes as she coughed violently. The sound of a thud and a grunt had her looking up just in time to watch Sam fall to the ground, his head bouncing against the concrete as he was knocked unconscious. A man shook out his fist as he turned to face them, and in one swift motion, Alex had drawn her own gun to match the stranger's weapons.

Blue eyes flashed across them, coming to rest on Dean, and they lit up in recognition. "Wow it's really you."

Alex cocked her weapon with a loud click, but Dean shook his head, a silent gesture for her to stand down. "We met?" he asked, and Alex slowly lowered her gun, taking in the stranger's appearance. Tall, broad, dark hair and blue eyes. Completely unfamiliar.

A gun holster was strapped around his leg, and a sheathed knife hung at his side; whoever he was, he was well armed. "Talked on the phone," came the response, and his finger wrapped itself around the trigger with a practiced ease.

"Right. Right." Dean nodded as he placed the voice. "You're the guy who's supposed to put a bullet in Sammy's head." His eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked over at his unconscious brother. "Did you miss?"

"Well, I had a better idea." Cole stepped towards them, gun pointed at Dean's chest. "I figure if I let your bro escape, he'd go running to you, and all I had to do was just tag along. And now here we are, finally — Dean Winchester."

The man walked forward, gun raised, but Dean merely shook his head. "Great. A groupie." He moved with the man, the two circling each other slowly, and Alex reluctantly stepped aside, pocketing her gun as she made her way towards where Sam was laying.

"Stay where you are," came the command, and Alex paused, turning back to watch Cole's gun swing to her before it turned back onto Dean. "You remember me?"

"Yeah, yeah. You're that guy from that thing." Dean rolled his eyes at the stupid question, huffing out his amusement.

"Nyack, New York, June 21st, 2003."

"That supposed to ring a bell?" Dean's gaze flickered over to Alex, eyebrows lifted in surprise, and the ex-angel gave a shrug; that date was well before her time.

It was the night you gutted and murdered a man by the name of Edward Trenton." Anger shok the man's voice as he took a step towards Dean. "He was my father."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Cole's blue eyes flashed in surprise, unsure what to make of the Winchester's response.

"Well, hey, I'm not saying I didn't slice and dice your old man. I'm just saying that he wasn't the first, and he certainly wasn't he last, and they all just kind of get blended up." Dean shrugged, and Alex couldn't help but add her own reluctant grunt of agreement to back up his statement.

"I saw you .. That night ... after. You let me live." Cole's voice shook with rage, and Alex took another step back towards the still-unconscious Sam. "That was dumb — real dumb. I spent half my life training for this moment. I've played out this fight a thousand times in my head. And I know all about you, Dean. And you're good. Oh, you're real good. But you see, I'm better."

"Prove it." Dean spread his out his arms. "Take a shot."

Cole shook his head, and Alex watched as he holstered his gun. "Now, that's not payback." He pulled out a long, double-edged knife, twisting it in his hands as he growled out, "This is payback."

The man lunged at Dean, and Alex slipped around the corner to where Sam lay, ignoring the fight behind her; Cole didn't stand a chance on his own. "Sam." She whispered out the hunter's name as she shook his shoulder, feeling for a pulse before she hissed his name again. "Get up."

"You know," she heard Dean taunt, "and I'm just spitballing here, but, uh, maybe ... you're not as good as you think you are." She heard the sound of a punch landing, followed by Dean's exclamation of surprise. "Oh! You know Kung Fu?"

"I know everything." The scuffle continued, and Alex pulled her shirt up over her nose as she slipped back into the building. Her eyes narrowed against the gas, which, while already beginning to disperse, still burned at her eyes. Her angel blade lay on the floor, the handcuffs just beyond, and the ex-angel grabbed both of them before she hurried back outside, coughing as she drew in a lungful of fresh air.

Sam was stirring, his eyes flickering open, and Alex dropped back down by his side as she reached out to help him sit up. "Cole," she explained, jerking a head off towards where the two men were still fighting. "He's got Dean distracted." She pressed the handcuffs into his hand before she pushed herself to her feet. "We don't have much time."

"What did you think was gonna happen, huh?" Alex circled back around the alley to find Dean facing Cole, arms spread out as he stared down at the man. "You just stroll up here and say 'my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die,' and I'd just roll over? Well, that's just — it makes me sad." He leaned down, jeering in Cole's face, and in his confidence he didn't see the flash of the knife until it was too late. The knife slashed down his cheek, cutting through the flesh, and Dean's eyes flashed in rage as he hauled Cole to his feet.

He pinned the man up against a car, a hand gripping his throat. You have no idea what you walked into here, do you?" he asked, his wound healing as he spoke. "None."

"What are you?" Cole gasped out the word from around Dean's hand, and the Winchester's eyes flashed coal black.

"I''m a demon." He reached back to draw the First Blade, pressing the ancient teeth against Cole's pale neck. Alex waved Sam to his feet, urgency fueling her actions as she slunk forward, circling around to the other side.

"Do it!" The man hissed out the words, his eyes flashing as he held Dean's black gaze. "You said if you saw me, you would kill me, so do it!"

Dean's gaze searched his face, and after a second, the demon stepped away. "I guess I changed my mind." He let Cole go, and the man slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

Alex watched as Sam approached from the other side, and, when the tall hunter nodded, she lifted her voice to draw the demon's attention to her. "Hey!" she yelled. "Dean!" Dean's attention snapped onto her, and Sam sprung into action. Holy water flew through the air, burning at Dean's skin, and the demon flinched away with a roar of surprise. Sam jumped forward, and so did Alex, restraining Dean as Sam snapped the etched-handcuffs around his wrist. Dean struggled, desperate to get away, and Alex barely ducked in time as his head whipped around, chin nearly colliding with her skull.

"Stop!" Sam yelled, and Alex staggered back to regain her footing. "It's over! It's over!" The First Blade fell from his hands, and Sam kicked towards Alex. The ex-angel scooped it up, and Dean's green eyes flashed in rage, but his struggles stopped until only the straining of his neck showed his fury. "Get Crowley over here," Sam ordered, and Alex nodded her head. "I'll get him into the car."

"Sure thing. The Impala should be parked over there." Alex pointed off towards the side parking lot, and she stepped aside as Sam led Dean off towards the car. Her eyes turned down to the First Blade, lips pursed as her gaze slid from the bone down to Cole. "Get lost," she advised as the man scrambled to his feet. "You have no idea how lucky you are." She watched the man limp away before she pulled her phone out of her pocket. The cell rang as she made her way after the brothers, and after a second or two, it clicked. "Crowley." Alex stepped out of the alley. "We got Dean and the First Blade. Come by when you're ready."

The King of Hell was standing in the parking lot as she turned the corner, and Alex pocketed her phone and she crossed over to the Impala. Dean was sitting inside, glowering at her from the backseat, but Alex barely spared him a glance as she stopped by Sam's side. Crowley's hand was outstretched, and, without a moment of hesitation, Alex handed over the weapon. "Pleasure doing business with you." Crowley's fingers tightened around the Blade, and his eyes flickered back to Dean.

"What are you going to do with it?"

The demon shrugged at Sam's words. "Toss it in a volcano, leave it on the Moon. I'll get creative. Believe me," he added, brown eyes turning onto Sam, "I don't want Dean getting his hands on the precious any more than you do. Your brother knows that I ratted. He tends to hold a grudge. I don't want to get ... boned."

Sam nodded, reluctantly having to agree with the King of Hell's decision, but he warned, "This doesn't make us square. If I see you again —"

"Oh, stop it, Samantha. No one likes a tease." Crowley turned to Alex, and the young hunter lifted her eyebrows, curious as to what the demon wanted her to do. "You wanted to take a vacation? Fine. I'll call you when I need you."

Alex nodded, and Crowley disappeared.

The Impala roared off down the road, its headlights cutting through the dark air. Alex sat in the front seat, legs drawn up under her as she watched the road ahead, fingers drumming lightly on the handle of her angel blade. A glance in the mirror showed Dean, still in the back, still unmoving. He was staring straight ahead, his face frozen in disgust. Sam was beside her, his attention, like Alex's, divided between the road and the demon. "This thing is filthy," he finally said, and Alex muttered out her agreement as she glanced down towards the mess of wrappers on the floor.

Dean scoffed, and his eyes flashed in the gathering darkness. "It's just a car, Sam."

" 'It's just a car.' " Sam repeated the words, foul on his tongue, and he met his brother's gaze through the rearview mirror. "Wow. You really have gone dark."

Dean smirked, and his teeth flashed. "You have no idea."

Sam glanced at Alex, and the angel shrugged, unsure what to say, and the hunter's hazel eyes hardened as he glanced back at his brother. "You know what, Dean? I saw what happened back there. You could have killed that guy, and you didn't. You took mercy on him."

"You call that mercy?" Darkness crept into the Winchester's voice, mixed with cold pleasure. "Imagine you spend your whole life hunting down the guy that knifed your father. When you finally find him ... he whips you like a dog." He chuckled at the memory, and the handcuffs clinked as he once again tested his bonds. "How do you think that feels? That kid's gonna spend his whole life knowing that he had his shot and that he couldn't beat me. That ain't mercy. That's the worst thing that I could have done to him." The demon smirked, and Alex's fingers closed around the handle of her blade as he continued, "And what I'm gonna do to you, Sammy ... well, that ain't gonna be mercy, either."

"You're not going to do anything to him." Alex's own voice was cold as she rose to meet Dean's unspoken challenge. "I'm not going to let you."

"Right. Because I'm the monster, and you're the hero." Dean's head turned to meet her stare. "And let me guess; you haven't told Sam anything about these past six weeks. The things you've done —"

"I didn't have a choice. Crowley told me to do things, and I did them. It was as simple as that."

Her harsh words didn't slow the Winchester down. "I watched you kill Mindy Morris last night," he reminded. "Let me guess — you didn't even bat an eye, did you? She wasn't a demon, Sammy." His voice rose, loud enough for his brother to hear. "See, her husband made a deal to have her killed. I killed the son of a bitch, but Alex? She put that woman down with no remorse. Isn't that right?"

Alex didn't respond, and her fingers flexed around her weapon as she glared out at the road.

"See, I kill because I have to. The Mark makes me crave it. But you? You just do it ... why, again? Because it's fun? Because it makes the rage inside you burn a little bit less? So who's the real monster here?"

"Are you done talking?"Alex's head whipped around, grey eyes flashing in the dim light as she glared back at the demon. "I killed because I had to, nothing more, nothing less. We clear?"

She turned back around, shoulders rolling back, but Dean wasn't finished. "No, no. When I killed Lester, we had already lost that job. You and I both knew Crowley was going to get that soul, which means you didn't have to kill her. You —"

Alex spun around, and her fist pounded into Dean's face. Satisfaction rushed through her at the sound of his nose breaking, and the demon yanked his head back with growl of surprise and pain. The injury healed almost instantly, but her point was made.

"Hey, hey!" The car swerved as Sam jumped in surprise, and Alex turned back to face the road with a glower. "Whoa! Just ignore him, okay? He's just trying to get a rise out of you."

"Yeah, well, he's had that coming for weeks." Alex sunk down in her seat, scowling as she returned her weapon to her lap. "Let's just get him back to the bunker and fix him up. The sooner we get rid of those black eyes, the better."