July 2nd, 2015
Lebanon, Kansas

Alex heard the door swing open, and her wings stretched out with a barely stifled groan. She could feel Castiel standing in the bunker hallway peering in, worry thrumming through his grace. "Are they back yet?" The words were muffled by the thin pillow, and Alex reluctantly rolled onto her side, grunting as she felt the skin around her wound tug painfully. "Are they back yet?" she repeated, pushing herself up into a sitting position to face her mate.

Castiel hadn't moved from the doorway, and Alex curled her wings forward, inviting him in. "They haven't returned." The seraph came to stop at the foot of the bed, and Alex shifted back to rest her back against the headboard. "They said they would be back once they ..."

"Once they burn her." Alex's grace went out to tug her mate closer, her broken wings stretching towards him. "She's dead because I wasn't there for her."

"You did everything you could." The mattress dipped as Castiel sat at her side. "The blame is partially on my shoulders. I shouldn't have let Charlie go off." He put a hand on her knee, his broken wings falling as his shoulders slumped. "I watched through your eyes, you know. I know you did everything in your ability."

"And it wasn't enough." Tears stung at her eyes, and Alex turned her gaze down onto her hands. The skin was pale and clear, the blood washed away beneath the shower's cold spray, but traces still remained, black beneath her fingernails. "I shouldn't have left her side. I could have killed Eldon if I had been able to get there in time."

She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palm to hide the blood. Castiel's hand tightened on her knee, but no words came. His eyes fell down onto the ground, and Alex sighed, twisting in her seat to grab her phone. "What else?" She pushed down her emotions, tucking them deep inside as she expounded, "The Winchesters. What else did they say?"

"Not much." Castiel's hand pulled away, returning to his lap, and Alex checked her own messages with a frown. "Sam was upset, Dean was furious. That was all I was able to gather. I was more concerned about you." He shifted closer, his grace pushing against her chest, and Alex obediently stretched out so he could examine the wound on her side. "It was deep, but I was able to stem the flow. Healing it took longer." The pads of his finger danced across the skin, warm and hesitant, and Alex stifled a flinch at the slight pressure. "I did the best I could."

"You did great." Alex threw her legs over the side of the bed and pushed herself to her feet with a quick shake of her head. "Thanks." She crossed her room, motioning Castiel after her. "And Rowena is still at the distillery? Alone?"

"I promised Sam that I would go back there as soon as you were awake." Castiel rose, his lips pressed together in a tight frown. "Rowena is secured until I return."

"Well, I'm ready to rock and roll whenever you are." Alex flicked her grace out, searching for her bag. "Where are my things?" Her side cramped, and she cut off with a grunt of muffled pain. "I need my things."

Her wings pressed tightly against her back as Castiel stepped close, his arms going around her waist to keep her stable. "They're in my car." The seraph's breath stirred her hair, his voice a low murmur, and Alex let him hold her a moment long before she stepped way.

"Great." Alex tugged on the hem of her shirt with a frown. "Well, let me change my clothes, and then we can go." She felt Castiel's frustration, and she flicked a wing in frustration. "I'm coming with," she repeated. "I slept for how — how many hours? Almost twelve? I'm ready to go."

She shucked off her shirt and tossed it towards the darkened corner of the floor, eyes scanning the room before landing on the open dresser. She fished out a new top and pulled it on, her eyes flashing in determination. She could see the seraph's disappointment, and she reached out to tug on one of his long feathers before she grabbed her shoes and stepped out of the room.

The door swung shut behind her, and the angel paused to listen for the squeaky hinges that would indicate that Castiel was following. It came a few seconds later, and with a nod, Alex continued on towards the stairs.

She felt her legs wobble slightly by the time she reached the top of the metal stairs, but she steadied herself on the railing before Castiel could see. Her grace slunk out to unlock the bunker door, and she climbed the stairs to find her Marquis seated in the dirt driveway. She sunk into the front seat, momentarily closing her eyes to save her strength as she waited for her mate to join her outside.

She could feel her heart still pounding in her chest, and she soothed it with her grace as Castiel joined her in the car. "And you're sure you're ready." The engine rumbled as Alex nodded, and the seraph sighed. "Alex, you know if you ever need to talk ..."

"I can go to you. I know." The angel cast her mate a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye, her shoulders falling. "I know," she repeated softly, and she shifted on the bench seat so she could rest her head up against his shoulder. "Thank you."

The distillery door opened under her touch, and Alex reached out to steady herself on the door frame before she made her way down the stairs. Her eyes flickered momentarily onto Rowena, who sat stiffly at one of the rickety wooden tables, and her wings twitched in displeasure at the sight of the witch.

"Ah. You're back." Rowena smiled over at the two of them, and Alex scowled at the dark loathing in her eyes. "What, did you get tired of leaving me to rot?"

"Nope, not yet." Alex dropped down into a chair with a fake grin. "So we thought we'd come back and watch." Her grin faded, and her wings slumped, unable to keep up her energy to waste it on aggravating the witch. "Well? What progress have you made?"

"Some," came the cryptic response. "But not much." Rowena slowly sat down in her seat, head lifted high as she regarded the seraph. Interest flickered in her eyes, and Castiel frowned as he crossed over to sit down in front of the Book of the Damned.

Rowena didn't tear her gaze away as he began flipping through the pages, and Alex could feel his frustration growing and growing until it finally snapped. "Stop looking at me."

"I'm sorry." Rowena's voice held anything but an apology, and she leaned forward to stare more intently at the seraph. "You're just fascinating. An angel that rejected heaven. That's like a fish that wants to fly, or a dog that thinks he's people."

"Well, I'm like a lot of people." Castiel's eyes fell back down onto the ancient book with a scoff, and his large wings twitched in disdain as Rowena didn't break her stare.

"Keep telling yourself that, dear." The look in her eyes indicated she wanted to say more, but the slamming of the distillery door had her falling silent, her dark eyes turning towards the stairs. Footfalls approached, and Alex recognized the pattern as Sam before the Winchester appeared. "Well, about bloody time."

"Sam." Alex pushed herself to her feet at the sight of him, her eyes stretching wide. "Sam, I-I'm sorry. I should have been there with you and Dean at the pyre —"

"Hey, it's okay." Sam reached out, and Alex stepped into the side hug, pressing her cheek into his shoulder. "It's probably best that you weren't there. Dean ... Dean's not in a good place." The angel felt his chest rise and fall in a heavy sigh before he shook his head. "How are you feeling? You're looking better."

"I'm back on my feet, and that's what's important." Alex stepped away from Sam to touch her side with a shrug. "Cas was able to heal me up for the most part, but I'm still a bit shaky." She returned to her seat, her wings stretching out to balance her as she sat down. "How about you, Sam?"

"I'm fine."

"What's wrong with Dean?" Castiel joined the conversation, stepping up to Alex's side, and Sam's eyes flashed nervously, clearly uncomfortable about the change in conversation.

"Dean ... Dean left. He's looking for the people who killed Charlie." Sam ignored Rowena's interested hum, and his eyes fell closed in momentary defeat. "And he knows about — about the Book, about all of this." His eyes opened back up, sweeping across Cas and Alex. "I'm shutting this down. I promised Dean —"

"What? No! You can't do that!" Alex's eyes stretched wide, and she put a hand on Sam's shoulder, fingers digging into his bicep. "Charlie — she cracked the damn code. It's possible. We can't give up when she gave everything!"

Sam and Castiel exchanged looks, and the Winchester's shoulders slumped even further. "I'm sorry, but ... we don't have Charlie's notes, we ... we don't have anything. We're back to square one."

"What about her?" Castiel cast a low glare over his shoulder towards Rowena, who was listening in with barely disguised interest.

Sam scowled. "Guess."

"I'd be happy to kill her. She just called me a fish." Castiel's wings twitched again, and he fell silent for several seconds, deep in thought. "And what about Dean?"

"We, uh ... we should be able to track him. I lowjacked the Impala a few weeks back just in case." He dug around in his pocket for his phone, and Alex shifted impatiently on the hard concrete floor as Sam pulled up the map. When he paused, she stepped closer, leaning against his shoulder to watch the screen. A small red dot flashed upon the screen, steadily moving south, and the angel's attention was drawn upwards as a notification pinged.

The phone was jostled out of her sight as Sam jumped to answer it; the angel could hear his heart pounding as he read it. "It — it's from Charlie." He pointed the phone in Alex's direction so she could see the file labeled FORDEAN.doc. "She — she must have sent it before ..." He pushed past her, excitement fueling his steps, and Alex felt her own heart leap as he shoved the phone into Rowena's face. "Is this what I think it is?"

The witch studied the file, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Oh, that little minx. She's cracked the code."

"Can you read the Book of the Damned with this?" Sam pressed, and Rowena nodded.

"Every last word," she promised, and Alex grinned as Sam looked back at them, relief lighting up his face. "We can cure the Mark of Cain."

Sam's hands clenched and unclenched as he tried to rein in his excitement. "Cas," he instructed, "go find Dean, make sure he doesn't go too far off the reservation, okay? Alex, you —"

"I'm going with Cas, obviously." The angel straightened up, shoulders rolling back in an attempt to prove she was as capable as ever. "What about you? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to save my brother. I know what I told Dean," he hurriedly interjected when Castiel pursed his lips. "Cas, look. I've been the one out there, messed up and scared. And alone. And Dean —"

"He did whatever he could to save you," Castiel finished with a reluctant nod.

"Yes. I mean, it's become his thing." Hazel eyes drifted down onto Alex, wide with desperation. "I owe him this. I owe him everything. Look, I know he pretends he can ride the Mark out, but you and I know the truth. We know what happens if we don't cure him. We both know where that road ends."

Alex grimaced at the memory, and she felt her mate nod solemnly, determination rising through his grace. "Black eyes and blood," he agreed.

"Yeah." Sam nodded towards the door. "Go find him, Cas. Keep him safe." He watched as Alex took a step back towards the door, and the firmness in his eyes faltered. "Alex ... maybe it's best if you stay behind."

"Why?" Alex's wings rose as she felt her legs tremble slightly, and she lifted her chin in indignation. "I'm healed, Sam, I'm fine. I'm of more use hunting down Dean than — than sitting here and watching the paint dry!"

She watched how Sam's jaw set, clearly unconvinced, but he merely shook his head. "I believe you," he agreed quietly, and the angel's wings lowered in confusion. "But Dean ... like I said, he's not happy with you. So all I'm saying is that maybe it's best if you keep your distance until he's had some time to cool off."

Alex looked up at Castiel, searching his face for support, but the seraph gave a nod. "I agree with Sam."

The angel pursed her lips tightly together, trying to keep her voice calm in face of the obstinance. "No, you — you don't understand. You want to keep Dean under control, I'm your man. I've been doing it for months."

"Pip, he's not gonna listen." Sam's face darkened in exasperation. "Cas can do it on his own. Besides," he added after a second, and Alex frowned at the false light in his eyes. "I need you here to help with Rowena."

Alex looked between Sam and Castiel, her teeth grinding together as she searched for another excuse. "Fine," she finally snapped, her feathers rustling. "I'll stay."

"Thank you." Castiel's voice rumbled in his chest, and Alex tilted her head away when his wings brushed gently against her hair. "I won't be long." He turned towards the witch, and the softness left his face. "Find a cure for the Mark, and then find a way to break the deal," he ordered, his grace prickling with anger as Rowena gave a dramatic roll of her eyes. "I'll be back soon."

Castiel stalked away, and Alex shot a glare in his direction, her feathers bristling angrily. "Forget about the deal, cure the Mark," she snapped towards the witch, but Rowena gave no signs that she heard, her attention still on the disappearing seraph.

"Ooh," she teased, "I do love a bit of intrigue."

Sam's face tightened, and he placed his phone on the table in front of her. "Right, less talk, more translating. Go."

"About that." Rowena slowly pushed the phone away, her chin lifting defiantly. "I said I can read the book. Never said I would."

Chair legs scraped as Alex pulled the witch from her chair. She pinned here against one of the wooden columns, her eyes flashing in fury. "We had a deal," she reminded with a hiss.

"We did, we do." Rowena forced the words out, her throat crushed between the pillar and Alex's hand; despite her precarious position, she still held her head high. "And it's your time you held up your end. I want my son dead."

"After —"

"Now." Rowena cut Sam off, and Alex loosened her grip slightly, allowing the witch to place her feet flat on the floor. "Once I cast the spell — and you need me to cast that spell — who knows what'll happen."

A bang echoed through the room as Sam slammed his hand down onto the table. "I don't have time for this!" he yelled, and the witch ripped herself from Alex's hand, her chains dragging across the ground.

"Right, you don't," she agreed. "Your brother's a walking time bomb, and the clock, she's a-ticking. So you will kill my son, and you will do it my way, now!" Her finger swung over to Alex. "I want you to do it."

Alex stepped away from Rowena, and reaching over to shut the Book of the Damned with a thud. "You don't really want your son dead, do you?" Her fingers drummed on the hard binding. "We told you before. I can't kill Crowley. I try, I die, and then he'll never let us near him again."

"I don't care. Get it done." Rowena swept her way past the angel, and Alex stepped back with a roll of her eyes. "When you do, I'll read the Book."

A hand on her shoulder had her turning away, and she followed Sam across the room. "Listen," he began, "I can kill Crowley. But maybe — maybe this is the best way to break your deal ..." He trailed off, casting a glance towards the witch, and he waved her after him up the stairs. Alex followed, her feathers ruffling in displeasure as she reached the landing. "Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone."

"Fine." Alex pulled a sour face, and she shoved her hands into her pockets. "Alright, I can easily get Crowley anywhere you need him, but I can't be in the room when you confront him."

"Yeah, that works. I'll go get the spell from Rowena. Uh, here. "Sam pulled out his phone, and Alex felt her own cell vibrate. "There's an abandoned factory across town. I just sent you the address. Have Crowley meet us there."

"Sure." Alex nodded as Sam walked away, and she typed out a hasty text to the King of Hell. Need to talk about Dean. Meet in 20 at 11979 Cedar Street, Concordia, Kansas. 66901". She sent the text and tucked her phone back into her pocket, and, with one last glance towards the staircase, she stepped outside to wait.

Concordia, Kansas

Just like Sam had said, the factory was abandoned. Alex pried the wooden planks off of the door and slipped inside, shaking out her wings as they brushed against the doorframe. "He'll be here in three minutes." Alex glanced over her shoulder towards Sam, who followed her in. "So, you got everything?"

"Devil-trap etched bullet. Hexbag." Sam held up his gun and the small fabric pouch in quick succession. "And you'll be upstairs?"

"As backup," Alex confirmed. "Pray if you need me." She dug her headphones out of her pocket, tucking one into her left air. "This'll keep me from hearing Crowley if he shouts," she half-joked. "I can't help him if I can't hear him." She stepped away towards the staircase, hurrying upstairs as she cranked up the music, drowning out the ambience around her. A crate sat against the wall, and the angel dropped down onto it, drawing her feet up under her as she lost herself in the screaming guitar.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there — no longer than five minutes at the most— before Sam's voice broke through her head. Downstairs, now. The angel yanked the earpiece out of her ear, surprise and worry pulsing through her at the pained tone to the Winchester's voice. "Sam?"

She shoved her phone into her pocket as she pushed herself to her feet, jumping down the steel stairs as her grace stretched out in search of the hunter's soul. She followed it down the hall and into a large, dark room. Sam lay against a pillar against the far wall, and Crowley stood above him, a bloody bullet in between his thick fingers. "Powerful magic." His toes ground a smoldering hex bag into the concrete ground. "Might have worked on any other demon. But me? Please."

His eyes were red as he turned, and the color drained back to brown at the sight of the angel. "And there she is." He beckoned her in, and Alex reluctantly obeyed, her wings lifting in frustration. His eyes dropped back down onto Sam, who grunted in pain as he held his ribs, and the demon dropped the bullet, his fingers coming together as if to snap. "I could kill you," he reminded darkly, and he followed Sam's gaze over to Alex. "Or I could make her do it." Crowley waved her forward again, and the angel stiffly approached. "Easiest thing in the world."

Alex squared her jaw, fists clenched, but after a second of consideration, Crowley's hand fell back to his side. "From here on out, I want you to know that the only reason you're alive is because I allowed it. And I want you to deliver a message." His voice rose, echoing angrily through the room. "You tell that ginger whore that I gave her a chance to walk away, and she spat in my face. So now, she'll never see me coming." His eyes glittered as he stepped back. "Get out of here," he ordered. "I need to talk to Alex. Alone."

The angel suppressed a shiver, but she obediently stepped aside to let Sam through, giving him a small, barely perceptible nod. She watched as the hunter hurried away, finally turning to the King of Hell when his footsteps had faded away. "So ... how have you been?"

"Don't play coy, darling. It's not flattering." Crowley's eyes hardened, and one step carried him toe-to-toe with the angel. "You lured me here so Samuel could kill me."

"Rowena didn't give us much of a choice. Either you die, or Dean does." Alex tipped her head, her own eyes narrowing into an accusing squint. "Who do you think I was going to choose?"

The momentary narrowing of the demon's eyes gave the angel her answer. "You won't try it again." The command came coldly, and Alex squared her jaw. "If Sam tries again, you will stop him with whatever means necessary. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ... sir." Alex let her gaze fall to the ground, her wings pressed tightly against her back to keep her feathers from ruffling. "I understand."

She felt the air shift as Crowley stepped closer, and her grace recoiled as a warm hand closed around her chin, lifting her head up to meet the King's dark gaze. He studied her for several seconds, questions dancing behind his eyes, and Alex's eyes flickered back down to the ground. "Anything else you need to tell me, little mouse?"

Alex lifted her grace, constructing a wall between Castiel's grace and her mind before she finally spoke. "Castiel is still looking to break my deal." She pressed tentatively against it, making sure that it held. "I've tried convincing him to stop, but ..."

But?" The demon dropped her chin, and Alex's wings flittered, feathers rustling against her jacket to lie flat. When she didn't continue, he frowned. "While I appreciate the heads-up, I can't help but wonder what brought about such subservience." He paused as if to think, and his honey-sweet voice took on a colder note. "Getting information out of you is like milking a bull. What do you think you're playing at?"

"I don't want him wasting his time looking for something that isn't there." Alex watched the disbelief in the demon's eyes, and she couldn't help but frown. "I figured the sooner you put a cork in it, the better off we'll all be. You'll have some peace of mind, and I'll have him here instead of sneaking around behind my back. What?" she snapped when a smirk decorated Crowley's face. "This isn't funny."

"This is about the girl you killed yesterday, isn't it?" The King of Hell's eyes glittered in amusement "What was her name?"

"Charlie." Alex felt heat rise to her cheeks as she hissed out the name. "Her name was Charlie. And no — this — this has nothing to do with her."

"You're resigning yourself to your fate over one soul." Crowley chuckled, the humor fading as Alex's wings rose in anger. "When I tell you to kill," he began, his hands disappearing into his pockets, "you kill with no remorse. And yet here you condemning yourself for the death of one person."

"This is different, Crowley." Alex nearly snarled out the word, her feathers ruffling angrily. "When you tell me to kill, that person's dead already, no matter what I do. You taught me that lesson, remember?" The small smirk on the demon's face made his answer clear, and the angel ground her teeth. "Charlie died because I didn't protect her — that makes it my fault. I deserve to go to hell, and I know that one way or another, that's where I'll end up. There's no point in giving Cas the false hope that I won't."

Crowley stood silently, his head tipped slightly as he studied her, assessing her words for any sign of deception. "I appreciate the honesty, mouse," he finally said, "but if you think this has earned my forgiveness, you're mistaken." He nodded towards the door. "Go to Sam. He's waiting for you."

The demon disappeared into thin air, leaving Alex standing alone in the abandoned factory. Her wings fell down, and the angel reluctantly pulled down the hastily-constructed wall that surrounded her mind as her feet carried her towards Sam. The Winchester was standing outside the door, and Alex watched as his concern melted into relief at the sight of her. "Are you okay?" he asked, and the angel's wings flicked dismissively as he hurriedly continued speaking. "I'm sorry — I should have found a way to lure him here on my own —"

"Sam, it's fine." Alex brushed past him with a shake of her head. "I don't regret doing it, and all things considered, he didn't seem to angry about it." She paused beside the car, turning as she waited for Sam to follow. "Come on. We need to get back to Rowena and explain this whole thing."

"I ... I already called her." Sam circled around to the front of the car to unlock the doors. "She's not budging until I kill Crowley."

"Well, that's not going to be easy now that I've been ordered to stop you at all costs." Alex pursed her lips together, and Sam matched her expression with a frown of his own. "So it looks like we're going to have to part ways for the time being."

"I'm going back to the distillery to try and reason with her," Sam explained. "And you?" He jumped slightly as his phone rang, and he frowned down at the caller ID. "It's Cas," he explained as he answered. "Hey. Did — did you find him?"

Alex lifted her grace so she could hear her mate on the other end of the line. "Not yet," the seraph admitted. "But I'm at the Styne estate in Louisiana, and ... Dean was here."

"You sure?" Sam cast a quick glance in Alex's direction as Castiel voiced his affirmation, and he dropped the phone onto the roof of the car, turning it on speaker so she could hear as he added, "How bad is it?"

"There are three bodies down here and more than a dozen upstairs in the main house." Castiel's voice crackled through the phone, low in frustration. "He killed ... he killed everyone. And brutally."

Sam visibly flinched at the news, and Alex leaned forward across the car to push herself closer to the phone. "Hey, Cas. I can be there in a couple of hours. Text me the address, okay?"

"No." Alex started to bristle at the refusal, but Castiel wasn't finished. "No," he repeated, "don't bother. The GPS says that he's head north."

"North?" Sam exchanged a quick look with Alex, confusion dancing in his eyes. "Where?"

"Home. Dean's coming home." The seraph let out a long sigh, and for several seconds, he was silent. "I'm leaving now," he finally said. "Are you sure that Dean doesn't know where you're keeping Rowena?"

"Positive." Sam snatched the phone off of the phone, and he pressed it back up against his ear, leaving Alex to pull open the car door with a frown. "I'll be back at the distillery in half an hour," he added as he joined Alex in the front seat. "I'll send Alex down to the bunker. Maybe we can cut him off before he does anything else."

He hung up, shoving his phone into his jacket pocket as he started the car, and Alex's frown deepened. "I thought you didn't want me and Dean being anywhere near each other," she reminded tersely.

"Yeah, well, that was before Dean killed an entire family tree." The car peeled out of the overgrown parking lot, and Sam's voice trembled slightly. "Alex ... this is bad, and I —"

"I know." The angel reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, her thumb rubbing a quick, comforting circle before she pulled away. "I won't let him hurt anyone else." She watched the highway in the distance, and she shifted so her wings could hang over the back of her seat. "I'll leave for the bunker as soon as we get back," she promised. "If he's headed there, I'll find him."

Lebanon, Kansas

The bunker door opened beneath her touch, and Alex stepped inside, grace spilling inwards as she searched the building. The dirt driveway outside of the entrance had been empty, with no sign of fresh tire prints, and the inside air was still, carrying its faint hint of mustiness. "Hello?" Her voice echoed through the room, but nothing stirred.

The angel descended the stairs, drawing her grace back inside her with a frown. She looked down at her phone to confirm Castiel's text about nearing the bunker — he estimated he would be there within fifteen minutes — before she tucked it back into her pocket with a shake of her head. If Dean was truly on his way here, he should arrive before Cas.

She followed the hallway through the bunker, pausing at the stairs to push her grace out one more time before she ascended. The air grew fresher as she reached the third level, and she jumped up the last few stairs to peer into the garage. There was no sign of the Impala, its usual parking spot still empty, and the angel descended, pausing only to peer into the gym.

The creak of the door had her head snapping up, and her wings fluttered in surprise. "Dean?" The angel's grace swept out to identify the cause of the sound, twitching when she didn't recognize the souls.

"Hello?" an unfamiliar voice shouted. "Anybody in here?" Alex stalked forward, muttering a cold, "Not Dean," under her breath

"Take whatever looks interesting and burn it." The southern accent drifted up from the main level, and Alex jumped down the stairs, her wings extended to keep her balanced. She could hear movement, sharp with intention, and she slowed down as she reached the landing, grace binding with the angel blade in her back pocket as she approached the library. There were two souls, old yet still warm with youthful vigor, and Alex barely held back a snarl as she recognized the first.

"Hey." She stepped out into the library, her wings flared high above her head as she confronted the man who had killed Charlie Bradbury. "Remember me?"

"You." The man's dark eyes hardened at the sight of her. "How are you still alive?"

"I'm pretty damn hard to kill." Alex's eyes turned across the room, onto the two tables who had been thrown across the room. In their place lay books, a small pile that was slowly growing. Eldon's companion was a teenage boy, with thick curly hair that almost hid thick-rimmed glasses. "And I hope you're planning on putting those back."

"So this is your home, huh?" Eldon stretched out his arms as he gestured to the bunker around him. "You and the Winchesters. A treasure trove of knowledge that we never knew about."

Alex's gaze remained on the pile of books, and she let her grace rise up, causing the lights to flicker. "You weren't supposed to know about it. So what exactly brought you here?" She rolled her shoulders back as Eldon chuckled. "You were the one they brought back here, aren't you?" Her eyes dropped down onto his hands, adding, "And you were missing something."

"Do you like it?" Eldon lifted his left arm, clenching and unclenching his new fist. "My old man gave me some new upgrades."

"Your old man's dead." A new voice came from the doorway, and everyone turned. Dean stood in the entrance to the library, his green eyes dull. Blood covered everything, staining his skin and sinking into his clothes. "They're all dead," he added, and Eldon shrugged off his suit coat, laying it over the top of a chair as he turned to face the Winchester. "So you can save the speech about the two spleens, the seven nipples for the —"

"Dean." Alex stepped forward, a hand stretching out to calm him down. "Just calm down and take a deep breath, okay? I have this under control."

"Like hell you do." Silver flashed as Dean whipped out his gun, and the angel recoiled in surprise as the muzzle fired. Eldon crumpled to the ground, a hole through the middle of his skull, and the teenage boy jumped back with a shout of fear and surprise.

"No, no, no, no, don't!" he begged as Dean's gun turned onto him. "Don't!"

"Why not? You're one of them." The Winchester scowled as Alex stepped in front of the teenager, her wings stretched out to hide him from sight. "Get out of the way."

"I'm not going to let you hurt him, Dean." Alex kept her voice as calm as she could, eyes narrowed as she stared down the barrel of the gun. "I promised Sam I wouldn't let anyone else get killed —"

"What, like you you didn't let Charlie get killed?" Dean's retort had Alex falling silent with a strangled noise of surprise. ""Or Tina?" He waved his gun, motioning for her to step aside. "If you don't get out, I'll just have to go through you. Your choice."

Alex scoffed loudly, hiding her fear as she stretched out towards her mate for help. "You can't kill me," she reminded sharply. "And you won't, not until you kill Crowley and Cas first. Cain —"

Her answer came in the form of a gunshot, and Alex hissed in surprise as the bullet tore through her kneecap. Her leg crumpled beneath her, and the angel stumbled as her grace rushed down to heal the injury before her knee could touch the ground. A second shot followed in quick succession, and a body hit the floor before Alex could jump back to her feet. Dean lowered his gun, clearing it and tucking it back into his jeans without any interest in the angel's anger; he didn't bother to even look up until Alex was standing toe-to-toe with him. His green eyes were cold and dull, and Alex studied the blood that freckled his skin with a scowl of disdain.

The bunker was silent, the only sound being Dean's quiet breathing and steady heart. The two stood face-to-face, each refusing to flinch before the other. Fire danced in Alex's grey eyes, a burning anger in stark contrast to Dean's icy stare. The air thickened as the tension grew, and Alex's wings stretched high as it threatened to break.

"Dean!" A voice boomed from behind them, and Dean's head snapped to the side. "What have you done?" Castiel stormed up the stairs, his own tattered navy wings stretched out in rage. Dean didn't respond, and Castiel crossed over to kneel down beside the dead teen. "You killed him."

"I took down a monster," Dean retorted. "Because that's what I do. And I'll continue to do that until ..."

"Until you become a monster," Cas finished, rising to his feet.

Dean stiffened at his words, his knuckles cracking as he curled his fists at his side. "You can leave now, Cas. And you, Alex. Get out."

"No. We're not leaving." Alex put a hand on his chest to draw his attention down onto her, grunting when Dean roughly slapped it away. "We're trying to cure you," she snapped, hands swinging down to plant on her hips. "And we're not just going to give up and walk away!"

"Like hell you are," Dean spat. "You can't read the Book. Sam said so."

Alex rolled her shoulders back under his glare. "Charlie cracked the code before she died. She gave her life to find a way to read the Book of the Damned."

Oh, and so what?" Dean's lips were pulled up in a snarl. "Now you might find a spell that might take this shit off my arm? But even if you do, what's it gonna cost?" His eyes turned over onto Castiel. "Cause magic like that does not come free. No, it comes with a price you pay in blood. So thanks, but I'm good."

Dean turned towards the door, ready to leave, but Castiel surged forward, grabbing him by the shoulder. "No!" Castiel's wings flared high, his voice deepening commandingly. "You're not. Maybe you could fight the Mark for years, maybe centuries like Cain did." Dean bristled under his words, but the seraph continued on. "But you cannot fight it forever. And when you finally turn, and you will turn ... Sam and everyone you know, everyone you love ... they could be long dead. Everyone except Alex and I. We're the ones who will have to watch you murder the world. So if there's even a small chance that we can save you, I won't let you walk out of this room."

"Oh, you think you have a choice." Dean brushed off Castiel's hand as he turned to face him, his face set in stone.

"I think the Mark is changing you," Castile reiterated, his voice equally as cold.

"You're wrong."

"Am I?" Castiel tipped his head, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Dean. "Because the Dean Winchester I know would never have murdered that kid."

Dean scoffed at his words. "Yeah, well, that Dean's always been a dick." He turned to go, but Castiel once again stepped forward to stop him.

"Dean," he warned, and his wings stretched out, broken feathers spreading out in fury. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem." Quick as a snake, Dean wrenched Castiel's hand from his shoulder, pivoting on his heel and planting his feet as his fist slammed into Castiel's face.

A second punch quickly followed, and Castiel stumbled back, tripping over a stray book and falling to the ground. "Hey!" Alex jumped forward to defend him, her grace crackling angrily in her chest as she stood up against Dean. "Watch it!"

"Get out of my way!" Dean's fist came from the left, and Alex barely had time to duck as it whistled past her head. His knee came up and into her stomach, and Alex doubled over in pain and surprise. Hands grabbed her shoulder, holding her steady before a second fist rammed into her head. Alex stumbled back, stunned by the sudden and vicious attack.

She dropped low as Dean took another swing, and she deflected the blow away. With his arm past her, she threw a punch into his chin, sending the Winchester staggering. Dean grabbed his chin with a hiss of surprise, and Alex only had a moment of respite before his attack redoubled. A blow to her skull had the world spinning, and then the ground wasn't beneath her feet.

Dean's fingers grabbed her jacket, lifting her off the ground. With a burst of strength, he sent her flying, and Alex's back collided with the war room table. The impact sent chairs clattering to the ground, and darkness flashed across her vision as she slumped to the ground. The world was hazy, blurry and spinning, and Alex's fingers pressed flat against the concrete floor. Her grace rushed through her, a whirlwind of warmth, and her vision slowly returned under its guiding strength.

She could hear the sounds of fighting, smell the iron tang of blood. Dean was in the library, kneeling over Castiel, and Alex gasped for air as she struggled to push herself to her feet. "Dean. Stop." Castiel's voice was ragged, laced with pain, and Dean's fist hesitated from where it was held poised above his head.

It dropped, fingers opening to pick up Castiel's angel blade from the seraph's sleeve, and Alex staggered forward. "No!" she shouted, and she forced her feet to go faster. "Dean!"

The angel blade plunged downwards, and the tip tore through the hard binding of a book beside Castiel's head. Alex's pace faltered as Dean pushed himself to his feet, leaving Castiel laying on the ground, defeated. "You and Sam stay the hell away from me." He stepped away from Cas, his hard eyes turning down onto Alex as he walked towards her. "Next time, I won't miss."

"Dean ..." Alex's hand went out, a weak and desperate attempt to change his mind, but his fist connected with her jaw and sent her to the ground. "That's for Charlie."

His footsteps faded away, and the bunker door swung shut with a heavy clang. The bleeding in her cheek stopped almost instantaneously, her grace healing the tissues within a second, and Alex pushed herself to her feet as she rushed over to her mate. "Cas?"

Castiel lay unmoving, his eyes staring dejectedly at the angel blade that stood impaled beside him. Blood oozed from cuts on his face, and his lips were stained red. "Hey, hey." Alex put a hand on his cheek, encouraging his eyes to turn onto her. "Are you okay?" She stretched her grace out, frowning to find so little residing inside his chest. She could feel the rest of his grace swirling inside of her, and with a frown, she shoved it back toward him. "You didn't need to do that."

"He hit you."

"Yeah, and he fucking pummeled you." Alex watched as his wounds healed, and she felt the internal bleeding disappear. "I mean ..." She yanked the angel blade out of the book and dropped it down at his side. "Christ." Her hand returned to help Castiel sit up, and she shot a glare out towards the door when she heard the Impala's engine rev angrily. "He almost killed you, Cas!"

Castiel didn't respond, and Alex followed his gaze up towards the bunker door. "We should contact Sam," he finally said, rising to his feet. "Dean doesn't have much time before the Mark consumes him."

He wavered unsteadily, and Alex helped him down the stairs to sit at the chair beside the war room table. "Then call him," she decided, eyes turning onto the disarray of the library. "I ... I'll start cleaning." She crossed back into the library and knelt down, sifting through the mess of books as she cleared the floor. A glance over her shoulder showed Castiel seated at the table, his head in his hands, and Alex's wings fell low. "We'll find Dean," she promised softly. "We can cure him."

She crossed over to him, wings curling forward to wrap around him, and the seraph leaned into her touch. "I know that we'll do everything we can." With a sigh, he pulled away from her to reach for his phone. "I'm sorry. If I had thought that Dean would be that ... violent ... I wouldn't have let you come here on your own."

Alex scoffed, and she returned to the library with a shake of her head. "I would have come with or without your permission. You couldn't have stopped me." She grunted as she uprighted one of the library tables, and the legs screeched against the polished floor as she dragged it back into place. Frustration spiked through Castiel's grace, and with a sigh, Alex started sorting through the books. They would find a cure, and they would find Dean. And she was going to be there, no matter what he thought.