April 1st, 2015
Lebanon, Kansas

The smell of breakfast wafted through the air, and Alex lifted her head, sniffing in curiosity. A glance down at her laptop showed the time to be past 7:30 in the morning, and with a frown, the angel tossed her computer onto her bed and exited her room. "Hello?" A flick of her grace down the hallway showed both Sam and Dean's rooms to be empty, and she slipped down the hall in search of the hunters.

"Alright, well, just — just keep me posted, okay?" Sam was seated in the library, his phone pressed up against his ear, and Alex paused to try and hear the voice on the other end of the line. "Yeah, you got it, Cas. Hey, uh, thanks." He hung up as Dean entered, and Alex's nose turned upwards as the smell of food intensified. "Hey." Sam set down his phone as Dean dropped a plate in front of him, and the hunter's eyes lifted in surprise. "You made egg-white omelettes?"

"Yeah. Breakfast of Champions." Dean slid a second plate across the table, and Alex dropped down in the seat next to Sam. "You know, if you're a dork like you. Morning," he added to the angel, and Alex grunted in return. "Figured you'd come running."

"I'd never miss your cooking," Alex agreed. "You look good. How long did you sleep?"

"Slept til seven." Pride lined Dean's voice, and he sat down across from her. "Until we get answers to this whole Mark of Cain, I am on a twelve-step program not to backslide."

"Twelve steps?" Sam repeated, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. Hey, if Cain found a way to live with it after going dark side, then I can find a way to keep it in check. So, I haven't had a drink in a week, eight hours of rack time every night, and now ... this masterpiece." He motioned down to his omelette and picked up his fork, and Alex chuckled as she pulled her plate closer.

Sam hesitated, but, when Dean didn't continue, he frowned. "That's three steps."

"Shut up and eat." Dean slid a fork over to Alex and Sam, and the two exchanged an amused look before they followed his command.

"Wow." Sam blinked in surprise as he looked back up at his brother, and Dean lifted an eyebrow at the praise. "That's — that's awesome."

"It's crap." Dean dropped his fork with a shake of his head, and Alex shoveled a second bite into her mouth. "Ugh. God. Soon as we get rid of this demonic tramp stamp, I am back on the booze, burgers, and ... more booze. Tell me you got something."

"Uh, nothing yet." Sam mumbled the words around his breakfast, and he motioned over to his phone. "Uh, Cas has got his feelers out, and says he might swing by later if he has the time. You?"

"Nothing." Dean grimaced as he took another bite, and Alex watched in amusement before she turned her attention back to finishing her meal. "I, uh, got some sort of smoothie back in the kitchen. You want some?"

"Uh, yeah." Sam watched in surprise as his brother disappeared, and he looked over at Alex as Dean moved out of earshot. "Did you know about any of that?"

"I knew he had stopped drinking, but the rest of this is a surprise." Alex pulled one of the large leather-bound books close, flipping it open to a page pre-marked with an index card. "How long do you think this will all last?"

Sam was saved from responding by the reappearance of Dean, carrying two glasses half-filled with a green smoothie. He handed it to his brother, who eagerly took a sip, before he dropped back down into his chair. Alex watched as he copied Sam, nose wrinkled as he took a hesitant taste; the Winchester's face immediately scrunched up in disgust, and he immediately pushed it over to Alex. "Ew." The angel didn't even bother to smell it as she shoved it back to Dean. "I don't want that."

"Wait, what the hell?" Sam's exclamation of surprise had both Alex and Dean turning to him, confusion written across their faces.

"Cain or Crowley?" Dean guessed, and, when Alex wasn't looking, pushed the drink back.

"Charlie."

"Charlie?" Alex repeated in surprise, and Dean looked up from his phone, adding over her, "Is she back from Oz?" His head tipped as he waited for his brother to respond, but Alex jumped to cut him off.

"Oz?" she repeated. "What do you mean?"

She watched as the two brothers exchanged looks of confusion. "She wasn't here," Sam finally said, and when Alex's eyes narrowed even further, he turned to face her. "Uh, so you know that old computer downstairs? The one that doesn't work? Dean broke it."

"I didn't break —"

"Dude, that thing was toast." Sam rolled his eyes, and Dean opened his mouth, ready to protest further, but fell silent when Alex cleared her throat impatiently. "We called Charlie to try and fix it, cause, you know, she's good with that kind of stuff, but, uh, long story short, Dorothy came out of the wall and told us Dean released the Wicked Witch of the West when he broke this bottle by the computer, and then we had to hunt her down before she could find the key that would open up the door again so she could bring her, uh, monkey army here to take over the world. Charlie ended up going back to Oz with Dorothy."

Sam ended, and silence fell over the room. "What the actual fuck?" Alex looked over at Dean, grey eyes stretched wide. "You ... you're joking, right? Are you guys messing with me?" When no response came, she let out a hesitant laugh. "Okay, seriously, what really happened?"

"That's about it," Dean readily admitted. "Oh, and apparently all of Chuck's books are online, even the non-published stuff."

"Okay, yeah, that part I knew." Alex scratched her forehead, unsure how to process the information she had just been given. "I don't — you're serious. Completely serious about all of that." Sam nodded, and the angel grimaced. "And you never thought to even mention this to me?"

"It, uh, just never came up." Sam's words were accompanied by an unconvincing shrug, and when Alex just shook her head, his attention turned back onto his laptop. "But, uh, it looks like she's back, and she's been busy."

He turned his laptop so Dean could see, and the short-haired Winchester leaned forward as he studied the screen. "What the hell am I looking at?" he asked after a minute.

"So, you know, I was looking into the news, checking for anything weird, right? I found this story about a torture vic. Apparently, some kid videotaped this at his next-door neighbor's house." He turned his computer back around to show Alex, and the angel tipped her head as she watched the clip. One of the figures was definitely Charlie — Alex immediately recognized the pale face and red hair — and she frowned at the sight of Charlie's victim, a short, balding, bloody man. "Apparently, some kid videotaped this at his next-door neighbor's house."

"What are you saying, that Charlie tortured someone?" Dean cocked an eyebrow, unable to believe his own eyes, and when Sam hesitated, the Winchester pushed himself to his feet, crossing over to stand behind his brother so he could watch the video again. "Our Charlie? Yea high, wouldn't hurt a hobbit, practically sparkles?" Sam didn't answer, and Dean dug his phone out of his pocket with a frown. "Come on, Charlie, pick up," he muttered, and Alex looked up to watch him pace away from them, phone pressed tightly against his cheek. "She's not answering."

"Who did she attack?" Alex asked Sam, and the hunter pulled his laptop back towards him.

"Uh, a guy named Peter Harper," he relayed. "District attorney in Topeka. According to this article, he wasn't the only person in town that was hit. Uh, a court stenographer was assaulted the night before."

"Well, you know, Charlie wouldn't go off on someone without a reason," Dean insisted, but his voice didn't sound half as convincing as his words.

"Yeah, I wouldn't think so either," Sam agreed, "but look at the video."

"Oh, I'm looking at it." Dean scowled as the video replayed. "But you know what we do, taken out of context, it doesn't look that much different. She could be hunting."

"Hunting?" Alex's chair creaked as she craned her neck back to look at the Winchester. Dean shrugged, and she shifted, placing her feet on the chair as she took a seat up on the table so she could face both brothers. "Since when did Charlie start hunting?"

"Uh, I guess since you last saw her." The frown on Dean's face relayed his displeasure. "I thought we told her to stop, but maybe she didn't listen." His brother sighed, and Dean shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Why don't we go talk to this asshat and see what's going on?"

"Sure. I guess." Sam sighed again as he rose to his feet. "Topeka isn't that far away, right?"

"Couple hours," Dean confirmed, and when Sam still didn't look convinced, he added, "It's the least we can do." He looked down at Alex, and the young angel nodded. "I'll go get my stuff. Meet me at the car in ten minutes."

Topeka, Kansas

The door swung open under Dean's persistent knocks, and Alex straightened up, reaching into her pocket for her forged identification. "Can I help you?" Brown eyes scrutinized the three of them carefully, and Sam cleared his throat.

"Uh, Mr. Harper? My name is Special Agent Gabriel. We're here about last night's attack." Sam's gaze darkened when the door opened further, revealing the full extent of Charlie's attack. The man's arm was in a sling, and one eye sparkled warily from a swollen eye. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." Peter Harper stepped back, his free hand going up to brush back his greying hair as the three hunters entered the home. "I must say, I wasn't expecting the FBI to show up so quickly."

"We do our best to be efficient." Sam tucked his badge away as the door closed behind them, and Mr. Harper led them further into the house. "Now, did you notice anything odd before the attack — any, uh, strange smells, weird noises?"

"No, no, nothing." The man shook his head, his lips turned downwards in a small, puzzled frown. "I was just at home, getting ready for bed, and that crazy bitch jumped me. All she wanted was to know about some case that I worked on years ago — drunk driver t-boned another car, killing the driver, and the passenger was declared brain-dead on the scene."

"The Middletons." Dean spoke the name confidently, and Alex looked up at him in surprise. "They had a daughter, twelve years old. They were on their way to pick her up."

"Yeah, that's right." Harper's confused frown deepened. "How did you know that?"

"Well, we do our homework at the FBI." Dean's words were accompanied by a proud smile, and Peter Harper shook his head.

"Okay, well, then you know the case never went to trial," he told them discouragingly. "Before I could even see the evidence, it was off the books. All files were sealed."

Both Sam and Dean exchanged looks of surprise, and Alex tipped her head. "How's that even possible?"

"I don't know. But I looked into it this morning, and there's no record of the case anywhere, and the arresting officer has since passed away. There's nothing, except for this." He led the way into the kitchen and slid a manilla folder across the table towards Dean. "It's the social service file on the Middleton's kid. It's not very helpful, to be honest with you. The kid's disappeared, until now." He sat down in the chair, and the three agents did the same.

Dean grunted in understanding as he quickly flipped through the folder, and Sam asked, "Now, is there anything else you can remember about the case? Any names you can think of?"

"No." Once again, Harper gave a firm shake of his head. "Like I told the police, it was so long ago." He sighed, looking between the three hunters, ad he added, "Look, I'm sorry."

"Alright." Sam shifted, hands in his pockets as his voice shifted from sympathy to sternest. "Here's the thing. We talked to the other victim on the way here — the stenographer. Now, she said the attacker didn't let her go until she gave up a name. Your name."

"Okay." The man looked hesitant, stuttering slightly as he spoke. "But w-what does that have to do with m-me being attacked in my own home?"

"What name did you give up?"

Harper's eyes turned onto Dean, surprised at the sharp tone. "Look," he began, "I told you everything I told the police. This woman comes in here, beats the tar out of me, but — but there's no name to give up, so I — I don't know what else to —" He cut off when Dean rose to his feet, crossing the table to plant a hand on the back of Harper's chair as he leaned down, eyes flashing with impatience. "Hey, w-what are you doing?"

"Talk, you son of a bitch!" Dean's voice had Alex jumping to her feet, ready to intervene and pull the Winchester away.

"Hey, look,I"m the victim here — ah!" The man let our a noise of alarm as his chair tipped back even further. "Okay, okay, alright. Alright." His voice trembled as Dean uprighted his chair and stepped away, and Alex slowly sat back down. "Ah. After the files were sealed ... I-I pushed. And, uh ... they offered me money — a lot of money."

"Give me a name."

"The money kept on coming in from overseas accounts —"

"Give me a name!" Alex was at Dean's side in an instant, a hand going out to rest warily on his shoulder.

"I will be disbarred!" Harper's voice exploded, and Alex shot Sam a quick look, eyebrows lifted high. The Winchester returned the look, but the angel didn't catch it, turning back to Dean as she felt his muscles relax.

When he spoke, his voice was quiet, almost ominous in tone. "That'll be the least of your worries, I promise you that."

Harper looked between Sam, Alex, and Dean, but when neither of the hunters backed down, the man's brown eyes dropped to the ground. "Councilwoman Barbara Cordry."

"Barbara Cordry," Dean repeated, and the attorney nodded defeatedly. "Alright." He stepped back, the light dying from his eyes, and Sam slowly rose to his feet. "Thanks."

He stalked away, not even bothering to look back, and Alex grimaced at the abruptness. "Uh, thanks for your time," she added, voice soft to try and smooth over Dean's rude behavior. "If there's anything else you remember, give us a call. We'll be in touch." She offered up half a smile at Harper's tight-lipped frown, and her feet carried her after Dean.

"Celeste Middleton." Sam flipped through the folder as Dean drove the Impala down a rich suburban road, and Alex leaned forward over the seat to scan the loosely-padded file. "That's Charlie's real name. Guess she's looking for the person who, uh, destroyed her family."

Dean scoffed. "Can you blame her? You know, we just got to find her before she does something nobody can walk away from." He pulled the car up alongside the curb, eyes turning out to a large, brown home across the street, hidden by a oak fence, and Alex followed his gaze.

"That's her place?" She straightened the collar of her blouse as she looked out the window, and her question was confirmed when the engine shut off.

"Yeah, that's the place." Plastic crinkled as Dean tossed the plastic bag filled with his uneaten lunch into the backseat. "Fingers crossed we're not too late." He adjusted his tie and led the way out of the car, and Sam followed, lengthening his stride to take the lead.

Alex fell in step at Dean's side as they walked up to the front door, and she tried to peer in the side window, but thick purple drapes blocked her view. She frowned, unsure if anyone was home, but Sam knocked on the door, it opened almost immediately. "Barbara Cordry?"

The dark-haired woman regarded them carefully, eyes narrowing in displeasure at the sight of their suits. "Can I help you?"

Sam dug into his pocket for his badge, and Alex and Dean quickly did the same. "Yes. I'm Special Agent Gabriel. These are my partners, Special Agent Collins and Sheppard. May we come in?"

Barbara's eyes narrowed even further. "What is this about?"

"We have some questions about a drunk-driving case from a while back involving the Middleton family." Sam tucked his identification back into his suit pocket, shifting his weight as the short woman glared suspiciously up at him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Ma'am," Dean began, stepping forward to his brother's side. "If we could just —"

"Sorry." The councilwoman quickly cut him off with a firm shake of her head. "I'm still on vacation. Feel free to schedule an appointment with my assistant. She'll pencil you three in." She slammed the door shut, and Alex's lips pursed together in a deep frown.

"Wow." She stepped back so the Winchesters could move past to head back to the car. "Guilty much?"

"Oh yeah." Sam shook his head as he crossed the street, and he looked back towards the house as he circled around to the pasenger side door. "Well, bright side is Charlie hasn't been here yet. Maybe we can cut her off at the pass."

"Then we'll wait here." Dean slid into the car, and Alex tossed his sandwich over the seat to him as she slammed the door behind her. "Thanks." He unwrapped his lunch, grimacing at the leafy green vegetables that peaked out from beneath the whole wheat bread. "How long do you think we'll be here?"

"Don't know. Could be all night." Sam once again pulled out Charlie's old file and opened it up, and Alex rested her chin on the back of the front seat as she peered over his shoulder to read alongside him.

"What the hell is kale?" Dean's disgusted comment had the angel glancing over at him in time to see him drop his sandwich back onto his lap, tongue flicking out as he tried to rid himself of the taste.

"Wait, you're eating kale?" Alex reached down to poke at his food, and the Winchester slapped her hand away. "Dude, even for you, that's gross."

She glanced over at Sam, expecting a retort, but the Winchester seemed to be ignoring their conversation. " 'Anti-authority disorder, clinical depression, violent outbursts,' " he read, and he looked up with a shake of his head. "Charlie was, uh .."

"Dude. If a shrink interviewed us at the age, you think the report would be all kittens and rainbows?" Dean wrapped his meal back up and tossed it into the backseat. "Come on. She's a good kid. There's got to be an explanation for this, man. There's just got to be."

"Yeah, I guess." Alex undid the top button of her blouse and then reached down to roll up her sleeves, sinking back in her seat as she prepared to get comfortable. Something tingled in the back of her mind, something unpleasant, and the angel perked up moments before a scream rang through the air. "Sounds like we're about to find out, though."

The Winchesters were already out of the car by the time she had finished her words, and Alex followed after them. "Pip. Around back." Dean pointed off towards the backyard, and the angel nodded, reaching back to draw her angel blade as she slipped off around the side of the house. She let her grace snake out towards the perpetrator, a dark soul deep inside the home, and she paused beside the backdoor. It had been forced open and left ajar, and the angel drew her grace back in as she stepped in, moving silently on the wooden floor.

"Should have known Rocket and Groot would track me down." Charlie stood in the doorway, the redness of her shoulder-length hair a stark contrast to her black attire, and Alex stalked forward at the sight of the councilwoman held at knifepoint. Both faced the Winchesters, oblivious to the angel behind them, and Charlie let out a low chuckle at the sight of the hunter's guns. "Where's that pesky little angel?"

"Right here." Alex's voice had the two spinning around, the councilwoman pinned up against Charlie's chest, and the angel stepped forward to block any escape out the back. "I'm hoping that makes me Quill, by the way."

The redhead simply chuckled, but Sam spoke before she could retort. "Charlie, let her go."

"Who?" Charlie's grip on the knife tightened, and Barbara whimpered as the blade pressed tighter against her skin. "Oh, her?" The hand holding the knife balled into a fist as she punched the woman in the jaw, and the councilwoman cried out in pain.

"Don't do this." Sam's sharp command held the undertone of a plea, and Alex watched as Charlie's blue eyes flashed in amusement.

"I just want answers," she promised smoothly, and Alex shifted closer with a sidelong glance towards Dean, waiting for him to make the call.

However, for the moment, he seemed content to try and talk her down. "Yeah?" he challenged. "Since when do you start pounding on people for those? What the hell happened to you in Oz?"

"Everything I wanted." Charlie's eyes glinted again, this time with something dark, something almost malicious. "An adventure." She jiggled the knife, causing another cry of fear from the councilwoman, and she added, "Even got my own little sword."

"Alright, so let's put Sting down and have a talk." Alex stepped forward again, and she twirled her weapons in her hands. "Easy way or hard way. It's your call."

"Alex ..." Sam's voice had her pausing, head snapping in his direction, and when hazel eyes met grey, he he shook his head.

"Oh, Sam, you're adorable." White teeth flashed in the dim light as Charlie grinned over at the Winchester. "It's good to know you're not gonna hurt me. In fact, that's your problem — all good-guy code, no bite. What a waste. And you two ..." She let the knife swing away from the councilwoman only long enough to gesture to Dean and Alex. "Always letting this albatross hold you back."

"Okay, alright, you know what?" The sharpness in Dean's voice made it clear that the Winchester had had enough. "I don't know what's going on here, okay? But this — this is not you."

"Oh, it's me, alright."

"Charlie, put the knife down. Let her go. We don't want to hurt you, kiddo, but we're not gonna let you do this." Dean's finger tightened on the trigger, and wariness danced across Charlie's pale face. The shifting of her feet on the hardwood floor was the only sign of flight before she shoved Barbara Cordry into Sam.

Sam stumbled to catch her, and then Dean was after Charlie, boots thudding against the ground in pursuit. Alex followed, stowing her weapon as she watched Dean do the same. "Stop!" she heard him yell, and the thud of bodies hitting the ground had the angel sliding around a corner. "Crap! Sam!"

Dean was on the ground, held in a triangle choke by the redheaded woman, and Alex threw herself at Charlie. "Hey!" Her voice caught the woman off guard, and Dean rolled to the side to escape the hold. Charlie rolled with him, ending up on top, fists balled, but before she could deliver a punch, Alex was there, tackling her away.

Charlie retaliated, feet lashing out, and Alex grunted as a heel caught her in the inner thigh. Her grip loosened, and the redhead pulled herself free and bolted out the door. "Shit!" She pushed herself to her feet, grimacing through the pain as she followed Dean out the door. "Charlie! Hey!"

A black van tore off down the road, tires squealing as it took the corner, and Alex watched it go until a loud, angry curse from Dean had her turning back. "Oh, you son of a bitch!" The Winchester's fist collided with the roof of the car, and he pointed down to the slashed front tire. "I — I just ..." He trailed off, anger flushing his cheeks, and he swiped a hand through his short brown hair, too furious for words.

The honking of a car had them turning, and Alex felt her jaw fall open at the sight of a yellow Volkswagen. A familiar redheaded woman sat in the driver's seat, grinning up at them as she flashed them a peace sign. "What's up, bitches?" she greeted, voice light with cheer, but it faded as she saw their blank faces. "Right." Her blue eyes flickered over to Sam, who had run out of the house and skidded to a stop at the sight of her. "Um ... we should probably catch up."

Realizing her mouth was still open, Alex snapped her jaw shut, teeth clicking from the force. "Charlie?" Dean's voice caught in his throat as he stared at the small redhead. "How —" He looked off down the street from where the black van had taken off. "You just —"

"Yeah ... uh, like I said. We need to catch up." Charlie' gaze fell onto the Impala, and she grimaced at the sight. "Sorry about your tire." Neither brother immediately answered, and the woman's shoulders fell. "Uh, okay. Tell you what. Meet me at Berto's Ale House, okay? Because we definitely need to talk."

Berto's Ale House was a quaint, well-kept bar on the corner of town, tucked between a grocery store and a lake. The parking lot was full with the midday rush, and Alex carefully sidestepped a couple as she followed Sam and Dean through the swinging door. Charlie was already two steps ahead of them, flouncing over to an empty table, and the young angel hesitantly climbed up onto the stool across from her. "Okay, uh, Charlie ... Second Charlie," she added after a moment's pause. "So, what exactly is going on here?"

Charlie smiled over at Alex, cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment, but she waited until Sam had sat down before she offered forth her explanation. "So, you may have already noticed, but there are sort of two of me." Her smile faded when it was met with the Winchesters' terse frowns, and she added, "One of them is bad — her — and one of them is good. Me."

"Yeah, what, dick you is some sort of a ninja?" Dean approached the table carrying drinks, scowling as he spoke.

"She is a badass, yeah." Charlie accepted her drink with a half-hearted smile, and Dean dropped down into his seat with a thud.

She opened her mouth, ready to say more, but Sam was faster. "O-Okay. Hold on, back up. We —" He motioned to himself and Dean — "were there for Dorothy, Oz, yellow brick road. B-but then ..."

"War." Charlie's pale face darkened. "The war for Emerald City. It was awesome. Until ... not so much. We were gonna lose, so I made a deal with the wizard ... of Oz," she clarified for Alex, and the angel nodded; she'd figured that much. "He said for us to win, I had to unleash my true darkness, which he meant literally. He used the inner key of Oz. It opens a door to your soul and lets the darkness out." She motioned vaguely off into the distance towards her second half. "Uh, we're still connected physically. If you hurt her, you hurt me. But, bottom line, she's bad, and I'm good. And let me just tell you, being good is really annoying." Dean chuckled in agreement, and Charlie's eyes turned over her shoulder. "Normally in a place like this, I'd be pounding Harvey Wallbangers and checking out the bartender's ass." Her voice grew soulful as she added, "Now all I want to do is sip club soda and send her to college."

Alex followed Charlie's gaze back towards the young, dark-skinned barista, eyebrows cocked, and Dean cleared his throat to draw both of their attention back onto him. "Okay, uh ... good Charlie. So, why is dark Charlie gunning for revenge?"

"She's trying to win me back." The response came reluctantly. "Dark Charlie won the war single-handedly. But ... she did some truly awful things. I told her I didn't want any part of her near me again, ever. Going after the person who mur — mur ..." Charlie hesitated, unable to even speak the word, and her jaw trembled momentarily before she steeled herself. "Who took my parents away is her messed-up way of showing me how close we are, or — or could be." She shook her head, her voice taking on a wistful vagueness. "I keep calling her 'she,' but she's me. I'm the one doing this."

"Whoa, whoa." Alex's sharp tone yanked the redhead out of her thoughts. "No. She — this dark Charlie — she's not you, okay? She's just some sick, twisted version —"

"Of me," Charlie finished, nodding affirmatively as if Alex had just agreed with everything she had said. "I've been following her so I can catch her before she does something stupid," she added to Sam and Dean. "If I'm lucky, I can lock her away forever."

"Uh, Charlie? That ... that's not an answer." Sam looked over at his brother, searching for support, and Dean nodded out his agreement.

"Sam's right. We'll go back to Oz, and we'll — we'll get the key from the wizard of douche, and we'll put you back together."

He thudded the table with his palm, concreting his plan, but Charlie merely shook her head. "Even if I did want her back ..." She reached into her pocket and placed a dark, intricately carved piece of wood in the middle of the table. "Look, dark-me broke the key. There's no way to get back to the wizard."

"Does she have the other half?" Alex pulled the key-piece closer, turning it over in her hands. "I-I mean, just superglue it back together, it'll be fine. Right?"

She met Charlie's offended stare with a shrug, and Sam quickly cleared his throat. "Okay, well, uh, first thing's first. We need to find dark Charlie before she finds the drunk driver. So, we know Barbara gave up her old bank statements, right? That means dark Charlie will probably follow the money back to whoever made the payoffs."

"That's what I would do," good Charlie confirmed.

"Alright." Sam reached down into his shoulder bag, rooting around for his laptop as Dean rose to his feet, empty water glass gripped tightly in his hands as he muttered out something about refills. "Charlie, we need you ... to hack into Barbara's bank accounts."

He set his computer down on the table and slid it over to the redhead, and Alex watched as Charlie's eyes went wide. "I can't." She pushed the computer back to Sam. "I-It's bad. I told you — being good is annoying."

"Okay, uh how — how about this." Sam flipped open his laptop, fingers drumming on the table as he waited for it to wake up. "How about you guide me through the process, and then I'm the bad one?"

Hesitancy lined Charlie's face, but eventually she nodded, and Alex grinned. "Okay, awesome." The angel rose to her feet, reaching over to pat Sam on the shoulder as she scanned the bar. "I'm going to go find Dean and make sure everything's okay. You see what you can dig up."

She didn't wait for a response as she wove off through the crowd, neck craned as she tried to spot the tall hunter among the throng of strangers. "Dean?" She let her grace slip outwards in search of him, and she ducked between two men as she neared the bar. "There you are."

"Hey." Dean leaned back on his stool, his voice lifted above the crowd's murmur. "The geeks figure something out?"

Alex glanced behind her to see Charlie leaning forward as she spoke to Sam, guiding him through the hack. "Yeah," she agreed. "Charlie won't do it herself, but Sam got her to at least walk him through the steps." She watched as the bartender returned with Dean's drink, and she motioned down to the clear liquid. "Water, I hope."

Her response came as a cold grimace, and she patted the Winchester on the back. "You're doing good," she promised. "And once that thing's off, I'll take you out to get wasted, alright? And once you're passed out, I'll use what's left of my grace to take away that hangover." She patted him again, harder this time to show her amiability, and despite himself, Dean managed to chuckle.

"Deal." He grabbed his drink and rose to his feet. "Alright, let's see if Freaks and Geeks have found anything yet."

He led the way back through the crowd, dropping down next to his brother. "Okay." Sam leaned back, tilting his laptop screen so Dean could see, and Alex circled back around to her seat beside Charlie. "So, Barbara's payments all came from offshore accounts, which were routed through dummy corporations, which have all gone belly-up."

"Alright, skip to the end, dragon tattoo." Dean took a sip of his water before he pushed it away with a shake of his head.
They all lead back to this guy?"

He pointed at the screen, and Alex craned her head to see the portrait of a man. "Russel Wellington." Sam nodded in agreement. "And according to his personal records, he had a car that was reported stolen the, uh, the week of the accident — a car that was never recovered. And after the supposed 'theft,' he went on a sabbatical for two weeks and turned to work with bruises and a broken ankle."

"Which sound sketchy at the best," Alex agreed. "Alright, so this is definitely the guy."

"The man who, uh ..." Charlie trailed off, unable to finish her words, and Dean reached over to slam Sam's laptop closed.

"And ... you're done." He pushed himself to his feet, beckoning Alex and his brother after him. "Can I speak with you guys for a moment?"

Sam nodded, rising to his feet, but Charlie quickly spoke up. "Hey, dudes. Dudes." Her words had them pausing, and she frowned. "Secrets are bad."

Alex met Dean's gaze, rolling her eyes around at the redhead's righteous words, and the Winchester heaved a sigh. "Charlie," he began, "I don't think you should be anywhere around this piece-of-shit salesman."

"And — and I don't think that finding dark Charlie and locking her up is gonna work," Sam added after a reluctant moment. "I mean, she may be ... dark, but she's still a part of you."

Charlie's gaze fell onto the table, and for several seconds she was silent, deep in thought. "You're right." Her blue eyes turned up onto Sam. "I hate it, but you're right. Okay." She cleared her throat, giving a quick, firm nod of her head. "Let's go to the bunker. The Men of Letters used the key to Oz once. Maybe there's something in their files. If we can fix it, we can get back to Oz."

"Alright, you guys dig into that." Dean pointed to Alex, and the angel nodded. "Pip and I will keep an eye on Russel and, uh ... wait for Dark Charlie to show up."

Sam glanced over at Alex, trepidation in his hazel eyes, and the angel nodded once again. "We won't hurt her," she promised the others. "And even though this Russel guy is a piece of shit, he doesn't deserve to die for it. I won't let anything happen," she added to Sam, and the hunter blinked in understanding.

"Okay, just remember. If dark Charlie gets hurt ... then so does good Charlie."

"We'll be careful." Alex circled past Charlie, pausing at Sam's side to murmur, "I'll keep an eye on him." She glanced past him to make sure Dean didn't notice — the Winchester was already halfway to the door — and she added, "Drive safe. We'll be in touch," before she followed after Dean.

Alex pulled her jacket tighter around her, cursing herself under her breath for not thinking to bring warmer clothes. The sun had set two hours ago, leaving the office complex enshrouded in darkness, and for the umpteenth time, the angel checked her phone. It was a few minutes past seven o'clock. Just like it had been what felt like half an hour ago. Alex threw her head back, groaning aloud as she leaned up against the Impala.

A semi rolled down the road, headlights cutting through darkening night, and Alex slipped away from the car to start on yet another loop around the building. Russell Wellington was inside, still working, and the angel stretched out her grace to feel Dean's soul in the building as well. It had moved from where it had been twenty minutes ago, no longer in the main lobby, and she circled alongside the long, cold brick wall with a scowl. Staying outside had sounded like a good idea back when it had been sunny, but with night setting in, all the angel wanted to do was curl up somewhere warm.

The sound of footsteps had Alex snapping out of her thoughts. She paused, dropping low, and her hand instinctivley went back for her weapon before she stopped herself with a shake of her head. No; she couldn't hurt Charlie, however evil she was.

She slipped around the corner of the building just in time to see a flash of red hair disappear through the back door. The angel didn't hesitate to follow, slipping in after her target. The hallway was dark, and Alex stretched out her grace curiously; the power was dead throughout the entire building. "Charlie?" Her voice echoed loudly through the empty halls, and the angel quickened her pace when no response came. "Charlie, we're not gonna let you —"

A foot came out of nowhere, and Alex barely ducked the roundhouse kick in time. She stumbled, regaining her balance as her back hit the wall, and her grace flared up to her eyes in surprise.

The woman was already halfway down the hall by the time Alex took off after her, cursing under her breath as she slid to a stop in the waiting room. Dean was standing there, gun raised at Charlie. "Hey," he warned, gaze flitting down to the knife in her hands, "Let's talk about this."

"You Winchesters and your talk." Charlie scoffed loudly. "Blah, blah, blah, repressed feelings. Blah, blah, blah, passive aggression."

"Come on, kiddo." Dean's voice sharpened in warning, but his finger slipped off the trigger to rest up against the barrel. "You don't want to do this."

"Oh, I don't want to hurt him." The redhead's gaze moved past Dean to rest on the closed door, and Alex flicked out her grace to feel a living soul in the room. "I just want to talk."

Dean snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, like you talked to the others?"

"You're right. I got out of hand." The quiet agreement had Dean's eyebrows lifting, and Charlie's gaze dropped down onto the knife before she looked back at Alex, face placid. "But this was never about revenge." She turned back to Dean when the Winchester scoffed. "I want him to see my face," she insisted. "I want him to see what he did to me ... to us. That's all." She twisted the knife in her hand to extend the handle towards Dean. "Please. I deserve that. And then we hand him over to the cops."

She held out the knife, and Dean's green eyes flickered in unsurity. Alex slipped forward to take the knife, fingers deftly wrapping around the handle as she pulled it free of Charlie's grasp. At the same time, her grace slipped out, scouring the woman for the presence of any other weapons. "She's clean," she confirmed, "but I don't trust her."

Dean lowered his gun, motioning with the barrel towards the oen door. "Okay," he relented. "Keep the door open."

"Of course." Charlie's blue eyes revealed nothing as she nodded and stepped inside, and Alex ran a finger down the knife's blunt spine as she watched a man rise up from the desk, visibly trembling.

"You really trust her?" she murmured, turning her eyes away from the two in the office to look up at Dean.

"About as much as I trust myself," came the reply, and Alex frowned, unsure of its implications. She opened her mouth, ready to ask for clarification, but the office door suddenly slammed shut, and all that came out was a rushed, "Shit!"

"Charlie!" Dean sprang forward, shoulder pounding into the door as he tried to turn the handle, but it was locked from the inside. "Alex get this —"

Grace exploded outwards before the words even left his mouth, and the door shattered into a million peices. Splinters dug into her skin, and Alex flinched away as the windows blew inwards.

"Shit!" Dean's curse was drowned out by rushing wind, and Alex wrapped her hands around her head as she struggled to draw her grace back into her chest. It resisted, swirling through the air as it fought for its freedom, and the young angel grit her teeth as she forced it back under control.

A hand came down across her temple, a hard, angered slap, and Alex's grace snapped back inside of her chest. "What the fucking hell was that?"

"I don't ... I ..." Alex staggered back as her stolen grace pressed up against her ribs, and her eyes turned onto the office in front of her. A body was slumped on the floor in a pool of blood, and Alex's heart skipped a beat. "Charlie —"

"Charlie's gone." Dean stalked into the room, green eyes blazing. "She jumped out the window and ran." He pointed to a blood trail, and Alex's eyes dropped down onto Russell Wellington's body.

"Did ... did I ..."

"No. Charlie." Dean knelt to roll over the corpse, moving carefully to avoid the debris of glass and wood that covered the ground. A letter-opener was embedded in his chest, and despite the pang of relief that the murder had not been her fault, Alex still flinched at the lacerations across his face from the shattered windows. Dean kicked the corpse back into its original position as he rose to his feet, reaching into his pockets for his ringing phone. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey. What the hell just happened?" Sam's voice came across the line as his brother put him on speaker phone, and Alex winced again as she glanced towards the broken window. "Charlie's over here bleeding."

"Yeah, well you can thank Friendly Fire over here for that." Dean stalked towards the exit, and Alex followed, scowling at the obscure yet undoubtably derogatory nickname. "Russell's dead, by the way."

"Oh my God." Charlie's voice shook on the other end of the line, and Alex shoved her hands into her pockets as they exited the office building, and Sam added, "Did ... did she ..."

"No." Dean placed the phone onto the Impala's roof as he dug out his keys to unlock the car. "Dark Charlie showed up and killed Russell." He ignored Charlie's horrified gasp as he slid into the car, tossing the phone onto the dash. "Alex tried to unlock the door and ended up blowing it and the windows to peices." He reached up to touch his temple, and Alex grimaced at the blood on his fingers. She reached out, grace rising up, but Dean slapped her hand away with a noise of digust. "Don't even think about it," he warned, and the Impala roared to life. "What the hell was that, huh? It — it —" Dean hesitated, searching for a proper analogy. "It was like when Cas first pulled me out of hell," he finally said. "Like a fucking nuclear warhead."

"Seriously?" Sam's voice lifted, sharp with concern. "Are you sure you guys are okay?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about us." Alex's gaze dropped down to her arm, grimacing at the sight of a splinter embedded in the top layer of skin near her elbow. "What about you guys? Find a way back to Oz yet?"

She pulled the splinter free and tossed it out the window as she waited for Sam's response. "Maybe," the hunter finally admitted. "Uh, look, the Man of Letters who originally found the key — he's still alive. He lives in Junction City under the name Michael Carter. I'll text you and Dean the address. Just come meet us."

"Alright. We're on our way." Dean hung up the phone and tucked it into his pocket as the car tore off down the road.

"Hey, listen, Dean, I'm sorry ..." Alex let her grace sneak out to stretch through her limbs, healing the abrasions one at a time. "I didn't mean to do that —"

"It's fine." Dean cut her off, and Alex looked up, surprised at his understanding. "Russell was dead already, and you didn't kill anyone. Hell, you've got a better track record than me for the past few months."

"I ... that's not really a fair comparision." Alex's hands fiddled nervously in her lap, unsure how to approach the subject. "Those guys you killed, The Mark drove you to do it. Zuriel's grace ... it's just straight-up uncontrollable no matter what I do. The more it burns away, the more difficult it becomes." Her gaze fell onto her lap, and she added, "Sometimes, when I try and use it, it feels ..."

"Let me guess. Like you're strapped to a hurricane?" Alex nodded, and Dean turned the Impala into a parking lot. "Trust me, I get it. At least you know yours won't last forever.." The engine died, and the Winchester glanced up at the rearview mirror. "We've got a tail. Follow my lead."

Alex slid out of the car, eyes flashing in the moonlight as she looked for dark Charlie's black truck, but she kept her grace tucked deep inside. "Where?"

"Left. Come on." Dean crossed the parking lot towards Berto's Ale House, and Alex followed, fingers curling nervously in her jacke as she craned her ears to hear footsteps behind them. They pushed their way through the door, and Alex peeled awy from Dean, slipping off to the side. The Winchester was making a beeline for the bar, and the angel paused beside the bathrooms, leaning up against the wall so she could see both her charge and the door.

The bartender was bringing Dean a drink, but Alex didn't watch long enough to see the exchange as a flash of red caught her attention. Charlie was weaving her way through the crowd, circling around to Dean from the other direction, and Alex slipped away from the wall to follow her. "She's cute." Dark Charlie's casual remark could be heard over the crowd as she stopped at Dean's shoulder, blue eyes following the bartender away with barely disguised interest.

"You lied to me." The Winchester didn't look up, his fingers resting lightly on the side of his shot glass, and Alex bumped shoulders with the dark copy as she sat down on an empty stood, effectively sandwiching Charlie between the two of them.

If there was any outward display of nervousness at being cornered, Alex didn't catch it. "You lied to yourself," the redhead retorted. "That's kind of your move." She paused, carefully regardind Dean when no response came, and she added, "Something's off about you, though, isn't it? It's always something with you three."

"I've made mistakes. But I'll pay for mine." Dean's fingers tightened around his drink, and he finally looked up at Charlie, voice hardening in resolution. "And you'll pay for yours."

"Come on, Dean." Charlie's head tipped back in a scornful laugh, and Alex caught sight of the small cuts that decorated her pale skin from when the windows had blown in. "I'm not the monster here. He was. He got what he deserved. You know I'm right." Her voice lowered, growing in intensity, and Alex leaned closer to hear. "You know what I learned about being dark? It sets you free. And part of you knows that right, too."

"Sit down." Alex slid over a seat so the redhead could sit. "That kind of freedom — it only comes when you let go of everything. You need to take away your conscience — the very thing that makes you human — to get there, and that just makes you a monster."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Charlie's eyes looked her up and down, and Alex felt herself straighten under her scrutiny. "About being a monster."

"I'm an angel," Alex retorted hotly, and Charlie waved the bartender over with a roll of her eyes. "Not a monster. There's a difference."

"Is there?" Charlie didn't give her time to answer the challenge before she slammed down the shot she had been brought, finishing with a loud, "Delicious."

"Alright, listen, Dark Charlie —"

"Oh, grow up." The redhead brushed off Dean's answer with a unamused scoff. "There's no right. There's no wrong. There's just us ... and them."

"Yeah, well, lucky for us, there's not going to be a you for very much longer."

"Uh-oh." Charlie glanced over at Alex, blue eyes sparkling in amusement and scorn. "Did princess me find a way back to Oz?"

"Damn straight," Dean agreed, and Charlie's head swung back to him. "Yeah, a former Man of Letters retired in Grantville, two towns over. They're gonna fix the key to Oz, find the wizard, and put you back to where you belong."

"And Dean and I are the lucky few who get to babysit you until they get back," Alex finished, voice sharp with distaste. "So, buckle up, because it's going to be a fun night for all of us."

"Oh, is that so?" The redhead chuckled, and her eyes meandered over to the bartender as she hummed out a note of interest. "Well ... hm. We'll just see, won't we? But, in the meantime ..." She nodded towards the young barista, who was making her way into the back lounge area. "If neither of you are gonna ask her to dance, then I will."

She rose to her feet, and Alex watched her disappear through the doorway, a swagger in her step. "Think she's gonna stick around?" she finally asked once Charlie was out of earshot, sliding over a seat so she could be closer to Dean. "My bet's are on her running off to Grantville before the hour's up."

"Maybe." Unsurity lined Dean's voice, and his gaze dropped down onto his shot. "But who knows. Now that Russell's dead, who can say what her plans are."

"Hey. You gonna drink that?" Alex reached over for the shot of alcohol, moving slow in case the Winchester was dead set on drinking it, but when he merely leaned back, she slammed it down and slid the empty glass out of his reach.

"Hey." Dean looked up as the bartender reappeared, and his eyes flickered back towards the lounge. "What happened, did my friend strike out?"

"Your friend?" The bartender's lips twisted downwards into a confused smile as she tilted her head. "You mean the redhead? She just left out the back door."

Alex opened her mouth, ready for an 'I told you so,' but the roar of an engine had the words dying her her mouth. She knew that sound. The flash of surprise in Dean's eyes confirmed her fears, and she leapt to her feet and tore out towards the door. She was passed by the Winchester, his longer legs and stronger sense of urgency carrying him as fast as they could, and she slid to a stop by his side as the flash of familiar headlights tore past. The Impala's engine revved as it turned the corner, and Alex spat out a curse that was drowned out by Dean's "No, no, no!" He kicked at the curb, fists clenched in fury. "Oh, you son of a bitch! Dammit!" He swiped a hand through his hair, green eyes darkening in the street light, and Alex dug her phone out of her pocket.

"I'm calling Sam," she told him, pressing her phone up against her ear as she waited for the Winchester to pick up. "It won't be long before Charlie realizes we sent her to the wrong town."

"Hello?" The other end of the phone clicked as Sam answered. "Alex? Where the hell are you guys?"

"Change of plans." Alex followed Dean deeper into the parking lot with a scowl. "Dark Charlie hot-wired the Impala, and she's on her way to you." She put the phone on speaker and held it out between her and Dean as she added, "Don't worry. We told her the wrong place, so that'll buy us some time, but she's dead set on stopping you."

"Be on the lookout," Dean added, tugging on a door handle of a white sedan before he moved onto to the next. "We'll be there as soon as I jack a ride."

"Okay, thanks. Hurry." Sam hung up, and Alex tucked her phone back into her pocket as Dean tried another door. She snuck her grace out, undoing the latch, and the door swung open. "There." Her grace undid the passenger door, and she circled around to climb in as Dean ducked into the driver's seat. "Let's get this show on the road."

The sedan rolled to a stop beside a two-story home, and Alex's eyes turned onto the yellow Volkswagen that was parked in the driveway. "This is definitely it," she confirmed as she got out of the car, and Dean grunted out his agreement. "Take the lead. I've got your back... ah shit." She turned at the sound of the Impala's engine, a scowl on her face.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered, and he reached back to draw his gun as Dark Charlie stepped out of the car.

"I figured you'd lie about where to go next." Charlie sauntered forward, her pale lips turning up into a cold smirk. "That's what I would do."

"What the hell do you want?" Dean spat, and he shifted so he stood between Charlie and the door. Alex did the same, moving at Dean's side, and she carefully let her grace rise up so her eyes glowed a threatening blue.

Charlie hesitated, eyes narrowed as she sized up the two hunters, and she stretched out her hands in a nonthreatening gesture. "I just want to talk to her," she promised.

Alex scoffed. "Right. Just like you talked with Russell? You're not going anywhere near her, you hear me?" Charlie moved closer, and she lifted her chin. "Take one more step forward, and we'll have to stop you."

"You think you'll have the stomach for that?" Charlie next step twisted into a kick, and Alex ducked as Dean lunged forward. The Winchester blocked the blow, twisting to dodge a well-timed punch, and Alex tore her gaze away from the fight as a gunshot came from the house. It was immediately followed by a green glow.

"You hit like a little girl who never learned how to hit —" Dark Charlie cut off with a grunt, and Alex flinched at the blow that landed on her jaw. "That's it, big boy." The redhead fell back into a defensive stance, eyes flashing in glee. "Let it all out."

"Dean, be careful!" Alex's feet carried her backwards as she hurried towards the house, leaving the two scuffling in the dirt. "Sam!" She burst through the door, sliding to a stop as she took in the scene before her. Sam was on the ground, his eyes bulging as he choked around thin air, and Alex's grace reared up in anger. It spiraled outwards, crashing into a masked stranger on the other side of the room, and the Winchester gasped as the man flew back into the wall.

Charlie was on the ground, eyes watering as she clutched her bloody nose, and two steps carried Alex over to her side. "I'm sorry." The angel dropped down onto her knees, two fingers resting against the redhead's temple, and the woman flinched away as a dark bruise magically flowered out from around her eye. "This might hurt."

Her grace snapped out, and Charlie collapsed onto the ground, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she fell into unconsciousness. A thud from outside signaled dark Charlie's collapse as well, and Alex pushed herself back to her feet, eyes darting between the stranger across the room and the old man laying by the wall. "Hey." She waved Sam to her feet, pointing to the two men. "Who are these guys?"

She turned back to Sam, confusion darkening her face, but Sam didn't have the chance to answer movement flashed in the corner of Alex's eye.

She spun around to see the Wizard, and her grace lashed out, catching him midair and twisting in rage. The man's body convulsed, face contorting in agony, and he fell to the ground as the light died from his eyes. The sound of his pain was masked by the cry of the old man on the ground, his own body twisting as his bones broke, and the two men died with the same strangled gasp.

"Oops." Alex scratched her head as she stared down at the two dead bodies. "They ..."

"Yeah." Sam's voice cracked, and he took a moment to steady it. "He's the Man of Letters who found the Key to Oz. That ... he used the key on himself, and his dark half became the Wizard of Oz."

"Oh." Alex cocked an eyebrow as she studied the dead wizard. "Not gonna lie, but I prefer the Frank Morgan version."

"Hey." Dean slid to a stop in the doorway, green eyes flashing as he took in the scene before him. "What the hell happened in here? Charlie collapsed."

"I put the both of them to sleep." Alex stepped over Clive's body to nudge at the Wizard. "Also I killed these guys. Him on accident," she added quickly, pointing to the older man before toeing the dead wizard one more time. "This one on purpose."

Sam's brow furrowed together as he looked down at the carnage, and two steps took him to Alex's side. He dropped down, rolling the Wizard over, and Alex shifted back as he pulled a wooden key out of the man's cloak. "Here. We need this to put Charlie back together. Get the door."

He scooped Charlie up into his arms, and Dean visibly winced at her black eye and split lip, his face darkening in shame as he hurried to hold open the door so Sam could carry her outside. Alex followed more slowly, taking one last look back at the house before she jumped down the stairs.

Dark Charlie lay in the grass, limp and unconscious, and Sam knelt to lay the two redheads side by side. He placed the wooden key into Charlie's hands, tucked in between her fingers, and Alex's eyes narrowed as blue light arose from the wooden etchings, twisting through the air to wrap its tendrils around both Charlies. The air glowed as the tendrils thickend, tightening around the separate halves, and eventually even the angel had to flinch away as the light grew to bright for her eyes. When it faded, only one remained.

"Charlie?" Sam dropped to the woman's side, fingers gripping her face as he checked for any signs of life. "Alex. When will she wake up?"

"I-I don't know." The young angel gave a hesitant shake of her head. "My grace ... with the way it's been acting, there's no telling how long she'll stay out. Five minutes, an hour. Maybe a day. Maybe ... maybe a month."

Sam glanced over at his brother, a grim line on his face, and Dean buried his bloodied knuckles in his pockets with a shake of his head. "We'll take her back to the bunker until she wakes up," he decided. He stepped back as Sam scooped Charlie back up into his arms, and Alex shifted closer to his side when the Winchester didn't follow after his brother. "Hey, uh." Dean reached out when Alex tried to step past him, and the angel drew back, chin lifted as she prepared for a reprimand. "I just wanted to say you made the right call back there, with Charlie."

Alex shrugged, eyes flickering towards Sam, who was gently sliding Charlie into the back seat. "I just didn't want you to slip," she admitted with half a shrug. "If you accidently killed Charlie, you'd never forgive yourself. If I did it ..." She shrugged again. "I think could live with that, for how long I have left."

"No, you couldn't." The car door slammed as Sam approached, and Alex spun around, eyes widening to find that the tall hunter had heard. "You can't just not care that you kill someone because of your deal." A finger jabbed into her chest, and Alex shoved his hand away with a frown. "What's been up with you recently? When did you just give up?"

"I didn't give up. I'm just facing reality, Sam. I've got a year left, and unless Cas miraculously manages to find our grace, which may or may not still be out there, there's no way to stop it. So there's no reason for me to care anymore about who I kill." The angel stepped back to put space in between herself and them as she steeled her gaze. "Don't get me wrong," she was quick to added, voice cold and firm. "This isn't me being sociopathic, okay? Life — it's still important. But if it comes down to them or you, you two are my priority. I-If I have to kill the fucking Wizard of Oz to save Sam, sure. Or accidently kill Charlie to keep Dean from drinking himself to death? In a heartbeat." She lifted her chin as she regarded to the two brothers, discomforted at how their expressions remained frustatingly unreadble. "Okay?"

"Okay." Unsurity lined Sam's voice, but he manged to keep it steady. "It's just ... you know we're not just going to let you die, right? Once we find a way to get rid of the Mark, we'll break your deal or find your grace — whatever it takes."

"Or, uh, even better, icing Crowley will be part of the cure," Dean added, and despite herself, Alex managed an amused grin. "Two for one."

"Alright. If you guys want to fight that battle, you can. I'm just saying that I've made my peace with all of that." Alex stepped off towards the car with a shrug. "Anyways, we should get back to the bunker. Who knows when Charlie is going to wake up."

Alex curled up in the wooden chair the best she could, leaning back to tuck herself into Sam's solid side. The bunker was quiet, the underlying hum of the building resting beneath the rustle of pages and Sam's steady breathing. The angel's grace rested within her, sulking sullently deep in her chest, but she refused to let it out; it hadn't seen the light of day since they had returned from Junction City. Her eyes flickered over to Dean, who was seated at the other end of the table, head bowed as he stared blankly at a book.

"Hey." Sam suddenly jerked up, and Alex scrambled into a sitting position, eyes stretched wide in surprise at the reaction. "I think I found something."

"Think you found something or know you found something?" The angel rubbed at her tired eyes, her voice unintentionally sharp at having been shaken from comfortable position. "Because you said the same thing three hours ago and it was nothing."

"No, no. Like, I actually might have found something." The Winchester leaned forward to stare more intentionally at the page, finger running across the ink as he spoke the words outside. "The Book of of the Damned. Ever heard of it?"

Alex shook her head, and Dean agreed with a vocalized, "No, never. What is it?"

"A lore book, apparently. Uh, there's not much about it here, but it looks like it's been used for a ton of dark magic." He looked up, guarded excitement in his gaze. "If there's ever going to be a way to remove the Mark, this would be the place to start."

"Okay. So where's it at?"

"Tuscany." Some of the excitement died, and Sam's shouldesr slumped forward. "Which is really ... really far away."

Dean and Alex exchanged looks, and the short-haired Winchester offered up a sympathetic frown. "We'll keep looking into it," he promised. "Let's see what else I can find."

Alex's phone rang, and the angel jumped to her feet when she saw the name on the screen. "Cas." The angel grinned as she answered, and she crossed to the corner of the room, voice lowering so the Winchesters couldn't hear. "How are you? Is Metatron okay?"

"Metatron's fine. I'm working on mending relations with heaven." Castiel's voice was thin, but after a second or two's pause, it warmed. "Things have been going well. What about you? Sam said you three were looking into something with Charlie."

"Yeah, that'd be right." Alex leaned up against a pillar, free hand shoved into her pocket as she glanced back towards the brother. "Charlie's okay — unconscious still, but okay." She lowered her voice even further as it took on a remorseful tone. "Zuriel's grace is insane. I tried to pick a lock and ended up blowing a room to bits. It's been two days since I knocked Charlie out and she's still sleeping. I — I'm not even going to try to wake her back up."

"I'm sorry. Angels aren't meant to steal others' grace — the more incompatible they are, the more volitile they'll become as they decay. We've been lucky that Theo's and Adina's grace were similar enough to our own that they had no siginificant side effects."

"Great." Alex resisted the urge to scowl. "It probably doesn't help that without it I'm human through and through. How do I make it stop?"

"I don't know." The seraph's head shake could be heard in his words, and Alex's shoulders fell in disappointment. "How is Dean doing? Is the Mark still affecting him?"

"Ih, he's ... he's doing better, I guess. He's calmed down for the moment, but ... who knows how long that'll last, you know?" Alex slumped up against the walls, reaching up to pinch at the bridge of her nose. "I'm doing what I can, but there's only so much I can do from the outside. We need to find Cain or — or something."

"I know. And we will. When you find something, give me a call, and I'll come."

"Alright. Sounds good to me." A small smile tugged up on her lips, and Alex didn't try to hide it. "Hopefully I'll see you before then, of course."

'Of course," Castiel agreed. "Once I have a moment to spare, I'll come by the bunker. If I'm lucky, it will be before the end of the week."

"Awesome. I'll keep the lights on." The sound of footsteps approaching had the angel's head snapping up in surprise. "Hey, I got to go. Love you, bye." She hung up as Castiel echoed back the goodbye, shoving her phone into her pocket as she turned to face a bleary-eyed Charlie. "Hey! You're awake."

"Uh, hey." Sam jumped to his feet, simultaneously echoing Alex's surprise. "You're up. How are you feeling?"

"Uh ... tired?" Charlie's blue eyes swept across the three of them, lingering on Alex for a moment longer before turning back to Sam. "My phone says that I've been out for — for two whole days. What the hell happened?"

"Sorry," Alex apologized, toe scuffing at the polished floor. "I didn't mean to put you out for so long, but it seemed the best way to put, uh, dark Charlie out. You ... are you ...?"

"Good?" Charlie finished. "Bad?" She shrugged, reaching up to thumb at the scab on her lip, left there by Dean's fist. "I think I'll just settle for balanced." Her gaze flickered over to Dean, and Alex followed her gaze just in time to watch the Winchester's attention fall back down onto his book. "Anything about the Mark?"

"Uhh, yeah, maybe." Some of the residule excitement crept back into Sam's voice. "I found this book. It's a lore book — 'The Book of the Damned.' It's in a lirary somewhere in Tuscany. It might be a dead end, but I figured ..."

"I'll go check it out." Charlie adjusted her bag that was slung over her shoulder, tone leaving no room for questioning, and when Sam tried to protest, she added, "Look. There's no going back to Oz. And with the Wizard gone, Dorthy will be fine."

Sam nodded in sympathetic understanding, and Alex sunk down into her chair, dropping her phone down beside her laptop. "And what about —"

"Dark Charlie?" Once again, Charlie finished Alex's thought. "She's, uh ... quiet." Her gaze darkened, drifting downwards as her bottom lip trembled, but the mood lasted only a moment before she reined it back in. "I just got to keep moving forward. We all do." She crossed the room to stand at Dean's side, a thin hand resting on the Winchester's broad shoulder. "We're going to fix this," she promised, fingers moving down to wrap around the Mark, hidden by his sleeve. "I'm not letting what happened to you happen to me."

Her gaze moved over to Alex, and the angel looked away, fingernails scrapping against the table as she curled her fists. "I think it's already happened," she heard Dean murmur, and Alex shifted in her seat.

"Well, Cain found a way to live with it." A hand came to rest on her own shoulder, and Alex looked up into Sam's darkened face. "We'll find a way to stop it," he promised Charlie. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

"Does that sound like either of me?" Charlie grinned at her own joke, and she ran a hand through her hair as she chuckled before promising, "If I find something, I'll call. If not ... I'll just keep digging." She waited for Sam to nod before she flashed them a peace sign. "Arrivederci, bitches."

Her footsteps faded as she disappeared up the stairs, and Alex watched her go until the heavy metal door swung shut with a clang. "I'm glad she's okay." The angel leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms up over her head as she grinned in relief. "I was afraid she was never going to wake up."

Sam sank down into chair beside her, and Alex drew her arms back in. "Here." The Winchester slid a book close to her, and Alex half-heartedly lifted up the cover. "You see what you can find about this Book of the Damned. I'm going to see what I can find about breaking your deal."

"That's not — the Mark comes first, Sam." Alex reached over to try and shove the book away, but Sam caught her wrist in his iron girp. "My deal can wait."

"We've got a lead on the Mark. There's nothing we can do with that right now." Sam pushed her back, his shove gentle yet firm. "Let us help, won't you?" He watched as Alex's face darkened, and he squeezed her wrist before letting it fall. "That's what family does."

Alex let her hand fall back into her lap, letting her shoulders fall in defeat. "Fine," she relented sharply, and she snatched up one of the books from the pile in front of her. "Fine," she repeated, softening her voice. "See what you can find. But if this Book of the Damned is a lead, it takes precedent, okay?" She waited for Sam to nod before she pushed herself to her feet. "Okay. Good. In the meantime, I'm going to go take a shower." She watched as Sam's attention fell back down onto his book, and she reached out to squeeze his shoulder, a quick, silent word of thanks, before she disappeared off down the hall.