It'd been weeks since the incident with Sam and Dean. Madisen had run into them a few times since then. Dean and Madisen still avoided the other like the plague when they woke up from that night. Sam only shook his head and rolled his eyes.

The creature turned out to be a kudoch (coo-dock). They were rare creatures who used telepathy and shape-shifting to lure men and women into their dens. First they would search one's mind, then they would shift into one of their dead loved ones, and get the person to follow them. No one figured it out until the day after the attack on Dean. It was in one of the books sitting in Madisen's truck.

According to the lore, kudochs have been sighted throughout history, mostly seen as a type of crossbreed between vampires and demons. It fed off of anything breathing or human food, sometimes humans when going after living things, but this was rare. They were usually spotted in forests like wendigos, but some tales said they could go wherever. During the middle-ages, people would ward off these creatures by setting a golden coin underneath a floorboard in front of their door.

The creature had been hiding as a teenage kid, taking up the name Luke. He said his real name was Veneficia. The hunters gave him a chance to set himself straight, but an attack on Madisen got him a golden tipped bullet to the head. With the case over they went their separate ways.

Madisen spent her time away from jobs and figuring out how to ward off angels. The way the angel had looked at her... she didn't like it. She learned things from other hunters and a redheaded witch. The witch wouldn't give her name, but she was happy to help Madisen in exchange for two vampire fangs, a hand from a wendigo, and the heart of a werewolf. Madisen didn't want to know what she needed them for.

In the end, Madisen knew a lot about warding off angels. She even knew how to shove one out of its vessel or knock its ass to someplace in Canada among other things. Now back in the ring and rearing to go, she ended up in Geneva, Nebraska, where strange things were happening. Imagine her surprise when a very familiar black impala drove by as she was walking from a diner.

Madisen checked her watch, it was late, so what they hell were they doing? She hopped in her truck and followed at a distance, keeping her headlights off. The men turned a corner and she followed, abruptly stopping and reversing back around it before they could spot her.

She stepped from the truck and peered around the corner. Angel boy was with them, Castiel, wasn't it? Madisen sniffed the air. The Winchesters were tense and the angel was worried. Then the boys were headed into the abandoned building and the angel was left behind. What was he waiting on?

Minutes passed and suddenly Castiel was gone too. Madisen crept towards the impala, hiding in the bushes, glad to be under the cover of darkness. Screams were echoing from the building and then they stopped. A rustling of wings drew her attention back to the impala. Castiel was there holding up another guy covered in blood. Madisen reached into her pocket and pulled out a hex bag.

"It's okay," he said. "You're safe now. I'm taking you home."

Home? Madisen cocked her head. Did that mean the guy covered in blood was an angel? Who the hell would kidnap an angel? She scrapped the question, demons, duh.

"No. You can't take me back there, Castiel," the other man wheezed.

No, not man. He sounded like a boy! Why would an angel possess a kid? The angel was acting like a kid himself! He was shuddering and curled inward slightly.

"Why not?"

"You don't understand. I told Crowley things - things he shouldn't have known. He got to our coding, our secrets - secrets I didn't even know we had!"

"What secrets?"

"Heaven, Naomi."

"No. W-who's Naomi?"

"Who is - listen to me. Listen to me closely. I've been there. I know! They're controlling us, Castiel!"

"What do you mean?"

Castiel was silent for a moment, then his angel blade slipped down his sleeve. Madisen watched in horror as he raised it above his head. What the hell was an angel doing trying to kill another angel?

Help him! Something screamed at her. In a split second decision Madisen threw the hex bag at Castiel and screamed his name. The bag hit him dead on and he disappeared in a flash of red light. Madisen rushed to the bloodied angel.

"Holy hell," she gasped. "Are you okay?"

The angel stared at her, "What was that?"

Madisen picked up the fallen hex bag and shoved it into her pocket. She grabbed a bloodied sleeve and tugged, the angel moved, but barely.

"There's no time to explain! Unless you'd rather Castiel come back and finish what he was about to do!"

That kicked the angel into high gear and he followed Madisen to her truck, she was supporting him slightly. The moment he was situated she tore through the rubble and high tailed it from the building.

Madisen ran her fingers through her hair. They'd made it to the interstate without any interference. It made her relax some and she turned to the angel sitting shotgun.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Samandriel, but my vessels name is Alfie."

"What do you want me to call you?"

Samandriel, or Alfie, didn't answer the question. Instead he asked, "Where are we going."

"A safe place I know in Fort Collins. It'll take six hours to get there nonstop." Madisen reached into the back seat and pulled out a box of her leftovers only an hour old. She handed them to the angel. "Eat this."

"Angels don't eat food."

"That may be so, but your vessel does and I'm willing to bet you're not at your best right now. It'll help you heal."

Samandriel opened the box and awkwardly ate a fry. Madisen chuckled, but he hands were shaking. She took a deep breath.

"After that you should get some sleep."

"Heaven will find us."

"I'm warded against them, so unless they know my exact location or are looking at me, they won't know where I'm at. As long as you aren't in contact with them, they can't find you either."

And that's how the drive went. They only stopped once for Madisen to grab a snack and wet wipes for when Samandriel woke up. He'd slept basically the whole way and it was just past dawn when he woke up.

Madisen pulled onto a dirt road, "Hey sunshine. Have a good nap?"

Samandriel didn't answer. Madisen sighed and turned back to the road. They were just on the outskirts of Fort Collins and a building was coming into view. It wasn't old or big by any means, but it could house eight people comfortably.

On the outside it looked like any other log cabin in the woods. The inside was covered in sigils hidden discreetly in various places. Madisen parked out front and helped the angel from the truck. He looked slightly better.

"What is this place? I can feel the angel warding," Samandriel asked.

"It's a safehouse for hunters. Not many people use it often, but I created it and set it up so I come and go whenever I please. As for the angel warding, it only protects the location and any signal coming or going. They would need exact coordinates to find this place. But if you're worried about entering you'll be fine."

Madisen grabbed a bag from the back seat and led the angel to the safehouse. She opened the door and found a man sitting on the couch in front of the fire.

"Grant," she nodded.

"Hawkins!" Grant greeted, hugging Madisen. "How you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

Grant wasn't too tall, but he was still inches above Madisen. He had blond hair, which was starting to show his age, and brown eyes. Where he lacked in muscle, Grant made up for in sarcasm and wit.

Madisen shrugged, "Around. You like the new wards?"

"You bet!"

"Hey, who's he?" Grant nodded to the bloody angel.

"He's someone now under my care."

He gave her a suspicious look but shrugged. Madisen was always hiding secrets. And it always better to let a sleeping dragon lay.

Madisen hooked one of Samandriel's arms around her and she dragged him up the stairs. She stopped at a room where the chalkboard nailed to the door didn't say 'occupied'. She lowered the angel onto the bed sitting in the far corner.

"There's a bathroom over there," she pointed to the door across from the bed. "Clean yourself up, take a shower. I'll have some clothes sitting on the bed for you." She set the bag next to him.

"Why are you helping me?" Samandriel asked before Madisen could leave.

She paused. "I don't know," she said. "Something just compelled me to. I don't know what it was, but..." Madisen trailed off. She didn't know what to say. "But trust that you're safe here."

Madisen left, closing the door behind her. She really didn't know why she saved the angel, but something did compel her to. And she didn't think she could've turned away in that moment. There was something about him.

Madisen sighed and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She didn't grab anything, she just stared at the floor, arms crossed over her chest.

"Rough day?" Grant guessed.

"Yeah, you could say that."

"And the kid? What's his story?"

"He was attacked by an angel and I saved him. Apparently he gave up a secret while being tortured by a demon."

"What the hell did the kid know?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But the way it sounded... it sounded like he didn't even know he was keeping the secret. I don't know what it was, and I'm not going to ask. He's traumatized enough as it is."

Traumatized was just the beginning. Samandriel had been tortured for a long period of time, gave up a secret that warranted his death in the eyes of heaven. Madisen thought about asking, but that would send him away, and he wouldn't survive on his own.

"Why did you save him? That'll put a price on your head."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Grant gave her a look. "You know what I mean. Why did you save him?"

"Instincts. Something told me to and I couldn't ignore it. I don't know which part of my instincts. My human instincts, my dog instincts, or my..."

Madisen trailed off. Grant was the only hunter who knew her entire past. Grant took pity on her when she was still the child running from the horrid accident John Winchester had started. He was like the father she never had.

"Or your motherly instincts?" Grant finished.

A tear slipped down Madisen's cheek and she slid to the floor. She'd been out once, out of the hunting life. She'd had a child from a one time thing, and she knew this would be her only chance to have some semblance of a life. So she got out, created a life, and carried the baby to term.

Madisen had been so happy when she'd seen her son for the first time. Brown hair and blue eyes that sparkled in the sun. A car accident ended it all. He'd been just under a year when it happened. And after... she was notified that she couldn't have kids anymore.

She threw herself into hunting. Madisen probably would have died if Grant hadn't been in town working on the same case. He gave her a thorough yelled speech about how careless she had been, but didn't go as far as to say anything about her child.

Four years later - god had it really been so long - Madisen was still kicking. And she knew she owed him everything, even if he denied it.

Grant rubbed her arms soothingly and Madisen sniffed, wiping the tears away.

"I'm fine," she said, standing up.

"I know you are. But you don't have to do everything alone. I've been trying to teach this to you for years."

Madisen laughed lightly. "Guess I still haven't caught on."

Samandriel walked into the kitchen, outfitted in jeans, a green t-shirt, and a red jacket. She'd guessed his size at a convenience store and hoped for the best. Turns out she did alright. Madisen frowned at the small holes in his head and she grabbed the first-aid kit from under the sink.

"Sit," she pointed at the chair.

Samandriel followed the command and sat on the chair at the table. Madisen pulled out a roll of gauze and began to wrap it around his head to cover the wounds. She nodded in satisfaction when she finished.

Then she began pulling out a couple pans, eggs from the fridge, and bacon from the freezer. She dropped the package of bacon in hot water in the sink to thaw quickly, and began frying the eggs.

"I don't need -" Samandriel started but was cut off.

"If I hear that one more time, I will shove this food down your throat," Madisen's clipped tone made no room for argument.

"I'd listen to her son," Grant quipped. "I know her well enough to know that she will in fact, shove food down a throat when someone's not eating."

Samandriel watched as the man shivered slightly and gave a cautious look at Hawkins. He still didn't know her first name.

"You still haven't told me your name," he said.

"Madisen Hawkins."

Samandriel nodded, knowing full well she couldn't see him. He watched in interest as she flipped the eggs and started on the bacon. Before he knew it, a plate of eggs and bacon sat before him. Madisen and Grant started on theirs and he followed suit.

With each bite he started to feel just a little better. Madisen was right, food and sleep did help healing his vessel. And he'd find a way to repay her one day.

**********

In heaven Castiel and Naomi were having a talk.

"This dog," Naomi spat, "you say you've met her before?"

"Yes," Castiel replied. "On a hunt with Sam and Dean weeks ago."

"This is troubling. If she keeps showing up and creating disorder we will have to kill her, but we need to know where she took Samandriel first. Find her Castiel, and bring her to me."

**********

*shifts nervously*

Uh, hey guys. To be honest I had no drive to write for this anymore. But I am determined to see this through! I will not leave another work abandoned! Not again...

So! You found out more of Madisen's past! Also, no, I couldn't handle Samandriel being dead so... I fixed it. Thoughts?