Hi, everyone! I am back on fanfiction for the foreseeable future. If any of you are readers of my Hunger Games fanfic as well, don't worry, I am going to try and start getting more chapters of that up as well soon. I have recently rediscovered my obsession with Supernatural, so I've decided to try my hand at a new fanfic for it. I'm a bit rusty, but reviews and constructive criticism are welcome! I apologize for being gone so long, I graduated college and am working a job that is my passion in the real world, so I've been realllly busy. I am also collaborating with one of my best friends on this story, Ashley, so she is partly to thank for some of the writing. Enjoy. And as always, all characters, except for the ones we made up, belong to the writers of Supernatural.

Rock on, readers! ~Caro

The University of Arizona campus shown like a multi-colored gem in the middle of the desert city Tucson, as Elisha lounged by the glittering pool, sunlight warming her golden skin.

"So girl, graduation is soon, what're your plans?" Melissa Jones asked, eyeing her best friend and sorority sister.

"Don't know…I was looking into applying for the assistant editor position at Tucson Lifestyle magazine. I'm just ready to be out of school, you know?"

Melissa sighed and nodded, "I know what you mean."

"I've gotta run, I need to finish my graphics project."

"On a Friday? Girl, we have bars for a reason."

"I know, but it's a big deal, 60 percent of my grade."

Melissa laughed, "Always the good student. Love youuu."

Elisha playfully smacked her friend across the head, "Love you too."

Elisha hugged the girl and left, speeding off campus in her navy-blue '67 Mustang with white racing stripes, enjoying the hot desert breeze against her cheeks.

She parked in the lot of her apartment complex and ran upstairs, locking the door behind her. She slumped against the door, releasing a sigh she'd been holding in since Melissa asked her what she'd wanted to do after school.

Elisha had worked her hardest to appear normal and lead a normal life. Yet there were times that the abilities within her craved to be released, after having been trapped and suppressed for years.

Elisha Bailey was the daughter of an angel. There was absolutely nothing normal about that, or being half-celestial being. She'd been in danger since her birth, and her mother did everything to teach her to hide her abilities and be normal. Elisha lived the most normal life a girl could ask for. She was a journalism major at a beautiful school, was a part of the most popular sorority on campus and she had things figured out, or so she thought.

She'd never really felt normal, though. She ran her fingers through her short hair, staring at the magazine cover on the computer screen, when a knock sounded on the door. More like pounding. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she narrowed her eyes, creeping towards the door.

She looked through the peephole and took a step back, eyes full of confusion.

"Elisha? I know you're in there, open up."

She slowly opened the door, "Dean?"

He took a long look at her, a slow smile creeping on his face. "Hellooo. Been at the pool? You smell good."

She rolled her eyes, "What do you need?"

"Just passing through town, forgot you lived here. I just decided to say hey."

"Uh huh, what do you REALLY need?"

"It's been a while, ten years?"

"Two, after you asked me about that Wendigo."

"Ah, right. Forgot about that. Well, we need your help."

"We?"

"Sammy's at the hotel. We have a bit of a problem."

"Sam? Since when did he start hunting again…and what kind of problem?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later. But we have a skin-walker. I figured since you are what you are, you could help us out."

"Dean, I don't hunt."

"You know how to. That's all that matters. We really need your help…this thing is more powerful than any skin-walker we've seen before."

"I can help you with research, but I'm not hunting."

Dean gave her the best puppy-dog eyes he could. "We could die without you…"

"FINE."

He grinned, "Great, let's go."

Elisha locked the apartment and called Melissa, telling her a couple of friends were in town, and she was going to hang around with them for the weekend. She followed Dean down the stairs, the stucco buildings casting an ominous shadow over the Impala as the promise of a long weekend loomed. Dean rolled the windows down and blasted Led Zeppelin, drumming on the steering wheel.

She thought about the first time she'd met the Winchesters as the city rolled by, painting a beautiful picture in this wide expanse of desert. John Winchester had been hunting a demon, when he met a lonely woman who was tracking the same one. The demon had killed her husband, leaving her daughter to witness the bloody scene left in the demon's wake. For months Elisha and her mother traveled with the Winchesters until they'd finally caught up to the demon and destroyed it. John did not know he was traveling with an angel, Elisha's mother, since her celestial essence was hidden inside the vessel she inhabited. They'd discovered that Elisha was half-angel after a brilliant and unplanned display of her abilities after facing the creature.

Selene Bailey split fast after the Winchesters discovered their secret and raised her daughter in a quiet town in the middle of the Arizona desert. Selene left earth when her daughter turned 18, as there were matters that needed her attention in another plane.

"Hey there, wakey, wakey sleepy-head." Dean shook her from her daydreams.

"Oh, right, sorry."

She got out of the car and took in the tiny motel that stood before her. It was nothing special; the desert wind and sand had rubbed most of the paint off of the buildings, and it was only a single floor. Dean unlocked the door and showed her inside, laughing when her eyes opened wide at the interior. "Wow….nice."

The room was shabby with drab comforters and sheets, holes worn through rugs and the upholstery on the chairs and couch stained from years of abuse and God-knows-what.

"Elisha?" She swiveled around to see Sam, his dark brown hair falling into his hazel-green eyes and soft smile deepening the dimples on his cheeks. She took him in, smiling to herself at the site of his hair that still flipped out on the sides like it had when he was a kid. Sam couldn't help but stare at her; he hadn't been with Dean when Dean had last asked Elisha for help. She wore a white, long-sleeved spirit jersey, a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a simple pair of brown boots that reached just below her calves. She smiled as he gathered her into an embrace. "I'm happy to see you," he murmured softly in her ear.

She blushed, but brushed it off, "You too."

"Where's Elle?" Dean asked, scanning the room and bathroom for any sign of the hunter.

"Elle?"

"Family friend. We asked her to come along, we need the extra hands with this job."

Elisha nodded, "I've never heard of a skin-walker that you guys couldn't take care of. This is definitely a first."

Dean shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, we can all use a little help once in a while."

"So what's going on?"

"There's been four victims over the last month out here in the desert. This skin-walker has been all over Arizona, but Tucson seems to be the hotspot for its victims. It's evaded us too many times, and we need to stop it before it leaves the area."

Sam cleared his throat, "I asked Dean to see if you'd help because we know you grew up out here….and, we know who your father was. He may not be Navajo, but he is Native American. You know about these myths and legends more than anyone."

Elisha took a deep breath. Her father was killed when she was a baby in Oklahoma, he had been of Choctaw decent, and her mother had fallen in love with him after being sent to earth to protect his people from a demon who was ravaging the tribal lands.

Her ice blonde hair and olive-green eyes belonged to her mother, but her fearsome height of 5'11" and the fiery spirit that struggled to break free was her father's. "I'll see what I can find out. There's an old Navajo man who lives on the outskirts of the city and owns a native shop. I'll talk to him."

Dean stood, but Sam quickly followed him, "I'll drive her."

"You wreck my car, I'll kill you."

"I've never hurt it, man."

"Remember our first case back together after Stanford? The White Lady? You drove it into a house."

"That was once."

"Alright, be careful."

Elisha reached for the door but was surprised when it slammed open, a shorter girl, about 5'5" with honey-blonde hair and grey-blue eyes burst into the room.

"Who the hell is this Barbie doll?" She questioned, staring at Elisha with hard eyes.

Dean stepped in between the two, his hands resting on her shoulders, "This is an old friend, Elisha. Elisha, this is Noelle."

"Elle," the girl corrected.

"Sorry, Elle."

"Oookay, well, nice to meet you. I'll go see what I can find out."

Sam walked Elisha out of the room, and they jumped into the Impala, speeding off down the heated asphalt.

"Where is this place?" Sam asked, watching Elisha from the corner of his eye.

"About 20 minutes from here, on the corner of Mesa and Anasazi." After a few minutes of silence she decided to ask, her eyes nervously skimming the horizon. "Sam…what made you decide to hunt again? Dean said you were going to go to law school."

Sam sighed, his eyes suddenly growing dark, "Something happened to my girlfriend."

Concern flashed in her eyes, "Is she okay?"

"She's dead," his voice was barely audible.

Elisha sank into the seat and closed her eyes, "I'm sorry…how did it happen?"

"The same demon that killed my mother…I was on a case with Dean, he said he needed my help, and then I was supposed to go back to school for an interview at Stanford's Law School. We solved the case, came back home and….it was just like mom."

"The demon….you're looking for him aren't you?"

"We already found him actually, and he's dead."

She nodded and impulsively reached over and squeezed his hand.

"This is it." They pulled in front of the shop and got out of the car, climbing the wooden stairs to the old cabin-like building. Elisha pushed through the door, and the chime of a silver and turquoise wind chime sang about them. "Mr. Ayze?" she called out, scanning the room for the silver-haired man.

"Is that you, Elisha?" The old man peered out from the back room, a smile crossing his face. "It is you!" James Ayze's hair was braided down his back, and the wrinkled, brown skin around his eyes crinkled as he smiled.

He came out to hug her, but stopped when he saw Sam. "Who are you?" he asked, his wary brown eyes narrowing at the young man.

"Sam, Sam Winchester, sir."

Mr. Ayze only grunted, and turned back to Elisha. "How may I help you, diyin naal'a'í (angel)."

"What do you know about skin-walkers?"

His eyes clouded over, "Why do you want to know?"

"There's one here, in the desert outside of the city."

He sighed, "I had a feeling that's what was causing the deaths of those poor people… a yenaldooshi is a witch. They wear the skin of coyotes and kill at night. It is said that they grow strong by killing their own blood. They eat humans, and will take the form of a woman's husband in order to sleep with her. They are very dangerous."

"I know all about that, but do you know how one could become so powerful, it would nearly be impossible to kill it?"

Fear crossed his face, and his hands slightly trembled, "If they make a deal with the devil or a demon, they could gain immortal life or far more advanced abilities."

Sam folded his arms across his chest, "Is there no way at all to destroy the bastard? I know it's usually a bullet dipped in white ash, but that hasn't worked."

"There is a way…." He eyed Elisha and whispered so that only she could hear him, "There is a time to kill and use your abilities. If you help these men, it may be the only way. I know your mother told you to suppress what lies within you, but you must learn how to use it in times of grave danger. I tried to explain to her that you couldn't suppress it forever; I also promised her that I would keep you from using it. But with my conscious, I can't uphold this promise. The moon is full, and your abilities are connected to the heavens and the moon's celestial magic. Only you can learn to control who you are, and now is the time. You will know what to do, Elisha."

She pulled back and only nodded, "Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded and cast a glance in Sam's direction, "Be careful."

The tall Winchester caught the look and his eyes grew confused, "Come on, Sam," Elisha said as she tugged on his sleeve and walked out the door.

"What did he say?"

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

And at that they took off down the road, back towards the motel.

Meanwhile, Elle and Dean were fighting as per usual. "Where were you?" he inquired.

Elle rolled her eyes at the man. Elle Thompson couldn't believe the ridiculously annoying day she was having. She kept fighting with the one and only, Dean Winchester. How any human being could possibly stand that man for more than fifteen minutes could be considered a super power. She felt sorry for Sammy who had to put up with him nonstop.

Noelle, or Elle as she liked to be called since Noelle sounded so archaic, remembered when she first met the Winchester boys. It was shortly after her parents Tricia and Russ died by the yellow-eyed demon named Azazel. She had no idea her parents were hunters until after their death. That's when she moved in with a family friend, Bobby Singer.

She met the Winchesters when they came to Bobby for help. Apparently they did so often. He was much like a father to all of them, since Azazel killed John and Mary Winchester, as well as her parents. She grew fond of the young men, even if Dean proved infuriating time and time again.

"You are not my father, Dean. It doesn't matter where the hell I was." Dean shot her one of his infamous death glares.

"Regardless, you are under my care. Damn it, Ellie. Why can't you trust me a little bit more?"

She snapped at the nickname. "It's Elle, Dean. Not Ellie. I'm not a damn child, stop treating me like one!"

The handsomely chiseled man came in close contact with her. "I will do whatever I damn please, and don't you forget that." Her grey-blue eyes flashed up to meet his deep brown with hazel flecks. Momentarily, Dean allowed himself to lose his control while he stared into her incredible eyes. He couldn't deny the magnetic affinity to her – he'd never felt it before in his life. Not with Cassie, not even Lisa.

His intense gaze caused Elle's breath to hitch, but she pretended she was unfazed. "Dean, back the hell off. Both physically and literally, before I kick your ass." His beautiful eyes crinkled at the corners as he chuckled at the girl. Her feisty attitude both turned him on and kept him on his toes – something most women weren't able to do to him. It intrigued him, and executing kickass hunter abilities helped as well.

As his body relaxed from his laugh, it allowed Elle to move from in between the wall and him. It made her uncomfortable how he affected her. Her nerves tingled every time he was around, and she often found herself consciously staring at him. Each time, she forced herself to stop before he assumed she was his play toy. Noelle knew Dean's ways with women and while she loved the bad boy part of him, she wasn't the type to let herself be used by any person.

It was true, she had trust issues. Especially since most of her life was a lie. Elle understood why her parents shielded her from their world, but nothing changed the fact that it hurt.

"Elle, I…" Dean trailed off. Suddenly, the door slammed open, and he heard Elle mutter an expletive. Sam and Elisha walked in together, oddly quiet.

Elle was the first one to speak. "What's going on, what happened?

Elisha replied, "My friend, Mr. Ayze. He told me something; how a skin-walker could become so powerful. He said if they made a deal with a demon or the devil they could become immortal or gain more advanced abilities." Elle's stomach dropped, Sam still looked pensive and Dean exemplified anger as usual.

"Fantastic," the older Winchester drawled. "Did he say how to kill the bastard?"

"Her powers," Sam answered quickly for her. Elle cocked her head, confused.

"Powers?" She asked with a bewildered edge to her voice.

"You'd have to see it to understand," the other girl's small voice responded.

Approximately 30 minutes after the sun set, the quartet all shoved into the Impala and made their way to the skin-walker's cave in the desert. They liked warm, moist places as their homes, and there was a plethora of caves about twenty miles east of the motel.

As soon as they arrived, the group entered the cave only to find a fork. Dean began barking out orders. "Sam and Elisha, go to the left. Elle and I will take the right. Do not leave each other, ever. Sam do you still have that radio we stole back in California?" The younger brother nodded his head. "That's how we'll contact each other if we find the damn thing. Remember, be careful. It likes to trick people by turning into them."

Sam and Elisha supplied a nod in understanding and took the left. Dean looked at Elle with a somber expression. "Ready, princess?" Adrenaline ran through her veins as it did on every hunt, but the endearment only made her heart pound faster. With a grim frown, she murmured a yes. With that, they trekked through the dark, uninviting cavern.