"This new 'Charlie Charlie' challenge has teens coming out of the woodwork on social media trying to summon this Mexican demon with pencils and a makeshift Ouija board," Riley made a mental note to herself as she grabbed her coffee. "But this road about two miles north of my place - three motor cycle accidents in two days, even killed the alderman. Might be worth checking into." Walking back outside, she headed back to her place, knowing her mom was out running errands.

Riley hated looking up research alone, even though it had been a year since she'd gotten back from the Supernatural world that turned out to be real. Shortly after getting back to their world after finding the portal, Shania's parents had found out about her and Riley's relationship and had promptly disowned her the day she turned 18 and kicked her out of the house, as they had no tolerance for anything other than the Bible's word. This in turn caused a meltdown as the girl's anxiety and depression worsened, culminating in the text of 'I just don't feel anything about you...it's not your fault, I swear. But I think it'd be better if we just were friends.' Riley promptly dropped her phone upon reading it, though she didn't let the tears fall. It hurt, but truth be told she'd seen it coming. Actually the last she would ever hear from the shorter girl was - fittingly enough, mirroring the exact day they met with a simple text.

"Goodbye Dean."

As soon as she got inside to the duplex she called home, Riley found the remote for the stereo system that was wired throughout the house and turned it on, typical classic rock filling every room in the house. Until the song switched.

"Loving can hurt ,

Loving can hurt sometimes

But it's the only thing,

That I know."

"Fuck. NO! NOT RIGHT NOW!" The last time she'd heard that song was long before that last text, and it took everything in her power to not pick something up and throw in against the nearest wall - the only thing that kept her from doing so was the glimpse of the enochian tattoo on her right wrist bearing Carry On written in the angel language.

"And when it gets hard,

You know it can get hard sometimes

It is the only thing that makes us feel alive."

"God, even just listening to this is making me want to cry...Anytime I hear it, I'm supposed to think of her. Man, I wonder..." Riley trailed off, smiling though she shook her head, "Y'think Dean would ever propose to her? How wild would that be if the next time something freaky happens and I ended up over there and they're freaking married!"

Realizing she was talking to herself, she sighed and slid down against the cabinet in the kitchen, hugging her knees as the song continued.

"We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken And times are forever frozen still."

Suddenly, the music started cutting out, crackling and missing words.

"So you can keep me - pocket Of - ripped jeans

...closer Til our eyes meet,

You won't ever be alone

Wait for me... home."

"Sorry about it going fuzzy, just been hearing the song too much." Came a familiar voice. Laela was sitting perched on the windowsill, one leg crossed over the other.

"Hey Ri." She smiled.

The taller girl didn't move for a few seconds, not sure if the girl sitting there really was there.

"Laela? How'd you- holy shit, you haven't changed one bit in a year...and if you're here, where's the guys?"

"Out in Texas, kicking some measly demon asses." She chuckled.

"Yeah, but how are you here, I'm so confused..."

"A different door, pretty much. A more solid one." She answered. "Charlie, Cas, and I have been focused on stabilizing it for the past week. Rough work, yo."

"Not like the red one in Insidious, god that movie is terrifying."

"Sorry, red one in what...? Nevermind." Green eyes rolled carelessly.

Getting up from the floor, Riley looked around, wondering if Laela had come alone despite saying the boys were out.

"Shouldn't you be... Hunting with the boys?"

"No, not right now. I'm finishing up school and all that, so I didn't have time."

"School?" Riley's voice practically jumped an octave in surprise. "You, school. I just - I mean, I went back and I've been doing online courses here and there for that environmental geography degree, and I finally got that Starbucks job I wanted since I was 12, but - I can't see it. What're you going for, anyways?"

"Pre-med. Just finished it up for my BA. Was a lot easier at the new school than it was at Marquette, that's for damn sure."

The seraph watched as the girl opened her mouth and then closed it, trying to wrap her head around how prestigious of a feat that was.

"But Marquette's like - and pre-med is - I just - and I thought - that's amazing, good job. Not very many people can get through that program."

She turned and walked to the fridge, digging through the top shelf for something, pulling out a six pack of smirnoff ice a minute later, but at noticing the face Laela made, put it back.

"Forgot you don't like that stuff...I've got whiskey in the cabinet if you want to do some celebratory shots."

Laela shook her head again before rubbing her forehead slowly. As her hand returned to her side, a small flash registered in Riley's peripheral vision.

"Laela...can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, we've got a lot to catch up on - speaking of which, you're alone. Where's Shania?"

"We uh...kinda...we broke up three months ago. Guess real life wasn't working out so well for us. But I mean, good things sure happened to you, hey? How and when?"

Laela only smiled and rolled her eyes.

"He just asked. It wasn't anything special."

"Wasn't anything special?! YOU GOT A WINCHESTER TO PROPOSE TO YOU! HOW IS THAT NOT- OH MY CHUCK, I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" And despite the pain of remembering the breakup, she forced an ecstatic smile as she vaulted forward to hug the seraph.

All of a sudden, she felt herself being moved backwards softly.

"But as long as we're talking about things that have changed in our lives - Riley, did your mom- I mean, it's just you here now, right?"

Riley tilted her head.

"Uh, no? I mean she just went out for a bit. So why'd you come by? I mean it wasn't just to say hello...Don't tell me the boys broke the world again..."

"All is well, young padawan." Laela rolled her eyes. "No, I know a certain someone said she'd kill me if she didn't get to go to my graduation. And then said she'd kill me if she wasn't standing in my wedding - but I mean, if she's not here-."

Riley's smile faded and her entire posture seemed to imitate a sad animal. "You wanted to talk to Shania, didn't you? Well you're stuck with me. Go find her if you want, though I don't know who she's with, parents kicked her out and-" the girl tried to keep tears inching to her eyes again. Geez, after three months, even her name still hurt. "Well? What're you waiting for? You probably don't want anything to do with me, after all the trouble I put you through over there. How I annoyed you and the others, hell, I almost got you killed."

"Almost got me killed three times, to be exact. Well, it's going to be harder now, with the two of you... We need both of you... We need all the help we can get. The demons are starting to show up more prominently, because of the fucker that tried riding me to town, and it's getting worse little by little." Laela looked down, expression almost ashamed. "We need more hunters because we're still out two... Sam and Dean still don't know."

"You're telling me we're actually going to have to find her?" Green eyes were blazing, though if it was hurt or anger the seraph couldn't tell.

"No? Hello, seraph! I already know where she is, and unless you have MAJOR heartburn about her coming besides 'wah, that's my ex', I'll go get her." Laela's voice rose in intensity, staring down Riley. "Yeah, whatever, these are things you don't want to hear. I'm saying them anyways because if you hold on too long, you're going to look like a fucking idiot. Take this from someone who's been there."

"Fine, fine, go get her. But I'll just - fuck, you thought the cosplay was bad last year, this year I'm not even gonna fucking try. You atleast have some form of -" Riley didn't even bother finishing her sentence, she just shook her head.

Laela raised an eyebrow. "Explain...?

"'Case you haven't noticed, after a breakup, I tend to have the life sucked out of my eyes, even though it's been three months. I take longer than usual to get over people...usually it's years before I jump back in. But no, the dead eyes thing? I'm not talking season one or two like AMKE was. This is nine or ten now, being I've been through a demon phase and lived.."

"We can have Cas wipe your memory if you'd like. Need you at 100% to get all this done and get this fucker ganked."

Her eyes lit up.

"Seriously? You can like just- all of that? Gone? I'm in! I just need to figure some stuff out first, can't you chill here for a few days? I mean it's not gonna follow you over here, is it?"

"The demon won't. But I'm still finishing a few classes before graduation and then finishing up details for the wedding... I can't stay here for too long. Plus the fact that I'm. Dead. Here." She sighed.

"Oh. That's right. But like - meaning we'd have to leave like tomorrow or something, right?"

"No... I have classes tomorrow. And I'd also enjoy meeting my fiancé when he gets home, since I've been gone the last two times he's been out for a hunt."

"So like leave today. Like, now?"

"Not this second now, but within the next four to five hours would be nice." The angel picked at her fingernails.

"But I can't just - Laela, I literally just got my life back together, though I'm not completely 'back to life' after said breakup, ooh hello idea! You think we could get me hooked up over there so I'd never have to come back if this whole thing blows up in our faces? I mean, yeah, my mother will have an absolute fit now but she'll get over it; and my job, and then..." Riley slid against the fridge, sitting on the floor, trying to think the to-do list through before she left.

"Riley, no. You live here." She cut off the sentence, voice leaking with authority.

"Then why have me playing portal leapfrog in the first place?! I just- god, we should have never left to come back here, things wouldn't have changed, I wouldn't still be reeling from a fucking series of texts."

"At least she told you herself. When Dean broke up with me after you guys left... He had Sam tell me. So boo fucking hoo. Hike up your goddamn bootstraps and keep walking." Laela had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"W-wait, he- but- oh, right, I forgot guys do that. Still. God, I just don't want anything to do with - I don't even know anymore. I'm tired. I miss - I don't even know what my point is. Just do your thing so I can start to feel better, maybe if I'm killing something I'll feel better."

"So come with. Maybe y'all can talk and actually stay friends. Or I'll just lock both of you in different rooms. All up to you."

"Lock us in different rooms - God, you know what line I'd end up pulling, and I can tell you right now she'd punch me for it. But yeah, alright, alright, I'll come with. Just let me leave a note for mum, I'll say I'm on a road trip or something."

"Alright." She snapped her fingers, and there were fully packed bags sitting by the door. "Just check those to make sure I didn't forget anything."

Riley dug through the closest one, grabbing out a flannel and pulling it on before zipping the bag back up and walking across the room for the dry erase marker, scribbling a note on the whiteboard left on the fridge.

"Think our phones'll work over there? I mean I don't want her thinking I've gone missing again...Or we could just check in from time to time..."

"Yeah, your mom sees Dean and she'd turn into Becky-" Laela added offhand.

"Don't say that. We have enough holy water here and the silver to do the tests, and well-" Riley turned and looked at Laela. "I know you really wanna go, but I just wanna see my room one last time just in case we don't ever make it back."

Laela rolled her eyes and then made a face, looking around as she heard feathers.

"Castiel, why are you here?" She scowled.

"Wondering why you were taking so long," He almost smiled as he watched Riley take the stairs two at a time, Laela following with a defeated sigh, he walking up after her.

"Alright, what the hell is so speci- Ri, you're fucking insane."

Walking into the room, Laela facepalmed and shook her head at the devil's trap on the floor, though she bent to look at it.

"Is this-"

"Duck tape. Mom wouldn't let me use real paint, but it'll come up and it's easy to break, you just need to pull a section back. Got the idea after spending a little too much time on tumblr," Riley shrugged as she perched on her bed, looking around as though it was the last time she was going to be in the room.

"Okay, think that's enough nostalgia time!" Laela complained, standing back up as her eyes glowed, the duck tape suddenly beginning to look a lot less like regular duct tape and more like the design was etching itself into the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just needed to grab these," Riley explained, getting off the bed and heading to her dresser, digging through the top drawer and pulling multiple airsoft guns out, tucking a beretta into her jeans before running a hand around the Taurus, noticing the initials etched into the hilt.

"...This was the first thing she learned to shoot with..." She whispered almost to herself, before sighing, "Think I've got everything, we can go."

"Finally." And with a snap they were at a storage lot.

"So this is where that door is, hm? Man, this is already three times the size of my dorm room, how much crap do you have?"

"This isn't where the door is. I just need a few things." Laela touched the door and then opened it.

"And then? You're all still at the bunker, right? Wait, that's a stupid question, of course you are."

She nodded, walking inside. There was stacks of things, all of Laela's personal belongings from her time there as Izza. A soft sigh was emitted as she walked through the best piles, having a few of her buffel bags and suitcases.

"Not fair, I get two bags and you have a friggin' storage unit. Then again you've probably taken over the bunker though so - you should just take over a shelf in the bathroom and watch Dean freak out - y'know when you move in together that's when the headaches start."

"I have my own bathroom. Thank god. There's two full, and Sam and Dean share. Charlie does use mine when she's over though." She began looking for items. "Also, your stay is temporary. I don't know when I will be able to get back here, and if this stuff will be here if I do get back. Might as well take what I can get." She grabbed a free picture frames and looked at them quietly.

"But what if I want to stay? I can just - I could jump between the two, like the Doctor! Or like - c'mon Charlie went to Oz and came back, world jumping can't be that hard!"

"Riley..." She warned.

"Fine. I get it." The girl snapped, one hand lifting to run through her hair. "But you had to wait a year for this?"

"Yeah... A really long year..." Her voice was far away as she stared at the picture in the frame she was holding.

Of course, the minute Riley went to touch said frame, Laela didn't think and lashed out, hand flicking to throw the girl into another nearby pile of stuff.

"Ouch, jeez, forgot what that felt like..." she complained, nearly laughing as she rubbed the side of her head.

Laela didn't apologize, instead picking up another picture before grabbing them all and setting then in the corner of the suit case.

"What else... What else. AH!" She yelled, piping to another pile and pulling out a blue colored digital camouflage uniform.

"There you are. I might need you soon." And they went in a duffel.

The process went on for fifteen minutes, and soon, every last thing that had held true importance to Laela was packed and ready to go.

"We good now? So now where's the door this time?"

With a snap, they were in an alley behind a random back building in downtown Chicago.

"Here. Kinda like the train station in Harry Potter. Grab your stuff and walk towards it. You don't need to run."

"Oh come on you tell me it's like Harry Potter and then I don't need to- yeah, like I'm gonna listen to that after waiting twenty one years for a letter that never came." Riley brushed off the Seraph's words, smiling as she picked up her bags and of course, took off at full speed towards said wall.

"HERE GOES NOTH-" it cut off as the girl seemed to collide with the wall, going through it as though it literally was nothing more than one of those plastic wrap pranks.

Cas went after her, and Laela followed after, shaking her head.

Boy oh boy were things going to be interesting when everyone noticed how much Riley had changed.