Since Dean's death Sam was doing his very best to prove he could hunt monsters while drunk off his ass. Bobby wasn't overly pleased about that but then he hadn't seen the elder hunter since Dean had gone to hell so he doesn't worry much. He was just to tired to care, tired of knowing it was his fault Dean was in hell, tired of not being able to change that, tired of Ruby and her promises trying to get him to do something Dean would probably kill him for, it was just to much. So he drank to forget, almost every night he got drunk enough to pass out but never drunk enough to do something completely reckless. Well except once, he'd been trying to take out a nest of vampires when they'd turned the tables on him. He'd gotten lucky, another hunter by the name of Sky had been tracking them and caught up before they could do him any serious damage. Sky had stitched him up, giving him a boat load of grief during said stitching. Apparently Sky and his younger sister were nice pagan gods and had known John Winchester, and didn't think he'd be overly pleased with what his youngest was trying to do to himself. He'd also phoned Bobby who'd then lectured Sam for over an hour. Sam didn't care and as proof of that he was sat in yet another crappy motel with yet another cheap bottle of whiskey. He had drunk about a quarter of the whiskey and placed it back on the table, the only thing was that when he went to pick it up again it moved away. He stared at it in shock reaching for it again only for it to move further away.
"For fuck sake I'm not that drunk!" He growled at what he thought was an empty room.
He heard giggling from behind him and spun round to find a young girl who didn't look long into her teens, with long blond hair and blue eyes leaning against the wall. She tilted her head in amusement, watching the older hunter with mirth in her eyes.
"Who the Hell are you?" Sam demanded already reaching for a weapon.
"Alice at your service." She replied, straightening up and giving a mock bow, her eyes filled with an almost mischievous look.
Sam looked a her in confusion for a second before it dawned on him who she was.
"Alice… Sky's younger sister?" He asked hesitantly.
"The very same." She agreed easily.
"What are you doing here, for that matter how did you even find me." Sam asked, he was bloody confused and the alcohol he'd already consumed wasn't helping.
"Please, Winchesters are like beacons and you're not exactly being careful are you Sammy." She snorted.
"Don't call me that." He snapped reaching for the bottle of whiskey again, only to have it move even further away.
He glared at the girl who raised her hands in surrender before continuing.
"Both Bobby Singer and my brother got in touch and told me you were being rather self destructive. I accidentally made a promise to your father about looking out for you and your brother and I'm more than 50% sure he'd come back to haunt me if I let you drink yourself to death."
"So where were you when Dean went to hell, huh?"
"He made a deal, stopping deals is almost impossible. Getting people out of hell is far easier." She explained calmly as you like as she casually moved to sit on the bed in front of Sam, taking the whiskey away completely.
"Wha- What did you say." Sam stammered, his brain not even processing her movement of the bottle.
Alice smiled brightly crossing her legs underneath her as she explained.
"Dean will get out of hell Sam, but you need to trust me and not the Ruby chick."
"Why, she's been helpful, I've never even met you." Sam pointed out.
"She's a demon and sure she's been helpful but I bet she has an ulterior motif. And look in your dad's journal, you'll find me briefly mentioned in the half paragraph devoted to nice pagans. Or just call Bobby singer or Ellen Harvelle I've known both for years and I'm the one that stopped Azazel and his demons frying the roadhouse." Alice replied in a tone that implied she didn't care what anyone said about her.
Sam remembered someone mentioning that, although he hadn't been present at the time. Azazel had sent demons to kill Ash when he found out about the devils gate the demons had lost with no casualties on the hunters side thanks to a pagan who had obviously been Alice.
"I'm as trust worthy as they come." Alice grinned.
"How do you know Dean will get out of hell?" Sam asked, a flare of hope was slowly growing inside him.
"I know a lot of things." Alice said vaguely, waving her hand lightly.
"That's not very helpful." He muttered almost petulantly.
"It's as good as your going to get." Alice replied firmly
Sam huffed pulling the whiskey away from her. She didn't try to stop him, just rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front her chest.
"So what do you plan on doing, following me around and stopping me drinking?" He asked after taking a couple of swigs.
"No, I want to hunt with you, not get in your way or stop you drinking." Alice explained, her eyes narrowing as he took another swig. "Although if I think your doing it to hurt yourself or that as a consequence you're making crap decisions I will stop you."
"You want to Hunt with me, You can hunt." He asked incredulously, eyeing her slight form, she honestly looked like a gust of wind would knock her over.
"That's actually kind of insulting." She replied, eyes flashing with something.
"Sorry." Sam muttered, feeling bad about upsetting her.
Alice shrugged it off, tilting her head.
"So can I hunt with you, or do I have to follow you around like a lost puppy." She pressed, and her tone of voice told him she would.
Sam hesitated before nodding his head slowly.
"Your going to have to get on with Ruby." He pointed out.
Alice pulled a face, a mixture of annoyance and child like joy. Some how Sam doubted this would end well. He looked down at the whiskey and then back to Alice.
"You going to stop me?"
Alice just laughed shaking her head and flopping down on the bed intent on getting a few good hours sleep while she still could. Sam Winchester deserved the whiskey anyway.
The next morning Sam was nursing a hangover at the nearest dinner, Alice was sat in front of him eating a rather extensive English breakfast. Sam wasn't sure he was going to be able to hold down the toast he'd ordered something that Alice appeared to find infinitely amusing. They were currently waiting for Ruby to turn up something Alice was way to cheerful about in Sam's opinion as she'd already pointed out she didn't trust the demon.
"You know I could get rid of that hangover for you right." Alice pointed out in between mouthfuls.
"Really?" Sam asked looking up at her in surprise.
Alice smirked snapping her fingers. Almost instantly the hangover was gone and Sam was left gaping at the pagan. Who just smiled at him. Before Sam could thank her, Alice's face twisted in a look of almost disgust and she looked down at her breakfast. He turned around to see Ruby, wearing a petite red head, come into the dinner. Ruby's brow furrowed when she saw Alice.
"Hey Sam, who's your friend?"
"Ruby, this is Alice she's a pagan who offered to hunt with me till Dean gets back. Alice this is Ruby."
"Hi." Alice greeted cheerfully, a mischievous edge to her smile.
Ruby scowled and took hold of Sam's arm.
"Can I have a word."
Sam got up and followed her out leaving Alice to her breakfast. They went out to the parking lot and Sam lent against the impala while Ruby just stood there, staring at him. Finally she spoke up.
"You can't be serious?" Sam merely raised an eyebrow so she continued. "I mean how do you know, she's not dangerous."
"I phoned around, she's been helping hunters for years."
"You're to trusting, there is no way she is up to taking down Lilith and don't you think it's a bit strange she turned up now?"Ruby snorted, crossing her arms and staring at him pointedly.
"Actually I ran into her brother on a hunt, he gave her the heads up and she's a goddess I'm pretty sure she can handle herself against some demons." Sam defended, and wasn't that strange, he'd spent the whole night trying to pick holes in her story and now he was defending her.
"Yea right a gust of wind could knock her over." Ruby muttered derisively.
"You know I find that extremely insulting right?" Alice said from where she'd been hiding behind Ruby.
Ruby spun round glaring at Alice who just seemed amused. Her head tilted to one side mockingly. Ruby seemed to compose herself after a moment and she sneered.
"Fine if you think you can handle yourself, I phoned this morning to tell him I found a group of 5 demons in a town not far from here. You can take them out."
Sam opened his mouth to argue but Alice replied first with unnatural enthusiasm.
"Now, or do I have to wait for you two?"
"You wait, even if you're going to do this on your own you're waiting for back up do you understand me."Sam cut in glaring at the two girls.
Alice grinned, bowing her head silently while Ruby just shrugged. God why did he feel like he'd be better off on his own.
The demons were hold up in an old warehouse just outside a small town that had had several people go missing. Ruby assured them that the demons wouldn't be back for awhile, so they slipped inside and got ready to wait.
"Are you sure you can do this, Pagan or not 5 demons is a lot." Sam asked as he watched Alice strap two small daggers to each leg.
"I'll be fine, besides I could do with the work out. Now go hide in your corner with what's her name in case they come back."
Sam gave her a reproachful glance as he moved over to the spot Ruby had picked as "safe". Alice didn't see why she had to be nice, she hadn't even known Ruby an hour and she was already trying to kill her. Alice had already chosen where she was going to wait, there was a large stack of crates in the corner next to the door and she'd have a good vantage point from up there. Alice had climbed the stack of crates and had been sat there for a good hour when she heard the sounds of approaching footsteps, a lot more than 5 sets.
"I'm going to fry her."Alice hissed as no less than 17 demons came in.
Alice was suddenly not so sure about her ability to take on all the demons with a bunch of knives and magic, if she used her sword… No! She'd do it this way even if she had blow up the whole damned warehouse. There was absolutely no point taking on the demons when they were all grouped together, might as well wait until they'd spread out giving her some advantage. She did however bring two medium size slim blades into existence and kept one in each hand.
"You said there was only 5 of them." Sam hissed at Ruby as the demons came in, there were a hell of a lot more than 5.
"There were only supposed to be 5." She hissed back "It wouldn't be so much of a problem if you just listened to me and..."
"No." Sam growled not in the mood for that conversation, he'd already failed Dean enough. "With any luck they'll leave again and we can slip out."
Ruby snorted and Sam silently prayed that Alice could either take them all out, or was hidden well enough to not have to.
15 minutes later the demons had spread out leaving only 6 in the main room. Alice was about to drop down from the crates when she had an idea, the corner she was in was fairly dark so she put down her blades and materialised a crossbow and 6 arrows. Bet I can get at least half of them before they spot me, she thought as she took aim at the closest demon. The arrow whizzed through the air and struck the demon in the neck he hadn't even hit the ground when the next arrow hit the second demon in the back, by the time the third demon was down, again through the neck, the other three demons were spread out and wary. Alice got off one last shot, straight through the chest, before the crates gave a shudder.
"Oh dear think I've been spotted." Alice muttered grabbing the last 2 arrows pushing them through the belt loops of her jeans and grabbing the two blades. The crates toppled forward and Alice jumped forward landing in a crouched position a little way in front of one of the demons. The demons were looking at her in surprise and Alice had to grin, she loved being underestimated. The first demon lunged at her and she got him through the chest, the last demon however was weary, and obviously the one who'd tipped the crates as one of said crates flew towards her rather suddenly.
Sam had seen each demon fall and had to marvel at Alice's skill. Every shot was a kill shot and the first few demons fell like domino's, although he would have preferred to be able to save the hosts. And then they noticed her. It was the only reason the crates stacked on the other side of the room would start swaying until they finally fell forward, although Alice did land rather gracefully. One demon lunged at her and she took it out with undisguised ease, but the last demon seemed weary. Suddenly his eyes went black and one of the crates flew towards Alice, there was no way she could move out of the way before it hit her. And then she was gone.
Alice reappeared behind the demon.
"Boo." She called mockingly.
The demon turned around and she stabbed him through the chest.
"Bye, Bye"
She looked up to see Sam and Ruby at the other side of the room, Sam looking vaguely impressed and Ruby with a rather neutral expression. Alice glared at Ruby before walking over to the crates to retrieve her crossbow.
"Did you have to get him to turn around?" Ruby asked in a rather condescending tone as Alice picked up her crossbow.
"I don't stab anyone in the back." Alice replied curtly turning round to glare at Ruby.
"None of them are going to be that nice." She pointed out.
"Hmm I'd noticed." Alice replied fitting one of the arrows into the crossbow and aiming it at Ruby. "You might want to get out of the way"
Ruby moved out of the way with surprising speed as Alice fired the arrow, taking out the demon who had sneaked up behind Ruby.
"How did you..." Sam started before shaking his head and helping Ruby up. "Never mind."
"Hmm? you're welcome by the way." Alice said to Ruby, as she fitted the last arrow.
"Thanks." Ruby replied in a tone that suggested she'd rather of been grabbed by the demon.
"What are we going to do about the other demons?" Sam asked.
"Leave them." Alice suggested. "I mean I got rid of 7 so I definitely passed that test but unfortunately Ruby can't count and I'm a witch Sam not a magician, my luck is only going to last so long."
"Thought you were a goddess." Ruby pointed out.
"Oh I'm a hell of lot of interesting things, some rather boring things to come to think of it." Alice said conversationally, a pensive look coming over her face.
"We can't just leave, that many demons in one place can't mean anything good. We need to take them out." Sam said firmly.
"Of course I could remember who I'm trying to protect and push my luck a little bit." Alice muttered. "After all it could be fun. You have memorised an exorcism right?"
"Of course I have, do you have a plan?" Sam asked.
"Getting rid of the demons and not dying?" Alice asked hopefully.
"That's your plan?" Ruby snorted.
"Well I'm all ears for a better one." Alice growled.
"Will you two…" Sam started but the bang of a door cut him off.
The rest of the demons had decided to come back at just that moment and Alice made a mental note that luck only worked for humans and the fates thought messing with her was fun. The demons sneered as the took in the scene before them, carefully spreading out and effectively cutting off any means of escape.
"So what do we have here." One of them asked, a male in his twenties. "The last Winchester, heard you were slowly drinking yourself into oblivion and the traitor demon Ruby how nice to see you. But you, you are new around here and rather young to be hunting." He said focusing on Alice.
"Looks can be surprisingly deceiving." Alice said with a mock bow.
The demon sneered not paying nearly enough attention to Alice's hands which were now occupied by two of her knives. As she straightened up she flicked her hand sending one of the knives straight at the demon, it hit its target and the demon crumpled. Before the other demons could react Alice had thrown the other knife and taken out another demon and Sam catching on pretty quick had stabbed the one closest to him with his knife. That still left six very pissed off demons to deal with and they were slowly running out of options.
"Beat it Ruby." Alice muttered. "We need to perform an exorcism and you need to be gone or you'll be going with them."
Ruby nodded watching as Alice grabbed one of the blades she'd abandoned in favour of her knives off the floor.
"So you have a plan." Sam asked as Ruby carefully moved away from them.
The demons had labelled Alice biggest threat and were focusing on her now.
"If I can keep them still you can preform the exorcism right?" She asked.
"Yea no problem but how are you going to keep them still?"
Alice smiled raising her free hand and started whispering under her breath. Sam could only stare as the demons stopped, although he recovered quite quickly and begun the ritual. The demons weren't entirely still and soon they were rithering around on the floor as Sam neared the completion of the ritual. Alice wasn't looking to good, as though what ever spell she was using was draining her strength away and the moment Sam finished she swayed rather dangerously until he wrapped an arm around her.
"You all right?" He asked worriedly, she looked like she was going to throw up.
"Yea, been awhile since I've had to do that is all." She muttered. "Normally I stick with problems that I can deal with with blades and wits."
"You going to be all right to walk back to the impala?" He pressed, they'd parked quite a way away.
"I'm fine."She insisted. "Honest." She added at the look Sam gave her.
They made it out to the car and Alice lent against the door, staring up at the sky pensively.
"Where do you think Ruby went." Sam asked as he watched her, he'd expected Ruby to be at the car.
"She'll crawl out of the woodwork eventually." She sighed as though Ruby only existed to make her life difficult.
"You really don't like her do you." He mused, a smile playing on his lips.
"I'll try to be nice I promise." Alice assured him half heartedly.
"Just don't kill each other." Sam replied moving round to the drivers side.
Alice smiled at the hunter, after today they both knew full well who'd come out on top in that fight.
Alice was right of course, Ruby did turn back up a few day's later, and although she kept needling Sam about Alice it didn't change anything. Sam had decided Alice was a great hunter and an even better friend, she didn't stop him drinking but she stopped him wanting to drink himself into oblivion every night. About two weeks after Alice turned up they had a bad hunt, and Sam got drunk at the closest bar as a result. Alice finally decided enough was enough and paid for Sam's drinks, and the 3 Dr Pepper's that she'd had while trying to follow Sam's drunk ramblings, and seriously it was kind of surprising any human could drink that much and still talk. She steered him out the door and back towards the motel firmly, cursing all the gods she knew as she did so and wondering how in hell she'd gotten stuck on chaperon duty. They had Ruby for that. She must have said it out loud because suddenly the conversation was on Ruby and Alice listened a little harder to Sam's ramblings when she heard the words "wants me to" and "demon blood" in quick succession. By the time she got them both back to the motel, which took a hell of a lot longer than it should of what with her having to half carry Sam, Alice was plotting the best way to murder Ruby without Sam getting suspicious. She deposited Sam on the closest bed, rather unceremoniously, before going to grab a bucket, a glass of water and a pack of painkiller, putting all the items within easy reach of the hunter and telling him to go to sleep. When she was sure Sam wouldn't be moving until the morning Alice checked the defences and went outside. She headed back to the bar she needed a smoke, a nasty habit she'd picked up after being on earth so long, that she only indulged in when the only other option was homicide, something Sky frowned upon. She flashed her id, which read 21, at the bartender and brought the first pack of cigarettes she recognised. Sam had asked why no one every questioned her id and she'd just smiled and said magic, which had made Ruby mutter under her breath. She walked back to the motel and sat down on the steps to their room before taking out a cigarette and lighting it with a glance before inhaling deeply.
"Stupid f'ing demon." She cursed as she inhaled another few puffs. "Why can't anything I do be easy, huh?" She asked the sky, leaning back against the steps and looking up. "This it is it? My penance for running away, always falling for those I can't save?" She was silent for a few moments, concentrating on her cigarette, before finally stubbing it out on the step beside her and flicking it away. "Bet you find it funny huh father, the great archangel Alice reduced to this?" Derision clear in her tone as she stood up, kicking a loose stone clear across the parking lot.
She stood there for a good half an hour, an ended up smoking another two cigarettes, and was about to go back inside to try and get some sleep when she saw Ruby of all people walking towards her.
"She couldn't have waited until there were witnesses." Alice muttered in annoyance, she was starting to wish she'd had alcohol as well.
Ruby for her part looked surprised to see Alice, or maybe it was the cigarette, Alice thought as she realised it was the first time she'd had the desire to smoke since joining Sam.
"Those things will kill you." Ruby stated as she reached her.
"Doubtful I don't smoke often, lots of other things have a lot more opportunity." Alice replied as she put out what she had promised would be the last cigarette. "Besides, there are a worse things I could be putting in my body." She continued off handedly. "Demon blood for example."
Ruby froze her eyes turning black in her surprise before she could react, which Alice was pretty sure she'd of gotten around to when the shock wore off, Alice had her pinned against the wall by her neck.
"Let me go." Ruby growled, pushing against Alice and attempting to twist away.
Alice smirked tightening her grip on the demons neck slowly until she stopped struggling.
"Listen carefully because I hate having to repeat myself." Alice whispered loosening her grip a fraction "I have taken a special interest in Sam Winchesters fate and I intend to see him beat it and that means stopping all the screw ups that he's supposed to do, you being one of them. So let me make one thing perfectly clear if I think you're a danger to him, whether because you're trying to get him to take demon blood or for any other reason, I will make you wish you were still in hell. Do you understand me?"
"You?" Ruby spat, a smirk slowly growing on her lips. "You're to much of a good girl to make hell seem like a better option."
Alice's look suddenly took on a dangerous edge, her eyes sharpening and her lips twisting into an almost sinister grin.
"Oh Ruby, I've been around for such a very long time, and not just on earth either. I've been to hell and spent some time with a charming demon by the name of Alistair, who I'm sure you've heard of." Alice told Ruby, her voice a half growl as she did, she smirked as the demon paled considerably. "I survived him and picked up some nifty tricks to add to the one's I already had. Believe me I can make hell look like a trip to the fair if I put my mind to it." She stepped back letting the demon go as she did, before adding warning clear in her tone. "You cross the line and I'll prove it to you."
Ruby didn't say anything just glared as she rubbed her neck, which coincidentally had a hand shaped bruise beginning to form on it. Alice didn't even glance at her as she went back into the motel room, locking the door behind her and throwing her cigarettes and the keys on the table before slumping down on the bed fully clothed.
The next morning after Alice had gotten rid of Sam's hangover, although not before letting him suffer a little, and dispelled his worries about Ruby's absence, "I'm sure she'll turn up eventually, my luck's not that good.". Sam finally noticed the cigarettes.
"I smoke when I'm really really really stressed." Alice explained when he asked her about it. "Bad habit I picked up while hanging around with hunters."
"You didn't seem stressed last night." Sam pressed handing her the pack.
"You're a talkative drunk." Alice muttered under her breath so Sam couldn't hear.
Ruby turned back up a week later and didn't mention that night to Alice or Sam, although she did keep a close eye on Alice and Sam noticed that for her part Alice seemed a lot more tolerant of having Ruby around even if she rarely left Sam alone with her. He also found that Ruby had stopped pressuring him into drinking her blood, something he believed had something to do with Alice and something he'd said while drunk. He mentioned it to her, casually as they were heading to a hunt without Ruby, and Alice's face went funny.
"Demon blood 'll screw you up Sammy, even more than the whiskey you seem to run on, best not to go there." She replied trying for a reassuring smile and almost managing it.
"Will you stop worrying if I swear to never accept demon blood from her." Sam asked, glancing over at her hopefully.
Alice smiled properly this time and nodded her head in agreement.
"I'll stop worrying." She assured him easily.
Sam smiled, maybe he'd get through this after all, he thought to himself as he watched Alice lean forward to put one of Dean's ACDC cassettes in the player cranking the volume up as she did.