I hear a yelp and smile to myself. The hell hounds are always so faithful.

"Sam!" Dean yells.

"Aggredior!" Nate yells at the hounds.

I step into the moonlight. "Mitigandae, claudicates!" The hounds immediately back off the Winchesters. I squat down next to them, stroking their necks. "Good boys." I glance up at the brothers. "Make sure you hold onto them tightly, but don't kill them. I've waited so long for this moment."

"What are you going to do with us?" Castiel asks. "And who are you?"

I smile at him. "Ah, Castiel. I almost forgot about you. You and I, we've met before. When Gabriel trapped Sam and Dean in TV-land, we became…acquainted."

"You!" Castiel says angrily.

"My name is Annie Keurig. And, honestly, you have to trust that I'll help you survive in today's world. These are my friends, Nate, Jason, Miles, and Tom. We can offer you protection."

"You're a demon!" Dean says.

"And what's so bad about that?" I ask innocently. "Let's be honest, you aren't in any position to bargain."

"What's in it for you?" Sam asks.

"That is our business." Miles says.

"It's our lives!" Sam snaps. Nate takes a menacing step forward, but I lay a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"He has a point." I say. I face the trio. "Crowley's plan is to open the Gates of Hell and free the demons and Lucifer from his cage. But you see, my friends and I happen to like humans. And if Lucifer comes back, he will exterminate them. If we have you three on our side, we'll be able to fight against Crowley's corruptness. If you're with us, we protect you from other demons. Got it?"

"We've trusted demons before, and it hasn't helped at all. How do we know we can trust you?" Castiel asks.

"You don't." Nate begins.

"But you have to." Jason finishes. I shake my head at their moment of twin telepathy.

"We're your best bet at taking down Crowley." Tom adds.

"So what'll it be, boys?" I ask. They share a few uncertain glances with each other.

Finally, Castiel lets out a sigh. "They're our best choice. Besides, they have us cornered."

I smile widely. "I knew you'd come along. I think we're going to have fun together."

"How did you and Gabriel team up?" Dean asks as we walk back to the house my friends and I are staying in.

"Much like how we did… Common enemies. Which, speaking of enemies, leads me to a question of my own. Why did you give up so easily back there?"

"Because I'm tired of fighting." Dean says after a moment. "I don't want to worry about Lucifer or Crowley or Demons anymore."

"You and me both." I say. "It's tiring." I point at a small house ahead of us. "That's where we're staying. 193 North Maple Street."

"Alright." Dean says.

We walk inside, and I glance at the trio. "Your rooms are at the back of the house."

"Thanks." Sam mutters, and shoulders past me. Dean walks past me and rests his hand on my shoulder for a second before moving away.

"Wait!" I say to Dean. He turns around. "Please don't try to leave tonight while we're asleep. You're… You're our last hope. We need you."

Dean looks down at me with an expression I don't understand. It's almost as if he wants to feel sorry for me, but is not allowing himself to. "Yeah, yeah." Then he turns and walks away with Castiel.

I face Nate. "Do you think they'll stay?"

"There's no telling. Should we get Caleo to do a protective spell?" He asks.

I think of my friend, the witch. "No, we shouldn't. We need to learn how to trust them." Nate pulls me into him and kisses me on the lips. I wrap my arms around his neck. "I really hope this will work."