Sam and Dean thought they could relax. Hell was closed and Crowley was human, no longer able to torture them and destroy everything they had. Cas had sealed off Heaven for good, losing his powers in the process, but he always said it was worth the sacrifice. They thought they would be safe at least for a little while.

But then the phone call came. Charlie was screaming about someone coming for her; she didn't know who it was, and all she could tell them was that his eyes looked dead. And that was it. The phone call ended and they didn't know if she was alive or not.

Then it was Kevin. His phone call had one word – help. Then it was a quick scream, and again nothing.

Finally, it was the last straw. Cas had been missing for four days. Dean and Sam and Cas had been working a case together when he just didn't return to the hotel one night. They had spent the next few days looking everywhere possible for Cas, but he was nowhere to be found. It was the afternoon of the fourth day, and they were both out of ideas on where to look for Cas.

Dean was pacing around the room, looking like he was going to punch a hole into every wall he could find. Sam was lying on the bed, trying to ignore Dean's movements while also trying to help. "Dean, we've looked everywhere."

"Maybe he split. He's done it before, why not keep doing it?" Dean didn't want to believe it, didn't want to believe that Cas would leave again. But it was always a possibility.

"Dude, you know he wouldn't, and he couldn't, not without a car."

"Then where is he?" Dean yelled at Sam.

Sam sat up and stared Dean down. He knew Dean was worried, he was too. And he knew how Dean was when he was worried, he just hated it when he couldn't help his brother.

A knock brought them both back to reality. Someone was knocking frantically on the door. Dean was there first, thinking it was Cas and he could be injured and unable to get his key or something. But when the door opened, he didn't see Cas. He saw a woman, shorter than he was, who was scared and worried. "Dean and Sam Winchester?"

"Who wants to know?" Dean asked gruffly.

"Please, I need your help, and you need mine. Castiel is in danger, and it's partially my fault. But I didn't know – "

"Whoa, slow down. You know Cas? And you caused him being in danger?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen, I thought he would be fine when I helped him – "

"Hold on," Sam chimed in. "Come in and just – explain everything." She nodded, clutching her bag tightly as she crossed the threshold. She walked over to a chair but couldn't sit down. She sighed as she looked around the room, waiting for them to sit. They both sat on the end of the beds, staring at her. She glanced between them, her almond eyes wide with fear. Her hair framed her face, which, Dean could tell, was usually smiling, but not now. "Go ahead. Tell us what's happening," Dean said calmly. "And, maybe your name."

She took a deep breath. "My name is Kara. I'm not entirely human. I'm a Nephilim, a half human half angel creature. I get to have all the powers of an angel with all the emotions of a human. Not as fun as it sounds. But that's how Cas and I are friends, I met him when I was little and we've been friends for centuries. Even now, after he's fallen, we're still friends. I can usually find him but now he's missing and I can't sense him anywhere. Which means someone who knows me and has studied me has him. And I can only think of one living person."

Sam had to take a minute to fully comprehend what had been said. But Dean stayed focused. "So, who has Cas and possibly our other friends?"

"Someone you know. He's using your friends to get to you, to get revenge on you. Because you abandoned him instead of trying to help him." Kara took off her purse and finally sat down.

"Well, that narrows it down a little, I suppose. But just tell us who it is."


Cas opened his eyes. Another day's torture, another day of silence. He coughed up some blood before sitting up on his bed. His groans caught the attention of another, a friend. "Castiel?"

Cas' head popped up. "Kevin Tran? Where are you? What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I just remember someone grabbing me and – "

"Wait," came an unfamiliar female voice. "Castiel? As in, dreamy angel to the Winchesters?"

"Uh, less angel now but yes. Who are you?"

"Charlie Bradbury. I'm a friend of the Winchesters. And who is Kevin Tran?"

"I'm a prophet of the lord. The Winchesters helped me out. I guess you could call us friends now."

"Quiet!" came the voice of their captor. "Don't talk to each other." Their captor walked down the hall. Cas heard a door open and Charlie's voice crying, "Please, not again. Please." He heard footsteps, a door slam, and then silence until Kevin's voice came out. "Who is this guy? What's wrong with him?"

Cas sighed. "His name is Adam Milligan. He's the half brother of Sam and Dean. And I think what's wrong with him is that he was in Lucifer's cage for an immeasurable amount of time with Lucifer and Michael."