THEN

She had been on the run for months now. It had been so long since Crowley had put a price on her head, that she could almost forgot what it was like to be the hunter, instead of the prey.

In all that time, she had been on the move. She couldn't afford to stay in the same place for longer than a couple of days. There were places she could go, well she could if she hadn't burned all her bridges, she had stabbed so many people in the back. In her extremely long life she'd never found the time for regret, not until now. She wiped blood away from her eyes on the sleeve of her jacket, the cut on her head would heal soon enough. It had been given to her by the demon she had killed less than an hour ago, ever since then, she had kept a tight grip on the Angel blade in her right hand, she was so close to her destination. There was one more thing she had to do before she could get back into the fight and it just so happened to be the most important thing she'd ever done. As she reached the long dirt driveway that would lead her to her destination she stopped for a moment to make sure she wasn't being followed, as far as she could tell, there was no one else around, no one except for the man she was about to meet. She looked up at the stars that shone brightly over her and then down to the newborn baby held tightly in her left arm. Everything she did now was for this baby, she almost laughed when she thought about it, a demon, that's what she was, a soul tainted by Hell, trying to save the life of a baby, her baby.

She looked up and checked around again, they were still alone. As she neared the large farm she could already feel the warding surrounding the area, it was powerful, she just hoped when she reached the house, the man she was looking for would let her speak before he killed her, he was her only hope.

The farm was large, at least a dozen building surrounded the large house. There were no animals there now, no farming equipment either, just all the tools of the trade that a Hunter would use to kill. As the house came into view spotlights illuminated her and her baby with a blindingly bright intensity. She stopped dead in her tracks holding her child tightly and her weapon ready.

"That's far enough demon!" a man's voice called out from the steps of the large farm house. As he finished speaking she heard the familiar sound of a shotgun shell being pumped into the gun, ready to fire.

"Please don't shoot. I'm here to see Colton Jones, is that you?" she replied trying to sound as friendly as possible.

"Why would a demon be looking for Colton Jones?" he replied.

"Because I have a favour to ask him, I wouldn't be here otherwise." she said.

"And what kind of favour requires you to be holding an Angel blade drenched in blood?" he asked as he walked out of the shadows. While in his 50s he was as fierce and strong a Hunter as he'd ever been, even with the grey hair and weathered features, he looked a force to be reckoned with.

She looked at the Angel blade in her hand before dropping it onto the ground and stepping away.

"Is that a baby?!" he exclaimed.

"Are you Colton Jones?" she replied.

He sighed, "I am."

"Then we need to talk. Can I come in? I could really do with a sit down." she replied with a smile.

He looked at her for a moment and then the baby she held, "Just so you know, you try anything and you're dead."

"You have my word." she replied.

Five minutes later they were sitting in Colton's living room, he sat in a worn armchair, the shotgun resting in his lap. The whole room was full of supernatural artefacts and weapons.

"Why are you looking for me?" Colton asked.

She looked down at her baby and then back at Colton, "You were friends with, Bobby Singer?"

He nodded his head, "How did you know Singer?"

"Fought with him a couple of times and tried to kill him a couple of times. I heard him talk about you to the Winchester's once. I need your help." she said.

Colton chuckled, "Why would I help you?"

"Because there's no one else. The King of Hell has put a price on my head, his minions are getting closer and closer. The blood you saw on the blade, that was one of his. I know my time is running out and I need someone who will protect my baby."

Colton had not expected that, "Excuse me?"

"I need you to promise me that when I leave here you will look after my daughter, raise her to fight and protect herself. I know that you were and still are a formidable Hunter. I know that you don't hunt any more, but you do help Hunters when they are in need. I know that you are a trustworthy person, because, Bobby Singer said so and though he was a man of many faults, he was a man of his word. So if he says you are, then you are. My daughter needs to be somewhere safe. Other than me, you are the only person on Heaven, Hell and Earth who knows she's alive and that, until she can protect herself is how it must stay. If Heaven or Hell find out she exists, they will not stop until they have her. She's part Demon, part human and part Angel, the only one of her kind who has ever existed," she started to cry as she spoke, "When Crowley finds me, I'm dead, I know that, but he can't have her. She is going to have unrivalled power and he will want her for that very reason. I'm begging you, you're a good man, I know that if you tell me you'll raise her, then you will. Please." she implored.

Colton looked at her in utter surprise, he tried to make sense of everything she had said to him.

"What's her name?" Colton asked, his tone had completely changed.

She looked down at her baby, "Katheryn."

"And you would really trust me because of what you once heard a crazy old drunk say?" he replied.

She nodded and wiped tears away from her face, "Yes."

"Why not take her to the Winchesters?" he asked.

"Because even if they would take her, that would put her in the crosshairs of every nasty thing out there. You can protect her, keep her safe."

He sighed before putting his shotgun on the floor.

"I have one question though?" she asked.

"What?" he replied.

"How did you know I was a demon?" she asked.

He looked at her for a moment, "I just know, always have. For some reason, whenever I'm around your kind, I just know. Before I take your child, I have to ask, what's your name? Who's her father?"

She smiled, "Thank you," she was so utterly relieved, "My name is Meg, Meg Masters. Her father is the Angel, Castiel and he cannot know she exists."