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Chapter Two: Message in Blood

"Sail on, on a distant highway/ I've got to keep on chasin' a dream/ I've gotta be on my way/ Wish there was something I could say." –Boston "Foreplay/Long Time"

When Dean woke up Sam was once again sitting across the room at the little round table with the laptop in front of him. It always threw Dean off a bit to see Sam in that position, as his sleep-fogged brain fought to remember what motel they were in, what city, and what case lay ahead of them. He connected the dots till he reached Nebraska and Ruby's information. He rubbed his eyes and went to the bathroom without saying anything to Sam. When he returned Sam was holding a breakfast burrito behind him in Dean's general direction, as he scrolled down through what looked like Bible verses. Dean raised an eyebrow at that and then sat down on the edge of the bed to consume the burrito. When it was done he silently took coffee from Sam and waited for his brother to tell him what it was that he was reading.

Sam finished the page and closed the laptop. When his eyes moved to Dean the look there gave away that Sam was both concerned and excited. Dean wondered if they could have this entire conversation through a series of meaningful glances, and then shook his head and drank more of the coffee Sam had given him. Sam cleared his throat. "Didn't Ruby tell you that all demons were once human?"

Dean nodded and waited silently.

"Well I looked up the 'stage name' Jared mentioned. It means something. Something big Dean."

Dean fought between the urge to remain silent and force his brother to talk, or give Sammy the satisfaction of knowing he'd peaked Dean's interest. Finally he gave in. "What does it mean Sam?"

Sam's grin was bright, and he turned to Dean fully and gestured as he spoke. "According to the research I did I found that Sariel is the name of one of the archangels. At least in Judaism. The name translates roughly to 'Commandment of God', but it's what the Book of Enoch says that's really interesting. See-"

Dean held up a hand. "Book of who?"

"Enoch Dean. It's non-canon literature that they found. They dated it-"

"Sammy stop. Please. Just tell me what she is and why we aren't leaving this town as soon as possible."

Sam cleared his throat and leaned back. "It says she was part of the original Fall Dean. Like when Lucifer fell from Heaven? The Book of Enoch didn't make it into the Bible, but it's the only real account of the Fall anyone has."

Dean frowned and tried to follow this line of logic. "If that's true then…"

"Then Ruby's wrong. This demon was never human." Sam's eyes were shining brightly. "Imagine how powerful she is Dean. If the demon that holds your contract used to be human then this one has to be able to tell them to let it go. That must be why Ruby sent us here."

Dean closed his eyes against the hope in his little brother's face. "Sammy if she knew this why did she tell us that all demons were once human?"

"Well maybe she didn't know? God, who cares Dean? This is it! A real chance! Now shower and get changed. We're going to her house and you're going to charm you way into her good graces." Sam re-opened his laptop and went back to reading to emphasize to Dean that he was done talking.

Dean opened his mouth to argue, closed it, and then opened it again. "Why'd she fall from Heaven Sammy?"

Sam looked up confused. "What?"

"What did she do to fall from Heaven Sam?"

"Well it says that two hundred angels went to earth to be with humans, and taught them a lot of forbidden knowledge before God caught on and bound them into the Pit." Sam frowned at the screen. "She taught them knowledge of the moon, but I imagine that has to mean something else. But that's only one account Dean. In some of the others they say that she's an archangel of the highest order, and that she stays loyal to Heaven."

Dean looked towards the bathroom longingly and then back to Sam. "If she's never been human Sammy, and if she rejected Heaven, what makes you think she'll give a shit if I go to Hell?"

Sam's face closed off at Dean's harsh tone, and he pointed to the bathroom door. "Take a damn shower Dean. I'm not joking. If you don't at least try this I'll go alone and do it myself."

Dean looked at his brother for a moment, and then turned and slammed into the bathroom. He muttered to himself the entire time he showered about Sam and demons and all the rest of his terribly complicated life. When he came out fully dressed Sam was waiting near the door in his suit. He took in Dean's jeans and button up shirt. "Dean. We're supposed to be professionals."

Dean looked at Sam grimly. "Talent scouts dress like cool people Sam, not office drones." He walked past Sam and got into the Impala. Sam joined him seconds later, and they rode together in silence.

-

The house was pretty and simple. Dean took in the well manicured lawn, and the currently dormant flowerbeds. He walked onto the front porch and knocked once as Sam looked around, taking in the porch swing and the softly ringing glass wind chime. When the door opened the demon they'd seen last night stood before them. She was dressed in jeans and a black tank top despite the cold weather, and her long hair was pulled back into a messy bun. With her arms bare Dean saw that she had black wings tattooed on each arm from her shoulders down to her elbows. She smiled once and stepped aside to let them in. Sam held out his hand first, and Dean tried to control his irritation at Sam's easy smile. "Hello ma'am. My name is Sam and this is-"

"Dean. Winchester." Dean cocked an eyebrow at her and ignored her proffered hand. Sam gave him a harsh look. She simply considered him for a moment before turning and leading them deeper into the house. Dean studied the layout carefully as they walked into a living room that looked out over the side yard. The windows were large and allowed a good deal of daylight to shine in. The floors were all dark wood, and the furniture was comfortable and normal. She sat in an armchair and gestured to the couch across from her. Sam took it while Dean stood slightly to the right of it considering escape routes and plans of attack. When she spoke her sensual voice sounded amused.

"Dean and Sam Winchester. Have you come to kill me?"

Sam opened his mouth but Dean cut in. "Maybe."

She laughed once and the sound of it had Dean half-hard and sure that he was going insane. He'd faced enough demons that he knew they could be alluring, but this one was throwing him entirely off his game. Sam looked to Dean once before turning back to her. "We're not here to kill you. Ruby sent us."

She raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to know this Ruby? I'm afraid I'm a bit out of the loop these days."

Dean snorted and looked around. "The other demons don't want to hang out with you?" His voice was scornful but he saw that her eyes glanced briefly down and a strange look crossed her face.

"How much did Ruby tell you?" Her eyes studied Dean as he shifted under her gaze. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Nothing. She told us nothing other than that I should make sure to be charming to you."

"Is this what you consider charming Dean Winchester?" Dean watched her lips curl gently upwards and her red eyes widen.

"Well I haven't shot you yet."

She turned her eyes on Sam, and Dean relaxed slightly once out of her gaze. "Is that really why Ruby sent you? To make friends with the Outcast?"

Sam raised an eyebrow towards Dean before he spoke. "Well, she thought you could help us."

The demon's eyes narrowed for a moment as she considered Sam. She looked down at the floor again when she spoke. "She wants me to help you in the 'war'?" Her voice was scornful, and Dean felt anger surge above desire.

"This is pointless Sam. All demons want the same damn thing, and this one isn't different. She's not going to help us." Dean watched as her eyes lifted from the floor and met his. She was standing and in front of him before he could react, and she tilted her head and leaned closer to his face. Every instinct Dean had was screaming for him to pull the Colt out, but he held back and waited.

"Ruby should have clarified for you two that I am no longer affiliated with Hell. I am in a position of Neutrality and I plan to stay that way." Her voice became scornful again and still it held Dean's attention. "If you two want to put a bullet in me then I would suggest you do so. Otherwise take your insults and leave my house."

Sam stood suddenly with his hands out. Dean could tell from the panicked look on his face that Sam knew Dean was inches away from shooting the demon where she stood. "Wait, please. We're desperate and it's really taken a toll on Dean. He's sorry. Aren't you sorry Dean?"

It was the pleading look, and Dean knew he couldn't hold out for long against it. This was his only chance, and they both knew it. He took a deep breath and then turned to look into the red eyes so close to his face. "Yes. I'm sorry. "

The demon studied him intensely for a few moments, and Dean had the strangest idea that she was going to lean in and kiss him. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and Dean watched as she took several steps backward and then slowly lowered herself into the chair. After she'd calmed her breathing she gestured to Dean to sit, and then turned to Sam. "Ruby told you my name?"

"Jared did. He was very helpful." Dean took a seat on the edge of the couch beside Sam.

"Yes well, if the band becomes famous Jared has a load of memorabilia to sell." She kept her eyes focused on Sam, and Dean was allowed to study her. The scar across her left eye looked old, and he noticed she kept it slightly tilted away from him. Her fingers tapped soundlessly on her knees as she spoke, and her lips twitched in a slight smile when she spoke Jared's name.

Sam leaned forward on the couch. "You guys are good. Why aren't you famous?"

"I would prefer we remain a local phenomena. I have no interest in becoming famous. I live a quiet life. I like it that way."

"Spend your time corrupting small town America and then taking their money?" Dean couldn't control it, and when Sam roughly elbowed him he let out a grunt and watched her reaction. She looked up at Dean solemnly.

"What part of Neutral did you miss Dean? I don't corrupt people. That would be considered an evil act."

Dean gripped his hands into fists. "All demons are evil. How does not acting on it make you better?"

She looked angry, but only for a moment. After that she slumped backwards into the chair. "Just tell me what you want to know so that I can be rid of you. I'm sick to death of your highhanded philosophical-"Her head turned quickly, and then someone knocked on the door. She stood abruptly and walked towards the front entrance. While she was gone Sam turned to Dean.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be playing nice Dean. Damn it this is our last chance!"

Dean looked at his brother's furious facial expression, and then turned towards the archway the demon had left through. "Sammy-"

She re-entered the room with the Sheriff behind her. She gave Sam a meaningful glance before offering the Sheriff the armchair she had been in. He took it, and she left and returned with a wooden dining chair from the next room. "Jared said I might find you two here. Mind if I ask you a couple of questions about last night? This is completely informal."

She looked at the Sheriff before turning to look back at Sam and Dean. Sam smiled and shook his head. "No sir we'd be glad to help."

"Well I have to start by asking where you both were this morning around six am."

Dean's heart clenched and he felt Sam tense beside him. "I'm sorry? What does that have to do with anything Sheriff? The murder was last night."

Sheriff Winowski shifted in the armchair and Dean watched as he pulled out his notepad and considered it quietly. When he looked up all traces of friendliness were gone. "Well boys there was a second murder this morning. That makes two murders since you two arrived. Maybe you can see why this concerns me a little."

Sariel cleared her throat gently. "Sheriff they've been here since late last night."

He looked at her for a moment before looking back towards Sam and Dean. "They checked into the motel last night."

"Yes, they did. After that they came over to speak to me about their label. I offered them a place to stay." She sent a meaningful glance to Dean, looked down and blushed a bit, and the Sheriff looked away and cleared his own throat.

Dean was flummoxed. The demon was covering for them. Getting them arrested for murder would have been a fairly simple way to get them out of her hair. The Sheriff looked at her sternly. "Sari you sure 'bout this? That's not like you."

She smiled weakly at the Sheriff. "No sir, it is certainly not." She looked away for a moment and toyed with her fingers.

The Sheriff gave Dean a thunderous look he had seen too many times in the eyes of boyfriends and fathers. He glanced downwards and tried to fake a look of shame. Sam finally broke the silence.

"So you see Sheriff we were here. Are there any other questions we can help you with?"

Sheriff Winowski stood and closed his notepad. "No boys that's about it. Have a pleasant day." He nodded respectfully to Sariel and Sam before giving Dean one last look. He left and the room was deadly silent. Finally Dean turned to the demon.

"Why did you do that?" He wanted her to look up and smile coyly at him. Wanted her to make one of the expressions he was used to seeing demons give instead of all of the soulful glances and sadness she'd had so far. If she would just use one of the expressions he was used to he was sure he could understand what was going on here. Instead she looked at Sam and ignored Dean's question.

"I think the two of you may have a case."

Sam raised an eyebrow at her. "What?" Dean felt his hands clench into fists.

"Sheriff Winowski's notepad. I could read it over his shoulder. It said that there were no fingerprints and no footprints at either murder scene. No trace evidence of any kind, and the wounds don't match any weapon they can think of. That sounds like a Winchester case to me."

Sam looked hesitantly at Dean, and then turned back to her. "We're not here for a case."

She smiled softly. "Solve it. Stop the murders. If you do I'll tell you whatever it is you came to find out."

Dean narrowed his eyes at her. "You're starting to get really cryptic here lady. You wanna tell us why you care if a couple humans get killed?"

She looked Dean in the eye, and he felt that surge of arousal again before he tamped it down and focused on his ever present anger. "Because I like this town, and I like these people. But I can't help them."

-

The ride to the morgue was silent, and Dean could feel Sam brimming over with the need to discuss what had happened inside Sariel's living room. He tried to encourage Sam's silence with his posture, but Sam had always been bad about ignoring Dean's subtle clues. Instead his brother let out a sigh and then leaned back. "Dean we have to talk about this."

"No Sammy. We really don't." He sped up a little and took a turn off the highway to head into town. "See if we don't talk about it we can just enjoy the ride and work for the demon. If we talk about it we have to discuss why we're working for a damn demon."

"She wants us to help people."

"She's supposed to be really powerful but she can't help them herself Sam. Either she doesn't really wanna help them or she's too weak to do so. Either way this was a dead end. Ruby tricked us."

Sam shook his head and hit the dashboard angrily, earning a glare from Dean. "This isn't a trick. There's something there. Something she can do. Did you see the way that Sheriff looked at you Dean? These people like her. There has to be a reason for that. She's…different."

Dean pulled into the morgue's parking lot and turned to Sam. "She's a demon Sam." He turned the car off and exited quickly to make his point. Sam exited across from him and the two walked into the morgue with thunderous looks on their faces. Dean was used to Sam thinking he knew better, and throwing fits when Dean refused to buy into it. It didn't matter that she seemed interested in them helping the people of the town. It didn't matter if she asked them to help a hundred people, or volunteered at the homeless shelter, or fed starving kittens. She was a demon. End of story. Nothing else to see or learn and certainly nothing to be goddamn attracted too.

Sam sweet-talked the receptionist, and they slid past her into the morgue proper where they found the two victims. Dean opened the drawer for the body from this morning, and froze at the look on the young man's face. He couldn't have been older than eighteen or nineteen, and his eyes were frozen in wide horror. Dean studied the corpse's expression for a few seconds before he looked at the torn open throat. On the other side Sam was staring at another face contorted in horror, and another torn apart throat. Dean closed the drawer and considered Sam's expression.

"He was young." Sam's face was closed off. He looked up and saw Dean staring at him. Dean knew the look Sam was trying to control, and he knew that they'd be investigating this one whether the demon could offer them a prize or not. Sam was emotionally invested now. There was no going back. It was about to be a long few days of boring research and sad girly conversations about lost loved ones and secrets until they finally found the culprit and destroyed it. Dean was almost happy about that. Routine would be excellent.

Ruby was waiting for them at the Impala when they exited the library. She stared at the two of them, leaning indolently on Dean's car with her arms crossed under her breasts. Dean was glad that the sight of her only made him angry. He pointed a finger at her and strode forwards closing the distance between them quickly. "You sent us to a damn demon."

She gave him a disapproving look, and then turned to Sam. "Sammy could you please leash your brother. I'm finding him less pleasant with every visit."

Sam caught up to the two of them and stood next to Dean. "Ruby. Dean and I have some questions."

"Of course you do, and I'll answer all of them. Let's take a ride though." She was glancing at the people passing by in the parking lot and Dean understood what she was getting at, but he wasn't too eager to let her into his car again. Finally he rolled his eyes and moved around to the driver's side door. Sam opened the passenger side and let Ruby in. Once the car had started and they were driving towards the motel Sam turned in his seat and caught Ruby's eye.

"You told us all demons were once human."

Ruby looked at Dean in the rearview mirror. "Your brother has a poor memory. I qualified that by saying all the demons Ihad metwere once human. I've never met Sariel."

Dean clenched the wheel and pulled into the parking lot. He got out of the Impala and Sam and Ruby followed him into the motel room. She collapsed on Sam's bed and smiled up at the two of them. Dean was pleased that there was still not a hint of arousal at the sight of her sprawled out suggestively. "So, did the famous Dean Winchester charm win her over?"

Dean clenched his jaw and looked away. "I didn't try it. I don't see how making her think I'm a nice guy is gonna make her care about my situation. Plus, she can't even save some people in her own town. How's she supposed to help me?"

Ruby sat up quickly and narrowed her eyes at Dean. "Tell me you didn't insult her." Dean looked away. Sam tried to look diplomatic. Ruby groaned and covered her face. "You're an idiot Dean Winchester."

That was the last straw. Between his brother insisting he be polite to one demon and another constantly dropping in to belittle him Dean's flimsy control over his rage broke. He pulled the Colt and cocked it. "Listen bitch, if you don't start telling us why I have to be nice to her I'm gonna put you down for good. I'm tired of your attitude and I'm tired of your smirk."

All traces of smug superiority left Ruby's face. She looked at Dean seriously. "Because love made her break a contract before. You want to hear the story? Put the gun down."

Sam's hand covered his and slowly lowered the gun. They were silent as Ruby composed herself. "Ok, so I wasn't there but this is what I was told. Sariel was one of the first, and the first are all special. They have abilities related to their names."

"Commandment of God," Sam whispered and Ruby smiled at him.

"Ten points to the younger Winchester. So one day Sariel is down in Hell and some young demon comes up to her and whoever she's with and starts bragging about how he tricked a poor soul into damnation. Sariel goes and meets this soul and she falls in love. Real love. So she goes back and tells the demon to release the soul, but he refuses. So she makes him break the contract. No one is quite sure how, because we don't know how those names work, but it happens. Then she takes the soul, personally, up to Heaven and deposits it in the drop box or whatever. By doing all of this she's broken her loyalty to Hell which should make her a target, but she makes some kind of deal. She's not going to join either side, and they'll both leave her alone. She becomes Neutral, which may not seem like much, but it's unheard of before and since. No one is Neutral. So she can't do anything considered really good and she can't do anything considered really evil. If she breaks her Neutrality and declares a side she's open season for anything that holds a grudge."

Dean's hands were clenched so tight he couldn't feel his fingertips. Sam was staring at Ruby with his mouth slightly open. "You wanted Dean to charm her so she'd fall in love with him."

Ruby pointed at Sam. "Ten more points Sammy. Dean you're going to have to work hard to catch up."

Dean couldn't put into words what he was feeling. Demons weren't supposed to love. They weren't supposed to do good things. It was hard enough to believe that Ruby's fondness for her memories of humanity made her want to turn on Hell in the war. Believing that a demon was willing to turn her back on being what, if Ruby was right, basically meant a position of great authority to sing in a seedy bar and live in the middle of nowhere was too much. If it was true she was either insane or beyond comprehension. He considered Ruby's cool look. "I'm supposed to make her fall in love with me, and then spring on her that I sold my soul?"

Ruby nodded once. She didn't award him points. "That's why I told you this was impossible." Dean closed his eyes and flexed his fingers. Beside him Sam stepped away and sat in the room's only chair.

When Sammy spoke his voice was cracked and desperate. "Dean can do it. Dean can make her fall in love if that's what it takes." Dean's eyes flew to Sam and caught the look there. It was the face Sam made so many times when they were children and he needed Dean to tell him a lie to make him feel better. It was the face he'd had on that terrible Christmas Eve when Dean had finally told him the truth about monsters. It was the only expression Sam had that Dean wasn't even slightly hardened against. Because this was Sammy. His whole life had been about two things and with Azazel dead the only one he had left was his little brother. He covered his eyes for a moment, and when his voice came out it was so dead he barely recognized it.

"I can do this."

Ruby studied the brothers silently and nodded. "It's unfortunate she knew who you were. I thought she'd been out of contact longer than that. Still I doubt she knows about Dean's deal, and it should stay that way."

Ruby stood and hesitated before patting Dean once on the shoulder. She left without saying anything else. Dean turned to Sam once she was gone. They looked at each other for several minutes until Dean couldn't stand the raw emotion on Sam's face anymore. He turned away and got a tight grip on his feelings. "What do we do next for this hunt Sam?"

He heard Sam clear his throat. "Well we know that the two kids who are dead were best friends, and both of them were on the football team. The problem is we already have a cover story and if we change it to go snooping around the Sheriff is going to be more suspicious than he already is."

"So how do we find out what they've been up to if we can't go fishing for information?"

"We've got two people in town who can give us information. Jared and…Sariel. I'll talk to one and you talk to the other."

Dean rubbed his jaw. It had begun to hurt and he wasn't sure it would stop any time soon. He turned around and fixed Sam with a gaze. "I'll talk to Sariel. Maybe I can smooth things over a bit." Sam looked surprised, but he nodded and then went into the bathroom to change.

-

It was hard enough that Dean had to go into this house again, but the fact that Sam had just driven away in his baby made it almost impossible. He raised his hand to knock and she had the door open before his fist met wood. Instead his knuckles collided with the bridge of her nose, and she stumbled backwards with her hand over her face and a yelped "Asshole" in Dean's direction. Dean stood frozen in the doorway, mouth open and eyes wide.

They stared at one another in silence until Dean cast his eyes downward. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

She stepped back from the door and gestured him inside. He followed her to the back of the house, into a well-equipped kitchen. The smell of baked goods overwhelmed him, and for a moment Dean's stomach grumbled as he thought of a kitchen in Kansas, and a blonde woman he sometimes considered a stranger with a plate full of fresh-baked cookies. She pulled a chair back from the bar and pointed Dean into it before heading over to the oven. He watched her scooping out balls of dough onto a baking sheet, and when the timer went off she pulled out the current batch of cookies and put the new tray in. She switched the freshly baked ones onto cooling racks and then stood across the bar staring at him speculatively.

"I really didn't mean to hit you in the face."

Dean realized the soft music she was listening to was Pink Floyd. He pointed to one of the speakers mounted in the wall above the bar. "This is a good album."

She still hadn't spoken. Dean watched as she took the last of the cookies out of the oven. She pulled two of the cooled ones off the rack and put them on a small plate on the bar before pouring two glasses of milk. She sat down at the opposite end of the bar from Dean after depositing one glass in front of him. He looked at it speculatively.

"Is this poison?"

Her laugh almost made him hard again. She took one of the cookies and bit into it. She smiled around her mouthful and then swallowed. "You don't have to be sweet to me anymore Dean. We've made an agreement about payment. You can stop trying."

Dean wished that were true. He picked the cookie up and bit into it. There was a moment where flavors burst against his tongue, and Pink Floyd sang like a heavenly choir in the background. If there wasn't a gorgeous demon he was supposed to seduce and trick sitting across from him he would have believed this was heaven. "These cookies are delicious."

She cocked her head, and he realized whenever she did that she was turning her scar away from him. He pointed towards her face. "How'd you get that thing anyway?"

Her lips tightened and she bit into the cookie again before taking a drink of milk. "I made someone angry. What did you come here for Dean?"

So no asking about the scar. Check. He looked around the kitchen at the large amount of baked goods sitting on cooling racks. "Why are you baking all of these?"

She finished her cookie and drank down her milk before she answered him. She had turned away, and he could only see her hair, and hints of the right side of her face. "One of Jared's friends went missing a week ago. I'm making these for her family."

Dean finished his cookie in silence. Every time he thought he had a handle on her she squirmed out of his understanding. She wasn't supposed to be able to do good things, but this seemed like a good thing. He kept his mouth closed till he knew he wouldn't ask her about anything that would give his endgame away. Apparently he stared too long because she finally turned and looked at him. "Dean. You've been gaping at me for five minutes. Why did you come here?"

He swallowed. "Sam and I need some info and we can't follow our usual procedure. We've already got a cover story that doesn't allow for the usual approach. I was wondering what you could tell me about the two boys who were murdered."

She stood and pulled two more cookies off the racks. She put them down in front of Dean and refilled his glass. He didn't hesitate to stuff one down almost immediately. That tiny grin played along her lips and then disappeared. "They were good friends, played on the high school football team. Got into trouble once or twice with Sheriff Winowski for the usual teenage bullshit."

"Did anyone have a grudge against them? Did they start fights or maybe bully anybody?"

She shook her head and ran her fingers over the granite countertop. "Not that I know of. I'm not that connected in social circles around here, but they seemed to be fairly well-liked. Lotta girlfriends. You know how it is in these little towns. Those boys were part of Macy royalty."

Dean heard his baby growling her way up the driveway, and Sariel glanced towards the front door before going to open it. He heard Sam tell her hello, and then his little brother followed her back into the kitchen. Sam shot him a look from the doorway when he saw Dean with a cookie halfway to his mouth. Dean sent him the look right back. Sariel made Sam a small plate of cookies and his own glass of milk before she began to box them up. Sam sat at the bar and looked at the cookies. "Any luck Dean?"

Sam's gaze was heavy, and Dean nodded hesitantly before saying, "Not really. Popular boys that are well-liked. You?"

Sam leaned back in relief and shoved a cookie in his mouth. Dean watched his face light up, and then Sam closed his eyes in pleasure and made appreciative noises through a mouthful of chocolate. Dean couldn't control the smile that broke out over his face, and he turned to share it with Sariel. Her red eyes sobered his good humor. Her expression was strange, almost pained, and when Dean looked to her she turned her back to the two Winchesters and went back to boxing up cookies. Once Sam had cleared his plate and emptied his milk he turned to Dean.

"Well Jared said about the same thing. Except he added that he wasn't too fond of them." Sam's eyes were lit up, and Dean knew that look all too well. It's was Sam's way of being triumphant when he had beat Dean to an angle or an answer. He leaned in. "Apparently they were harassing a friend of his about a week ago. A girl named Anna Sterns." Across the kitchen a cooling rack rattled and fell with a crash scattering cookies across the floor. Dean and Sam both jumped at the sound, and then Sam crossed the kitchen and leaned down to help Sariel as she began to gather up cookies. Dean stepped around the bar and looked down at her bent head. Sam was holding a cookie in either hand and staring at her strangely.

She stood and passed Dean without a word, dropping cookies into the trash can and then walking back to pick up the cooling rack and put it in the sink. Still silent she picked up the box of cookies and handed them to Sam. When she made eye contact with Dean he saw what Sam had been so concerned about. Her red eyes had gone darker, and were swimming with black flecks. Dean took a hesitant step back and gestured to Sam to step away. Sariel licked her lips and looked away from them, and when she looked back they had returned to their original color. She pointed down the hallway behind them.

"The Sterns live on Donald Street. Big brick house with little cherubs in the yard. You can't miss it. Take them their cookies." Dean felt his insides go cold, and Sariel walked past the two of them and disappeared into the house beyond. Sam turned his confusion on Dean.

"What was that all about? Why are we taking this girl's family cookies?"

Dean swallowed and looked at the box in Sam's hands. "Because she went missing a week ago." Sam's face cycled through confusion to understanding and then darkness. He nodded and the two Winchesters walked out to the Impala.

-

They arrived on Donald Street without an issue, and pulled up in front of the big brick house. When Dean knocked he gave Sam a look, and Sam pulled it together and put on his most sympathetic face. The woman that greeted them had a worn and drawn look, but when they told her Sariel had sent them with cookies she gave them a tired smile. They followed her inside, and accepted the offer to have one before they left. Before the chocolate had tasted heavenly, but sitting in this woman's kitchen he found it was comparable to a mouthful of ashes. Dean let Sam begin the conversation, and then excused himself to the bathroom.

He wandered the upstairs of the Sterns' home till he found the room with Anna's name hanging off the door. Inside nothing had been touched, and he glanced over pictures of a bright and smiling young blonde. Several of those pictures included Jared, and he was surprised to see one of Jared and Sariel standing with the girl. Jared was looking at Anna in a way that Dean recognized all too easily. Unadulterated puppy love. Anna was saying something to Sariel, and Sariel was laughing. It was this sight that arrested him for a moment. He had seen her amused and angry and solemn, but this was something new. Her entire face was lit up, her scar was turned towards the camera, and her eyes were shut while she was trapped in the throes of her laughter. He had to seduce this woman. Damn.

He turned from the picture to focus on the task at hand. He found the diary under the mattress, and tucked it under his jacket before slipping back into the kitchen. Sam gave him a reproachful look, and they made a polite exit from the house. They had gotten back into the car before Dean reached under his jacket and handed Sam the journal. "Sariel is apparently close to Anna. There's a picture of her up there laughing with Anna and Jared."

Sam gave Dean a strange look and then went back to the journal. He flipped to the end, and considered the last entry carefully. He finally looked up. "So it appears that Anna found out the four kids on the football team were always so successful because they were using steroids. She threatened to expose them and Mark, the quarterback who's still alive, threatened to hurt her. She went missing the day after that. I guess she never told anybody."

Dean's hands were clenching the wheel. "So there are two boys left, and probably a very angry spirit of a girl they may or may not have killed."

Sam nodded grimly. He pulled his cell phone out and dialed a number carefully. Dean sent glances his way as Sam listened to the other end. After a few moments he said, "Hey Jared. It's Sam. I was just wondering where I can find Mark Dwemer. Sariel sent us with some cookies." Sam paused and his face clenched tight as he held back words. Dean knew how he felt. "Yeah man she is just too nice. So how do we get there?" Sam nodded quietly and then thanked Jared and hung up.

"He said we'd find Mark at the Dwemer farm off Bank Street. It's about twenty minutes away. We need to hurry before she kills another one."

Dean wasn't sure he agreed.