Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to the Supernatural Universe or its characters. That honor goes to Warner Bros. and Wonderland Sound and Vision, along with Eric Kripke and associates. I also don't own any of the rights to the John Carpenter's Vampires Universe or its characters. That honor goes to Sony Pictures and Largo Entertainment, along with Don Jakoby, John Carpenter, and author John Steakley. I am just borrowing the characters and their mythology for fun and not for profit.

Author's Note: Let's see how Dean and Sam interact with their new "friends", and what the angels have to say about it. The Vatican Guardians sure know a whole lot about the Winchester boys it seems. Thanks to dreadedfemale for being my faithful beta.

Rated T: For language

Chapter 3

On Notice

Dean was heaven. The tricked-out shower was pure bliss as far as he was concerned. It was a fully automatic and environmentally-controlled system; all dependent upon what the user wanted. It was even dandier than the state-of-the-art steam shower the bug-infested neighborhood house had had in Oklahoma. Temperature could be set precisely and exactly where Dean wanted it. He had his choice of what kind of pulsating, massaging water hit him as well. The shower also contained a sweet and bad-ass, water-protected sound system, complete with satellite radio. He was taking a lot longer shower than normal; he felt he really needed. It seemed like every time he decided he was done, he'd fine more stone dust in his hair.

After the Gorgon's spell had worn off, Dean had desperately desired a shower. He had literally cracked and peeled, just like Jade had glibly remarked. Dean had first felt the spell breaking when he realized he could move his pinky on his right hand; soon, other fingers became mobile as well. He heard the stone he was encased in break apart with great snapping noises as it started to fall off of him. Gradually, he could move larger parts of his body, like his hands, feet, and eventually his arms and legs.

The only downside Dean saw to the stone disintegration was the powdery sand it left behind. He decided it was like he'd been in a gigantic sandstorm; one that got the sand to go everywhere. It was thick in Dean's hair, his eyes and eyelashes, between his toes, under his finger nails, down his neck, and in all other places sand tended to find its way into. He had felt gritty, grimy, soiled, and downright disgusting. Sam had laughed at him, telling him it would take him days to clean the sand out of all the places it was in. Dean had just glared back at Sam in response.

Now, however, as the velvety water sprayed him, Dean was extremely grateful for the excuse to use the out-of-this-world shower. Sometimes this job does have its perks, he thought in pleasure-hazed amusement as he lathered up his body. The mayor and his wife don't even use regular soap; they have to have some fancy stuff to wash with. That thought made Dean smile even wider.

He reached out and turned up the volume on the awesome song that was coming in on surround-sound speakers set into the shower wall. "…but I'll take my time anywhere, free to speak my mind anywhere, and I'll redefine anywhere, anywhere I roam, where I lay my head is home...," Dean belted out along with James Hetfield, the band's lead singer.

Dean had found a rockin' heavy metal satellite radio station that happened to share his taste in Metallica music. The current song playing was the third one in a row that they had played; it was Wherever I May Roam. Dean started singing right along with it he was in such a good mood. Dean had always liked the song because it mirrored his life so perfectly; he related to the message way too well. He continued in this vein as the song went on, and he thoroughly cleaned his sand-coated body and hair. Dean even did a little air guitar along with the bassist, Jason Newsted, as the musician did his thing with his twelve-string electrical guitar.

After quite a few more minutes of singing and scrubbing to various heavy metal artists, Dean decided he was done. He grabbed one of the forest green towels from its bar as he turned off the water with heavy regret. Dean dried his water-soaked body, and then wrapped the thick and downy towel securely around his waist. He picked up another towel and wrapped it around his head, turban style, like a girl would normally do. He was in such a cheesy mood that he thought it would be fun to play up pretending to live such an extravagant lifestyle. He was also just plain thrilled to be out of his stone prison.

As Dean stepped out of the small apartment-sized bathroom, he immediately knew something wasn't right; he knew he wasn't alone in the richly decorated and plushy master bedroom. It had a large, dark wood, four-posted, king bed with an ornately carved headboard. The spread was a mix of greens going from light to dark in a swirling pattern. The room also contained two matching, dark wood night stands, a dresser, a behemoth entertainment center with plasma screen TV and stereo system, and a writing desk with matching chair.

Dean found Jade sitting in the writing desk chair with her combat-booted feet resting up on the writing desk itself. She had shed her long, leather black coat, and Dean saw that she was wearing tight-fitting blue jeans and a black tank top; Sammy had thought it was a T-shirt. The top had a scooped neck and fit Jade's womanly curves appealingly. Her hair was wet again, which meant to Dean that she must have decided to shower as well. Even though she was an attractive sight to the carnal man within him, he didn't fail to notice the shiny Sig Sauer pistol she had in hear hands.

"I didn't realize I had an audience," he tried to say jokingly, but it worried him that he had just picked up on her presence now. His goofing-off had cost him, and that fact completely killed his upbeat spirits. "And from where I'm standing, it's a real buzz-kill."

"Then next time don't imitate a cat being strangled," Jade mocked him, with a cock of one of her dark eyebrows. The look in her eyes was not amused, but serious and threatening.

Dean bit back an equally sarcastic and mean response; he was slightly offended that she had dissed his singing. He finally settled for a short and curt, "What you want, Crow?" He didn't like the vulnerable position she had him in; his clothes were being washed, and Sam had all their weapons at the moment.

"I would think that having a strange woman in your bedroom would be a commonplace occurrence for you," Jade told him callously.

"Dealing with supernatural skanks has made me more wary," Dean shot back.

"Oh, like with your Gorgon girlfriend?" Jade threw out at him, never actually pointing her gun at Dean, but letting him know she could bring it to bear on him in a heartbeat.

Dean stared at her for a moment, not sure how to reply. It was true; he had let himself have a serious lapse in judgment about Ariel and had almost gotten himself and Sammy killed. "Yeah, well, can't be right all the time," he mumbled, admitting and not admitting his mistake at the same time.

In one fluid motion Jade was on her feet, inches from Dean, her gun in her hand at her side. Even though she had to look up to him, he took a step back from her. "I know all about you, Dean Winchester," she hissed. "I know about your deal with a Crossroads Demon to save Sam's life. I know about your trip to Hell. And," she said dramatically, circling him to come up behind him, "I know what you did while you were there. I know about the torturing you did; the souls you ripped apart."

Despite all his efforts not to, Dean shivered at her words, shame and red hot guilt seizing him. He gulped and tried to distance himself from Jade. "So?" he said with false bravado. "What's it to you?'

"It makes you as bad as the things we hunt," Jade answered bluntly. "But," she paused, circling him once again, like a hungry wolf, "I also know how you got out of the pit. I know that an angel brought you back. Obviously, you're something special to demand the attention of one of God's angels. So it makes me wonder, why, Dean? Why would an angel save the likes of you?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that question," Dean said honestly. "You see angels aren't cute and cubby little cupid dolls. They're total and complete dicks, but seeing as you work for the Vatican, you probably already knew that, right?"

Jade laughed; a hollow sound to Dean's ears. She faced him directly again, standing very close. "Actually, I've never had the pleasure of conversing with a messenger of God, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were dicks," she said candidly.

Her agreement with his assessment of Castiel and Uriel shocked Dean. "What?" he asked dumbfounded. "You actually agree with me? Why?"

"Let's just say, it would fully fit with my view of Heaven and its population," was Jade's less than informative answer.

"But you work for the Catholic Church, the Vatican, one of the world's largest religions," he found himself saying, perplexed; it didn't fit his image of a loyal employee.

Jade smirked at him, and Dean found it incredibly sexy. If it weren't for her gun or her bitchy behavior, he'd be tempted to hit on her. "I may work for the Church, but that doesn't mean I follow the party line," she revealed.

"You mean to tell me that you don't believe in God or the Church's doctrine?" Dean inquired dubiously, his eyebrows now raised in surprise.

"Oh, I know there's a God, but I just don't understand Him or His will very well," Jade openly told him. "I don't have much faith in Him anymore."

"Then why are you working for the Vatican? Why do you follow their orders?" Dean had the same doubts and faith issues that she did, yet she was the so-called Church-trained expert here.

"They raised me, gave me a home, an education, and a purpose," Jade said more softly. "I've seen evil, fought it, and killed it. I know it can't be left to freely canvas the globe. I have proof that it exists. The other side has never offered me any miracles. I do my job for the money and to safe lives, but not for any higher reason than that, if that's what you wanna know. What about you, Dean? Do you believe in God?"

"If you'd ask me that question a year ago, I would have said no straight out," Dean admitted, unsure of why he was doing so, but it might have had something to do with how many of her opinions and thoughts mirrored his own so well. "But, someone has to be up there pulling all the strings. I don't know if it's God or some Angel Fruitcake. Cas isn't exactly forthcoming with intel in that department."

Jade didn't say anything more for some time. Then she swiftly raised the Sig Sauer pistol and pressed the muzzle of the gun into his chest, at heart level. Dean thought about trying to disarm her, but something held him back; he had the feeling she really wasn't going to do him any harm, and it was strangely a bit of a turn on for him. He liked women who weren't afraid to act.

"What is it that you want, Jade?" he now asked her, realizing his voice had grow huskier suddenly as he spoke.

Jade's brown eyes glittered with dark intent. "I came here to issue you a warning," she stated.

"Oh, really?"

"Just like I know all about you, I know all about your baby brother," Jade said menacingly. "I know what he's been up to, the company he's been keeping, and that he's headed down a very slippery slope. He's dangerous, Dean, very dangerous. If you can't keep him under control, then we'll have a big problem."

"Are you threatening, Sammy?" Dean demanded, moving closer to Jade, not caring that the muzzle of the gun was now digging into his chest. His protective nature over Sam was kicking into high gear.

Jade answered with, "It's not a threat, Dean, it's a promise. If you can't be your brother's keeper, then he's finished as far as I'm concerned. I'll be watching you and him. Just thought that I should give you the heads up, stud."

"I'd never let you lay a hand on him," Dean all but growled at her, pressing himself even further into the gun's barrel.

"Then put your foot down on his extracurricular activities with demons," Jade told him fiercely. "He hasn't been honest with you, Dean. Not by a long shot, so I'd watch my back around him."

"This is Sam where talking about," Dean tried to defend his little brother, but deep down he knew that everything Jade was saying was the truth. Sam had been lying about a lot of things lately, keeping a lot of secrets that scared the shit out of Dean. Castiel had warned him about many of the same issues Jade was now harping on.

"He's changed, Dean," Jade said coldly. "He isn't the Sam you can count on. He has let evil influences cloud his judgment." She stepped away, dropping the gun back to her side. The gun muzzle had left a little circle indentation in Dean's chest; it was red and angry looking.

"Says you."

"Just watch him carefully, Dean," Jade admonished one last time, circling Dean again, before she started to move toward the master bedroom door, "because if you don't, you may not live to regret it."

Dean heard her words and wanted to scream at her that was what he always wanted to do with Sam; he wanted to protect him, keep him safe, and keep him innocent. He was relieved that Jade was understanding enough to come to him and warn him, instead of just acting on her instincts. She was giving him the chance to save Sammy, before she took matters into her own hands. That was something at least; she wasn't as heartless a bitch as she attempted to pass herself off as. It also scared him that what she was saying was almost exactly what his dad had told him almost two years ago; if he couldn't save Sam, he'd have to kill him.

Dean was also aware of the way Jade's eyes were wandering up and down his body, and he remembered that he was dressed only in a towel. He suddenly felt self-conscious for some reason. Is she checking me out? his male mind couldn't help but wonder. He knew he was in great shape, muscles toned and tight, his figure lean and masculine, and that most women liked what they saw. But now he had the handprint scar on his left shoulder from where Castiel had gripped him and pulled him from Hell, so it would be a blow to his ego to have a hot chick like Jade not like what she saw.

"I'll keep it in mind," he replied to her last words of caution.

"You'd better," she snapped. Then she started to leave the room, but after only a few steps she turned back to him. She titled her head a little to the right and downward, gazing at him from an angle. "By the way, not a bad physique, Hell Boy," she commented coyly. "Your abs and ass are almost mouthwatering. Makes a girl wonder what your other assets are like." With that said, she turned her back on him and sauntered away.

Dean was left standing there dumbstruck. She had just hit on him, before he could hit on her. She had wickedly beaten him to the punch and caught him completely off guard. His mouth was hanging open, but it slowly closed again, curving into a smug smile. So, the hot action chick likes my bod, well maybe there is a God after all, he joked to himself. It was nice to know that despite her hard shell, she was human too.

Now that he was fully dressed in his typical, holey blue jeans, dark green T-shirt and a shade lighter green, long-sleeved, button-down shirt, with his amulet Christmas gift from Sammy, his watch, his ring, and his evil-ass kicking boots, he felt much more like himself. Dean was just finishing up combing through his still damp hair and thinking about food, when he noticed Castiel's reflection in the mirror. It made him jump about five feet.

"Damn it, Cas!" he declared. "We talked about the sneakin' up thing before, dude."

"It is not my fault that you are never paying attention when I choose to appear to you," Castiel said in his deep, gravely, and monotone voice. He was wearing his nondescript suit and his long, tan overcoat.

"That's not the point," Dean said stubbornly. "You need to make some noise or something." He turned around to face the angel, instead of staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"I will bear that in mind," was Castiel's bland response.

"What do you want now?"

Castiel looked around the room slowly and took his time in answering the elder Winchester. Finally, he said, "I've been sent to warn you."

"There seems to be a lot of that going around today," Dean replied, still disturbed from Jade's earlier visit. Why is everyone picking on me today, he then thought sourly. I make one little mistake with a pretty girl and now its kick-me-to-the-curb day.

Castiel didn't appear to have even heard Dean's comment. He merely went on with delivering his message, his blue eyes intense. "We want you to stay away from the Vaticanum Protectoris. You are not to work with them under any conditions."

Dean was totally not prepared for that topic to be warned about. He had been thinking Cas was going to tell him about another seal that needed to be protected from Lilith and her demon army. It was a bolt out of the blue to be told to stay away from their new potential allies, especially when they worked for a religious organization like the Catholic Church. Dean thought for sure the angels would be all for the alliance and try and push the brothers into teaming up with the snobs. Instead, Cas was telling him not to work with Jade and Father Guiteau. That piqued Dean's curiosity more than it should have.

"What?" he asked of Cas. "Why the hell not? Aren't we all on the same side here?"

"My superiors did not give a reason, Dean," Castiel said, not really answering Dean's questions. "They only tasked me with warning you about not allying yourself with them. They are considered dangerous."

"Why, Cas? Are you even going to bother to tell me?" Dean moved away from the mirror, closer to the angel. "What wrong with a priest and a hot action chick, huh? I'm all ears for this one."

Castiel just stood stoically, staring back at Dean. "It is not your place to question a commandment, Dean. The priest is a good man, but the girl, she cannot be trusted. The organization as whole also has its share of problems. Just stay away from them. Leave tonight. Go your separate ways."

"And if we don't?" Dean inquired, feeling a rebellious streak coming on. He didn't much like Jade and the padre, but if the angels were getting their panties in a bunch because of the possibility of a team-up happening, Dean was liking the idea more and more. He did wonder, though, about what Castiel meant about not being able to trust Jade. She seemed like the most straightforward person he'd meet in a long time.

"There will be consequences to your actions," was the only thing Castiel said.

"Gee, where have I heard that line before, Cas? Is that supposed to scare me, O Holy One?"

Castiel blinked at Dean for a moment, his only sign of any reaction to Dean's disrespect. "You forget your place, Dean. You have been warned. Stay away from the Vatican Guardians," the angel said ominously, and then he disappeared, like he was never there, leaving Dean to have to stew and fuss about his visit.

One part of Dean felt like he should listen to the messenger—supposedly sent from God—but another part of him wanted to do just the opposite. He was tired of being told what to do without any reasoning behind it. He was sick of following blindly with little information to go on. He was one that never really could do things on faith alone, and this certainly wasn't going to be one of those times.

If the freakin' angels didn't want him and Sam to join forces with the Vatican pricks, well, that was just what he was going to do. Smiling to himself, he grabbed his dad's leather jacket off of the chair it had been resting on and walked out of the bedroom. He was starving, and it smelled like Father Guiteau was cooking up something delicious in the oversized ranch house's kitchen. He was also going to see what the padre thought of working with him and Sammy just to stick it to Cas and his dick-headed friends.

Sam was researching on his laptop in what was in a guest bedroom, just off the main hall. It was smaller than the huge master bedroom suite Dean had claimed, but then Sam's tastes were never that extravagant. This room was furnished simply with a queen-sized bed with a southwest colored scheme; all deep reds, dark browns, tans, creams, and turquoises. It had a dark wood wardrobe, dresser, and night stand. The curtains matched the spread with the southwestern theme. A picture of a Native American dream catcher hung on one wall, all in reds and golds. It shimmered in the light, like it had glitter applied to it. A small desk and chair took up another wall with a small picture of a gorgeous sunset sitting up above the desk. For Sam, it was comfy and cozy.

One minute he was deep in concentration on what he was looking up on the Internet, and the next minute he looked up and to the side of him to see Jade standing there with a pistol in her hand. He froze for an instant not knowing what to do. He took in her petite form, with her not quite shoulder-length, dark hair and nice curves. He was surprised to see what he had thought was a black T-shirt was in fact a black tank top. She would be attractive if it weren't for her gun.

"Trying to check us out huh, Demon Seed?" she questioned with a quirk of her lips.

"It's Sam, remember?"

"Find anything interesting, Sam?"

He shook his head in the negative. "Not really. A few conspiracy nut jobs mention your group in passing, but nothing concrete."

"Good to know our people back home can do their job," she told him, implying that the Vatican covered up well any knowledge of the Guardians' existence.

"Apparently," Sam said, turning around to log out and shut down his computer. "Can I help you with something, Jade?" he then asked, facing her once more. His eyes noted the gun in her hand again.

Suddenly, she punched him in the face so that he fell out of the chair sideways. She was on top of him in a second, straddling him as he lay on the floor on his back. She placed the gun to his left temple and leaned in close to him. It took Sam a moment to realize what had happened.

"I'm going to be keeping a very close eye on you, Demon Seed," Jade hissed at him. "I know all the things you've been up to lately. I know about Ruby and the crap she has been feeding you, literally and figuratively. If you don't start making some different choices and come clean with your brother, I'm going end you. I will not let you turn on the ones you love, no matter how good your intentions started out. The demons are using you, Sam. You need to wake up and see that."

Sam kicked out with his right leg, hitting Jade in her upper thigh and sending her flying off him. She recovered quickly, however, and had the gun trained on him before he could get fully to his feet.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jade," Sam lied as he stood. "All Ruby is doing is teaching me how to use my abilities to kill demons. That can't be a bad thing."

"Go ahead, keep lying to yourself, and those you call your family and friends," Jade spat at him. "Ruby is doing a lot more than teaching, and you know it, Sam. She is filling you full of poison. Your abilities aren't natural, they're evil."

"I don't really care what you think, Jade."

"Well you should, because if you don't shape up, I'll make sure that you take Dean's place in Hell. Got it, Demon Seed?"

"So noted," Sam said angrily. "You have no right to judge me."

"It's not my fault that you can't see how much of a pawn you are in Lilith's little game," Jade informed him hotly. "If you don't wise up, I will have no choice but to stop you. Just consider yourself on notice." She lowered her gun, but her dark eyes still flashed with deadly intent.

"Fine," Sam said defiantly.

"Fine," Jade parroted and turned on her heel and left Sam standing alone in the room.

Sam was literally shaking he was so mad. Both his hands were balled up into tight fists at his side. He was holding his breath trying to get control of himself. He finally let the air out of his lungs in a big whoosh. The tears came a moment later, just a glimmer of wetness, but there nonetheless. Jade's words stung him and stung him deeply. Part of him wanted to scream and rant at her just how wrong and stupid she was, but another part of him was terrified she might be right. Dean had warned him about using his abilities too. At least she had given him the courtesy of warning him before she decided to try and kill him. Maybe he could find a way to prove to her that he wasn't what she thought he was.

But what if they're both right about me? Sam thought to himself. What if what I'm doing is wrong? What if I'm choosing the wrong path? But then, Ruby's face swam into view, and he heard her voice. If you want to beat Lilith, you're gonna have to make some hard choices; choices others might not agree with. You need to be strong, Sam. You can't back down now. As those warring thoughts ran through his head, Sam felt more lost and alone than ever.

TBC…

How did this chapter go over? Are the guys in character? Castiel? How does the Jade know so much about the Winchesters and why? Let me know what you think. Just a short little note would be very welcome. Thanks!