Lafayette, Louisiana

August, 2012

Sam and Dean were staying in a rundown motel on the outskirts of Lafayette, currently on a possible hunt. Two bodies had been discovered three days ago with their throats ripped open and their blood drained. They had both come to the conclusion that it was vampires but they still had to figure out where the vampires were hiding.

The two of them had interviewed the couple who had found the bodies and then investigated the bodies down at the morgue before returning to their dingy, small motel room to go over the deceased's files.

And now they were both in their single beds, getting as much sleep as they could before they would have to get up to start looking for the vampires.

Dean was jolted awake by the bang that reverberated around their motel room suddenly. He reached out, punching Sam in the arm, causing her to shoot up in bed. She immediately curled her fingers around the hilt of the knife under her pillow.

They climbed out of bed and approached the dark haired figure sprawled out across the rough carpet near the small kitchenette with a small bundle clutch to her chest. When he got closer, he recognised the woman and dropped to his knees, tossing his own knife aside.

"Cas?" Dean asked urgently as he eased her onto her back. "Castiel?"

Sam knelt beside them, eyes widening at the multiple bloodstains on Cas' beige trench coat and white blouse. There were wounds on her neck and hands that were leaking blood and grace.

"Dean, we need to patch her up – she's losing too much blood… and grace."

As Dean nodded and lifted her up, carrying her across the room and carefully depositing her onto his bed, Sam carefully opened the blanket to reveal a small child with messy, dirty blonde hair and large, doe-like green eyes. What shocked Sam the most was the two, grey wings with black tips that stuck out from its back. The child reached out with short arms, making grabby hands at Sam, who hesitated before lifting her arm and holding her against her chest. Dean glanced at Sam and the little girl before quickly getting to work on peeling off Castiel's trench coat and black blazer, tossing them onto the other bed. Sam darted into the bathroom to get the first aid kit, reappearing moments later. She set the child down on the other bed and stood beside Dean, glancing down at Cas.

"Take this." Sam practically thrust the kit at her brother and loosened Cas' tie enough to pull it over her head and tore the angel's shirt open. Three long scratches stretched from her right hip to the left half of her ribs and she had a stab wound in her lower abdomen and in her side.

"Christ, what the hell happened?" Sam whispered, eyes wide.

"Who cares?" Dean snapped. Sam held her hands up in surrender. "Let's just fix her up."

Sam nodded and the two of them began cleaning and stitching up Castiel's wounds before bandaging them. The blonde girl stared at the duo, sucking her thumb as they worked without stopping, paying all their attention to Castiel.

(3 hours earlier)

"Aliyah?" Castiel called, glancing around the woods cautiously.

"Castiel?" A tall woman with red hair poked her head out from behind a large elm tree and smile in relief. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I said I would come," Cas replied, squinting at her sister. "Did you doubt me sister?"

"No! I-I knew you would come… I just didn't know if it would be today." She came out from behind the tree, a small girl of about 5 years old with dirty blonde hair clinging to her hand.

"Is this her, Aliyah?"

"It is," Aliyah smiled proudly down at her daughter. "Isn't she beautiful?"

Castiel found herself nodding in agreement. "She takes after her father… but she has your eyes."

"Her name's Melody," Aliyah said, brushing the hair from Melody's face.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Castiel questioned, staring down at the child.

"I have to. She'll be safer with you and the Winchesters," Aliyah replied. Melody glanced at her mom before turning her eyes on Castiel and watching her curiously. "She wants to look at you."

"I don't understand – she's already looking at me." Castiel's head tilted to the side as she stared at her sister.

"She wants to see you at her height," Aliyah clarified in amusement. "Kneel down."

Castiel hesitated before doing as she was told. Melody walked slowly over to Cas after being nudged by her mom. She patted Cas' cheeks roughly, squishing them in her small hands. Silence surrounded the trio before a large smile appeared on her face and she let out a loud giggle that filled the clearing.

"Why is she laughing?"

"She thinks her aunt Cas is funny," Aliyah grinned.

Her smile immediately fell, replaced by a look of fear as the sound of wings met their ears. She lunged towards her daughter, lifting the child into her arms and holding her tightly. Castiel stood in front of them defensively, holding her angel blade up high as three of their brothers walked into the clearing.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Castiel," Elyon – one of her many older brothers sneered. "It's such a nice surprise."

"I do not believe it is such a nice surprise," Castiel responded with a frown. She tightened her grip on her blade.

"It will be for Raphael when we bring you to him," Daniel input, though he remained behind Elyon, making no move to attack her.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Castiel stepped backwards, forcing Aliyah to move as well.

"It's such a shame that we haven't been ordered to take you back home," Elyon told her as he stepped in her direction. "We'll just have to make do with those abominations instead."

"I won't let you hurt them." She attacked first, swinging downwards with her blade and cutting Elyon's arm.

Her brother let out a string of curses, stumbling backwards and landing on the ground as he clutched his arm. Daniel and her other brother Zadkiel jumped to Elyon's defence. Castiel dodged Daniel's oncoming attack and kicked out at him, knocking him onto his back. She ducked and plunged her blade into Zadkiel's thigh, deliberately missing hitting any arteries that would cause him to bleed out. She didn't want to kill her brothers, but she would if it came down to it – she had made a promise to Aliyah to protect Melody and she was determined to keep it. She would also do her best to keep Aliyah alive, though it would be difficult – Aliyah was very stubborn and if she chose to fight, Castiel wouldn't be able to stop her.

Elyon was up and tackling her before she could defend herself and they hit the ground with a thud. Elyon prepared to plunge his blade into her chest when she blocked the attack, forcing his blade away from her. She brought her knee up into his stomach, winding him and causing him to fall to the side.

"Aliyah! Run!" Castiel scrambled to her feet and grabbed her sister by the arm, tugging her further into the woods. "Keep going until you see the road!"

She spun around and threw herself at Daniel as he attempted to chase after Aliyah. Cas shot up from the ground into a defensive crouch and glared at her brothers.

"You might as well back down, you won't win," Zadkiel told her as the three of them began to circle her – they were all focused on removing her before going after their intended targets.

Aliyah kept running, Melody clutching her sweater in a vice tight grip. She only stopped when an ear piercing scream had her stumbling into a nearby tree.

"Mama?" Melody asked, blinking up at her as she was deposited on the ground.

"Mel, I need you to stay here," Aliyah told her daughter gently, stroking her hair.

"Okay," Melody whispered and allowed herself to be placed in the small opening at the base of the tree. Aliyah squeezed her daughter's hand and ran back, fully intending on protecting her sister.

Aliyah burst back into the clearing, her blade sliding from her sleeve to her hand. She blocked a blow from Zadkiel that was aimed at Castiel's back. Her foot collided with his chest and sent him stumbling backwards.

"Cas?" Aliyah set a hand on her favourite sister's back. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," Cas wheezed, a hand braced against her bleeding side. "We need to get out of here."

Aliyah pulled Cas up, holding her arm tightly and backing away as their brothers stalked closer. The three of them lunged at once, colliding with their sisters and sending them tumbling backwards onto the ground.

"We don't have to do this," Aliyah pleaded, scrambling backwards. She was relieved when the three of them ignored Cas and headed after her. "You're my brothers – this doesn't have to happen."

"We have our orders," Elyon answered stoically.

Aliyah's bright green eyes flickered back to Cas and she was hit with the sudden memory of Cas using a sigil to banish Zachariah. She knew there was no other option – she had to protect her daughter and Cas and this was the only way to do it. Elyon seemed to realize she was up to something as she raised her blade, cutting her palm and quickly drawing the banishing sigil on the tree beside her.

"No!" Aliyah slammed her hand down on the sigil. Her brothers angry faces were the last thing she saw before the three of them disappeared in a flash of burning white light.

Aliyah struggled to her feet and ran over to Castiel, dropping to her knees beside her. Castiel rolled onto her back, panting weakly as she stared up at her sister.

"We need to go, now – before they come back." Aliyah told Cas urgently.

Aliyah let out a sudden strangled gasp, her eyes widened in pain. Castiel pushed herself up onto her elbows, frowning cautiously.

"Aliyah?"

Aliyah screamed in pain and fear, her true voice filling the air as her body jerked forward, her grace exploding out of her in a burst of bluish white light. Castiel let out a panicked yelp, lunging to catch Aliyah's body as it slumped to the ground.

"No!" Cas felt her vessel's heart clench tightly in her chest as she stared down at her sister's now peaceful face. Her head snapped up as a twig cracked, her eyes widened at the man in front of her. "Why?"

"Better a quick death than an eternity of torture for her 'crimes.'"

"Sam will never forgive you for this – not when I tell her," Cas hissed, tears filling her eyes.

"You're not going to tell her."

He disappeared from sight before Cas could stop him, leaving her kneeling on the cold ground, the body of her sister clutched tightly in her arms.

"I am so sorry," she whispered, setting a hand on Aliyah's forehead and whispering a blessing in Enochian. Aliyah's body erupted into a swarm of blue butterflies, fluttering up towards the sky.

"Mama?"

"Melody," Cas breathed. She struggled to her feet and slowly approached the little girl, carefully lifting her into her arms. Her side ached painfully as Melody's foot brushed against Cas's wound.

"Where's mama?"

"She's gone home."

Castiel used the little bit of grace she could manage and conjured a large, fluffy blanket, wrapping it around her niece. She spread her wings weakly and flew away from the clearing, searching out for the one soul that would make everything better.