A shot rings out, frightening me, and I tip backwards and off my bucket, landing right into my flower garden.

Castiel straightens and peers at the house.

"Get away from my Mom!" I hear Noland yell.

My eyes go wide as I lay there in the dirt, the flowers and weeds obscuring my vision of the house. Oh Christ! Noland, oh god. I forgot about Noland!

"Noland! It's okay!" I call, my voice rough from screaming my head off. I struggle to sit up.

"Mom?! What's going on?" Noland asks as I stand. He's standing on the porch, his gun still raised.

"Everything's okay. Castiel here is a friend." I pant, pressing a hand to my ribs. My abdomen stings where Castiel touched me, my shirt now covering the swirling sigil he burned into my skin.

"Why were you screaming?" He asks, his voice still laced with panic.

"I'm sorry honey, I didn't think…I didn't mean to scream." I glance over to Castiel, who's sliding his belt back on. "I'm okay though, I promise."

Noland licks his lips and lowers the gun, his fluffy hair tossed about by the breeze. "Who's this?" He motions to Castiel, looking suspicious.

"A…friend, he was helping with something." It's probably better if I don't confuse Noland, all this time I've been telling him angels are to be avoided. "Castiel, this is my son Noland."

Castiel nods.

"Hey, sorry about the shot, glad I didn't hit you." Noland says, walking over to us.

The wind comes up, making Castiel's trench-coat blow about as he turns to me. "If that is all Tara, I will be going back."

"Um…before you leave, maybe we could talk in private for a moment." I wipe my hands on my jeans. "I still have something to ask you." I really don't have anything more to say to him besides thank you, but I'd rather he poof out of here where my son can't see him. I shift my gaze to Noland, who is standing a foot or so from Castiel's right. If I tell him to go back in the house, he won't want to. Maybe if I…wait…I look at Noland a little harder. There's something not quite right about the way he's holding himself. He notices me watching him and gives me a reassuring smile.

Then his eyes flick black.

It happens before I can react. One minute he's standing there smiling, the next he's grabbing Castiel's coat and pulling a blade out of Castiel's inner pocket.

No.

Castiel's eyes go wide with surprise, but his reactions are decided. He whips around as Noland pulls the blade tighter into his grip.

No.

Castiel pushes out his hand, starting to glow with white light, towards my son's forehead.

"NO!" I scream. Whatever Castiel's about to do to my son, I can't let him do it. I leap forward and tackle him to the ground, and the knife that Noland swings for Castiel catches him in the side.

As soon as we hit the ground, my head is up. "Noland!" I scream, rolling off Cas. But he's gone, the place where he stood moments before empty.

"Noland!" I cry again, getting up, my eyes frantically searching the lawn for him. He's gone.

He's gone.

Noland's gone.

"Aghh…"

I look down to Castiel, who's clutching his side and wincing.

"Castiel? Are you okay? Are you—"

He pulls a bloody hand away from his side and pushes himself into a sitting position.

"Oh Christ! You're bleeding!" Castiel, an angel, hurt? "We should get you to the house, it's safer in there." I lean down to help him and after wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he stands.

"He'll be back, to take advantage of me while I'm weak." Castiel mutters grimly.

He'll be back. My son, and yet not my son. My Noland, my baby boy, who's been possessed by a demon. How is this happening? Why is this happening? My mind is in shock, my body feels numb. Stumbling, I manage to haul Castiel with me to the house. Once inside, I help him onto the couch.

"Is it bad, life threatening or something?" I ask, frightened.

He shakes his head and waves me off, his face dour. "I'm fine."

That blood says he's not, that blade that Noland took from him must be special. Able to hurt angels.

But that's not important right now, I have to get things together.

I run to my cupboards and pull out a gallon of Holy Water, then I pour it into a bowl and set in on the table. I lock the door and windows, then pour salt at all the entries. I have to secure the place, then I can figure out what to do.

It's so hard to focus though. The horror that is hitting me as a mother, is warring with the hunter in me.

If he comes back, he'll try to kill me. And I have to stop him, he's a demon. But he's also my son. My only option is to exorcise him, with as much caution as I can so as to cause little harm to his body.

How did this happen?

"Can't you just, heal yourself or something?" I ask Castiel as I sit down on the edge of a chair, my supplies all rounded up.

"He cut me with an angel blade, only time and rest will heal this wound." He says, his hair a little mussed up from when I tackled him.

"Oh my God, how has this happened?!" I moan, shoving a hand through my hair. "I told him never to take his pentagram necklace off, he knows that! And a demon, a demon possessing him? He's only six years old! And now where's he gone?" I gasp.

Castiel doesn't say anything, just watches me thoughtfully.

"I'm so sorry about this Castiel." I say, my hands clenched tightly together. I look back up at his bleeding. "Can't I...bandage you up or something?"

He shakes his head and the room is silent for a moment.

"Demons." I spit, my anger returning. "Thinking they can use my own son against me."

"I believe the demon is here for me, not you."

I look up, surprised. "What?"

"I never even considered the thought of one being so foolish as to approach me head on. He must be desperate." Castiel looks away, towards the window, his hand still pressed against his side.

"What? Desperate how, why?"

"Demon's cannot hurt me, but an angel blade can. It was still a suicidal move, trying to take my blade. He would have been smited instantly had you not stopped me." He gives me a cold look.

"Listen Castiel, I'm sorry you got knifed, but nobody's smiting my kid." I say harshly. "Noland is still in there, and the only way this finishes is with me exorcising him."

Castiel says nothing, his brooding gaze leaving me.

I chew my lip, trying to make sure I've secured the house. I've salted all the windows, I already have pentagrams drawn at every entrance, so there's no way he's getting in.

"He may not come back you know." Castiel says matter-of-factly, interrupting my thoughts.

"What?"

"Now that he has the blade, he may be gone."

Gone, as if never coming back? I swallow and look away from his stern, dark blue eyed, gaze. My stomach sours. No, he has to come back. I can't lose him too. It broke me to pieces when Noland's Dad, Greg was killed. He has to come back. Because...because if...if he doesn't come back, then I can't exorcise him, and until I find him, my son may be stuck with a demon inhabiting his body... "No, he'll come back." A say harshly, getting up and going to my desk. I rifle through to find my journal, the one I have the exorcising spell written in. Noland will come back, he will. He has too.